Bible in 90 Days
Bildad Claims God Rewards the Good
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
2 “How long will you say these things,
And the (A)words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3 Does (B)God pervert justice?
Or does [a]the Almighty pervert what is right?
4 (C)If your sons sinned against Him,
Then He sent them into the [b]power of their transgression.
5 If you would (D)seek God earnestly
And plead for the grace of [c]the Almighty,
6 If you are pure and upright,
Indeed now (E)He would rouse Himself for you
And make your righteous (F)abode at peace.
7 Though your beginning was insignificant,
Yet your (G)end will increase greatly.
8 “Please (H)ask of past generations,
And establish the things searched out by their fathers.
9 For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because (I)our days on earth are but a shadow.
10 Will they not instruct you and tell you,
And bring forth words from their hearts?
11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the rushes grow without water?
12 While it is still green and not cut down,
Yet it dries up before any other [d]plant.
13 So are the paths of (J)all who forget God;
And the (K)hope of the godless will perish,
14 Whose confidence is fragile,
And whose trust a (L)spider’s [e]web.
15 He relies on his (M)house, but it does not stand;
He holds fast to it, but it is not established.
16 He [f](N)thrives before the sun,
And his (O)shoots go forth over his garden.
17 His roots wrap around a rock pile;
He looks upon a house of stones.
18 If He swallows him up from (P)his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘(Q)I never saw you.’
19 Behold, (R)this is the joy of [g]His way;
And out of the dust others will spring.
20 Behold, (S)God will not reject a blameless man,
Nor (T)will He strengthen the hand of the evildoers.
21 He will yet fill (U)your mouth with laughter
And your lips with shouting.
22 Those who hate you will be (V)clothed with shame,
And the (W)tent of the wicked will be no longer.”
Job Replies There Is No Adjudicator
9 Then Job answered and said,
2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a (X)man be in the right [h]before God?
3 If one desired to (Y)contend with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 (Z)Wise in heart and (AA)mighty in power,
Who has (AB)stiffened his neck against Him and been at peace?
5 (AC)God is the One who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 The One who (AD)shakes the earth out of its place,
And its (AE)pillars tremble;
7 The One who says for the (AF)sun [i]not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;
8 Who alone (AG)stretches out the heavens,
And [j](AH)tramples down the waves of the sea;
9 Who makes the (AI)Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the (AJ)chambers of the south;
10 Who (AK)does great things, unsearchable,
And wondrous works, innumerable.
11 Were He to sweep by me, (AL)I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
12 Were He to snatch away, who could (AM)turn Him back?
Who could say to Him, ‘(AN)What are You doing?’
13 “God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of (AO)Rahab.
14 How then can (AP)I [k]answer Him,
And choose my words [l]before Him?
15 For (AQ)though I were right, I could not [m]answer;
I would have to (AR)plead for the grace of my judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was giving ear to my voice.
17 For He (AS)bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will (AT)not allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with (AU)bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of power, (AV)behold, He is the mighty one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can make [n]Him testify?
20 (AW)Though I am righteous, my mouth will (AX)condemn me;
Though I am blameless, He will declare me perverse.
21 I am (AY)blameless;
I do not know my soul;
I (AZ)reject my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He (BA)consumes the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge puts to death suddenly,
He (BB)mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth (BC)is given into the hand of the wicked;
He (BD)covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 “Now (BE)my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away; (BF)they do not see good.
26 They sweep by like (BG)reed boats,
Like an (BH)eagle that swoops on its food.
27 Though I say, ‘I will forget (BI)my musing,
I will forsake my sad countenance and be cheerful,’
28 I am (BJ)afraid of all my pains;
I know that (BK)You will not acquit me.
29 I am accounted (BL)wicked;
Why then should I toil in vain?
30 If I should (BM)wash myself with snow
And cleanse (BN)my hands with lye,
31 Yet You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would abhor me.
32 For (BO)He is not a man as I am that (BP)I may answer Him,
That we may go to court for judgment together.
33 There is no (BQ)adjudicator between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let Him (BR)remove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I (BS)would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
Job Cries Out to God
10 “(BT)My soul is loathed by my life;
I will abandon all restraint in myself to (BU)my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, ‘(BV)Do not account me as wicked;
Let me know why You contend with me.
