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God Is Just

“Call now —is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones (angels) will you turn?

“For anger slays the foolish man,
And jealousy kills the simple (naive).

“I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering],
But I cursed his dwelling immediately [for his destruction was certain].

“His children are far from safety [and included in their father’s ruin],
They are oppressed and crushed in the [court of justice in the city’s] gate,
And there is no [a]one to rescue them.

“The hungry devour his harvest
And take it even [when it grows] among the thorns;
The trap opens for [his] wealth.

“For affliction does not come forth from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring forth from the ground.

“For man is born for trouble,
[As naturally] as sparks fly upward.


“As for me, I would seek God and inquire of Him,
And I would commit my cause to God;

Who does great and unsearchable things,
Marvelous things without number.
10 
“He gives rain upon the earth
And sends waters upon the fields,
11 
So that He sets on high those who are lowly,
And He lifts to safety those who mourn.
12 
“He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.
13 
“He catches the [so-called] wise in their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the devious is quickly thwarted.(A)
14 
“In the daytime they meet in darkness,
And at noon they grope as in the night.
15 
“But God saves [the innocent] from the sword of the mouth of the devious,
And the poor from the hand of the mighty.
16 
“So the helpless have hope,
And injustice shuts its mouth.

17 
“Behold, how happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise or reject the discipline of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering].
18 
“For He inflicts pain, but He binds up and gives relief;
He wounds, but His hands also heal.
19 
“He will rescue you from six troubles;
Even in seven, evil will not touch you.
20 
“In famine He will redeem you from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.
21 
“You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 
“You will laugh at violence and famine,
And you will not be afraid of the wild beasts of the earth.
23 
“For you will be in harmony with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 
“You will know also that your tent is secure and at peace,
And you will visit your dwelling and fear no loss [nor find anything amiss].
25 
“You will know also that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 
“You will come to your grave in old age,
Like the stacking of grain [on the threshing floor] in its season.
27 
“Behold this; we have investigated it, and it is true.
Hear and heed it, and know for yourself [for your own good].”

Job’s Friends Are No Help

Then Job answered and said,


“Oh, that my grief could actually be weighed
And placed in the balances together with my tragedy [to see if my grief is the grief of a coward]!

“For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;
Therefore my words have been incoherent,

Because the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
My spirit drinks their poison;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

“Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass?
Or does the ox low over his fodder?

“Can something that has no taste to it be eaten without salt?
Or is there any flavor in the white of an egg?

“My soul refuses to touch them;
Such things are like loathsome food to me [sickening and repugnant].


“Oh that my request would come to pass,
And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

“I wish that it would please God to crush me,
That He would let loose His hand and cut me off.
10 
“Then I would still have consolation,
And I would jump for joy amid unsparing pain,
That I have not denied or hidden the words of the Holy One.
11 
“What strength do I have left, that I should wait [and hope]?
And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient and endure?
12 
“Is my strength and endurance that of stones,
Or is my flesh made of bronze?
13 
“Is it that I have no help within myself,
And that success and wisdom have been driven from me?

14 
“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not [b]abandon (turn away from) the fear of the Almighty.
15 
“My brothers have acted deceitfully like a brook,
Like the torrents of brooks that vanish,
16 
Which are dull and dirty because of ice,
And into which the snow melts and hides itself;
17 
When it is warm, they are silent and cease to flow;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 
“The paths of their course wind along,
They go up into nothing and perish.
[Your counsel is as helpful to me as a dry streambed in the heat of summer.]
19 
“The caravans of [c]Tema looked [for water],
The caravans of [d]Sheba waited for them [in vain].
20 
“They were put to shame and disappointed because they had trusted [that they would find water];
They came there and were ashamed.
21 
“Indeed, you have now become like a dried-up stream,
You see a terror [believing me to be a victim of the wrath of God] and are afraid [to be compassionate].
22 
“Did I ever say, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Pay a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 
Or, ‘Rescue me from the adversary’s hand,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?

24 
“Teach me, and I will be silent;
And show me how I have erred.
25 
“How painful are words of honesty.
But what does your argument prove?
26 
“Do you intend to reprove my words [with a convincing argument],
When the words of one in despair belong to the wind [and go ignored]?
27 
“You would cast lots (gamble) over the fatherless
And bargain away your friend.
28 
“Now please look at me,
And see if I lie to your face [for you know that I would not].
29 
“Turn away [from your suspicion], let there be no injustice;
Turn away, my righteousness and vindication is still in it.
30 
“Is there injustice or malice on my tongue?
Can my palate not discern what is destructive?

