Bible in 90 Days
Inferior humans
25 Bildad from Shuah replied:
2 Supreme power and awe belong to God;
he establishes peace on his heights.
3 Can his troops be counted?
On whom does his light not rise?
4 How can a person be innocent before God;
one born of a woman be pure?
5 If even the moon is not bright
and the stars not pure in his eyes,
6 how much less a human, a worm,
a person’s child, a grub.
Sarcasm
26 Then Job said:
2 How well you have helped the weak,
saved those with frail arms,
3 advised one lacking wisdom,
informed many with insight!
4 With whom have you spoken;[a]
whose breath was expelled from you?
Truth about God
5 The dead writhe,
the inhabitants beneath the waters as well.
6 The grave[b] is naked before God;
the underworld[c] lacks covering.
7 He stretched the North[d] over chaos,
hung earth over nothing;
8 wrapped up water in his clouds,
yet they didn’t burst out below;
9 hid the face of the full moon,[e]
spreading his cloud over it;
10 traced a circle on the water’s surface,
at the limit of light and darkness.
11 Heaven’s pillars shook,
terrified by his blast.
12 By his power he stilled the Sea;
split Rahab with his cleverness.
13 Due to his wind, heaven became clear;
his hand split the fleeing serpent.
14 Look, these are only the outer fringe of his ways;
we hear only a whispered word about him.
Who can understand his thunderous power?
Job rejects Bildad’s argument
27 Then Job took up his topic again:
2 As God lives, who rejected my legal claim,
the Almighty, who made me bitter,
3 as long as breath is in me
and God’s breath is in my nostrils—
4 my lips will utter no wickedness;
my tongue will mumble no deceit.
5 I will not agree that you are right.
Until my dying day, I won’t give up my integrity.
6 I will insist on my innocence, never surrendering it;
my conscience will never blame me for what I have done.[f]
Job curses his enemies
7 Let my enemy be like the wicked,
my opposition like the vicious.
8 For what hope has the godless when God cuts them off,
when he takes them away.
9 Will God hear their cries
when distress comes to them;
10 will they delight in the Almighty,
call God at any time?
Job’s view of his enemies’ fate
11 I will teach you God’s power,
not hide what pertains to the Almighty.
12 Look, those of you who recognize this—
why then this empty talk?
13 This is the wicked’s portion with God,
the inheritance that the ruthless receive from the Almighty.
14 If their children increase, they belong to the sword;
their offspring won’t have enough bread.
15 Their survivors will be buried with the dead;
their widows won’t weep.
16 If they store up silver like dust,
amass clothing like clay,
17 they may amass, but the righteous will wear it;
the innocent will divide the silver.
18 They built their houses like nests,
like a hut made by a watchman.
19 They lie down rich, but no longer;
open their eyes, but it’s missing.
20 Terrors overtake them like waters;
a tempest snatches them by night;
21 an east wind lifts them, and they are gone,
removes them from their places,
22 throws itself on them without mercy;
they flee desperately from its force.
23 It claps its hands over them,
hisses at them from their place.
Expertise in mining
28 There is a sure source of silver,
a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the earth;
rock is smelted into copper.
3 Humans[g] put an end to darkness,
dig for ore to the farthest depths,
into stone in utter darkness,
4 open a shaft away from any inhabitant,
places forgotten by those on foot,
apart from any human they hang and sway.
5 Earth—from it comes food—
is turned over below ground as by fire.[h]
6 Its rocks are the source for lapis lazuli;
there is gold dust in it.
7 A path—
no bird of prey knows it;
a hawk’s eye hasn’t seen it;
8 proud beasts haven’t trodden on it;
a lion hasn’t crossed over it.
9 Humans thrust their hands into flint,
pull up mountains from their roots,
10 cut channels into rocks;
their eyes see everything precious.
11 They dam up the sources of rivers;
hidden things come to light.
Wisdom’s value
12 But wisdom, where can it be found;
where is the place of understanding?
13 Humankind doesn’t know its value;
it isn’t found in the land of the living.
14 The Deep[i] says, “It’s not with me”;
the Sea[j] says, “Not alongside me!”
