Job 6-7
Lexham English Bible
Job’s Second Speech: A Response to Eliphaz
6 Then[a] Job answered and said,
2 “If only my vexation could be well weighed,
and my calamity could be lifted up together with it in the balances,
3 for then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;
therefore my words have been rash,
4 for the arrows of Shaddai are in me;
my spirit drinks their poison;
the terrors of God are arrayed against me.
5 Does the wild ass bray over grass,
or the ox bellow over its fodder?
6 Can tasteless food be eaten without[b] salt,
or is there taste in the white of a marshmallow plant?
7 I refused[c] to touch them;
they are like food that will make me ill.[d]
8 “O that[e] my request may come,
and that God may grant my hope,
9 that[f] God would decide that[g] he would crush me,
that he would let loose his hand and kill me.[h]
10 But[i] it will still be my consolation,
and I would recoil in unrelenting[j] pain,
for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should hold out?[k]
12 Or is my strength like the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Indeed,[l] my help is not in me,
and any success is driven from me.
14 “Loyal love[m] should come for the afflicted from his friend,
even if[n] he forsakes the fear of Shaddai.
15 My companions are treacherous like a torrent-bed;
like a streambed of wadis[o] they flow away,
16 which are growing dark because of ice upon them,
it will pile up snow.
17 In time they dry up, they disappear;
when it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 The paths of their way wind around;
they go up into the wasteland, and they perish.
19 The caravans of Tema looked;
the traveling merchants of Sheba hope for them.
20 They are disappointed, because they trusted;
they came here[p] and they are confounded.
21 “For now you[q] have become such;[r]
you see terrors, and you fear.
22 Is it because I have said, ‘Give to me,’
or,[s] ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?
23 or,[t] ‘Save me from the foe’s hand,’
or,[u] ‘Ransom me from the tyrants’ hand’?
24 Teach me, and I myself[v] will be silent;
and make me understand how I have gone astray.
25 How painful are upright words![w]
But[x] what does your reproof[y] reprove?
26 Do you intend to reprove my words[z]
and consider the words of a desperate man as wind?
27 Even over the orphan you would cast the lot,
and you would bargain over your friend.
28 “Therefore[aa] be prepared, turn to me,
and I surely will not lie to your face.[ab]
29 Please turn, let no injustice happen;
indeed,[ac] turn, my righteousness is still intact.[ad]
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Or can my palate not discern calamity?[ae]
Job’s Second Speech: A Response to Eliphaz
7 “Does not a human being[af] have hard service[ag] on earth?
And are not his[ah] days like the days of a laborer?
2 Like a slave he longs for the shadow,
and like a laborer he waits for his wages.
3 So I had to inherit[ai] months of worthlessness,
and nights of misery are apportioned to me.
4 When I lie down, I say,[aj] ‘When shall I rise?’
But[ak] the night is long,
and I have my fill of tossing until dawn.
5 My body is clothed with maggots and clods of dust;
my skin hardens, then[al] it gives way again.
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
and they come to an end without hope.[am]
7 Remember that my life is a breath;
my eye will not return to see good.
8 The eye of the one seeing me will not see me;
your eyes are upon me, but[an] I will be gone.[ao]
9 A cloud vanishes, and it goes away,
so he who goes down to Sheol will not come up.
10 He does not return again to his house,
and his place does not recognize him again.
11 “Even[ap] I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in my spirit’s anguish;
I will complain in my inner self’s[aq] bitterness.
12 Am I the sea, or a sea monster,
that you set a guard over me?
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
and my couch[ar] will ease my complaint,’
14 then[as] you terrify me with dreams,[at]
and with visions you terrify[au] me.
15 So[av] my inner self[aw] will choose[ax] strangling—
death more than my existence.[ay]
16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever;
depart from me, for my days are a breath.
17 “What is a human being that you make him great
and that you fix your mind on him,[az]
18 so that[ba] you visit him every morning,[bb]
you test him every moment?[bc]
19 How long[bd] will you not turn away from me?
Or not leave me alone until I swallow[be] my spit?
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you, watcher of humanity?
Why have you made me as a target for yourself,
so that[bf] I have become a burden to myself?[bg]
21 And why do you not pardon my transgression
and take away my guilt?