Job’s Life Seems Futile

“Is not man forced to labor on earth?
And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

“As a slave earnestly longs for the shade,
And as a hired man eagerly awaits his wages,

So am I allotted months of futility and suffering,
And [long] nights of trouble and misery are appointed to me.

“When I lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise [and the night be gone]?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until the dawning of day.

“My body is clothed with worms and a crust of dust;
My skin is hardened [and broken and loathsome], and [breaks out and] runs.

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.


“Remember that my life is but breath [a puff of wind, a sigh];
My eye will not see good again.

“The eye of him who sees me [now] will see me no more;
Your eyes will be upon me, but I will not be.

“As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
So he who goes down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) does not come up.
10 
“He will not return again to his house,
Nor will his place know about him anymore.

11 
“Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul [O Lord].
12 
“Am I the sea, or the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 
“When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
14 
Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me through visions,
15 
So that I would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my [e]pain.
16 
“I waste away and loathe my life; I will not live forever.
Let me alone, for my days are but a breath [futile and without substance].
17 
“What is man that You [should] magnify him [and think him important]?
And that You are concerned about him?(B)
18 
“And that You examine him every morning
And try and test him every moment?
19 
“Will You never turn Your gaze away from me [it plagues me],
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 
“If I have sinned, what [harm] have I done to You,
O Watcher of mankind?
Why have You set me as a target for You,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 
“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my sin and guilt?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me [diligently], but I will not be.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:4 Lit deliverer.
  2. Job 6:14 Lit forsake.
  3. Job 6:19 Tema, tribal descendants of the ninth son of Ishmael.
  4. Job 6:19 Sheba, tribal descendants of Abraham and Keturah.
  5. Job 7:15 Lit bones.

“Call if you will, but who will answer you?(A)
    To which of the holy ones(B) will you turn?
Resentment(C) kills a fool,
    and envy slays the simple.(D)
I myself have seen(E) a fool taking root,(F)
    but suddenly(G) his house was cursed.(H)
His children(I) are far from safety,(J)
    crushed in court(K) without a defender.(L)
The hungry consume his harvest,(M)
    taking it even from among thorns,
    and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
For hardship does not spring from the soil,
    nor does trouble sprout from the ground.(N)
Yet man is born to trouble(O)
    as surely as sparks fly upward.

“But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
    I would lay my cause before him.(P)
He performs wonders(Q) that cannot be fathomed,(R)
    miracles that cannot be counted.(S)
10 He provides rain for the earth;(T)
    he sends water on the countryside.(U)
11 The lowly he sets on high,(V)
    and those who mourn(W) are lifted(X) to safety.
12 He thwarts the plans(Y) of the crafty,
    so that their hands achieve no success.(Z)
13 He catches the wise(AA) in their craftiness,(AB)
    and the schemes of the wily are swept away.(AC)
14 Darkness(AD) comes upon them in the daytime;
    at noon they grope as in the night.(AE)
15 He saves the needy(AF) from the sword in their mouth;
    he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.(AG)
16 So the poor(AH) have hope,
    and injustice shuts its mouth.(AI)

17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;(AJ)
    so do not despise the discipline(AK) of the Almighty.[a](AL)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;(AM)
    he injures, but his hands also heal.(AN)
19 From six calamities he will rescue(AO) you;
    in seven no harm will touch you.(AP)
20 In famine(AQ) he will deliver you from death,
    and in battle from the stroke of the sword.(AR)
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,(AS)
    and need not fear(AT) when destruction comes.(AU)
22 You will laugh(AV) at destruction and famine,(AW)
    and need not fear the wild animals.(AX)
23 For you will have a covenant(AY) with the stones(AZ) of the field,
    and the wild animals will be at peace with you.(BA)
24 You will know that your tent is secure;(BB)
    you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.(BC)
25 You will know that your children will be many,(BD)
    and your descendants like the grass of the earth.(BE)
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor,(BF)
    like sheaves gathered in season.(BG)

27 “We have examined this, and it is true.
    So hear it(BH) and apply it to yourself.”(BI)