15 It can’t be bought with gold;
its price can’t be measured in silver,
16 can’t be weighed against gold from Ophir,
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Neither gold nor glass can compare with it;
she can’t be acquired with gold jewelry.
18 Coral and jasper shouldn’t be mentioned;
the price of wisdom is more than rubies.
19 Cushite topaz won’t compare with her;
she can’t be set alongside pure gold.
20 But wisdom, where does she come from?
Where is the place of understanding?
21 She’s hidden from the eyes of all the living,
concealed from birds of the sky.
22 Destruction[k] and Death have said,
“We’ve heard a report of her.”
23 God understands her way;
he knows her place;
24 for he looks to the ends of the earth
and surveys everything beneath the heavens.
25 In order to weigh the wind,
to prepare a measure for waters,
26 when he made a decree for the rain,
a path for thunderbolts,
27 then he observed it, spoke of it,
established it, searched it out,
28 and said to humankind: “Look,
the fear of the Lord is wisdom;
turning from evil is understanding.”
Job’s previous blessing
29 Job took up his subject again:
2 Oh, that life was like it used to be,
like days when God watched over me;
3 when his lamp shone on my head,
I walked by his light in the dark;
4 when I was in my prime;
when God’s counsel was in my tent;
5 when the Almighty was with me,
my children around me;
6 when my steps were washed with cream
and a rock poured out pools of oil for me.
Previous honor
7 When I went out to the city gate,
took my seat in the square,
8 the young saw me and drew back;
the old rose and stood;
9 princes restrained speech,
put their hand on their mouth;
10 the voices of officials were hushed,
their tongue stuck to their palate.
Job’s implementation of justice
11 Indeed, the ear that heard blessed me;
the eye that looked commended me,
12 because I rescued the weak who cried out,
the orphans who lacked help.
13 The blessing of the perishing reached me;
I made the widow’s heart sing;
14 I put on justice, and it clothed me,
righteousness as my coat and turban;
15 I was eyes to the blind,
feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy;
the case I didn’t know, I examined.
17 I shattered the fangs of the wicked,
rescued prey from their teeth.
Job’s expected blessing
18 I thought, I’ll die in my nest,
multiply days like sand,[l]
19 my roots opening to water,
dew lingering on my branches,
20 my honor newly with me,
my bow ever successful in my hand.
Previous honor
21 People listened to me and waited,
were silent for my advice.
22 After my speech, they didn’t respond.
My words fell gently on them;
23 they waited for me as for rain,
opened their mouth as for spring rain.
24 I smiled[m] on them; they couldn’t believe it.
They never showed me disfavor.
25 I decided their path, sat as chief.
I lived like a king with his troops,
like one who comforts mourners.
Mockers
30 But now those younger than I mock me,
whose fathers I refused to put beside my sheepdogs.
2 Their strength, what’s it to me,
their energy having perished?
3 Stiff from want and hunger,
those who gnaw dry ground,
yesterday’s desolate waste,
4 who pluck off the leaves on a bush,
the root of the broom—
a shrub is their food.
5 People banish them from society,
shout at them as if to a thief;
6 so they live in scary ravines,
holes in the ground and rocks.
7 Among shrubs, they make sounds like donkeys;
they are huddled together under a bush,
8 children of fools and the nameless,
whipped out of the land.
Specific mocking behavior
9 And now I’m their song;
I’m their cliché!
10 They detest me, keep their distance,
don’t withhold spit from my face.
11 Because he loosened my bowstring and afflicted me,
they throw off restraint in my presence.
12 On the right, upstarts[n] rise and target my feet,
build their siege ramps against me,
13 destroy my road, profit from my fall,
with no help.
14 They advance as if through a destroyed wall;[o]
they roll along beneath the ruin.
15 Terrors crash upon me;
they sweep away my honor like wind;
my safety disappears like a cloud.
Accusation against God
16 Now my life is poured out on me;
days of misery have seized me.
17 At night he bores my bones;
my gnawing pain won’t rest.
18 With great force he grasps[p] my clothing;[q]
it binds me like the neck of my shirt.
19 He hurls me into mud;
I’m a cliché, like dust and ashes.
20 I cry to you, and you don’t answer;
I stand up, but you just look at me.