For now I shall lie in the dust,
and you will seek me, but[bh] I will be no more.”[bi]
Notas al pie
- Job 6:1 Hebrew “And”
- Job 6:6 Hebrew “from without”
- Job 6:7 Literally “My soul/throat refuses”
- Job 6:7 Literally “the illness of my bread/food”
- Job 6:8 Literally “Who would give”
- Job 6:9 Hebrew “and”
- Job 6:9 Hebrew “and”
- Job 6:9 Literally “he would cut me off”
- Job 6:10 Hebrew “And”
- Job 6:10 Literally “he/it does not have compassion,” or “he/it does not have pity,” or “he/it does not spare”
- Job 6:11 Literally “I should make my self long,” or “I should lengthen my self”
- Job 6:13 An interrogative marker plus “if”
- Job 6:14 Or “Kindness”
- Job 6:14 Hebrew “and”
- Job 6:15 A seasonal stream that is often dry
- Job 6:20 Literally “up to it”
- Job 6:21 Plural throughout the rest of this chapter
- Job 6:21 Literally “to it,” or “for it”
- Job 6:22 Hebrew “and”
- Job 6:23 Hebrew “and”
- Job 6:23 Hebrew “And”
- Job 6:24 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 6:25 Literally “words of uprightness”
- Job 6:25 Hebrew “And”
- Job 6:25 Literally “reproving from you”
- Job 6:26 Or “Do you intend to reprove with words”
- Job 6:28 Literally “And now,” or “And so then”
- Job 6:28 Hebrew “faces”
- Job 6:29 Hebrew “and”
- Job 6:29 Literally “still my righteousness is in it”
- Job 6:30 Or “calamities”
- Job 7:1 Or a collective singular, “human beings”
- Job 7:1 Literally “hard service for a human being”
- Job 7:1 Or a collective singular, “their”
- Job 7:3 Literally “I am allotted to me”
- Job 7:4 Hebrew “and I say”
- Job 7:4 Hebrew “And”
- Job 7:5 Hebrew “and”
- Job 7:6 Literally “with nothing hope”
- Job 7:8 Hebrew “and”
- Job 7:8 Literally “there is not me,” or “I am not”
- Job 7:11 Or “I on my part”
- Job 7:11 Or “soul’s”
- Job 7:13 Or “bed”
- Job 7:14 Hebrew “and”
- Job 7:14 Or “the dreams”
- Job 7:14 Or “dishearten,” or “frighten”
- Job 7:15 Or “And”
- Job 7:15 Or “soul”
- Job 7:15 Or “I will choose”
- Job 7:15 Literally “bones”
- Job 7:17 Literally “you set on him your heart”
- Job 7:18 Hebrew “and”
- Job 7:18 Literally “for mornings,” or “at mornings”
- Job 7:18 Literally “for moments,” or “at moments”
- Job 7:19 Literally “Like what”
- Job 7:19 Or “my swallowing”
- Job 7:20 Hebrew “and”
- Job 7:20 Some translations translate as “you” (e.g., ESV, NRSV, NIV, NET)
- Job 7:21 Hebrew “and”
- Job 7:21 Literally “there is not me,” or “I am not”
Job 6-7
New American Standard Bible
Job’s Friends Are No Help
6 Then Job responded,
2 “(A)Oh if only my grief were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my disaster!
3 For then it would be (B)heavier than the sand of the seas;
For that reason my words have been rash.
4 For the (C)arrows of the Almighty are within me,
[a]My spirit drinks their (D)poison;
The (E)terrors of God line up against me.
5 Does the (F)wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his feed?
6 Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the [b]juice of an alkanet plant?
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 Oh, that God would (H)decide to crush me,
That He would let loose His hand and cut me off!
10 But it is still my comfort,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I (I)have not [c]denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should [d](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 a (L)good outcome is driven away from me?
14 “For the (M)despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not (N)abandon the [e]fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have acted (O)deceitfully like a [f]wadi,
Like the torrents of [g]wadis which drain away,
16 Which are darkened because of ice,
And into which the snow [h]melts.
17 When (P)they dry up, they vanish;
When it is hot, they disappear from their place.
18 The [i]paths of their course wind along,
They go up into wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of (Q)Tema looked,
The travelers of (R)Sheba hoped for them.
20 They (S)were put to shame, for they had trusted,
They came there and were humiliated.
21 Indeed, you have now become such,
(T)You see terrors and are afraid.
22 Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 Or, ‘Save me from the hand of the enemy,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?
24 “Teach me, and (U)I will be silent;
And show me how I have done wrong.
25 How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke 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 am (Z)lying to your face.
29 Please turn away, let there be no injustice;
Turn away, (AA)my righteousness is still in it.
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Does (AB)my palate not discern disasters?
Job’s Life Seems Futile
7 “[j]Is a person not (AC)forced to labor on earth,
And are his days not like the days of (AD)a hired worker?
2 As a slave pants for the shade,
And as a hired worker who eagerly waits for his wages,
3 So I am allotted worthless months,
And (AE)nights of trouble are apportioned to me.
4 When I (AF)lie down, I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until dawn.
5 My (AG)flesh is clothed with maggots and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and [k]oozes.
6 My days are (AH)swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And they come to an end (AI)without hope.
7 “Remember that my life (AJ)is a mere breath;
My eye will (AK)not see goodness again.
8 The (AL)eye of him who sees me will no longer look at me;
Your eyes will be on me, but (AM)I will not exist.
9 When a (AN)cloud vanishes, it is gone;
In the same way (AO)one who goes down to [l](AP)Sheol does not come up.
10 He will not return to his house again,
Nor will (AQ)his place know about 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 couch will comfort me,
My bed will [m]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 [n]pains.
16 I [o](AU)waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, (AV)for my days are only a breath.
17 (AW)What is man that You exalt him,
And that You [p]are concerned about him,
18 That (AX)You examine him every morning
And put him to the test every moment?
19 [q](AY)Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor leave me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 (AZ)Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
(BA)Watcher of mankind?
Why have You made me Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why then (BB)do You not forgive my wrongdoing
And take away my [r]guilt?
For now I will (BC)lie down in the dust;
And You will search for me, (BD)but I will no longer exist.”
Notas al pie
- Job 6:4 Lit Whose poison my spirit drinks
- Job 6:6 Heb hallamuth, meaning uncertain
- Job 6:10 Lit hidden
- Job 6:11 Lit prolong my soul
- Job 6:14 Or reverence for
- Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season
- Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season
- Job 6:16 Lit hides itself
- Job 6:18 Or caravans turn from their course, they go up into the waste and perish
- Job 7:1 Lit Has not man compulsory labor
- Job 7:5 Lit melts
- Job 7:9 I.e., the netherworld
- 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
- Job 7:21 Or unjust deed
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