Job

Then Job replied:

“If only my anguish could be weighed
    and all my misery be placed on the scales!(BJ)
It would surely outweigh the sand(BK) of the seas—
    no wonder my words have been impetuous.(BL)
The arrows(BM) of the Almighty(BN) are in me,(BO)
    my spirit drinks(BP) in their poison;(BQ)
    God’s terrors(BR) are marshaled against me.(BS)
Does a wild donkey(BT) bray(BU) when it has grass,
    or an ox bellow when it has fodder?(BV)
Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
    or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow[b]?(BW)
I refuse to touch it;
    such food makes me ill.(BX)

“Oh, that I might have my request,
    that God would grant what I hope for,(BY)
that God would be willing to crush(BZ) me,
    to let loose his hand and cut off my life!(CA)
10 Then I would still have this consolation(CB)
    my joy in unrelenting pain(CC)
    that I had not denied the words(CD) of the Holy One.(CE)

11 “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
    What prospects, that I should be patient?(CF)
12 Do I have the strength of stone?
    Is my flesh bronze?(CG)
13 Do I have any power to help myself,(CH)
    now that success has been driven from me?

14 “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend(CI)
    forsakes the fear of the Almighty.(CJ)
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,(CK)
    as the streams that overflow
16 when darkened by thawing ice
    and swollen with melting snow,(CL)
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
    and in the heat(CM) vanish from their channels.
18 Caravans turn aside from their routes;
    they go off into the wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema(CN) look for water,
    the traveling merchants of Sheba(CO) look in hope.
20 They are distressed, because they had been confident;
    they arrive there, only to be disappointed.(CP)
21 Now you too have proved to be of no help;
    you see something dreadful and are afraid.(CQ)
22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf,
    pay a ransom(CR) for me from your wealth,(CS)
23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy,
    rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’?(CT)

24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet;(CU)
    show me where I have been wrong.(CV)
25 How painful are honest words!(CW)
    But what do your arguments prove?
26 Do you mean to correct what I say,
    and treat my desperate words as wind?(CX)
27 You would even cast lots(CY) for the fatherless(CZ)
    and barter away your friend.

28 “But now be so kind as to look at me.
    Would I lie to your face?(DA)
29 Relent, do not be unjust;(DB)
    reconsider, for my integrity(DC) is at stake.[c](DD)
30 Is there any wickedness on my lips?(DE)
    Can my mouth not discern(DF) malice?

“Do not mortals have hard service(DG) on earth?(DH)
    Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(DI)
Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(DJ)
    or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(DK)
so I have been allotted months of futility,
    and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(DL)
When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’(DM)
    The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.(DN)
My body is clothed with worms(DO) and scabs,
    my skin is broken and festering.(DP)

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(DQ)
    and they come to an end without hope.(DR)
Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(DS)
    my eyes will never see happiness again.(DT)
The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
    you will look for me, but I will be no more.(DU)
As a cloud vanishes(DV) and is gone,
    so one who goes down to the grave(DW) does not return.(DX)
10 He will never come to his house again;
    his place(DY) will know him no more.(DZ)

11 “Therefore I will not keep silent;(EA)
    I will speak out in the anguish(EB) of my spirit,
    I will complain(EC) in the bitterness of my soul.(ED)
12 Am I the sea,(EE) or the monster of the deep,(EF)
    that you put me under guard?(EG)
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
    and my couch will ease my complaint,(EH)
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
    and terrify(EI) me with visions,(EJ)
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,(EK)
    rather than this body of mine.(EL)
16 I despise my life;(EM) I would not live forever.(EN)
    Let me alone;(EO) my days have no meaning.(EP)

17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
    that you give them so much attention,(EQ)
18 that you examine them every morning(ER)
    and test them(ES) every moment?(ET)
19 Will you never look away from me,(EU)
    or let me alone even for an instant?(EV)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,(EW)
    you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?(EX)
    Have I become a burden to you?[d](EY)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
    and forgive my sins?(EZ)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;(FA)
    you will search for me, but I will be no more.”(FB)

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:17 Hebrew Shaddai; here and throughout Job
  2. Job 6:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  3. Job 6:29 Or my righteousness still stands
  4. Job 7:20 A few manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition and Septuagint; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text I have become a burden to myself.