21 You are cruel to me,
attack me with the strength of your hand.
22 You lift me to the wind and make me ride;
you melt me in its roar.
23 I know you will return me to death,
the house appointed for all the living.
Job’s agony
24 Surely he won’t strike someone in ruins
if in distress he cries out to him,
25 if I didn’t weep for those who have a difficult day
or my soul grieve for the needy;
26 for I awaited good, but evil came;
I expected light, but gloom arrived.
27 My insides, churning, are never quiet;
days of affliction confront me.
28 I walk in the dark, lacking sunshine;
I rise in the assembly and cry out.
29 I have become a brother to jackals,
a companion to young ostriches.
30 My skin is charred;
my bones are scorched by the heat.
31 My lyre is for mourning,
my flute, a weeping sound.
Lust
31 I’ve made a covenant with my eyes;
how could I look at a virgin?
2 What is God’s portion for me[r] from above,
the Almighty’s inheritance from on high?
3 Isn’t it disaster for the wicked,
destruction for workers of iniquity?
4 Doesn’t he see my ways,
count all my steps?
Deceit
5 If I have walked with frauds
or my feet have hurried to deceit,
6 let him weigh me on accurate scales;
let God know my integrity.
7 If my step has turned from the way,
if my heart has followed my eyes
or a blemish has clung to my hands,
8 then let me sow and another reap;
let my offspring be uprooted.
Adultery
9 If my heart has been drawn to a woman
and I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind for another
and others kneel over her;
11 for that’s a crime;
it’s a punishable offense;
12 indeed, it’s a fire that consumes to the underworld,[s]
uprooting all my harvest.
Slaves
13 If I’ve rejected the just cause of my male or female servant
when they contended with me,
14 what could I do when God rises;
when he requires an account, what could I answer?
15 Didn’t the one who made me in the belly make them;
didn’t the same one fashion us in the womb?
The defenseless
16 If I have denied what the poor wanted,
made a widow’s eyes tired,
17 eaten my morsel alone,
and not shared any with an orphan
(18 for from my youth I raised the orphan as a father,
and from my mother’s womb I led the widow);[t]
19 if I ever saw someone dying without clothes, the needy naked;
20 if they haven’t blessed me fervently,[u]
or if they weren’t warmed by the wool from my sheep;
21 if I have lifted my hand against the orphans,
when I saw that I had help in the city gate—
22 may my arm fall from my shoulder,
my forearm be broken at the elbow—
23 for God’s calamity is terror to me;
I couldn’t endure his splendor.
False worship
24 If I’ve made gold my trust,
said to fine gold: “My security!”
25 if I’ve rejoiced because my wealth was great,
when my hand found plenty;
26 if I’ve looked at the sun when it shone,
the moon, splendid as it moved;
27 and my mind has been secretly enticed,
and threw a kiss with my hand,
28 that also is a punishable offense,
because I would then be disloyal to God above.
Others' misfortune
29 If I have rejoiced over my foes’ ruin
or was excited when evil found them,
30 I didn’t let my mouth sin
by asking for their life with a curse.
31 Surely those in my tent never said:
“Who has been filled by Job’s food?”
32 A stranger didn’t spend the night in the street;
I opened my doors to the road.
Concealing sin
33 If I have hidden my transgressions like Adam,[v]
concealing my offenses inside me
34 because I feared the large crowd;
the clan’s contempt frightened me;
I was quiet and didn’t venture outside.
Sealing the solemn pledge
35 Oh, that I had someone to hear me!
Here’s my signature;[w]
let the Almighty respond,
and let my accuser write an indictment.
36 Surely I would bear it on my shoulder,
tie it around me like a wreath.
37 I would give him an account of my steps,
approach him like a prince.
Abuse of the land
38 If my land has cried out against me,
its rows wept together;
39 if I have eaten its yield without payment
and caused its owners grief,
40 may briars grow instead of wheat,
poisonous weeds instead of barley.
Job’s words are complete.
