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Job’s Confession

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said,


“I know that You can do all things,
And that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained.

“[You said to me] ‘Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge?’
Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.(A)

‘Hear, please, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct [and answer] me.’

“I had heard of You [only] by the hearing of the ear,
But now my [spiritual] eye sees You.

“Therefore I retract [my words and hate myself]
And I repent in dust and ashes.”

God Displeased with Job’s Friends

It came about that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him [and his prayer] so that I may not deal with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

God Restores Job’s Fortunes

10 The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.(B) 11 Then all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him over all the [distressing] adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him a piece of money, and each a ring of gold. 12 And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.(C) 13 He had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first [daughter] Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land there were found no women so fair as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. 17 So Job died, an old man and full of days.(D)

42 Then Job replied to God:

“I know that you can do anything and that no one can stop you. You ask who it is who has so foolishly denied your providence. It is I. I was talking about things I knew nothing about and did not understand, things far too wonderful for me.

“You said,[a] ‘Listen and I will speak! Let me put the questions to you! See if you can answer them!’

“But now I say,[b] ‘I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you, and I loathe myself and repent in dust and ashes.’”

After the Lord had finished speaking with Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite:

“I am angry with you and with your two friends, for you have not been right in what you have said about me, as my servant Job was. Now take seven young bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves; and my servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf, and won’t destroy you as I should because of your sin, your failure to speak rightly concerning my servant Job.”

So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer on their behalf. 10 Then, when Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his wealth and happiness! In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! 11 Then all of his brothers, sisters, and former friends arrived and feasted with him in his home, consoling him for all his sorrow and comforting him because of all the trials the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring.

12 So the Lord blessed Job at the end of his life more than at the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.

13-14 God also gave him seven more sons and three more daughters.[c]

These were the names of his daughters: Jemima, Kezia, Keren.

15 And in all the land there were no other girls as lovely as the daughters of Job; and their father put them into his will along with their brothers.

16 Job lived 140 years after that, living to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren too. 17 Then at last he died, an old, old man, after living a long, good life.

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:4 You said, implied.
  2. Job 42:5 But now I say, implied.
  3. Job 42:13 gave him seven more sons and three more daughters, making a total of twenty children, ten of whom were in heaven. Keren, literally “Keren-happuch.”