3 Is it good to You that You (BW)oppress,
That You reject (BX)the labor of Your hands,
And [o]cause (BY)the counsel of the wicked to shine forth?
4 Have You eyes of flesh?
Or do You (BZ)see as a mortal man sees?
5 Are Your days as the days of a mortal man,
Or (CA)Your years as man’s years,
6 That (CB)You should seek for my guilt
And search after my sin?
7 According to Your knowledge (CC)I am indeed not wicked,
Yet there is (CD)no [p]deliverer from Your hand.
8 ‘(CE)Your hands fashioned and made me [q]altogether,
(CF)And would You swallow me up?
9 Remember now, that You have made me as (CG)clay;
And would You (CH)turn me into dust again?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese,
11 Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?
12 You have (CI)made alongside me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has kept my spirit.
13 Yet (CJ)these things You have concealed in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
14 If I sin, then You would (CK)take note of me
And (CL)would not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If (CM)I am wicked, woe to me!
And (CN)if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am sated with disgrace—so see my misery!
16 Should my head be set on high, (CO)You would hunt me like a lion;
And again You would show Your (CP)wonders against me.
17 You renew (CQ)Your witnesses against me
And increase Your vexation toward me;
[r](CR)Hardship after hardship is with me.
18 ‘(CS)Why then have You brought me out of the womb?
Would that I had breathed my last and no eye had seen me!
19 I should have been as though I had not been,
Carried from womb to tomb.’
20 Would He not cease (CT)for a few of my days?
[s](CU)Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer
21 Before I go—(CV)and I shall not return—
(CW)To the land of darkness and (CX)shadow of death,
22 The land of utter gloom as the thick darkness itself,
Of the shadow of death, without order,
And which shines as the thick darkness.”
Zophar Asks, Can You Find the Depths of God?
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a (CY)man of lips be in the right?
3 Shall your boasts silence men?
And shall you (CZ)mock and none rebuke?
4 (DA)You have said, ‘My learning is pure,
And (DB)I am innocent in your eyes.’
5 But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 And tell you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom [t](DC)has two sides.
Know then that God [u]forgets a part of (DD)your iniquity.
7 “(DE)Can you find the depths of God?
Can you find the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are (DF)high as [v]the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than (DG)Sheol, what can you know?
9 Its measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 If He sweeps by or shuts up,
Or calls an assembly, (DH)who can turn Him around?
11 For (DI)He knows worthless men,
And He (DJ)sees wickedness, [w]so will He not carefully consider it?
12 [x](DK)Yet an empty headed man will obtain a heart of wisdom,
And the [y]foal of a (DL)wild donkey is born a man.
13 “(DM)If you would (DN)set your heart right
And (DO)spread out your hand to Him,
14 If wickedness is in your hand, (DP)put it far away,
And do not let unrighteousness dwell in your tents;
15 Then, indeed, you could (DQ)lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and (DR)not fear.
16 For you would (DS)forget your trouble,
As (DT)waters that pass by, so you would remember it.
17 And your lifetime would (DU)arise brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
18 Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would search around and rest securely.
19 You would (DV)lie down and none would make you tremble,
And many would (DW)entreat your [z]favor.
20 But the (DX)eyes of the wicked will come to an end,
And escape will (DY)perish from them;
And their (DZ)hope is (EA)the expiring of their soul.”
Job Answers
12 Then Job answered and said,
2 “Truly then (EB)you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
3 But (EC)I have a heart of wisdom as well as you;
I do not fall short of you.
And [aa]who does not know such things as these?
4 I am a (ED)laughingstock to [ab]my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The righteous and (EE)blameless man is a laughingstock.
5 [ac]As for upheaval, there is only contempt by the one who acts at ease,
But it is prepared for those whose feet slip.
6 The (EF)tents of the destroyers are complacent,
And those who provoke God (EG)are secure,
[ad]Whom God brings (EH)into their power.
7 “But now ask the beasts, and let them instruct you;
And the birds of the sky, and let them tell you.
8 Or muse to the earth, and let it instruct you;
And let the fish of the sea recount it to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That (EI)the hand of Yahweh has done this,
10 (EJ)In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And (EK)the breath of all the flesh of man?
11 Does not (EL)the ear test words,
As the palate [ae]tastes its food?
12 Wisdom is with (EM)aged men,
With [af]long life is discernment.
Job Speaks of God’s Strength
13 “With Him are (EN)wisdom and (EO)might;
To Him belong counsel and (EP)discernment.
14 Behold, He (EQ)pulls down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He (ER)closes a man in, and it cannot be opened.
15 Behold, He (ES)restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He (ET)sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
16 With Him are strength and sound wisdom;
The (EU)misled and the misleader belong to Him.
17 He makes (EV)counselors walk [ag]barefoot
And makes fools of (EW)judges.
18 He (EX)opens the [ah]bond of kings
And binds their loins with a belt.
19 He makes priests walk [ai]barefoot
And subverts (EY)the enduring ones.
20 He removes speech from the faithful
And (EZ)takes away the discerning taste of the elders.
21 He (FA)pours contempt on nobles
And (FB)loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He (FC)reveals mysteries from the darkness
And brings out the shadows of death into light.
23 He (FD)makes the nations great, then makes them perish;
He [aj]enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24 He (FE)removes the heart of wisdom from the heads of the earth’s people
And makes them wander in a pathless [ak]waste.
25 They (FF)grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them (FG)wander about like a drunken man.
I Will Be Declared Righteous
13 “(FH)Behold, my eye has seen all this;
My ear has heard and understood it.
2 (FI)What you know I also know;
I have not fallen short of you.
3 “But (FJ)I would speak to [al]the Almighty,
And I desire to (FK)argue with God.
4 But you (FL)cover me with lies;
You are all (FM)worthless physicians.
5 O that you would (FN)be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
6 Please hear my argument
And give heed to the contentions of my lips.
7 Will you (FO)speak what is unrighteous for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
8 Will you (FP)show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9 Will it be well when He examines you?
Or (FQ)will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10 He will surely reprove you
If you secretly (FR)show partiality.
11 Will not (FS)His exaltedness terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes;
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “(FT)Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And (FU)put my life in my [am]hands?
15 [an](FV)Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I (FW)will argue my ways [ao]before Him.
16 This also will be my (FX)salvation,
For (FY)a godless man may not come before His presence.
17 [ap]Listen carefully to my words,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
18 Behold now, I have (FZ)arranged my case for justice;
I know that (GA)I will be declared righteous.
19 (GB)Who will contend with me?
For now I am silent and (GC)will breathe my last.
20 “Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:
21 (GD)Move Your [aq]hand far from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
22 Then call, and (GE)I will answer;
Or let me speak, then respond to me.
23 (GF)How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my transgression and my sin.
24 Why do You (GG)hide Your face
And think of me as (GH)Your enemy?
25 Will You cause a (GI)driven leaf to tremble?
Or will You pursue the dry (GJ)chaff?
26 For You write (GK)bitter things against me
And (GL)make me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
27 You (GM)put my feet in the stocks
And kept watch over all my paths;
You [ar]set a limit for the soles of my feet,
28 While [as]I am decaying like a (GN)rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
If a Man Dies, Will He Live Again?
14 “(GO)Man, who is born of woman,
Is [at]short-lived and (GP)full of turmoil.
2 (GQ)Like a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like (GR)a shadow and does not stand.
3 You also (GS)open Your eyes on him
And (GT)bring [au]me into judgment with Yourself.
4 (GU)Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
5 Since his days are determined,
The (GV)number of his months is with You;
And his limits You have [av]set so that he cannot pass.
6 (GW)Turn Your gaze from him that he may cease from toil,
Until he accepts his day like a hired man.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will change back sprouting again,
And its shoots will not cease.
8 Though its roots grow old in the ground
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
9 At the scent of water it will flourish
And put forth sprigs like a plant.
10 But (GX)man dies and lies prostrate.
Man (GY)breathes his last, and where is he?
11 As (GZ)water [aw]evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,
12 So (HA)man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens are no longer,
[ax]He will not awake nor be aroused out of [ay]his sleep.
13 “Oh that You would conceal me in Sheol,
That You would hide me (HB)until Your anger returns to You,
That You would set a limit for me and remember me!
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my labor I will wait
Until my change comes.
15 You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for (HC)the work of Your hands.
16 For now You (HD)number my steps,
You do not (HE)keep watch over my sin.
17 My transgression is (HF)sealed up in a bag,
And You [az]cover up my iniquity.
18 “But the falling mountain [ba]crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;
19 Water wears away stones;
Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;
So You (HG)make man’s hope perish.
20 You forever overpower him and he (HH)goes away;
You alter his appearance and send him away.
21 His sons achieve honor, but (HI)he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.
22 But his flesh pains him,
And he mourns only for himself.”
Eliphaz Says Job’s Lips Answer Against Him
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge
(HJ)And fill his belly with the east wind?
3 Should he argue with a word that cannot be used,
Or with speech which is not profitable?
4 Indeed, you annul reverent fear
And cut off musing before God.
5 For (HK)your iniquity teaches your mouth,
And you choose the tongue of (HL)the crafty.
6 Your (HM)own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips answer against you.
7 “Were you the first man to be born,
Or (HN)were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Do you hear the (HO)secret counsel of God,
And cut down wisdom only unto yourself?
9 (HP)What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not with us?
10 Both the (HQ)gray-haired and the aged are among us,
Older than your father.
11 Are (HR)the consolations of God too small for you,
Even the (HS)word spoken gently with you?
12 Why does your (HT)heart take you away?
And why do your eyes flash,
13 That you should turn your spirit against God
And allow such words to go out of your mouth?
14 What is man, that (HU)he should be pure,
Or (HV)he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Behold, He puts no faith in His (HW)holy ones,
And the (HX)heavens are not pure in His sight;
16 How much less one who is (HY)abominable and corrupt,
Man, who (HZ)drinks [bb]unrighteousness like water!
17 “I will tell you, listen to me;
And what I have beheld I will also recount;
18 What wise men have told,
And have not concealed from (IA)their fathers,
19 To whom alone the land was given,
And no stranger passed among them.
20 The wicked man writhes (IB)in pain all his days,
And [bc]numbered are the years (IC)stored up for the ruthless.
21 [bd]Sounds of (ID)dread are in his ears;
(IE)While at peace the destroyer comes upon him.
22 He does not believe that he will (IF)return from darkness,
And he is destined for (IG)the sword.
23 He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that a day of (IH)darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Distress and anguish terrify him;
They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God
And (II)magnifies himself against [be]the Almighty.
26 He rushes [bf]headlong at Him
With [bg]his massive shield.
27 For he has (IJ)covered his face with his fat
And made his thighs heavy with flesh.
28 He has (IK)dwelt in desolate cities,
In houses no one would inhabit,
Which are destined to become [bh]ruins.
29 He (IL)will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his grain will not stretch out over the land.
30 He will (IM)not be able to [bi]depart from darkness;
The (IN)flame will wither his shoots,
And by (IO)the breath of His mouth he will depart.
31 Let him not (IP)believe in emptiness, deceiving himself;
For emptiness will be his [bj]reward,
32 When (IQ)his days are not yet fulfilled,
And his palm (IR)branch is not green.
33 He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine,
And will (IS)cast off his flower like the olive tree.
34 For the company of (IT)the godless is barren,
And fire consumes (IU)the tents of [bk]the corrupt.
35 They (IV)conceive [bl]trouble and give birth to wickedness,
And their [bm]belly prepares deception.”
Troublesome Comforters
16 Then Job answered and said,
2 “I have heard many such things;
[bn](IW)Troublesome comforters are you all.
3 Is there no end to (IX)windy words?
Or what pains you that you answer?
4 I too could speak like you,
If your soul were in the place of my soul.
I could compose words against you
And (IY)shake my head at you.
5 I could encourage you with my mouth,
And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.
6 “If I speak, (IZ)my pain is not lessened,
And if I cease, what will go forth from me?
7 But now He has (JA)exhausted me;
You have made (JB)desolate all my company.
8 You have shriveled me up,
(JC)It has become a witness;
And my (JD)leanness rises up against me,
It answers to my face.
9 His anger has (JE)torn me and [bo]hunted me down;
He has (JF)gnashed at me with His teeth;
My (JG)adversary sharpens his eyes to look at me.
10 They have (JH)opened their mouth wide at me;
They have (JI)struck me on the cheek in reproach;
They have (JJ)massed themselves against me.
11 God hands me over to ruffians
And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but (JK)He shattered me,
And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His (JL)target.
13 His (JM)arrows surround me.
Without mercy He splits my kidneys open;
He pours out (JN)my gall on the ground.
14 He (JO)breaks through me with breach after breach;
He (JP)runs at me like a warrior.
15 I have sewed (JQ)sackcloth over my skin
And (JR)thrust my horn in the dust.
16 My face is flushed from (JS)weeping,
(JT)And the shadow of death is on my eyelids,
17 Why?—because there is no (JU)violence in my hands,
And (JV)my prayer is pure.
18 “O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no resting place for my cry.
19 Even now, behold, (JW)my witness is in heaven,
And my [bp]advocate is (JX)on high.
20 My friends are my scoffers;
(JY)My eye [bq]weeps to God.
21 O that a man might argue with God
As a man with his neighbor!
22 For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way (JZ)of no return.
Job Seeks Hope
17 “My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished;
The [br](KA)grave is ready for me.
2 (KB)Surely mockers are with me,
And my eye [bs]gazes on their provocation.
3 “Establish, now, a pledge (KC)for me with Yourself;
Who is there that will clap my hand in pledge?
4 For You have (KD)hidden their heart from insight,
Therefore You will not exalt them.
5 He who (KE)informs against friends for a share of the spoil,
The (KF)eyes of his children also will come to an end.
6 “But He has made me a (KG)byword of the people,
And I am [bt]one at whom men (KH)spit.
7 My eye has also grown (KI)dim because of grief,
And all my (KJ)members are as a shadow.
8 The upright will be appalled at this,
And the (KK)innocent will stir up himself against the godless.
9 Nevertheless (KL)the righteous will hold to his way,
And (KM)he who has clean hands will grow mightier and mightier.
10 But come again all of [bu]you now,
For I (KN)do not find a wise man among you.
11 My (KO)days are past; my plans are torn apart,
Even the wishes of my heart.
12 They make night into day, saying,
‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness.
13 If I hope for (KP)Sheol as my home,
I [bv]make my bed in the darkness;
14 If I call to the (KQ)pit, ‘You are my father’;
To the (KR)worm, ‘my mother and my sister’;
15 Where now is (KS)my hope?
And who beholds my hope?
16 [bw]Will it go down with me to Sheol?
Shall we together (KT)go down into the dust?”
Bildad Speaks of the Downfall of the Wicked
18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
2 “How long until you put an end to your words?
Show understanding and then we can talk.
3 Why are we (KU)regarded as beasts,
As dense in your eyes?
4 O [bx]you who tear yourself in your anger—
For your sake is the earth to be forsaken,
Or the rock to be moved from its place?
5 “Indeed, the (KV)light of the wicked goes out,
And the [by]flame of his fire gives no light.
6 The light in his tent is (KW)darkened,
And his lamp goes out above him.
7 His [bz]vigorous stride is shortened,
And his (KX)own counsel brings him down.
8 For he is (KY)thrown into the net by his own feet,
And he steps on the netting.
9 A snare seizes him by the heel,
And a device snaps shut on him.
10 A rope for him is hidden in the ground,
And a trap for him on the path.
11 All around (KZ)terrors frighten him,
And (LA)harass him at every step.
12 His vigor is (LB)famished,
And disaster is ready at his side.
13 The firstborn of death eats parts of his skin;
It (LC)eats parts of him.
14 He is (LD)torn from [ca]the security of his tent,
And [cb]they march him in step before the king of (LE)terrors.
15 [cc]There dwells in his tent nothing of his;
(LF)Brimstone is scattered on his abode.
16 His (LG)roots are dried below,
And his (LH)branch is cut off above.
17 (LI)Memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name abroad.
18 [cd]He is driven from light (LJ)into darkness,
And (LK)chased from the inhabited world.
19 He has neither (LL)offspring nor posterity among his people,
Nor any survivor where he sojourned.
20 Those [ce]in the west are appalled at (LM)his [cf]fate,
And those [cg]in the east are seized with horror.
21 Surely such are the (LN)dwellings of the unjust,
And this is the place of him who does not know God.”
My Redeemer Lives
19 Then Job answered and said,
2 “How long will you torment my soul
And crush me with words?