Introduction of Elihu
32 These three men stopped answering Job because he thought he was righteous.[x] 2 Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite from the clan of Ram was angry, angry with Job because he considered himself more righteous than God. 3 He was also angry with his three friends because they hadn’t found an answer but nevertheless thought Job wicked. 4 Elihu had waited while Job spoke, for they were older than he. 5 When Elihu saw that there had been no response in the speeches of the three men, he became very angry.
Elihu’s justification for speaking
6 Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite said:
I’m young and you’re old,
so I held back, afraid to express my opinion to you.
7 I thought, Let days speak;
let multiple years make wisdom known.
8 But the spirit in a person,
the Almighty’s breath, gives understanding.
9 The advanced in days aren’t wise;
the old don’t understand what’s right.
10 Therefore, I say: “Listen to me;
I’ll state my view, even I.”
11 Look, I waited while you spoke,
listened while you reasoned,
while you searched for words.
12 I was attentive to you,
but you offered no rebuke to Job,
no answer from you for his words.
13 Be careful you don’t say, “We’ve found wisdom;
God, not a person, will defeat him.”
14 Now Job[y] hasn’t addressed me,
and I won’t quote you to him.
15 They are troubled, no longer answer;
words now escape them.
16 I waited, but they didn’t speak,
for they stood but answered no more.
17 I will answer. Indeed, I will state[z] my piece;
I too will declare my view,
18 for I’m full of words.
The spirit in my belly compels me.
19 Look, my belly is like unopened wine;
like new wineskins it will burst.
20 I will speak and get relief;
I will open my lips and respond.
21 I won’t be partial to anyone,
won’t flatter a person;
22 for I don’t know flattery;
otherwise my maker would quickly whisk me away.
Elihu’s appeal to be heard
33 But now, listen to me, Job;
pay attention to all my words.
2 Notice that I am opening my mouth;
my tongue is speaking in my mouth.[aa]
3 My words come from a virtuous heart;
my lips speak knowledge clearly.
4 God’s spirit made me;
the Almighty’s breath enlivens me.
5 If you are able, answer me;
lay out your case[ab] before me and take a stand.
6 Notice that I’m just like you to God;
I also was pinched from clay.
7 Surely fear of me shouldn’t scare you;
my pressure on you shouldn’t be heavy.
The argument
8 You certainly said in my hearing;
I heard the sound of your words:
9 “I’m pure, without sin;
I’m innocent, without offense.
10 Notice that he invents arguments against me;
he considers me his enemy,
11 ties up my feet,
watches all my paths.”
12 Now you’re wrong about this; I’ll answer you,
for God is greater than anybody.
13 Why do you contend with him,
saying that he doesn’t answer all your words?[ac]
14 God speaks in one way,
in two ways, but no one perceives it.
15 In the dream, a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls upon humans,
during their slumber on a bed,
16 then he opens people’s ears,
scares them with warnings,
17 to turn them from a deed
and to smother human pride.
18 He keeps one from the pit,
a life from perishing by the sword.
19 Or a person may be disciplined by pain
while in bed, bones ever aching
20 until a person loathes food,
an appetite rejects a delicacy;
21 the flesh wastes away, no longer visible;
the bones, once hidden, protrude.
22 A life approaches the pit;
its very being draws near the death dealers.
23 Surely there’s a messenger for this person,
a mediator, one out of a thousand
to declare one’s integrity to another
24 so that God has compassion on that person and says,
“Rescue this one from going down to the pit;
I have found a ransom.”
25 That person’s flesh is renewed like a child’s;
they regain their youth.
26 They pray to God, and God is pleased with them;
they behold God’s presence
with a joyful shout.
God rewards a person’s righteousness.
27 They sing before people and say:
“I have sinned, perverted justice,
but didn’t experience the consequences.
28 He ransomed me from crossing into the pit;
my life beholds light.”
29 Look, God does all this,
twice, three times with persons
30 to bring them back from the pit,
to shine with life’s light.
31 Listen, Job; hear me;
be quiet, and I will speak.
32 If you have words, answer me;
speak, for I want to be innocent.
33 If not, you must hear me;
be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.
34 Elihu continued:
2 Hear my words, wise ones;
knowledgeable ones, listen to me,
3 for the ear tests words
like the palate tastes food.
