Job 6-7
Legacy Standard Bible
Job Answers Eliphaz
6 Then Job answered and said,
2 “(A)Oh that my vexation were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my destruction!
3 For then it would be (B)heavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.
4 For the (C)arrows of the Almighty are within me,
[a]Their (D)poison my spirit drinks;
The (E)horrors of God are arranged against me.
5 Does the (F)wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his fodder?
6 Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the slime of a [b]yolk?
7 My soul (G)refuses to touch them;
They are like loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my hope!
9 Would that God were (H)willing to crush me,
That He would release His hand and cut me off!
10 But it is still my comfort,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I (I)have not at all hidden away the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should [c](J)endure?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is it that there is no (K)help within me,
And that the [d](L)success of sound wisdom is driven from me?
14 “For the (M)despairing man lovingkindness should be from his friend;
But he (N)forsakes the [e]fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have (O)betrayed me like a [f]wadi,
Like the torrents of [g]wadis which pass away,
16 Which grow dark because of ice
And upon which the snow hides itself.
17 When (P)they become waterless, they [h]are silent;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 The [i]paths of their course wind along;
They go up into a formless place and perish.
19 The caravans of (Q)Tema looked;
The travelers of (R)Sheba hoped for them.
20 They (S)were ashamed for they had trusted;
They came there and were humiliated.
21 Indeed, you have now become such;
(T)You see a terror and are afraid.
22 Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 Or, ‘Give me escape from the hand of the adversary,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the ruthless men’?
24 “Instruct me, and (U)I will be silent;
And cause me to understand how I have erred.
25 How painful are upright words!
But what does your reproof prove?
26 Do you think to reprove my words,
Or think of the (V)words of one in despair as wind?
27 You would even (W)cast lots for (X)the orphans
And (Y)bargain over your friend.
28 So now be willing to face me,
And see if I (Z)lie to your face.
29 Now turn from this, let there be no unrighteousness;
Even turn from this, (AA)my righteousness is yet in it.
30 Is there unrighteousness on my tongue?
Cannot (AB)my palate discern [j]destruction?
7 “[k]Is not man (AC)conscripted to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of (AD)a hired man?
2 As a slave who pants for the shade,
And as a hired man who eagerly hopes for his wages,
3 So am I apportioned months of worthlessness,
And (AE)nights of trouble are appointed me.
4 If I (AF)lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the twilight continues,
And I am saturated with tossing until dawn.
5 My (AG)flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt;
My skin scabs over and flows out again.
6 My days are (AH)swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And come to an end (AI)without hope.
7 “Remember that my life (AJ)is but wind;
My eye will (AK)not again see good.
8 The (AL)eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but (AM)I will not be.
9 A (AN)cloud vanishes, and it is gone,
So (AO)he who goes down to (AP)Sheol does not come up.
10 He will not return again to his house,
Nor will (AQ)his place recognize him anymore.
11 “Indeed (AR)I will not hold back my mouth;
I will speak in the distress of my spirit;
I will muse on the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea or (AS)the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 If I say, ‘(AT)My bed will comfort me;
My couch will [l]ease my bitter musing,’
14 Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me by visions,
15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my [m]pains.
16 I have (AU)rejected everything; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, (AV)for my days are but a breath.
17 (AW)What is man that You magnify him,
And that You set Your heart on him,
18 That (AX)You [n]examine him every morning
And test him every moment?
19 [o](AY)Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spit?
20 (AZ)Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O (BA)watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why then (BB)do You not forgive my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will (BC)lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me earnestly, (BD)but I will not be.”
Footnotes
- Job 6:4 Lit Whose
- Job 6:6 Heb hallamuth, meaning uncertain; possibly the juice of a plant
- Job 6:11 Lit prolong my soul
- Job 6:13 Ancient versions deliverance
- Job 6:14 Or reverence
- Job 6:15 Or brook
- Job 6:15 Or brooks
- Job 6:17 Or cease
- Job 6:18 Or caravans turn from their course
- Job 6:30 Or words
- Job 7:1 Lit Has not man compulsory labor
- Job 7:13 Lit bear
- Job 7:15 Lit bones
- Job 7:18 Or care for, cf. Ps 8:4
- Job 7:19 Lit How long will You not
Job 6-7
New American Standard Bible 1995
Job’s Friends Are No Help
6 Then Job [a]answered,
2 “(A)Oh that my grief were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my calamity!
