Bible in 90 Days
Bildad Says God Rewards the Good
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite [a]answered,
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 [b]the Almighty pervert what is right?
4 “(C)If your sons sinned against Him,
Then He delivered them into the [c]power of their transgression.
5 “If you would (D)seek God
And implore the compassion of [d]the Almighty,
6 If you are pure and upright,
Surely now (E)He would rouse Himself for you
And restore your righteous [e](F)estate.
7 “Though your beginning was insignificant,
Yet your (G)end will increase greatly.
8 “Please (H)inquire of past generations,
And consider the things searched out by their fathers.
9 “For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because (I)our days on earth are as a shadow.
10 “Will they not teach you and tell you,
And bring forth words from their minds?
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 withers before any other [f]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 [g]web.
15 “He [h]trusts in his (M)house, but it does not stand;
He holds fast to it, but it does not endure.
16 “He [i](N)thrives before the sun,
And his (O)shoots spread out over his garden.
17 “His roots wrap around a rock pile,
He [j]grasps a house of stones.
18 “If he is [k]removed from (P)his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘(Q)I never saw you.’
19 “Behold, (R)this is the joy of His way;
And out of the dust others will spring.
20 “Lo, (S)God will not reject a man of integrity,
Nor (T)will He [l]support 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 Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Man
9 Then Job [m]answered,
2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a (X)man be in the right [n]before God?
3 “If one wished to (Y)dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 “(Z)Wise in heart and (AA)mighty in strength,
Who has [o](AB)defied Him [p]without harm?
5 “(AC)It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 Who (AD)shakes the earth out of its place,
And its (AE)pillars tremble;
7 Who commands the (AF)sun [q]not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;
8 Who alone (AG)stretches out the heavens
And [r](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, [s]unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.
11 “Were He to pass 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)restrain Him?
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 [t]answer Him,
And choose my words [u]before Him?
15 “For (AQ)though I were right, I could not [v]answer;
I would have to (AR)implore the mercy of my judge.
16 “If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening 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 strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon [w]Him?
20 “(AW)Though I am righteous, my mouth will (AX)condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
21 “I am (AY)guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I (AZ)despise my life.
22 “It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He (BA)destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’
23 “If the scourge kills 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 see no good.
26 “They slip by like (BG)reed boats,
Like an (BH)eagle that swoops on [x]its prey.
27 “Though I say, ‘I will forget (BI)my complaint,
I will leave off 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 [y]court together.
33 “There is no (BQ)umpire 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 Despairs of God’s Dealings
10 “[z](BT)I loathe my own life;
I will give full vent to (BU)my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 “I will say to God, ‘(BV)Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.
3 ‘Is it [aa]right for You indeed to (BW)oppress,
To reject (BX)the labor of Your hands,
And [ab]to look favorably on (BY)the schemes of the wicked?
4 ‘Have You eyes of flesh?
Or do You (BZ)see as a man sees?
5 ‘Are Your days as the days of a mortal,
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 guilty,
Yet there is (CD)no deliverance from Your hand.
8 ‘(CE)Your hands fashioned and made me [ac]altogether,
(CF)And would You destroy me?
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)granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has preserved 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 and [ad]conscious of my misery.
16 ‘Should my head be lifted up, (CO)You would hunt me like a lion;
And again You would show Your (CP)power against me.
17 ‘You renew (CQ)Your witnesses against me
And increase Your anger toward me;
[ae](CR)Hardship after hardship is with me.
18 ‘(CS)Why then have You brought me out of the womb?
Would that I had died 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 let (CT)my few days alone?
[af](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)deep shadow,
22 The land of utter gloom as darkness itself,
Of deep shadow without order,
And which shines as the darkness.”
Zophar Rebukes Job
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite [ag]answered,
2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a (CY)talkative man be acquitted?
3 “Shall your boasts silence men?
And shall you (CZ)scoff and none rebuke?
4 “For (DA)you have said, ‘My teaching 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 show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom [ah](DC)has two sides.
Know then that God [ai]forgets a part of (DD)your iniquity.
7 “(DE)Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
8 “They are (DF)high as [aj]the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than [ak](DG)Sheol, what can you know?
9 “Its measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 “If He passes by or shuts up,
Or calls an assembly, (DH)who can restrain Him?
11 “For (DI)He knows false men,
And He (DJ)sees iniquity [al]without investigating.
12 “[am](DK)An idiot will become intelligent
When the [an]foal of a (DL)wild donkey is born a man.