4 Let’s choose for us what’s right;
let’s determine among ourselves what’s good;
5 for Job has said, “I’m innocent;
God has denied my just cause;
6 because of my cause I’m thought a liar;
my wound from an arrow is incurable, even though I didn’t rebel.”
7 Who is a man like Job?
He drinks mockery like water
8 and travels a path with wrongdoers,
walking with evil persons.
9 Indeed he said, “No one is rewarded
for delighting in God.”
10 Therefore, intelligent ones, hear me;
far be it from God to do evil
and the Almighty to sin,
11 for he repays people based on what they do,
paying back everyone according to their ways.
12 Surely God doesn’t act wickedly;
the Almighty doesn’t distort justice.
13 Who placed earth in his care,
and who gave him dominion over the entire world?
14 If he were to decide to do it—
to gather his spirit and breath back to himself—
15 all flesh would die together,
and humans would return to dust.
16 But if you have understanding, hear this;
pay attention to the sound of my words.
17 Will one who hates justice rule;
will you condemn the most righteous one?
18 Will you say to a king, “Worthless!”
to royalty, “Evil!”
19 Who shows no favor to princes
nor regards the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of God’s hands?
20 In the middle of the night they suddenly die;
people are shaken and pass away.
The mighty are removed, not by a human hand.
21 God’s eyes are on human ways,
and he sees all their steps.
22 There’s no darkness, no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide themselves;
23 surely no time is set for a person
to appear before God in judgment.
24 He shatters the mighty without examining them;
makes others take their place.
25 Thus he regards their deeds,
overturns them at night, and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them because of their wickedness
at a place where people can see it.
27 Because they turned from following him
and didn’t value all his ways,
28 causing the cry of the poor to reach him,
he hears the cry of the afflicted.
29 Still, if he remains quiet, who can condemn;
if he hides his face, who can see him?
30 He prevents a lawless person from ruling,
from capturing people.
31 Has Job said to God,
“I have borne punishment; I won’t sin again?
32 You teach me what I can’t see;
if I’ve sinned, I won’t do it again.”
33 Will he repay you because you reject sin,
for you must choose, not I;
declare what you know.
34 Smart people say to me,
the wise who hear me,
35 “Job speaks without knowledge;
his words aren’t astute.”
36 I wish Job would be tested to the limit
because he responds like evil people.
37 He adds rebellion to his sin;
mocks us openly
and adds to his words against God.
Sin’s impact
35 Elihu continued:
2 Do you think it right?
You say, “I’m more just than God.”
3 Yet you ask, “What does it benefit you?
What have I gained by avoiding sin?”
4 I’ll answer you,
and your friends along with you.
5 Look at the heavens and see;
scan the clouds high over you.
6 If you’ve sinned, how have you affected God?
Your offenses have multiplied;
what have you done to him?
7 If you are righteous,
what do you give to him?
Or what does he receive from your hand?
8 Your evil affects others like you,
and your righteousness affects fellow human beings.
9 People cry out because of heavy oppression;
shout under the power of the mighty.
10 But no one says, “Where is God my maker;
who gives songs in the night;
11 who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?”
12 Then they cry out; but he doesn’t answer,
because of the pride of the wicked.
13 God certainly doesn’t respond to a deceitful cry;
the Almighty doesn’t pay attention to it.
14 Although you say that you don’t see him,
the case is before him;
so wait anxiously for him.
15 Even though his anger is now held back,
a person doesn’t know it’s only delayed.[ad]
16 So Job mouths emptiness;
he piles up ignorant words.
Reason for continuing
36 Continuing, Elihu said,
2 Wait a little while so I can demonstrate for you
that there is still something more to say about God.
3 I will draw from my broad knowledge,
attribute justice to my maker.
4 My words are certainly truthful;
one with total knowledge is present with you.
Divine discipline
5 Look, God is mighty and doesn’t reject anyone;
he is mighty in strength and mind.
6 He doesn’t let the wicked live,
but grants justice to the poor.
7 He doesn’t avert his eyes from the righteous;
he seats kings on thrones forever,
and they are lifted up.
8 If they are tied with ropes,
caught in cords of affliction,
9 he informs them about their offenses
and their grave sins.
10 He opens their ears with discipline
and commands them to turn from wrong.