3 “For then it would be (B)heavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.
4 “For the (C)arrows of the Almighty are within me,
[b]Their (D)poison my spirit drinks;
The (E)terrors of God are arrayed against me.
5 “Does the (F)wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his fodder?
6 “Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the [c]white of an egg?
7 “My soul (G)refuses to touch them;
They are like loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my longing!
9 “Would that God were (H)willing to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and cut me off!
10 “But it is still my consolation,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I (I)have not [d]denied the words of the Holy One.
11 “What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should [e](J)endure?
12 “Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 “Is it that my (K)help is not within me,
And that [f](L)deliverance is driven from me?
14 “For the (M)despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not (N)forsake the [g]fear of the Almighty.
15 “My brothers have acted (O)deceitfully like a [h]wadi,
Like the torrents of [i]wadis which vanish,
16 Which are turbid because of ice
And into which the snow [j]melts.
17 “When (P)they become waterless, they [k]are silent,
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 “The [l]paths of their course wind along,
They go up into nothing and perish.
19 “The caravans of (Q)Tema looked,
The travelers of (R)Sheba hoped for them.
20 “They (S)were [m]disappointed for they had trusted,
They came there and were confounded.
21 “Indeed, you have now become such,
(T)You see a terror and are afraid.
22 “Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the hand of the adversary,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?
24 “Teach me, and (U)I will be silent;
And show me how I have erred.
25 “How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
26 “Do you intend to reprove my words,
When the (V)words of one in despair belong to the wind?
27 “You would even (W)cast lots for (X)the orphans
And (Y)barter over your friend.
28 “Now please look at me,
And see if I (Z)lie to your face.
29 “Desist now, let there be no injustice;
Even desist, (AA)my righteousness is yet in it.
30 “Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot (AB)my palate discern [n]calamities?
Job’s Life Seems Futile
7 “[o]Is not man (AC)forced to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of (AD)a hired man?
2 “As a slave who pants for the shade,
And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages,
3 So am I allotted months of vanity,
And (AE)nights of trouble are appointed me.
4 “When I (AF)lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am [p]continually tossing until dawn.
5 “My (AG)flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and runs.
6 “My days are (AH)swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And come to an end (AI)without hope.
7 “Remember that my life (AJ)is but breath;
My eye will (AK)not again see good.
8 “The (AL)eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but (AM)I will not be.
9 “When a (AN)cloud vanishes, it is gone,
So (AO)he who goes down to (AP)Sheol does not come up.
10 “He will not return again to his house,
Nor will (AQ)his place know him anymore.
11 “Therefore (AR)I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 “Am I the sea, or (AS)the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 “If I say, ‘(AT)My bed will comfort me,
My couch will [q]ease my complaint,’
14 Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me by visions;
15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my [r]pains.
16 “I [s](AU)waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, (AV)for my days are but a breath.
17 “(AW)What is man that You magnify him,
And that You [t]are concerned about him,
18 That (AX)You examine him every morning
And try him every moment?
19 “[u](AY)Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 “(AZ)Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O (BA)watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 “Why then (BB)do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will (BC)lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, (BD)but I will not be.”
Footnotes
- Job 6:1 Lit answered and said
- Job 6:4 Lit Whose
- Job 6:6 Heb hallamuth, meaning uncertain. Perhaps the juice of a plant
- Job 6:10 Lit hidden
- Job 6:11 Lit prolong my soul
- Job 6:13 So ancient versions
- Job 6:14 Or reverence
- Job 6:15 Or brooks
- Job 6:15 Or brooks
- Job 6:16 Lit hides itself
- Job 6:17 Or cease
- Job 6:18 Or caravans turn from their course, they go up into the waste and perish
- Job 6:20 Lit ashamed
- Job 6:30 Or words
- Job 7:1 Lit Has not man compulsory labor
- Job 7:4 Lit sated with
- Job 7:13 Lit bear
- Job 7:15 Lit bones
- Job 7:16 Or loathe
- Job 7:17 Lit set Your heart on
- Job 7:19 Lit How long will You not
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
