Beginning
The Discipline of the Almighty
5 “Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the (A)holy ones will you turn?
2 For (B)vexation kills the ignorant fool,
And jealousy puts to death the simple.
3 I have seen the (C)ignorant fool taking root,
And I (D)cursed his abode suddenly.
4 His (E)sons are far from salvation,
They are even crushed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.
5 [a]His harvest the hungry devour
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the [b](F)schemer pants after their wealth.
6 For (G)wickedness does not come out from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 For (H)man is born for trouble,
As [c]sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would (I)seek God,
And I would set my cause before God,
9 Who (J)does great and unsearchable things,
[d]Wonders without number.
10 He (K)gives rain on the earth
And sends water on the fields outside,
11 So that (L)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to salvation.
12 He (M)frustrates the thoughts of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot attain success of sound wisdom.
13 He (N)catches the wise by their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the twisted is quickly thwarted.
14 By day they (O)meet with darkness
And grope at noon as in the night.
15 But He saves from (P)the sword of their mouth,
And (Q)the needy from the hand of the strong.
16 So the poor has hope,
And (R)unrighteousness must shut its mouth.
17 “Behold, how (S)blessed is the man whom God reproves,
So do not reject the (T)discipline of the [e]Almighty.
18 For (U)He inflicts pain and [f]gives relief;
He [g]wounds, and His hands also heal.
19 [h]From six distresses (V)He will deliver you,
Even in seven (W)evil will not touch you.
20 In (X)famine He will redeem you from death,
And (Y)in war from hands with swords.
21 You will be (Z)hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
(AA)And you will not be afraid of devastation when it comes.
22 You will (AB)laugh at devastation and starvation,
(AC)And you will not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 For your covenant will be with the stones of the field,
And (AD)the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your (AE)tent is at peace,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.
25 You will know also that your (AF)seed will be many,
And (AG)your offspring as the vegetation of the land.
26 You will (AH)come to the grave in full vigor,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27 Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
Job Answers Eliphaz
6 Then Job answered and said,
2 “(AI)Oh that my vexation were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my destruction!
3 For then it would be (AJ)heavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.
4 For the (AK)arrows of the Almighty are within me,
[i]Their (AL)poison my spirit drinks;
The (AM)horrors of God are arranged against me.
5 Does the (AN)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 [j]yolk?
7 My soul (AO)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 (AP)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 (AQ)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 [k](AR)endure?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is it that there is no (AS)help within me,
And that the [l](AT)success of sound wisdom is driven from me?
14 “For the (AU)despairing man lovingkindness should be from his friend;
But he (AV)forsakes the [m]fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have (AW)betrayed me like a [n]wadi,
Like the torrents of [o]wadis which pass away,
16 Which grow dark because of ice
And upon which the snow hides itself.
17 When (AX)they become waterless, they [p]are silent;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 The [q]paths of their course wind along;
They go up into a formless place and perish.
19 The caravans of (AY)Tema looked;
The travelers of (AZ)Sheba hoped for them.
20 They (BA)were ashamed for they had trusted;
They came there and were humiliated.
21 Indeed, you have now become such;
(BB)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 (BC)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 (BD)words of one in despair as wind?
27 You would even (BE)cast lots for (BF)the orphans
And (BG)bargain over your friend.
28 So now be willing to face me,
And see if I (BH)lie to your face.
29 Now turn from this, let there be no unrighteousness;
Even turn from this, (BI)my righteousness is yet in it.
30 Is there unrighteousness on my tongue?
Cannot (BJ)my palate discern [r]destruction?
7 “[s]Is not man (BK)conscripted to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of (BL)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 (BM)nights of trouble are appointed me.
4 If I (BN)lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the twilight continues,
And I am saturated with tossing until dawn.
5 My (BO)flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt;
My skin scabs over and flows out again.
6 My days are (BP)swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And come to an end (BQ)without hope.
7 “Remember that my life (BR)is but wind;
My eye will (BS)not again see good.
8 The (BT)eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but (BU)I will not be.
9 A (BV)cloud vanishes, and it is gone,
So (BW)he who goes down to (BX)Sheol does not come up.
10 He will not return again to his house,
Nor will (BY)his place recognize him anymore.
11 “Indeed (BZ)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 (CA)the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 If I say, ‘(CB)My bed will comfort me;
My couch will [t]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 [u]pains.
16 I have (CC)rejected everything; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, (CD)for my days are but a breath.
17 (CE)What is man that You magnify him,
And that You set Your heart on him,
18 That (CF)You [v]examine him every morning
And test him every moment?
19 [w](CG)Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spit?
20 (CH)Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O (CI)watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why then (CJ)do You not forgive my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will (CK)lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me earnestly, (CL)but I will not be.”
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