11 If they listen and serve,
they spend their days in plenty,
their years contentedly.
12 But if they don’t listen,
they perish by the sword,
breathe their last without understanding.
13 Those with impious hearts become furious;
they don’t cry out even though he binds them.
14 They die young;
they are among the holy ones.
15 He saves the weak in their affliction,
opens their ears through oppression.
16 Surely he draws you up from the brink of trouble
to a wide place without distress;
your table is set with rich food.
17 You are overly concerned about the case of the wicked;
justice will be upheld in it.
18 Don’t let them lure you with wealth;
don’t let a huge bribe mislead you.
19 Will he arrange your rescue from distress
or from all your exertions of strength?
20 Don’t wish for the night
when people vanish from their place.
21 Take care; don’t turn to evil
because you’ve chosen it over affliction.
22 Look, God is inaccessible due to his power;
who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has repaid him for his action,
and who would ever say, “You’ve done wrong”?
24 Remember to praise his work
that all of us have seen.
25 Every person has seen him;
people can observe at great distance.
God’s control of the storm
26 Look, God is exalted and unknowable;
the number of his years is beyond counting.
27 He draws up drops of water
that distill rain from his flood;
28 the clouds pour moisture
and drip continually on humans.
29 Even if one perceives a spreading cloud
and the thunder of his pavilion,[ae]
30 look how he spreads lightning across it
and covers the seabed;
31 for by water[af] he judges peoples
and gives food in abundance.
32 He conceals lightning in his palms
and orders it to its target.
33 His thunder announces it;
even cattle proclaim its rising.
37 Oh, my mind is disturbed by this
and is more troubled than usual.
2 Listen closely to the rumble of his voice,
the roar issuing from his mouth.
3 He looses it under the whole sky,
his lightning on earth’s edges.
4 After it, a voice roars;
he thunders with a mighty voice,
and no one can stop it
when his voice is heard.
5 God roars with his wondrous voice;
he does great things we can’t know.
6 He says to the snow, “Fall to earth,”
and to the downpour of rain, “Be a mighty shower.”
7 He stamps the hand of every person
so all can know his work.[ag]
8 The wild beast enters its lair,
lies down in its den.
9 The storm comes from its chamber,
the cold from the north wind.
10 By God’s breath ice forms;
water’s expanse becomes solid.
11 He also fills clouds with moisture;
his lightning scatters clouds.
12 He overturns the circling clouds;[ah]
by his guidance they do[ai] their work,
doing everything he commands over the entire earth.
13 Whether for punishment, for his world,
or for kindness,
God makes it all happen.
14 Hear this, Job;
stop and ponder God’s mighty deeds.
15 Do you realize that when God commands them,
his clouds produce lightning?
16 Do you understand the positioning of the clouds,
the amazing deeds of one with perfect knowledge,
17 you whose clothes are hot
when earth is calmed by the south wind?
18 Can you form the sky with him,
hard like a mirror made of metal?
19 Tell us what we should say to him;
we can’t present our case due to darkness.
20 Should someone inform him that I wish to speak,
or would anyone say he wants to be devoured?
Divine splendor
21 For now, no one can look at the sun;
it is bright in the sky;
the wind has passed and cleared away the clouds.
22 From the north comes golden light,
the awesome splendor of God.
23 As for the Almighty, we can’t find him—
he is powerful and just, abundantly righteous—
he won’t respond.
24 Therefore, people fear him;
none of the wise[aj] can see him.
The Lord answers from a whirlwind
38 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
2 Who is this darkening counsel
with words lacking knowledge?
3 Prepare yourself like a man;
I will interrogate you, and you will respond to me.
The establishing of order
4 Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?
Tell me if you know.
5 Who set its measurements? Surely you know.
Who stretched a measuring tape on it?
6 On what were its footings sunk;
who laid its cornerstone,
7 while the morning stars sang in unison
and all the divine beings shouted?
8 Who enclosed the Sea[ak] behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment,
the dense clouds its wrap,
10 when I imposed[al] my limit for it,
put on a bar and doors
11 and said, “You may come this far, no farther;
here your proud waves stop”?