13 “(DM)If you would (DN)direct your heart right
And (DO)spread out your hand to Him,
14 If iniquity is in your hand, (DP)put it far away,
And do not let wickedness 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 have passed by, you would remember it.
17 “Your [ao]life would be [ap](DU)brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
18 “Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would look around and rest securely.
19 “You would (DV)lie down and none would disturb you,
And many would (DW)entreat your [aq]favor.
20 “But the (DX)eyes of the wicked will fail,
And [ar]there will (DY)be no escape for them;
And their (DZ)hope is [as](EA)to breathe their last.”
Job Chides His Accusers
12 Then Job [at]responded,
2 “Truly then (EB)you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
3 “But (EC)I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And [au]who does not know such things as these?
4 “I am a (ED)joke to [av]my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and (EE)blameless man is a joke.
5 “[aw]He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt,
As prepared for those whose feet slip.
6 “The (EF)tents of the destroyers prosper,
And those who provoke God (EG)are secure,
[ax]Whom God brings (EH)into their power.
7 “But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.
8 “Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare to you.
9 “Who among all these does not know
That (EI)the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 (EJ)In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And (EK)the breath of all mankind?
11 “Does not (EL)the ear test words,
As the palate [ay]tastes its food?
12 “Wisdom is with (EM)aged men,
With [az]long life is understanding.
Job Speaks of the Power of God
13 “With Him are (EN)wisdom and (EO)might;
To Him belong counsel and (EP)understanding.
14 “Behold, He (EQ)tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He [ba](ER)imprisons a man, and [bb]there can be no release.
15 “Behold, He (ES)restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He (ET)sends them out, and they [bc]inundate 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 [bd]barefoot
And makes fools of (EW)judges.
18 “He (EX)loosens the [be]bond of kings
And binds their loins with a girdle.
19 “He makes priests walk [bf]barefoot
And overthrows (EY)the secure ones.
20 “He deprives the trusted ones of speech
And (EZ)takes away the discernment 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 the deep darkness into light.
23 “He (FD)makes the nations great, then destroys them;
He [bg]enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24 “He (FE)deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people
And makes them wander in a pathless waste.
25 “They (FF)grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them (FG)stagger like a drunken man.
Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes
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 am not inferior to you.
3 “But (FJ)I would speak to [bh]the Almighty,
And I desire to (FK)argue with God.
4 “But you (FL)smear 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 listen to the contentions of my lips.
7 “Will you (FO)speak what is unjust 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 [bi]majesty terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?
12 “Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated
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 [bj]hands?
15 “(FV)Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I (FW)will argue my ways [bk]before Him.
16 “This also will be my (FX)salvation,
For (FY)a godless man may not come before His presence.
17 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
18 “Behold now, I have (FZ)prepared my case;
I know that (GA)I will be vindicated.
19 “(GB)Who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and (GC)die.
20 “Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:
21 (GD)Remove Your [bl]hand from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
22 “Then call, and (GE)I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.
23 “(GF)How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my [bm]rebellion and my sin.
24 “Why do You (GG)hide Your face
And consider me (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 inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27 “You (GM)put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You [bn]set a limit for the soles of my feet,
28 While [bo]I am decaying like a (GN)rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Job Speaks of the Finality of Death
14 “(GO)Man, who is born of woman,
Is [bp]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 remain.
3 “You also (GS)open Your eyes on him
And (GT)bring [bq]him 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 [br]set so that he cannot pass.
6 “(GW)Turn Your gaze from him that he may [bs]rest,
Until he [bt]fulfills his day like a hired man.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not [bu]fail.
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)expires, and where is he?
11 “As (GZ)water [bv]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,
[bw]He will not awake nor be aroused out of [bx]his sleep.
13 “Oh that You would hide me in [by]Sheol,
That You would conceal me (HB)until Your wrath 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 struggle 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)observe my sin.
17 “My transgression is (HF)sealed up in a bag,
And You [bz]wrap up my iniquity.
18 “But the falling mountain [ca]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)destroy man’s hope.
20 “You forever overpower him and he (HH)departs;
You change 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 [cb]body pains him,
And he mourns only for himself.”
Eliphaz Says Job Presumes Much
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite [cc]responded,
2 “Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge
(HJ)And fill [cd]himself with the east wind?
3 “Should he argue with useless talk,
Or with words which are not profitable?
