Beginning
17 My spirit is broken.
The days of my life are almost gone.
The grave is waiting for me.
2 Those who laugh at me surround me.
I watch them insult me.
3 “God, make me a promise.
No one else will make a promise for me.
4 You have closed the minds of my friends so they do not understand.
So you will not let them win over me.
5 A man might speak against his friends for money.
But if he does, the eyes of his children go blind.
6 “God has caused people to use my name as a curse word.
People spit in my face.
7 My sight has grown weak because of my sadness.
My body is so thin it’s like a shadow.
8 Honest people are upset about this.
Innocent people are upset with people who do wrong.
9 But people who do right will continue to do right.
And those whose hands are not dirty with sin will grow stronger.
10 “But, all of you, come and try again!
I do not find a wise man among you!
11 My days are gone, and my plans have been destroyed.
The desires of my heart are also destroyed.
12 These men think night is day.
When it is dark, they say, ‘Light is near.’
13 It might be that the only home I hope for is where the dead are.
I might spread out my bed in darkness.
14 I might say to the grave, ‘You are my father.’
And I might say to the worm, ‘You are my mother’ or ‘You are my sister.’
15 If these things are true, I have no hope.
No one can see any hope for me.
16 Hope will go down to the gates of death.
We will go down together into the dust.”
Bildad Answers Job
18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “When will you stop these speeches?
Be sensible, and then we can talk.
3 You think of us as only cattle.
You think we are stupid.
4 You tear yourself to pieces in your anger.
Does everyone have to leave the earth just for you?
Do the rocks have to be moved from their place for you?
5 “The lamp of the wicked person will be put out.
The flame in his lamp will stop burning.
6 The light in his tent will become dark.
The lamp by his side will go out.
7 His footsteps will become weak and lose their strength.
He will fall into his own evil trap.
8 His feet are caught in a net
when he walks into its web.
9 A trap will catch him by the heel.
And it will hold him tight.
10 A trap for him is hidden on the ground.
It lies in his path.
11 Terrible things startle him from every side.
They chase him at every step.
12 Hunger takes away his strength.
Disaster is at his side.
13 Disease eats away parts of his skin.
The signs of death begin to eat away at his arms and legs.
14 The evil person is torn from the safety of his tent.
He is dragged off to Death, the King of Terrors.
15 His tent is set on fire.
Burning sulfur is scattered over his home.
16 His roots dry up below ground,
and his branches above ground die.
17 People on earth will not remember him.
His name will be forgotten in the land.
18 He will be driven from the light into darkness.
He will be chased out of the world.
19 He has no children or descendants among his people.
No one will be left alive where he once lived.
20 People of the west are shocked at what has happened to him.
People of the east are very frightened.
21 This is surely what will happen to the home of an evil person.
This is the place of one who does not know God.”
Job Answers Bildad
19 Then Job answered:
2 “How long will you hurt me
and crush me with your words?
3 You have insulted me ten times now.
You attack me without shame.
4 If I have sinned,
it is my worry alone.
5 Maybe you want to make yourselves look better than I do
so you can blame me for my suffering.
6 Then know that God has wronged me.
He has pulled his net around me.
7 “I shout, ‘I have been wronged!’
But I get no answer.
I call loudly for help,
but I receive no justice.
8 God has blocked my way so I cannot pass.
He has covered my paths with darkness.
9 He has taken away my honor.
He has removed the crown from my head.
10 He beats me down on every side until I am gone.
He pulls up my hope as a tree is pulled up by its roots.
11 His anger burns against me.
And he treats me as one of his enemies.
12 His armies gather.
They prepare a way to attack me.
They camp around my tent.
13 “God has made my brothers my enemies.
My friends have become complete strangers.
14 My relatives have gone away.
My friends have forgotten me.
15 My guests and my women servants think of me as a stranger.
They look at me as if I were a foreigner.
16 I call for my servant, but he does not answer.
I even beg him with my own mouth.
17 My wife hates my breath.
My own family hates me.
18 Even the little boys hate me.
When I leave, they talk about me.
19 All my close friends hate me.
Even those I love have turned against me.
20 I am nothing but skin and bones.
I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.
21 Pity me, my friends. Pity me!
The hand of God has hit me.
22 Why do you chase me as God does?
Haven’t you had enough of hurting my body?
23 “How I wish my words were written down.
I wish they were written on a scroll.
24 I wish they were carved with an iron pen into lead,
or carved into stone forever!
25 I know that my Defender lives.
And in the end he will come to show that I am right.
26 Even after my skin has been destroyed,
in my flesh I will still see God.
27 I will see him myself.
I myself will see him with my own eyes.
How my heart wants that to happen!
28 “You may say, ‘We will continue to trouble Job.
The problem lies with him.’
29 But you should be afraid of the sword yourselves.
God’s anger will bring punishment by the sword.
Then you will know that there is judgment.”
Zophar Answers
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:
2 “My troubled thoughts cause me to answer.
I am very upset.
3 I hear you criticize, and I am insulted.
But I understand how to answer you.
4 “You know how it has been for a long time.
It has been this way since man was put on the earth.
5 The happiness of an evil person is very short.
The joy of a person without God lasts only a moment.
6 His pride may be as high as the heavens.
His head may touch the clouds.
7 But he will be gone forever, like his own dung.
People who knew him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He will fly away like a dream.
He will not be found again.
He will be chased away like a vision in the night.
9 Those who saw him will not see him again.
The place where he lived will see him no more.
10 His children will have to make up for how he mistreated the poor.
He will have to give his wealth back with his own hands.
11 He has the strength of his youth in his bones.
But it will lie with him in the dust of death.
12 “Evil may taste sweet in the evil person’s mouth.
He may hide it under his tongue.
13 He cannot stand to let go of it.
So he keeps it in his mouth.
14 But his food will turn sour in his stomach.
It will be like the poison of a snake inside him.
15 He has swallowed riches, but he will spit them out.
God will make the evil person’s stomach vomit them up.
16 He will suck the poison of snakes.
The snake’s poisonous fangs will kill him.
17 He will not admire the sparkling streams
or the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18 He must give back what he worked for without eating it.
He will not enjoy the money he made from his trading.
19 This is because he has troubled the poor people and left them with nothing.
He has taken houses he did not build.
20 “The evil person has no rest from his desire.
Nothing escapes his selfishness.
21 But nothing will be left for him to eat.
His riches will not continue.
22 When he still has plenty, trouble will catch up to him.
Great misery will come down on him.
23 The evil person may eat until his stomach is full.
But then God will send his burning anger against him.
God will send blows of punishment down on him like rain.
24 The evil person may run away from an iron weapon.
But then a bronze arrow will stab him.
25 He will pull the arrow out of his back.
He will pull its point out of his liver.
Terrors will come over him.
26 Total darkness waits for his treasure.
A fire not fanned by people will destroy him.
That fire will burn up what is left of his tent.
27 The heavens will show his guilt.
The earth will rise up against him.
28 A flood will carry his house away.
The rushing waters will come on the day of God’s anger.
29 This is what God plans for evil people.
This is what he has decided they will receive.”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.