12 In your lifetime have you commanded the morning,
informed the dawn of its place
13 so it would take hold of earth by its edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
14 Do you turn it over like clay for a seal,
so it stands out like a colorful garment?
15 Light is withheld from the wicked,
the uplifted arm broken.
The vast beyond
16 Have you gone to the sea’s sources,
walked in the chamber of the deep?
17 Have death’s gates been revealed to you;
can you see the gates of deep darkness?
18 Have you surveyed earth’s expanses?
Tell me if you know everything about it.
19 Where’s the road to the place where light dwells;
darkness, where’s it located?
20 Can you take it to its territory;
do you know the paths to its house?
21 You know, for you were born then;
you have lived such a long time![am]
22 Have you gone to snow’s storehouses,
seen the storehouses of hail
23 that I have reserved for a time of distress,
for a day of battle and war?
24 What is the way to the place where light is divided up;
the east wind scattered over earth?
Meteorological facts
25 Who cut a channel for the downpours
and a way for blasts of thunder
26 to bring water to uninhabited land,
a desert with no human
27 to saturate dry wasteland
and make grass sprout?
28 Has the rain a father
who brought forth drops of dew?
29 From whose belly does ice come;
who gave birth to heaven’s frost?
30 Water hardens like stone;
the surface of the deep thickens.
31 Can you bind Pleiades’ chains
or loosen the reins of Orion?
32 Can you guide the stars
at their proper times,
lead the Bear with her cubs?
33 Do you know heaven’s laws,
or can you impose its rule on earth?
34 Can you issue an order to the clouds
so their abundant waters cover you?
35 Can you send lightning so that it goes
and then says to you, “I’m here”?
36 Who put wisdom in remote places,
or who gave understanding to a rooster?[an]
37 Who is wise enough to count the clouds,
and who can tilt heaven’s water containers
38 so that dust becomes mud
and clods of dirt adhere?
Lion and raven
39 Can you hunt prey for the lion
or fill the cravings of lion cubs?
40 They lie in their den,
lie in ambush in their lair.
41 Who provides food for the raven
when its young cry to God,
move about without food?
Mountain goat and doe
39 Do you know when mountain goats give birth;
do you observe the birthing of does?
2 Can you count the months of pregnancy;
do you know when they give birth?
3 They crouch, split open for their young,
send forth their offspring.
4 Their young are healthy; they grow up in the open country,
leave and never return.
Wild donkey
5 Who freed the wild donkey,
loosed the ropes of the onager
6 to whom I gave the desert as home,
his dwelling place in the salt flats?
7 He laughs at the clamor of the town,
doesn’t hear the driver’s shout,
8 searches the hills for food
and seeks any green sprout.
Wild ox
9 Will the wild ox agree to be your slave,
or will it spend the night in your crib?
10 Can you bind it with a rope to a plowed row;
will it plow the valley behind you?
11 Will you trust it because its strength is great
so that you can leave your work to it?
12 Can you rely on it to bring back your grain
to gather into your threshing floor?
Ostrich
13 The ostrich’s wings flap joyously,
but her wings and plumage are like a stork.
14 She leaves her eggs on the earth,
lets them warm in the dust,
15 then forgets that a foot may crush them
or a wild animal trample them.
16 She treats her young harshly as if they were not hers,
without worrying that her labor might be in vain;
17 God didn’t endow her with sense,
didn’t give her some good sense.
18 When she flaps her wings high,
she laughs at horse and rider.
Horse
19 Did you give strength to the horse,
clothe his neck with a mane,
20 cause him to leap like a locust,
his majestic snorting, a fright?
21 He[ao] paws in the valley, prances proudly,
charges at battle weapons,
22 laughs at fear, unafraid.
He doesn’t turn away from the sword;
23 a quiver of arrows flies by him,
flashing spear and dagger.
24 Excitedly, trembling, he swallows the ground;
can’t stand still at a trumpet’s blast.
25 At a trumpet’s sound, he says, “Aha!”
smells the battle from afar,
hears[ap] officers’ shouting and the battle cry.
Hawk and eagle
26 Is it due to your understanding that the hawk flies,
spreading its wings to the south?
27 Or at your command does the eagle soar,
the vulture build a nest on high?