3 These ten times you have dishonored me;
You are not ashamed that you wrong me.
4 [ch]Even if I have truly erred,
My error lodges with me.
5 If truly you (LO)magnify yourselves against me
And argue my disgrace to me,
6 Know then that (LP)God has wronged me
And has closed (LQ)His net around me.
7 “Behold, (LR)I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.
8 He has (LS)walled up my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has put (LT)darkness on my paths.
9 He has (LU)stripped my honor from me
And removed the (LV)crown from my head.
10 He (LW)breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
And He has uprooted my (LX)hope (LY)like a tree.
11 He has also (LZ)kindled His anger against me
And (MA)counted me as His adversary.
12 His (MB)troops come together,
And (MC)build up their [ci]way against me
And camp around my tent.
13 “He has (MD)removed my brothers far from me,
And my (ME)acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14 My relatives have failed,
And my (MF)familiar friends have forgotten me.
15 Those who sojourn in my house and my maidservants count me a stranger.
I am a foreigner in their sight.
16 I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore him with my mouth.
17 My breath is [cj]offensive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18 Even young children reject me;
I rise up, and they speak against me.
19 All the men of my (MG)counsel abhor me,
And those I love have turned against me.
20 My (MH)bone clings to my skin and my flesh,
And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.
21 Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the (MI)hand of God has smitten me.
22 Why do you (MJ)persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?
23 “Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were (MK)inscribed in a book!
24 That with an iron stylus and lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
25 As for me, I know that (ML)my [ck]Redeemer lives,
And [cl]at the last He will rise up over the dust of this world.
26 Even after my skin [cm]is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall (MM)behold God,
27 Whom I [cn]myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My [co]heart (MN)faints [cp]within me!
28 If you say, ‘How shall we (MO)persecute him?’
‘And the root of the matter is found in [cq]him?’
29 Then be afraid of (MP)the sword for yourselves,
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
So that you may know (MQ)there is judgment.”
Zophar Says the Joy of the Wicked Is Short
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me [cr]respond,
Even because of my haste within me.
3 I listened to (MR)the discipline which dishonors me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4 Do you know this from (MS)of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,
5 That the (MT)shouts of joy of the wicked are short,
And (MU)the gladness of the godless momentary?
6 Though his loftiness (MV)goes up to the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,
7 He (MW)perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him (MX)will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He flies away like a (MY)dream, and they cannot find him;
Even like a vision of the night he is (MZ)chased away.
9 The (NA)eye which saw him sees him no longer,
And (NB)his place no longer beholds him.
10 His (NC)sons seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands (ND)give back his wealth.
11 His (NE)bones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it lies down with him [cs]in the dust.
12 “Though (NF)evil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he [ct]desires it and will not forsake it,
And holds it (NG)to his palate,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the [cu]venom of cobras within him.
15 He swallows up wealth,
But will (NH)vomit it up;
God will expel it from his belly.
16 He sucks (NI)the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue kills him.
17 He does not look at (NJ)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 He (NK)returns what he has attained
And cannot swallow it;
As to the wealth of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy it.
19 For he has (NL)crushed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.
20 “Because he knew no ease within his belly,
In his covetousness, he does (NM)not let anything escape.
21 Nothing remains [cv]for him to devour;
Therefore (NN)his prosperity does not endure.
22 In the fullness of his plenty he will be confined;
The (NO)hand of everyone who is troubled will come against him.
23 So it will be that he (NP)fills his belly,
And God will send His burning anger on him
And will (NQ)rain it on him [cw]while he is eating.
24 He may (NR)flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.
25 It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from (NS)his gall;
(NT)Bouts of dread come upon him.
26 Complete (NU)darkness is held in reserve for his treasures;
A (NV)fire unfanned will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27 The (NW)heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 The (NX)increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away (NY)in the day of His anger.
29 This is the wicked man’s (NZ)portion from God,
Even the inheritance decreed to him by God.”
God Does Not Punish the Wicked
21 Then Job answered and said,
2 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation.
3 Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may (OA)mock.
4 As for me, is (OB)my musing [cx]to man?
And (OC)why should [cy]I not be impatient?
5 Look at me, and be appalled,
And (OD)put your hand over your mouth.
6 Even when I remember, I am dismayed,
And (OE)horror seizes my flesh.
7 Why (OF)do the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very (OG)powerful?
8 Their (OH)seed is established with them in their presence,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses (OI)are safe from dread,
And the rod of God is not on them.
10 His ox mates and does not fail;
His cow calves and does not miscarry.
11 They send forth their little ones like the flock,
And their children skip about.
12 They lift up the tambourine and harp
And are glad at the sound of the pipe.
13 They (OJ)spend their days in prosperity,
And [cz]suddenly they go down to Sheol.
14 They say to God, ‘(OK)Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 [da]Who is [db]the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And (OL)what would we profit if we entreat Him?’
16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The (OM)counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is (ON)the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their (OO)disaster fall on them?
Does [dc]God apportion destruction in His anger?
18 Are they as (OP)straw before the wind,
And like (OQ)chaff which the storm steals away?
19 You say, ‘(OR)God stores away [dd]a man’s wickedness for his sons.’
Let [de]God repay him so that he may know it.
20 Let his (OS)own eyes see his decay,
And let him (OT)drink of the wrath of [df]the Almighty.
21 For what desire does he have for his household [dg]after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?
22 Can anyone (OU)teach God knowledge,
In that He (OV)judges those on high?
23 One (OW)dies in his full strength,
Being wholly carefree and at ease;
24 His [dh]sides are filled out with fat,
And the (OX)marrow of his bones is moist,
25 But another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even eats anything good.
26 Together they (OY)lie down in the dust,
And (OZ)worms cover them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plans by which you do violence against me.
28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of (PA)the nobleman,
And where is the (PB)tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’
29 Have you not asked those who pass by along the way,
And do you not recognize their [di]witness?
30 That the (PC)wicked is reserved for the day of disaster;
They will be led forth at (PD)the day of fury.
31 Who will declare to his face about his actions,
And who will repay him for what he has done?
32 While he is led forth to the grave,
Men will keep watch over his tomb.
33 The (PE)clods of the valley will [dj]gently cover him;
Moreover, (PF)all men will draw up after him,
While countless ones go before him.
34 How then will you vainly (PG)comfort me,
Indeed when your answers remain full of [dk]falsehood?”
Eliphaz Says Job Must Repent
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “Can a mighty (PH)man be of use to God,
Or an insightful man be useful to himself?
3 Is there any pleasure to [dl]the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or profit if you make your ways perfect?
4 Is it because of your reverent fear that He reproves you,
That He (PI)enters into judgment against you?
5 Is not (PJ)your evil great,
And your iniquities without end?
6 For you have (PK)taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And (PL)stripped the clothing of the naked.
7 To the weary you have (PM)given no water to drink,
And from the hungry you have (PN)withheld bread.
8 But the earth (PO)belongs to the (PP)mighty man,
And (PQ)the [dm]highly respected man inhabits it.
9 You have sent (PR)widows away empty,
And the [dn]might of the (PS)orphans has been crushed.
10 Therefore (PT)snares surround you,
And sudden (PU)dread terrifies you,
11 Or (PV)darkness, so that you cannot see,
And an (PW)abundance of water covers you.
12 “Is not God (PX)in the height of heaven?
Look also at the [do]distant stars, how high they are!
13 You say, ‘(PY)What does God know?
Can He judge through the dense gloom?
14 (PZ)Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;
And He walks on the [dp]vault of heaven.’
15 Will you keep to the ancient path
Which (QA)wicked men have trod,
16 Who were snatched away (QB)before their time,
Whose (QC)foundations were [dq]washed away by a river?
17 They (QD)said to God, ‘Depart from us!’
And ‘What can [dr]the Almighty do to them?’
18 Yet He (QE)filled their houses with good things,
But (QF)the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The (QG)righteous see and are glad,
And the innocent mock them,
20 Saying, ‘Truly those who rise against us are wiped out,
And their [ds]abundance (QH)the fire has consumed.’
21 “[dt](QI)Yield now and be at peace with Him;
Thereby good will come to you.
22 Please receive [du](QJ)instruction from His mouth
And set His words in your heart.
23 If you (QK)return to [dv]the Almighty, you will be [dw]restored;
If you (QL)remove unrighteousness far from your tent,
24 And (QM)put your [dx]gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
25 Then [dy]the Almighty will be your [dz]gold
And choice silver to you.
26 For then you will (QN)delight in [ea]the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.
27 You will (QO)entreat Him, and (QP)He will hear you;
And you will pay your vows.
28 You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And (QQ)light will shine on your ways.
29 When [eb]some are cast down, you will speak with [ec]confidence,
And the [ed](QR)humble person He will save.
30 He will provide escape for one who is not innocent,
And he will (QS)escape through the cleanness of your hands.”
Where Is God?
23 Then Job answered and said,
2 “Even today my (QT)musing is rebellion;
[ee]His hand is (QU)heavy despite my groaning.
3 Oh that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
4 I would (QV)arrange my case for justice before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words which He would [ef]answer,
And discern what He would say to me.
6 Would He contend with me by (QW)the greatness of His power?
No, surely He would pay attention to me.
7 There the upright would (QX)argue with Him;
And I [eg]would have (QY)escaped forever from my Judge.
8 “Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I (QZ)cannot discern Him;
9 When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him;
He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.
10 But He knows the [eh]way I take;
When He has (RA)tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 My foot has (RB)held fast to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the (RC)words of His mouth [ei]more than my [ej]portion of food.
13 But He is unique and who can turn Him?
And what His soul desires, that He does.
14 For He performs what is apportioned for me,
And many such decrees are with Him.
15 Therefore, I would be dismayed at His presence;
I carefully consider, and I am in dread of Him.
16 It is God who has made my (RD)heart faint,
And the Almighty who has dismayed me,
17 But I (RE)am not silenced by the darkness,
Nor (RF)thick darkness which covers me.
Who Can Prove Me a Liar?
24 “(RG)Why are [ek]times not stored up by the Almighty,
And why do those who know Him not behold (RH)His days?
2 [el]Some (RI)move the boundaries;
They seize and [em]devour flocks.
3 They drive away the donkeys of the (RJ)orphans;
They take the (RK)widow’s ox for a pledge.
4 They push (RL)the needy aside from the road;
The (RM)afflicted of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.
5 Behold, as (RN)wild donkeys in the wilderness
They (RO)go forth seeking food earnestly in their work,
The desert becomes [en]for him a place of bread for his young ones.
6 They harvest their fodder in the field
And glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7 (RP)They spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering against the cold.
8 They are wet with the mountain rains
And hug the rock for want of a shelter.
9 [eo]Others snatch the (RQ)orphan from the breast,
And against the afflicted they take a pledge.
10 Those poor ones walk about naked without clothing,
And hungry ones carry the sheaves.
11 Within the walls they produce oil;
They tread wine presses but thirst.
12 From the city men groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry out;
Yet God (RR)does not pay attention to such offense.
13 “[ep]Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to recognize its ways
Nor abide in its paths.
14 The murderer (RS)arises at dawn;
He (RT)kills the afflicted and the needy,
And at night he is as a thief.
15 The eye of the (RU)adulterer keeps watch for the twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’
And he [eq]keeps his face hidden.
16 In the dark they (RV)dig into houses;
They (RW)shut themselves up by day;
They do not know the light.
17 For the morning is the same to him as the shadow of death,
For he recognizes the (RX)terrors of the shadow of death.
18 “[er]They are [es](RY)insignificant on the surface of the water;
Their portion is (RZ)cursed on the earth.
They do not turn [et]toward the (SA)vineyards.
19 Drought and heat (SB)seize the snow waters,
So does (SC)Sheol those who have sinned.
20 A [eu](SD)mother will forget him;
The (SE)worm feasts sweetly till he is (SF)no longer remembered.
And unrighteousness will be broken (SG)like a tree.
21 He feeds on the barren woman who does not give birth
And does no good for (SH)the widow.
22 But He drags off the mighty by (SI)His power;
He rises, but (SJ)no one believes in his life.
23 He provides them (SK)with security, and they are supported;
And His (SL)eyes are on their ways.
24 They are exalted a (SM)little while, then they are gone;
Moreover, they are (SN)brought low and like everything gathered up;
Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.
25 Now if it is not so, (SO)who can prove me a liar,
And make my speech worthless?”
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