4 “Indeed, you do away with [ce]reverence
And hinder meditation before God.
5 “For (HK)your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose the language of (HL)the crafty.
6 “Your (HM)own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips testify 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 limit wisdom to yourself?
9 “(HP)What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that [cf]we do not?
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 carry 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 trust in His (HW)holy ones,
And the (HX)heavens are not pure in His sight;
16 How much less one who is (HY)detestable and corrupt,
Man, who (HZ)drinks iniquity like water!
What Eliphaz Has Seen of Life
17 “I will tell you, listen to me;
And what I have seen I will also declare;
18 What wise men have told,
And have not concealed from (IA)their fathers,
19 To whom alone the land was given,
And no alien passed among them.
20 “The wicked man writhes (IB)in pain all his days,
And [cg]numbered are the years (IC)stored up for the ruthless.
21 “[ch]Sounds of (ID)terror 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 [ci]at 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 conducts himself (II)arrogantly against [cj]the Almighty.
26 “He rushes [ck]headlong at Him
With [cl]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)lived in desolate cities,
In houses no one would inhabit,
Which are destined to become [cm]ruins.
29 “He (IL)will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his grain will not bend down to the ground.
30 “He will (IM)not [cn]escape from darkness;
The (IN)flame will wither his shoots,
And by (IO)the breath of His mouth he will go away.
31 “Let him not (IP)trust in emptiness, deceiving himself;
For emptiness will be his [co]reward.
32 “It will be accomplished (IQ)before his time,
And his palm (IR)branch will not be 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 [cp]the corrupt.
35 “They (IV)conceive [cq]mischief and bring forth iniquity,
And their [cr]mind prepares deception.”
Job Says Friends Are Sorry Comforters
16 Then Job [cs]answered,
2 “I have heard many such things;
[ct](IW)Sorry comforters are you all.
3 “Is there no limit to (IX)windy words?
Or what plagues you that you answer?
4 “I too could speak like you,
If [cu]I were in your place.
I could compose words against you
And (IY)shake my head at you.
5 “I could strengthen you with my mouth,
And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.
Job Says God Shattered Him
6 “If I speak, (IZ)my pain is not lessened,
And if I hold back, what has left me?
7 “But now He has (JA)exhausted me;
You have laid (JB)waste all my company.
8 “You have shriveled me up,
(JC)It has become a witness;
And my (JD)leanness rises up against me,
It testifies to my face.
9 “His anger has (JE)torn me and [cv]hunted me down,
He has (JF)gnashed at me with His teeth;
My (JG)adversary [cw]glares at me.
10 “They have (JH)gaped at me with their mouth,
They have [cx](JI)slapped me on the cheek with contempt;
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 deep darkness is on my eyelids,
17 Although 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 [cy]advocate is (JX)on high.
20 “My friends are my scoffers;
(JY)My eye [cz]weeps to God.
21 “O that a man might plead 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 Says He Has Become a Byword
17 “My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished,
The [da](KA)grave is ready for me.
2 “(KB)Surely mockers are with me,
And my eye [db]gazes on their provocation.
3 “Lay down, now, a pledge (KC)for me with Yourself;
Who is there that will [dc]be my guarantor?
4 “For You have [dd](KD)kept their heart from understanding,
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 languish.
6 “But He has made me a (KG)byword of the people,
And I am [de]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 stronger and stronger.
10 “But come again all of [df]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 look for (KP)Sheol as my home,
I [dg]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 regards my hope?
16 “[dh]Will it go down with me to Sheol?
Shall we together (KT)go down into the dust?”
Bildad Speaks of the Wicked
18 Then Bildad the Shuhite [di]responded,
2 “How long will you hunt for words?
Show understanding and then we can talk.
3 “Why are we (KU)regarded as beasts,
As stupid in your eyes?
4 “O [dj]you who tear yourself in your anger—
For your sake is the earth to be abandoned,
Or the rock to be moved from its place?
5 “Indeed, the (KV)light of the wicked goes out,
And the [dk]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 [dl]vigorous stride is shortened,
And his (KX)own scheme brings him down.
8 “For he is (KY)thrown into the net by his own feet,
And he steps on the webbing.
9 “A snare seizes him by the heel,
And a trap snaps shut on him.
10 “A noose for him is hidden in the ground,
And a trap for him on the path.
11 “All around (KZ)terrors frighten him,
And (LA)harry him at every step.
12 “His strength is (LB)famished,
And calamity is ready at his side.