28 They dwell on an outcropping of rock,
their fortress on rock’s edge.
29 From there they search for food;
their eyes notice it from afar,
30 and their young lap up blood;
where carcasses lie, there they are.
The Lord speaks and Job answers
40 The Lord continued to respond to Job:
2 Will the one who disputes with the Almighty correct him?
God’s instructor must answer him.
3 Job responded to the Lord:
4 Look, I’m of little worth. What can I answer you?
I’ll put my hand over my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, I won’t answer;
twice, I won’t do it again.
A challenge from the Lord
6 The Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
7 Prepare yourself like a man;
I will interrogate you, and you will respond to me.
8 Would you question my justice,
deem me guilty so you can be innocent?
9 Or do you have an arm like God;
can you thunder with a voice like him?
10 Adorn yourself with splendor and majesty;
clothe yourself with honor and esteem.
11 Unleash your raging anger;
look on all the proud and humble them.
12 Look on all the proud and debase them;
trample the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them together in the dust;
bind their faces in a hidden place.
14 Then I, even I, will praise you,
for your strong hand has delivered you.
Behemoth
15 Look at Behemoth, whom I made along with you;
he eats grass like cattle.
16 Look, his strength is in his thighs,
his power in stomach muscles.
17 He stiffens his tail like a cedar;
the tendons in his thighs are tightly woven.
18 His bones are like bronze tubes,
his limbs like iron bars.
19 He is the first of God’s acts;
only his maker can come near him with a sword.
20 Indeed, the hills bring him tribute,
places where all the wild animals play.
21 He lies under the lotuses,
under the cover of reed and marsh.
22 The lotuses screen him with shade;
poplars of the stream surround him.
23 If the river surges, he doesn’t hurry;
he is confident even though the Jordan gushes into his mouth.
24 Can he be seized by his eyes?
Can anyone pierce his nose by hooks?
Leviathan
41 [aq] Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook,
restrain his tongue with a rope?
2 Can you put a cord through his nose,
pierce his jaw with a barb?
3 Will he beg you at length
or speak gentle words to you?
4 Will he make a pact with you
so that you will take him as a permanent slave?
5 Can you play with him like a bird,
put a leash on him for your girls?
6 Will merchants sell him;
will they divide him among traders?
7 Can you fill his hide with darts,
his head with a fishing spear?
8 Should you lay your hand on him,
you would never remember the battle.
9 Such hopes[ar] would be delusional;
surely the sight of him makes one stumble.
10 Nobody is fierce enough to rouse him;
who then can stand before me?
11 Who opposes me that I must repay?
Everything under heaven is mine.
12 I’m not awed by his limbs,
his strength, and impressive form.
13 Who can remove his outer garment;
who can come with a bridle for him?
14 Who can open the doors of his mouth,
surrounded by frightening teeth?
15 His matching scales are his pride,
closely locked and sealed.
16 One touches another;
even air can’t come between them.
17 Each clings to its pair;
joined, they can’t be separated.
18 His sneezes emit flashes of light;
his eyes are like dawn’s rays.
19 Shafts of fire shoot from his mouth;
like fiery sparks they fly out.
20 Smoke pours from his nostrils
like a boiling pot over reeds.
21 His breath lights coals;
a flame shoots from his mouth.
22 Power resides in his neck;
violence dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh stick together;
on him they are tough and unyielding.
24 His heart is solid like a rock,
hard like a lower millstone.
25 The divine beings dread his rising;
they withdraw before his thrashing.
26 The sword that touches him won’t prevail;
neither will the dart, spear, nor javelin.
27 He treats iron as straw,
bronze as rotten wood.
28 Arrows can’t make him flee;
slingstones he turns to straw.
29 He treats a club like straw;
he laughs at the lance’s rattle.
30 His abdomen is like jagged pottery shards;
its sharp edges leave a trail in the mud.
31 He causes the depths to churn like a boiling pot,
stirs up the sea like a pot of scented oils,
32 leaves a bright wake behind him;
the frothy deep seems white-haired.
33 None on earth can compare to him;
he is made to be without fear.
34 He looks on all the proud;
he is king over all proud beasts.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible