The Daily Audio Bible

² Hear my words, you wise men.
You learned men, pay attention to me.
³ It is true that the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
⁴ So now we should choose for ourselves what is just.
We should determine among ourselves what is good.

⁵ This is what Job said:
“I am in the right,
but God has deprived me of justice.
⁶ Would I lie about what is just for me?^[b]
His arrow has inflicted an incurable wound on me,
though I did not rebel.”

⁷ Who is like Job?
He drinks down derision against God like water.
⁸ He travels the road with evildoers,
and he walks with wicked men,
⁹ because he said,
“It is no benefit to a man when he takes pleasure in God.”
¹⁰ So then, you men with understanding, listen to me.
I swear that God never does anything wicked.
The Almighty is far from wrongdoing.
¹¹ He repays a man for what he does.
He causes the consequences of his ways to catch up with him.
¹² God would absolutely not do anything evil.
The Almighty does not pervert justice.
¹³ Did anyone put him in charge of the earth?
Did anyone place the whole world under his control?
¹⁴ If God resolved in his heart to recall his spirit and breath to himself,
¹⁵ all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.

¹⁶ But if you have understanding, listen to this.
Hear the sound of my words:
¹⁷ Is it possible that one who hates justice could govern?
Will you condemn the Righteous One, who is mighty?
¹⁸ He says to kings, “You are worthless,”
and tells nobles, “You are evil.”
¹⁹ He shows no favoritism to high officials,
and he shows no more regard for the rich than for the poor,
because they are all the work of his hands.
²⁰ In a moment they die, in the middle of the night.
People are shaken, and they pass away.
Even the mighty are taken away effortlessly, without a human hand,
²¹ because God’s eyes are on the ways of a man,
and he sees all his steps.
²² There is no darkness,
and there is no dark shadow where evildoers can hide,
²³ for God does not need to investigate further
or to set a time of judgment for a person.
²⁴ He breaks mighty rulers without further inquiry,
and he sets up others in their place.
²⁵ Because he knows their deeds,
he overthrows them at night,
and they lie crushed.
²⁶ Because of their wickedness,
    he strikes them in plain sight of everyone.
²⁷ He does this because they turned aside from following him,
and they were not wise enough to follow all his ways.
²⁸ They caused the poor to cry out to God,
so he heard the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹ But if God remains quiet, who can condemn him?
If he hides his face, who can observe him?
But even if he does, he still rules over both nations and individuals,
³⁰ to prevent a godless man from ruling,
so that the godless man does not lay snares for the people.
³¹ What if someone says to God,
“I have accepted my punishment.
I will not keep sinning.
³² Teach me about what I do not see.
If I have done evil, I will not do it again.”
³³ Would God then be obligated to repay you on your terms,
when you refuse to repent?^[c]

But, Job, it is your decision, not mine.
So tell me what you know.

³⁴ Men who have understanding say this to me,
and any wise person who listens tells me the same thing:
³⁵ “Job speaks without knowledge,
and his words reveal a lack of understanding.”
³⁶ I wish that Job would be tested to the limit,
because he responds like a wicked man.
³⁷ Yes, he even adds rebellion to his sin.
Among us he shows his contempt by clapping his hands,
and he multiplies his words against God.

² Do you really think it is right when you say,
“My righteousness is greater than God’s”?^[d]
3 You even say, “What use will this be to me?
How will it profit me more than if I sinned?”

⁴ But I will respond to your words—and to your friends with you!
⁵ Look at the heavens and you will see.
Take a good look at the clouds.
They are high above you!
⁶ If you have sinned, how does that affect God?
If your rebellious deeds are many, what harm can you do to him?
⁷ If you are righteous, what are you giving to him?
What does he receive from your hand?
⁸ Your wickedness only affects a man like you,
and your righteousness only impacts other people.
⁹ They cry out because of severe oppression.
They scream for relief from the arm of the powerful.
¹⁰ But no one asks, “Where is God my Maker,
    who provides songs in the night,
¹¹     who teaches us more than the wild animals on the earth,
        who makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?”

¹² Then the wicked cry out, but he does not answer,
    because of their arrogant pride.^[e]
13 Certainly God will not listen to an insincere^[f] cry,
and the Almighty will not pay attention to it.
¹⁴ How much less when you say
    that you do not see him,
    that your case has been presented to him,
    and that you are waiting for him!
¹⁵ Besides that, you say that his anger has not demanded an accounting,
and that he does not fully understand sin.^[g]
16 Job opens his mouth pointlessly,
and he heaps up words without knowledge.

² Be patient with me a little longer.
I intend to inform you further,
since I have more to say on God’s behalf.
³ I will provide you with comprehensive knowledge,
and I will justify my Maker.
⁴ You can be sure that none of my words are false.
A man with complete knowledge is here with you.
⁵ Yes, God is mighty, but he does not despise people.
He is mighty and has great understanding.^[h]
6 He does not keep a wicked man alive,
but he does give justice to the oppressed.
⁷ He does not turn his eyes away from the righteous.
He seats them on thrones with kings
and exalts them forever.
⁸ But if people are bound in chains,
and they are held captive by cords of affliction,
⁹ he declares to them what they have done—
how arrogantly they have committed rebellious deeds.
¹⁰ He opens their ears to accept discipline,^[i]
and he tells them to turn back from wickedness.
¹¹ If they listen and serve him,
they will complete their days in prosperity,
and their years will end in pleasure.
¹² But if they do not listen,
they will be overwhelmed by a stream.^[j]
They will breathe their last without knowledge.
¹³ Godless hearts nourish anger.
They do not cry out for help even when he imprisons them.
¹⁴ Their souls die while they are still young,
and they end their lives among the male prostitutes at their shrines.

¹⁵ God delivers the afflicted by means of their affliction,
and he gets their attention through their suffering.
¹⁶ Certainly he is drawing you out of the jaws of distress
    to a wide-open place, where you will not be hemmed in.
You will be comfortable at your table covered with rich food.
¹⁷ But now you are caught up with the judgment of the wicked,
and judgment and justice have taken hold of you.
¹⁸ Watch out, so that no one lures you with luxury.
Do not let a large payment turn you aside.
¹⁹ Can your affluence arrange for your security,
    so that you do not suffer want?
Can even your strongest efforts accomplish that?
²⁰ Do not long for night time, when nations vanish from their place.^[k]
21 Watch out. Do not turn to evil,
because that is why you have been tested by affliction.^[l]
22 Listen to me. God is exalted in his power.
Who is a teacher like him?
²³ Who has dictated his way for him?
Who has said, “You have done wrong”?
²⁴ Remember that you should praise his work,
    which people have celebrated in song.
²⁵ All mankind has observed it.
People can look at it from a distance.
²⁶ Yes, God is exalted far beyond our comprehension.
The number of his years is beyond investigation.
²⁷ He draws up drops of water from the sea,
and he distills the raindrops to form mist,
²⁸ which flow down from the clouds
and pour down abundantly on mankind.
²⁹ Indeed, who understands how the clouds spread out?
Who understands how the thunder rumbles out from his shelter?
³⁰ Look how he spreads his light^[m] all around him,
and he covers the bottom^[n] of the sea.
³¹ He uses this to bring judgment on peoples
and to provide abundant food.
³² With his hands he grasps the lightning,
and he gives it orders as it advances.
³³ Through the thunder he sounds his war cry.
The herds sense the coming of the rising storm.^[o]