13 “[dm]His skin is devoured by disease,
The firstborn of death (LC)devours his [dn]limbs.
14 “He is (LD)torn from [do]the security of his tent,
And [dp]they march him before the king of (LE)terrors.
15 “[dq]There dwells in his tent nothing of his;
(LF)Brimstone is scattered on his habitation.
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 “[dr]He is driven from light (LJ)into darkness,
And (LK)chased from the inhabited world.
19 “He has no (LL)offspring or posterity among his people,
Nor any survivor where he sojourned.
20 “Those [ds]in the west are appalled at (LM)his [dt]fate,
And those [du]in the east are seized with horror.
21 “Surely such are the (LN)dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who does not know God.”
Job Feels Insulted
19 Then Job [dv]responded,
2 “How long will you torment [dw]me
And crush me with words?
3 “These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me.
4 “Even if I have truly erred,
My error lodges with me.
5 “If indeed you (LO)vaunt yourselves against me
And prove my disgrace to me,
6 Know then that (LP)God has wronged me
And has closed (LQ)His net around me.
Everything Is against Him
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)considered me as His enemy.
12 “His (MB)troops come together,
And (MC)build up their [dx]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)intimate friends have forgotten me.
15 “Those who live in my house and my maids consider 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 [dy]offensive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18 “Even young children despise me;
I rise up and they speak against me.
19 “All [dz]my (MG)associates 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 struck me.
22 “Why do you (MJ)persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?
Job Says, “My Redeemer Lives”
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 [ea]Redeemer lives,
And [eb]at the last He will take His stand on the [ec]earth.
26 “Even after my skin [ed]is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall (MM)see God;
27 Whom I [ee]myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My [ef]heart (MN)faints [eg]within me!
28 “If you say, ‘How shall we (MO)persecute him?’
And ‘[eh]What pretext for a case against him can we find?’
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 Triumph of the Wicked Is Short”
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite [ei]answered,
2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me [ej]respond,
Even because of my [ek]inward agitation.
3 “I listened to (MR)the reproof which insults 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)triumphing of the wicked is short,
And (MU)the joy of the godless momentary?
6 “Though his loftiness [el](MV)reaches 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 [em]favor 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 [en]in the dust.
12 “Though (NF)evil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he [eo]desires it and will not let it go,
But holds it (NG)in his [ep]mouth,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the [eq]venom of cobras within him.
15 “He swallows riches,
But will (NH)vomit them up;
God will expel them from his belly.
16 “He sucks (NI)the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue slays 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 riches of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy them.
19 “For he has (NL)oppressed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.
20 “Because he knew no quiet [er]within him,
He does (NM)not retain anything he desires.
21 “Nothing remains [es]for him to devour,
Therefore (NN)his prosperity does not endure.
22 “In the fullness of his plenty he will be cramped;
The (NO)hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.
23 “When he (NP)fills his belly,
God will send His fierce anger on him
And will (NQ)rain it on him [et]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)Terrors come upon him,
26 Complete (NU)darkness is held in reserve for his treasures,
And unfanned (NV)fire 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 heritage decreed to him by God.”
Job Says God Will Deal with the Wicked
21 Then Job [eu]answered,
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 complaint [ev]to man?
And (OC)why should [ew]I not be impatient?
5 “Look at me, and be astonished,
And (OD)put your hand over your mouth.
6 “Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And (OE)horror takes hold of my flesh.
7 “Why (OF)do the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very (OG)powerful?
8 “Their [ex](OH)descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses (OI)are safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them.
10 “His ox mates [ey]without fail;
His cow calves and does not abort.
11 “They send forth their little ones like the flock,
And their children skip about.
12 “They [ez]sing to the timbrel and harp
And rejoice at the sound of the flute.
13 “They (OJ)spend their days in prosperity,
And [fa]suddenly they go down to [fb]Sheol.
14 “They say to God, ‘(OK)Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 ‘[fc]Who is [fd]the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And (OL)what would we gain 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)calamity fall on them?
Does [fe]God apportion destruction in His anger?
18 “Are they as (OP)straw before the wind,
And like (OQ)chaff which the storm carries away?
19 “You say, ‘(OR)God stores away [ff]a man’s iniquity for his sons.’
Let [fg]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 [fh]the Almighty.
21 “For what does he care for his household [fi]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 at ease and [fj]satisfied;
24 His [fk]sides are filled out with fat,
And the (OX)marrow of his bones is moist,
25 While another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even [fl]tasting 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 would wrong 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 wayfaring men,
And do you not recognize their [fm]witness?
