Beginning
14 Man born of woman has a few short days,
and they are full of anxiety.
2 He blossoms like a flower, but soon withers.
He recedes like a shadow and does not remain.
3 You keep your eye on such a man.
You bring me[a] into judgment in your presence.
4 Who can produce something pure from something that is impure?
No one.
5 Certainly his days are determined.
The number of his months has been set by you.
A limit is set, which he cannot exceed.
6 Turn your gaze away from him, and let him be,
until he finishes his day’s work as a hired man.
7 There is still hope for a tree if it is cut down.
It may grow up again and produce new shoots.
8 Though its roots lie dormant in the earth,
and its stump is dying in the dust,
9 with just a whiff of water, it shoots up again.
As a growing plant, it again sends out branches.
10 But if a man dies, he shrivels away.
When a person breathes his last, where is he?
11 Waters evaporate from the sea.
A river dries up and becomes dust.
12 In the same way, a man lies down and does not rise again.
Until the heavens pass away, he does not awaken,
and he is not aroused from his sleep.
13 Oh how I wish you would hide me in the grave,
that you would conceal me until your wrath has passed by,
that you would set an appointed time for me,
and then you would remember me.
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
Through all the days of my warfare,[b]
I will wait, until change comes about for me.
15 You will call, and I myself will answer.
Then you will long for the work of your hands.
16 Now you count my steps,
but then you will no longer keep track of my sin.
17 My rebellious deeds will be sealed up in a bag,
and you will plaster over my guilt.
18 But as a mountain crumbles and falls,
and as a rock is moved from its place,
19 as water wears away stones,
and floodwaters wash away soil from the land,
so you destroy a man’s hope.
20 You overpower him once and for all, and he passes away.
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 His sons are honored, but he is not aware of it.
They are brought low, but he does not realize it.
22 He feels the pain only of his own flesh,
and in his soul grieves only for himself.
Round Two: Eliphaz’s Speech
15 Eliphaz the Temanite responded:
2 Does a wise man answer with windy bluster?
Does he fill his belly with the hot east wind?
3 Does he support his arguments with useless talk,
with words that provide no benefit?
4 But you even tear down reverence.
You hinder thoughtful reflection in the presence of God.
5 Your guilt instructs your mouth.
You choose deceptive language.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not mine.
Your own lips testify against you.
7 Were you the first man to be born?
Were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Do you listen in on the council meetings of God?
Do you lay claim to all wisdom for yourself?
9 What do you know that we do not know as well?
What do you understand that we do not?
10 The gray-haired and the aged are on our side,
men older than your father.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you?
Do you think nothing of the gentle words spoken to you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away?
Why do your eyes flash with such anger?
13 Why do you turn your spirit against God?
Why do you allow such words to pour out of your mouth?
14 What is man, that he could be pure,
or one born of woman, that he could be declared righteous?
15 If God does not trust in his holy ones,
and even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,
16 how much less man who is repulsive and corrupt,
who drinks down injustice like water!
17 Let me instruct you! Listen to me!
This is what I have seen. Let me tell you about it.
18 This is what wise men have declared,
wise men who hid nothing of what they had received from their fathers,
19 to whom alone the land was given,
at a time when no foreigners were present in their midst.
20 Through all his days, a wicked man writhes in pain,
throughout the whole number of years stored up for a tyrant.
21 Terrifying sounds echo in his ears.
In peacetime the plunderer arrives.
22 The wicked man does not believe that he will return from darkness.
He is sentenced to the sword.
23 He wanders around looking for food and asks, “Where is it?”[c]
He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.
24 Pressure and distress terrify him.
They overpower him, like a king ready to attack,
25 because he has stretched out his hand against God,
and he has been arrogant toward the Almighty.
26 He charges at him defiantly[d] with a thick shield.
27 Though now his face is covered with its fat,
and his hips bulge with lard,
28 he will live in ruined cities,
in abandoned houses, reduced to rubble.
29 He will no longer be rich.
His wealth will not last.
His possessions will no longer cover the ground.
30 He will not escape from darkness.
Flames will dry up his shoots.
With a breath from God’s mouth, he will depart.
31 He should not trust in useless things.
He should not fool himself.
His only reward will be useless things.
32 Before his time, he will be paid in full.
His palm branches will not be green.
33 His grapes will be shaken from the vine before they are ripe.
He will be like an olive tree that loses its blossoms.
34 In the end, the community of the godless produces nothing,
and fire consumes the tents of those who take bribes.
35 They conceive trouble and give birth to disaster.
Their womb produces treachery.
Round Two: Job’s First Speech
16 Job responded:
2 I have heard many things just like these.
You are miserable comforters, all of you!
3 Is there any end to your windy words?
What provokes you to respond like this?
4 I also could speak just like you,
if your lives were in the same condition that my life is.
I could weave fancy words against you
and shake my head at you.
5 But instead, I would build you up with the words from my mouth,
and comforting words from my lips would ease your pain.
6 Now if I speak up, it does not lessen my pain,
and if I hold back, how much of my pain goes away?
7 Surely, he[e] has worn me out!
You have devastated everyone close to me.
8 You have made me shrivel up,[f]
and this testifies against me.
My emaciated body stands up
and is a witness against me.
9 His anger has torn me.
He has been hostile to me.
He has gnashed his teeth at me.
My opponent glares at me with piercing eyes.
10 People have opened their mouths wide against me.
They have slapped my face with contempt.
They have ganged up on me.
11 God hands me over to evil people.[g]
He throws me into the hands of the wicked.
12 When I was at ease, he shattered me.[h]
He seized me by the neck and has ripped me to pieces.
He has set me up as his target.
13 His archers surround me.
He pierces my kidneys and has no pity.
He pours out my bile on the earth.
14 He breaks down my walls in many places.
He runs against me like a warrior.
15 I have stitched sackcloth to my skin.
My horn[i] is stuck in the dust.
16 My face is red from my weeping.
There are dark circles under my eyes,
17 even though there is no violence in my hands,
and my prayer is pure.
18 O earth, do not cover my blood.
Let my cry never find a place to rest.
19 Even now, my witness is in heaven.
My advocate is on high.
20 My intercessor is my friend.
My eyes never stop weeping to God.
21 My intercessor pleads with God for a man,
as another human pleads for his friend.
22 A few more years will come.
Then I will go the way of no return.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.