30 “For the (PC)wicked is reserved for the day of calamity;
They will be led forth at (PD)the day of fury.
31 “Who will [fn]confront him with his actions,
And who will repay him for what he has done?
32 “While he is carried to the grave,
Men will keep watch over his tomb.
33 “The (PE)clods of the valley will [fo]gently cover him;
Moreover, (PF)all men will [fp]follow after him,
While countless ones go before him.
34 “How then will you vainly (PG)comfort me,
For your answers remain full of [fq]falsehood?”
Eliphaz Accuses and Exhorts Job
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite [fr]responded,
2 “Can a vigorous (PH)man be of use to God,
Or a wise man be useful to himself?
3 “Is there any pleasure to [fs]the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or profit if you make your ways perfect?
4 “Is it because of your [ft]reverence that He reproves you,
That He (PI)enters into judgment against you?
5 “Is not (PJ)your wickedness great,
And your iniquities without end?
6 “For you have (PK)taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And (PL)stripped [fu]men 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 honorable man dwells in it.
9 “You have sent (PR)widows away empty,
And the [fv]strength 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 [fw]distant stars, how high they are!
13 “You say, ‘(PY)What does God know?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?
14 ‘(PZ)Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;
And He walks on the [fx]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 [fy]washed away by a river?
17 “They (QD)said to God, ‘Depart from us!’
And ‘What can [fz]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 our adversaries are cut off,
And their [ga]abundance (QH)the fire has consumed.’
21 “[gb](QI)Yield now and be at peace with Him;
Thereby good will come to you.
22 “Please receive [gc](QJ)instruction from His mouth
And establish His words in your heart.
23 “If you (QK)return to [gd]the Almighty, you will be [ge]restored;
If you (QL)remove unrighteousness far from your tent,
24 And (QM)place your [gf]gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
25 Then [gg]the Almighty will be your [gh]gold
And choice silver to you.
26 “For then you will (QN)delight in [gi]the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.
27 “You will (QO)pray to 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 [gj]you are cast down, you will speak with [gk]confidence,
And the [gl](QR)humble person He will save.
30 “He will deliver one who is not innocent,
And he will be (QS)delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
Job Says He Longs for God
23 Then Job [gm]replied,
2 “Even today my (QT)complaint is rebellion;
[gn]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)present my case before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.
5 “I would learn the words which He would [go]answer,
And perceive 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)reason with Him;
And I [gp]would be (QY)delivered forever from my Judge.
8 “Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I (QZ)cannot perceive 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 [gq]way I take;
When He has (RA)tried 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 [gr]more than my [gs]necessary 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 appointed for me,
And many such decrees are with Him.
15 “Therefore, I would be dismayed at His presence;
When I consider, I am terrified 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)deep gloom which covers me.
Job Says God Seems to Ignore Wrongs
24 “(RG)Why are [gt]times not stored up by the Almighty,
And why do those who know Him not see (RH)His days?
2 “[gu]Some (RI)remove the landmarks;
They seize and [gv]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)poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.
5 “Behold, as (RN)wild donkeys in the wilderness
They (RO)go forth seeking food in their activity,
As [gw]bread for their children in the desert.
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 “[gx]Others snatch the (RQ)orphan from the breast,
And against the poor they take a pledge.
10 “They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing,
And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.
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 folly.
13 “[gy]Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to know its ways
Nor abide in its paths.
14 “The murderer (RS)arises at dawn;
He (RT)kills the poor and the needy,
And at night he is as a thief.
15 “The eye of the (RU)adulterer waits for the twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’
And he [gz]disguises his face.
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 thick darkness,
For he is familiar with the (RX)terrors of thick darkness.
18 “They are [ha](RY)insignificant on the surface of the water;
Their portion is (RZ)cursed on the earth.
They do not turn [hb]toward the (SA)vineyards.
19 “Drought and heat [hc](SB)consume the snow waters,
So does [hd](SC)Sheol those who have sinned.
20 “A [he](SD)mother will forget him;
The (SE)worm feeds sweetly till he is (SF)no longer remembered.
And wickedness will be broken (SG)like a tree.
21 “He wrongs the [hf]barren woman
And does no good for (SH)the widow.
22 “But He drags off the valiant by (SI)His power;
He rises, but (SJ)no one has assurance of 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?”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.