Most Popular Bible Verses in Job
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One day, divine beings presented themselves to the LORD, and Satan accompanied them.
"As for me, I know that my Vindicator is alive; And he, the Last One, will take his stand on the soil.
There once was a man in the land of Uz named Job. The man was blameless as well as upright. He feared God and kept away from evil.
and exclaimed: "I left my mother's womb naked, and I will return to God naked. The LORD has given, and the LORD has taken. May the name of the LORD be blessed."
"Where were you when I laid the foundation of my earth? Tell me, since you're so informed!
He spreads out the north over empty space, suspending the earth over nothing.
The LORD responded to Job from the whirlwind and said:
However, stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will curse you to your face."
Haven't you surrounded him with a fence on all sides, around his house, and around all that he owns? You have blessed everything he puts his hands on and you have increased his livestock in the land.
while the morning stars sang together and all the divine beings shouted joyfully?
He has commanded mankind: "To fear the Lord that is wisdom; to move away from evil that is understanding.'"
Some time later, when his children were celebrating in their oldest brother's house,
"The spirit of God fashioned me; and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
For wickedness doesn't crop up from dust, nor does trouble sprout out of the ground;
"I made a covenant with my eyes; how, then, can I focus my attention on a virgin?
a messenger approached Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the female donkeys were grazing nearby
Human beings born by women are short-lived and full of trouble.
Even though he kills me, I'll continue to hope in him. At least I'll be able to argue my case to his face!
Who prepares food for the raven, when its offspring cry out to God as they wander for lack of food?"
He clears the skies with his wind; his hands have pierced the fleeing serpent.
Then Job stood up, tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground, bowed very low,
Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth. The man is blameless as well as upright. He fears God and keeps away from evil."
when the Sabeans attacked, captured the servants, and killed them with swords. I alone escaped to tell you!"
While this messenger was still speaking, another came and announced, "Your children were celebrating in their oldest brother's house
While this messenger was still speaking, another came and announced, "The Chaldeans formed three companies, raided the camels, captured the servants, and killed them with swords. Only I alone escaped to tell you."
He does great things that cannot be explained, and awesome deeds that cannot be counted.
I've heard you with my ears; and now I've seen you with my eyes.
Because he knows the road on which I travel, when he had tested me, I'll come out like gold.
Let that day be dark; let God above not care about it; let no light shine over it.
While this messenger was still speaking, another came and announced, "A lightning storm struck and incinerated the flock and the servants while they were eating. I alone escaped to tell you!"
"I know that you can do anything and nothing that you plan is impossible.
Job neither sinned nor charged God with wrongdoing in all of this.
when a strong wind came straight out of the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people, and they died. I alone escaped to tell you!"
"But now it's your turn, and you're the one who is worn out! Now it's striking you, and you're dismayed!
You'll call and I'll answer you; you'll long for your creatures that your hands have made.
"If he were to pass near me, I wouldn't notice; if he moves by, I wouldn't perceive him.
An empty-headed person will gain understanding when a wild donkey is born a human being!"
The eyes of the one who sees me won't see me anymore; your eyes will look for me but I won't be around!
With God is wisdom and strength; counsel and understanding belongs to him.
Let darkness and deep gloom reclaim it; let clouds settle down on it; let blackness in mid-day terrify it.
Because we are of yesterday and we know nothing, for our time on earth is only a shadow.
then how much less is one who is abhorred and corrupted, such as a man who drinks injustice like water?"
"Now for you, if you will prepare your heart, spread out your hands to him.
Satan answered the LORD, "Skin for skin! The man will give up everything that he owns in exchange for his health.
Then you'll certainly count every step I took, but you won't keep an inventory of my sin.
No stranger ever spent the night in the street, because I opened my doors to travelers."
"If you return to the Almighty you'll be restored, as you remove iniquity from your household.
Won't they instruct you, and tell you, and bring out words from the heart?
You gave life and gracious love to me; your providential care has preserved my spirit.
that God would just be willing to crush me; that he would let loose and eliminate me!
"Your fear of God has been your confidence, hasn't it? The integrity of your life has been your hope, hasn't it?
Indeed, if he snatches someone away, who could restrain him? Who can say to him, "What are you doing?'
He has no children or descendants within his own people; and no survivors where he once lived.
Bury your gold nuggets in the dust, and your source of gold among the stones in a streambed,
He sends rain on the surface of the earth, and waters the surface of the open country.
However, stretch out your hand and strike his bones and flesh, and he'll curse you to your face, won't he?"
He is always doing great things that cannot be explained, countless awesome deeds.
"Be gracious to me, be gracious to me, my friends, because God's hand has struck me.
Then the LORD told Satan, "Very well then, he is under your control. Just preserve his life."
Then your confidence will be flawless, and your security will keep you from terror.
If you have any iniquity, throw it far away. Don't let evil live in your residence.
If this weren't so, who can prove that I'm a liar by showing that there's nothing to what I'm saying?"
Why are you chasing me, as God has been doing? Aren't you satisfied that I'm sick?
Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you keep watching me?
Let darkness carry that night away; let it not take its place joyfully among the days of the year; let it not be entered into the calendar.
"With God are strength and sound wisdom; both the deceived and those who deceive are responsible to him.
It's been my experience that those who plow the soil of iniquity and those who sow the seed of trouble will reap their harvest!
Now please think: Who has ever perished when they're innocent? Where have the upright been destroyed?
"Have I covered my transgression like other people, to conceal iniquity within myself?
You'll forget your suffering; you'll remember it like water that has evaporated.
If I sin, you watch me and won't acquit me for my iniquity.
Even though he is satiated and self-sufficient, he suffers everyone in any sort of trouble will attack him.
When he withholds water, rivers dry up; when he lets them loose, they'll flood the land.
But what the wicked look for will fail; their way of escape will be taken away from them; their only hope is to take their final breath."
People who live west of him are appalled at his fate; those who live east of him are seized with terror.
He uncovers the hidden dimensions from darkness, bringing what is in deep shadow to light.
He leads away the priests naked and overthrows the ruling class.
The friend shows gracious love for his friend, even if he has forsaken the fear of the Almighty.
"Mountains fall and crumble; rocks are dislodged from their places.
""You have brought new witnesses against me, you're even more angry with me you've brought fresh troops to attack me!
Such are the paths of everyone who forgets God the hope of the godless will be destroyed:
While they are still green and not yet ready to be harvested, they wither before any plant.
He strips away the authority of kings to punish and puts them in prison clothes instead.
You'll be secure, because there is hope; you'll see that you're at rest and safe.
his confidence is shattered; his trust is in a spider's web.
Let the stars of its evening twilight be dark; let it hope for light but let there be none; let it not see the breaking rays of the dawn.
"In addition, I won't keep my opinion to myself; I'll speak from my distressed spirit; I'll complain with my bitter soul.
For I've said, "My bed will comfort me; my couch will ease my burdens while I complain.'
He leans against his house, but it won't stand; he grabs hold of it firmly, but it doesn't last.
My days are so few, aren't they? So leave me alone, then, so I can smile a little
So why did you bring me out from the womb? I wish I had died, before anyone had seen me,
They grope in the dark without light; he causes them to stagger around like a drunkard."
He is a fresh sapling planted in the sunlight, spreading out its branches over its garden.
Though I'm in the right, my own mouth will condemn me; though I'm blameless, he'll pronounce me as guilty.
He withdraws understanding from national leaders of the world, causing them to wander through uncharted wilderness.
"Were I to be summoned, and he were to answer me, I wouldn't even believe that he was listening to what I have to say.
Pay attention to what I have to say and listen to my testimony with your own ears."
Job took a broken piece of pottery to scrape himself while sitting among the ashes.
Oh, how Job needs to be given a full court trial, as a rebuke to those who practice evil,
Indeed, the residences of the wicked are like this; and so are the homes of those who don't know God."
"Is this a contest of strength? He is obviously stronger! Is this a matter of justice? Who can sue him?
Why didn't I die while I was still in the womb, or die while I was being born?
There is no help within me, is there? My resources have been driven away from me, haven't they?
He frustrates the plans of the crafty; so that what they work for never succeeds.
Travelers from Tema search intently; caravans from Sheba hope to find them.
Why haven't you pardoned my transgression and taken away my iniquity? Now I'm about to lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I won't be around!"
At least I could still take comfort and rejoice in unceasing anguish, for I didn't conceal what the Holy One has to say.
"Because that night refused to shut the doors of my mother's womb; it failed to keep me from seeing this trouble.
""Woe to me if I'm guilty! If I'm innocent, I cannot lift my head, because I am filled with disgrace. Look at my affliction!
Terrifying sounds ring in his ears; when times are prosperous, the Destroyer will attack him.
"If his children are honored, he doesn't know it; if they become insignificant, he never perceives it.
So he delivers from the sword of their mouth the poor from the power of the mighty.
Observing him from a distance, at first they didn't even recognize him, so they raised their voices and burst into tears. They each ripped their robes, threw ashes into the air on their heads,
He captures the wise in their own craftiness, bringing a quick end to their cunning advice.
"My days pass faster than a runner; but they pass quickly without seeing anything good.
They meet with darkness in broad daylight; at noonday they grope around as if it were night.
"Or why was I not buried like a stillborn child, like babies who never saw the light?
crying for him to arbitrate between this man and God; as a human being does with his fellow neighbor.
"Do I have the strength to wait? And why should I be patient?
"Total darkness has been reserved for his treasures; a fire that has no need to be kindled will devour him and consume whatever remains in his possession.
He wanders around for food where is it? He knows that a time of darkness is near.
They perish by the breath of God; they are consumed by the storm that is his anger.
In that place, the wicked stop causing trouble, and there, those whose strength is exhausted are at rest.
which is what wise men have explained, who didn't withhold anything from their ancestors.
along with kings and counselors of the earth, who used to build for themselves what are now only ruins,
For when only a few years have elapsed, I'll start down a path from which I'll never return."
and sat with Job on the ground for a full week without saying a word, since they could see the great extent of his anguish.
"How many of my iniquities and sins have you counted? Show me my transgression and sin.
The LORD asked Satan, "Where have you come from?" In response, Satan told the LORD, "From wandering all over the earth and walking back and forth throughout it."
"I am disgusted with living, so I'm going to talk about my complaint freely. I'll speak out from the bitterness of my soul.
that the wicked person is spared from times of calamity, that he is rescued on the day of wrath?
"Wisdom may be found in the company of the aged. Understanding comes with longevity.
He makes nations great, and then destroys them; he enlarges nations, but then sends them away to captivity.
"Let the day when I was born be annihilated, along with the night when it was announced, "It's a boy!'
Who will expose his conduct to his face? Who will repay him for what he has done
It's a gloomy land, like deepest darkness; where there's no order, and where even the brightness is like darkness.'"
whom I will see for myself. My own eyes will look at him there won't be anyone else for me! He is the culmination of my innermost desire."
Zophar from Naamath had this to say:
Distress and pressure terrify him; they overwhelm him, like a king poised for attack.
I hate the thought of living forever! Leave me alone, because my days are pointless."
I would rather die by strangulation than continue living.
"What is a human being, that you make so much of him; that you set your affections on him,
Then call and I'll answer, or let me speak and then you reply to me!"
because though he wounds, but then applies bandages; though he strikes, his hands still heal.
In response Job replied:
These things are higher than the heavens, so what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol, so what can you know?
"When you're thinking about asking yourselves, "How will we pursue him, since the root of the problem is with him?'
and disclose his wise secrets? After all, there's so much more to understanding. So be aware that God will exact from you less than your sin deserves."
"I'm a laughingstock to my friends, someone who called on God. But then he answered this upright and blameless man, and I have become a laughingstock.
You'll laugh at destruction and famine; and you need not fear the beasts of the earth.
"Cry out, won't you! Is there anyone who will answer you? To whom will you turn among the holy ones?
For wrath will slay a fool; zealous anger will kill the naive.
You've accused me of bitter things; you've caused me to reap the sins of my youth.
So I'm a man who wears out like something rotten, like a garment that has become moth-eaten."
You'll be protected from the accusing tongue; you need not fear destruction when it heads your way.
when he is carried away to the cemetery and guardians are placed to watch his tomb?
"It will come about that, when he has filled himself to the full, God will vent his burning anger on him; he will pour it out on him and on his body.
He will live in devastated towns, in abandoned houses that are about to become heaps of rubble.
"He is like a vine that drops its unripe grapes; like an olive tree that loses its blossoms.
Will your irrational babble silence people, and when you mock them, will you escape without being shamed?
"Shouldn't a multitude of words be answered, or a person who talks too much be vindicated?
I'll say to God, "Don't condemn me! Let me know why you are fighting me.
I'll give an account for every step I've taken; I'll approach him confidently like a Commander-in-Chief."
So what if I sin? What have I done against you, you observer of humankind? Why have you made me your target? Why burden yourself with me?
I will not be at ease; I will not be quiet; I will not rest; because trouble has arrived."
This is what Job said:
The unimportant and the important are both there, and the servant is free from his master.
or princes who amassed gold for themselves, and who kept filling their houses with silver.
"The lioness may roar, and the lion cub may growl; but even the ivory teeth of the full grown lion are broken.
In that place, those who once were prisoners will be at ease together; they won't hear the voice of oppressors.
For he knows mankind's deceitfulness; when he sees iniquity, won't he himself consider it?
For you'll have a pact with the stones in the field; and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
You've locked my feet in stocks; you watch all my steps; You've limited where I can walk.
Then in response, Bildad from Shuah said:
But my brothers have acted treacherously like a cascading river, like torrential rivers that overflow.
How then, can you console me so worthlessly? What is left of your answers is treachery."
"Indeed, this is the benefit of God's way: from the soil other plants will sprout.
You'll know that your home is secure; when you search your possessions, and nothing will be missing.
Didn't you pour me out like milk and let me congeal like cheese?
"If he bypasses, or imprisons, or convenes a court, who can stop him?
""Please remember that you've made me like clay and you'll return me to dust.
The tents of robbers are at rest, and those who provoke God are secure, that is, those who carry their god in their pocket.
"He won't become rich and his wealth won't last; he won't expand his holdings to cover the land.
Why won't you look away from me? Why don't you leave me alone so I can swallow my saliva?
He will soon fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips will shout with joy.
Like you, I also have understanding. I'm not inferior to you; who doesn't know things like this?"
For they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity; their womb is pregnant with deception."
To those who are longing for death even though it does not come? To those who search for it more than for hidden treasure?
Have I feared large crowds? Has my family's contempt ever terrified me so that I remained silent and wouldn't go outside?"
The carefree are thinking, "I have contempt for misfortune,' Those who are about to stumble deserve it.
Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will no longer exist.
They are longer than the earth's circumference, and broader than the ocean.
Does it delight you to oppress or despise what you have made, while you smile at the plans of the wicked?
He will deliver you from death by famine; in war from the power of the sword.
Surely God won't reject those who are blameless or hold hands with those who practice evil.
"Indeed, I'm fully aware that this is so, but how can a person become right with God?
You'll go to your grave at a ripe old age; like a stack of grain that's harvested at just the right time.
Tasteless food isn't eaten without salt, is it? Is there any taste in an egg white?
"As far as I'm concerned, my food comes to me in the form of sighs, and my cries of anguish pour out like water.
Then the hungry will devour his harvest, snatching it even from the midst of thorns, while the thirsty covet their wealth.
"The arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; my spirit absorbs their poison; God's terrors have been arranged just for me!
Full grown lions die when they cannot find prey; that's when the lion cubs are scattered.
"The wicked person writhes in pain throughout his life, a number of years has been reserved for the ruthless.
"Inquire of the previous generation, won't you please? Consider what their forefathers searched out.
Your beginning may be small, but later years will be very great.
You'll know that you'll have many children; and that your offspring will be like the grass of the earth.
This was Job's response:
In rebuttal, Job replied:
Its roots weave around a pile of stones, seeking to entrench itself among the rocks.
"Instruct me, and I'll remain silent. Help me understand where I've gone astray.
A fear fell upon me, along with trembling that caused all my bones to shake in terror.
My days pass as swiftly as a hand-loom; they come to their conclusion without hope.
"Look! We have thought all this through, and what we've said is true; So please listen and learn for your own good!"
He shakes the earth from its orbit, so that its foundations shudder.
A land is given into the hands of a wicked person; he covers the faces of its judges. If it is not God, then who is it?"
His children are far from deliverance; they'll be maltreated before they leave home, with no one to rescue them.
Truly I've been allotted months of emptiness; nights of trouble have been appointed for me.
He commands the sun so that it doesn't shine and seals up the stars.
He is wise in heart and strong in will who can be stubborn against him and succeed?
"How long will you keep talking like this? How long will you keep talking like a wind storm?
"And now you're all just like them, aren't you? You see my terror and are terrified.
In reply, Eliphaz from Teman answered:
Water wears away stones; floods wash away topsoil from the land but you destroy the hope of human beings just like that!
Job has been speaking from his own ignorance, and what he has to say lacks insight!
When did I ever ask you for anything, say "Offer a bribe for me from your wealth?'
"When I lie down I ask, "When will I wake up?' But the night continues and I keep tossing and turning until dawn.
You overpower him once and for all, and then he departs; you change his appearance and then send him away.
"He removes mountains without their knowledge, overthrowing them in his anger.
"Will the wild donkey bray from hunger if fresh grass is beside him? Will the ox low from distress if it is near its feed?
But then the snow melts, and they disappear; when warmed, they evaporate from their stream beds.
and then the Almighty will be your gold and your refined silver.
I'm like a servant who longs for the shade, like a hired laborer who is looking for his wages.
"If only my grief could be weighed; or my calamity piled together on a balance scale!
My friends mock me, while my eyes overflow with tears to God,
My skin is covered with worms and clods of dirt; my skin becomes rough and then breaks out afresh.
It would weigh more than the sand on the seashore! Here's why I've talked so rashly:
"Can a mortal person be more righteous than God? Or can the purity of the valiant exceed that of his maker?'
if you are clean and upright, surely then, he'll act on your behalf and restore your rightful place.
because he has been adding rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us, and keeps on ranting against God."
"A message was confided to me; my ear caught a whisper of it.
When you make a decision on something, it will be established for you, and light will brighten your way.
They pass by like a ship made of reeds, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
"Indeed, since he doesn't trust his servants, since he charges his angels with error,
May they become like a straw, blown away before the wind; like a chaff that's swept off by a storm.
For all their expectations, they are doomed to disappointment; even though they have come and searched this far.
or say "Deliver me from my enemy's control,' or "Redeem me from the domination of ruthless people'?"
Did you intend your words to reprove, even though the speech of a desperate person is just wind?
You'll entreat him and he'll listen to you as you fulfill your vows.
If one were to seek to argue with him, he won't be able to answer him even once in a thousand times.
But he replied to her, "You're talking like foolish women do. Are we to accept what is good from God but not tragedy?" Throughout all of this, Job did not sin by what he said.
"If I wash myself with water from snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,
However, a spirit exists in mankind, and the Almighty's breath gives him insight."
His livestock included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants. Indeed, the man's stature greatly exceeded that of many people who lived in the East.
After these words had been spoken by the LORD to Job, the LORD spoke to Eliphaz from Teman: "My anger is burning against you along with your two friends, since you haven't spoken correctly about me, as did my servant Job.
If I were to say, "Let me forget my complaint,' change the expression on my face, and look cheerful,
"Can you search through God's complex things? Can you uncover the limits of the Almighty?
Who can produce a clean thing from an unclean thing? No one!
Some time later, divine beings again presented themselves to the LORD, and Satan accompanied them to present himself to the LORD.
Then the LORD told Satan, "Very well then, everything he owns is under your control, only you may not extend your hand against him." So Satan left the LORD's presence.
When their time of feasting had concluded, Job would rise early in the morning to send for them and consecrate them to God. He would offer a burnt offering for each one, because Job thought, "Perhaps my children sinned by cursing God in their hearts." Job did this time and again.
how much less confidence does he have in those who dwell in houses of clay; who were formed from a foundation in dust and can perish like a moth?
The LORD asked Satan, "Where have you come from?" In response, Satan answered the LORD, "From wandering all over the earth and walking back and forth throughout it."
If a human being dies, will he live again? I will endure the entire time of my assigned service, until I am changed.
"Look! I know your thoughts, your plans are going to harm me.
The LORD restored Job's prosperity after he prayed for his friends. The LORD doubled everything that Job had once possessed.
For the dreaded thing that I feared has happened to me, what caused me to worry has engulfed me.
They are defeated between morning and evening; they perish forever and no one notices!
"Indeed, how blessed is the person whom God reproves! So never disrespect the discipline of the Almighty,
"There is hope for the tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots won't stop growing.
Then his wife told him, "Do you remain firm in your integrity? Curse God and die!"
The LORD asked Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth. The man is blameless as well as upright. He fears God and keeps away from evil. He remains firm in his integrity, even though you have been urging me to overwhelm him without cause."
"Ask the wild animals, and they'll teach you; the birds of the sky will tell you.
Their wealth perishes with them, doesn't it? They die, and do so without having wisdom, don't they?"
A word from you has supported those who have stumbled, and has strengthened faltering knees.
Then all his brothers and sisters and all those who knew him before arrived. They ate food with him in his house, mourned for him, and consoled him for all the trouble that the LORD had brought and placed on him. Some gave him gold bullion and some brought gold earrings.
Even after my skin has been destroyed, clothed in my flesh I will see God,
"For when they're humbled, you may respond; "It's their pride!' but he delivers the humble.
"Can you bind the chains of Pleiades or loosen the cords of Orion?
So Satan left the LORD's presence and struck Job with terrible boils from the sole of his feet to the top of his head.
Since his days have been determined, the number of his months is known to you. You've set his limit and he cannot exceed it.
I haven't wandered away from the commands that he has spoken; I've treasured what he has said more than my own meals."
It remained standing, but I couldn't recognize its appearance. A form appeared before my eyes; At first there was silence, and then this voice:
But in response, Satan asked the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?
The LORD continued his response to Job by saying:
"Who will grant me a hearing? Here's my signature let the Almighty answer! Since my adversary indicted me,
"But he is One who can change him? He does whatever he wants to do.
As a result, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."
But mankind is born headed for trouble, just as sparks soar skyward."
His sons used to travel to each other's houses in turn on a regular schedule and hold festivals, inviting their three sisters to celebrate with them.
The one who made me in the womb made them, too, didn't he? Didn't the same one prepare each of us in the womb?"
He alone spreads out the heavens, he walks on the waves of the sea.
"But now they mock me; men who are far younger than I, whose fathers I would have hated to entrust with my own sheep dogs.
"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen where the hail is stored,
When Job's three friends heard all these tragedies that happened to him, they each traveled from their home towns to visit him. Eliphaz came from Teman, Bildad came from Shuah, and Zophar came from Naamath. They met together and went to console and comfort him.
"Can you draw Leviathan out of the water with a hook, or tie down his tongue with a rope?
Make sure that you remain wary of God's sword, for God's wrath brings with it the sword of punishment, by which you'll know there's a judgment."
so also a person lies down and does not get up; they won't awaken until the heavens are no more, nor will they arise from their sleep."
"Why do the wicked live to reach old age and increase in power and wealth, too?
"Will you get offended if somebody tries to talk to you? Who can keep from speaking at a time like this?
But the righteous person will hold to his way, and those with clean hands will grow stronger and stronger."
He springs up like a flower and then withers. Like a shadow, he disappears and doesn't last.
"Men have harsh servitude on earth, do they not? His days are like those of a hired laborer, are they not?
You ask, "Where is the noble person's house?' and "Where are the tents where the wicked live?'
"Who is this who keeps darkening my counsel without knowing what he's talking about?
"Get to know God, and you'll be at peace with him, and then prosperity will come to you.
"Who enclosed the sea with limits when it gushed out of the womb,
Then Eliphaz from Teman responded:
In response, Job said:
and that the life of every living thing rests in his control, along with the breath of every living human being?
if I look at the sun when it shines or the moon as it rises in steady splendor,
"What is mankind, that he can be blameless? Or does being born of a woman mean he'll be in the right?
"If there's a messenger appointed to mediate for Job one out of a thousand to represent the man's integrity on his behalf,
In response, Job said:
As long as I can breathe; as long as God's breath is in my nostrils,
"He will deliver you through six calamities; and calamity won't touch you throughout the seventh.
Who can take me to court and be reconciled to me? All of heaven is mine.
Sheol is naked before God and Abaddon has no clothes.
Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he sleep at night near your feeding trough?
"But when a person dies and wastes away, when a person breathes his last, where will he be?
"I must look insignificant to you! How can I answer you? I'm speechless.
In response, Job said:
Your hands formed and fashioned me, but then you have destroyed me all at once on all sides.
"Can a human being be useful to God, since he, who is wise, is sufficient to himself?
As a cloud fades away and vanishes, the one who descends to the afterlife doesn't return.
"Won't you keep me safe in the afterlife? Conceal me until your anger subsides. Set an appointment for me, then remember me.
I was successful wherever I went, and even the rocks poured out streams of olive oil for me."
may thorns spring up instead of wheat, and obnoxious weeds instead of barley." With this, Job's discourse with his friends is completed.
"They say to God, "Turn away from us! We have no desire to know your ways.
He created Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the southern constellations.
After this, Job spoke up solemnly, cursing the day he was born.
The LORD blessed Job during the latter part of his life more than the former, since he owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys.
If he were to decide to do so, that is, to take back to himself his spirit and breath of life,
He has delimited a boundary over the surface of the oceans as a limit between light and darkness.
Then in response, Eliphaz from Teman said:
"The ghosts of the dead writhe under the waters along with those who live there with them.
Can you spread out the skies like he does; can you cast them as one might a mirror?
You asked, "Who is this that darkens counsel without knowledge?' Well now, I have talked about what I don't understand awesome things beyond me that I don't know.
"Now as for me, I would seek God if I were you; I would commit my case to God.
Then Zophar from Naamath replied:
"If my hope were that my house is the afterlife itself, if I were to make my bed in darkness,
It will impale him and come out through his back; the point will glisten as it protrudes through his gall bladder, and he will be terrified.
"Whenever I went out to the city gate, a seat had been reserved for me in the plaza.
How much less is man, who is only a maggot, or a man's children, who are only worms!"
"If I've refused to help my male and female servants when they complain against me,
"Have you ever commanded the morning at any time during your life? Do you know where the dawn lives,
These three men stopped responding to Job, because he was claiming to be righteous, in his own opinion.
because I delivered the poor who were crying for help, along with orphans who had no one to help them.
"My spirit is crushed, my days are over; it's the grave for me!
He's not a man like me, so that I can answer him, or that we can enter into litigation with one another.
"God is truly awesome, beyond what we know; the number of his years is unknowable.
Look, if God doesn't trust his holy ones, if even the heavens aren't pure as he looks at them,
So take seven bulls and seven rams and bring them to my servant Job. And bring a whole burnt offering for yourselves and my servant Job will pray for you. I'll encourage him by not responding as your disgraceful folly deserves, since you didn't speak about me correctly as did my servant Job."
If only I knew where to find him, I would visit him where he has taken his seat.
By his power he disturbs the sea; and with his skill he shatters the sea monster.
"The wings of the ostrich flap joyously, but aren't its pinions and feathers like the stork?
Bildad from Shuah replied, saying:
How can a human being become right with God? How can a human being be pure?
His anger tears me in his persistent resentment against me; he gnashes his teeth at me. My adversary glares at me.
"Therefore you men of understanding, listen to me! Far be it for God to practice wickedness, or the Almighty to do what is wrong,
They move boundary stones, steal flocks, and pasture them.
He never asks, "Where is God, my Creator, who gives me songs in the night,
in a dream or night vision, when a deep sleep falls on mankind while they sleep on their beds.
Then Job continued with his discourse:
Do you have strength like God? Can you create thunder with a sound like he can?"
Indeed, these are the fringes of his ways, and how faint is the whisper we've heard of it! But who can comprehend the thunder of his might?"
The runoff from the streams will seem sweet to him; everyone will follow after him; countless crows march ahead of him.
Bildad from Shuah responded and said:
"Have you been to the source of the sea and walked about in the recesses of the deepest ocean?
and said, "You may come only this far and no more. Your majestic waves will stop here.'?
They grow old in prosperity, as they descend peacefully into the afterlife.
Let him not trust in a worthless speech. He leads only himself astray, for emptiness will be his reward.
"Indeed, the light of the wicked is extinguished; the flame from his fire doesn't shine.
"I wish I could go back to how things were a few months ago; when God used to watch over me,
Yes, Job, his eyes constantly watch the behavior of human beings; he carefully observes their every step.
But then Barachel's son Elihu from Buz, one of Ram's descendants, got really angry. He was furious with Job because he had been declaring himself righteous instead of vindicating God.
Why doesn't the Almighty reserve time for judgment? And why don't those who know him perceive his days?
Will it go down to the bars that lock the doors of the afterlife? Will we descend together into the dust?"
This is what the wicked person inherits from God; it is the inheritance that God appoints for him."
"Do you know when the mountain goat gives birth? Do you watch the doe as it calves its young?
Can you bring out constellations in their season? Can you guide the Bear with her cubs?
singing with tambourines and lyres as they rejoice to the sound of flutes.
He won't escape darkness; a flame will wither his shoots; and he'll depart by the breath of God's mouth.
Thick clouds cover him so he can't see as he walks back and forth at heaven's horizon.
I put on righteousness like clothing; my just decisions were like a robe and a turban.
"Now I'll conclude with this: my heart is trembling violently; it feels like it's about to leap from my body!
"Pay attention to this, Job! Stand still, and consider the wondrous attributes of God.
"Isn't God in heaven above? Consider how far away the stars are, and how lofty they are!
"Should the one who is fighting the Almighty find fault with him? Let God's accuser answer."
"He imparted weight to the wind; he regulated water by his measurement.
"I could also talk like you if only you were in my place! Then I would put together an argument against you. I would shake my head at you
Do you understand his wondrous work of balancing the clouds, the one whose knowledge is perfect,
"If I've put my confidence in gold, if I've told gold, "You're my security,'
As drought and heat evaporate melting snow, that's what Sheol does with sinners.
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? Where's the profit in talking to him?'
"If I refused to grant the desire of the poor or exhausted the eyes of the widow,
"After all, you've taken collateral from your relatives for no reason; you stripped the naked of their clothing.
Have you listened in on God's secret council? Have you limited wisdom only to yourself?
"Then there are those who rebel against the light; they are not acquainted with its ways; and they don't stay on its course.
Who isn't partial to princes? Who doesn't give preference to the nobles over the poor? Nevertheless, all of them are his handiwork.
For the company of the godless is desolation, and fire consumes the tents of those who bribe.
For where is the hope of the godless when he is eliminated; when God takes away his life?
Let his flesh be rejuvenated as he was in his youth! Let him recover the strength of his youth.
Your wickedness is great, isn't it? There's no limit to your iniquity, is there?
"He restricts the waters within clouds and the clouds don't burst open under them.
"How long do you intend to keep torturing me and trying to break me by what you're saying?
"Should a wise person respond with knowledge based on wind? Should he fill his stomach with a wind storm from the east?
"He tore me apart when I was at ease; grabbing me by my neck, he shook me to pieces then he really made me his target.
Iron is taken from the ground; and copper is smelted from ore.
"How often do the wicked have their lights put out? Does calamity ever fall on them? Will God in his anger ever apportion their destruction?
Mockers surround me; I cannot stop staring at their hostility all through the night.
Look away from him and leave him alone, so he can enjoy his time, like a hired worker."
My skin turns black all over me; and my bones seem burned from the heat.
My closest friends detest me; even the ones I love have turned against me.
Will things go well for you under his cross-examination? Can you lie to him, as you would to a human being?
"I've even sewn sackcloth directly to my skin; I've buried my strength in the dust.
"We have both the gray-haired and the aged with us, and they are far older than your father.
If I've consumed its produce without paying for it and snuffed out the life of its owners;
dispensed the fury of your anger, made sure that you have humbled every proud person,
But I want to talk to the Almighty; and I'm determined to argue my case before God."
Indeed would you annul my justice and condemn me, just so you can claim that you're righteous?
Barachel's son Elihu from Buz responded and said: "I'm younger than you are. Because you're older, I was terrified to tell you what I know.
"God thunders with his wondrous voice; he does awesome works that we don't comprehend.
"For he has raised his fist against God, defying the Almighty.
Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you regulate their authority over the earth?
He is breaking me down on every side, and now it's too late for me; he has uprooted my hopes like a tree.
"The living God has withheld justice from me; the Almighty has made my life bitter.
"The fatherless are torn from the breast; the poor are taken away as security for a loan.
"He is being reproved by painful bed rest, with continual aching in his bones.
As water disappears from the sea, or water evaporates from a river,
Far be it from me to admit that you're right! I intend to maintain my integrity even if it kills me!
Don't even bother to mention coral and crystal wisdom is more valuable than a bag of rubies.
"Who sets wisdom within you, or imbues your mind with understanding?
His tail protrudes stiffly, like cedar; the sinews of his thigh interlink for strength.
You're tearing yourself to pieces in your anger. Will the land be abandoned because of you, or the rock be moved from its place?"
"When you have adorned yourself with exalted majesty, clothed yourself with splendor and dignity,
My days are passed; my plans have been shattered; along with my heart's desires.
He'll vanish like a dream, and no one will find him; he will be chased away like a night vision."
Bear with me and let me speak! Then, after I've spoken, you'll be free to mock me.
Does the eagle soar high at your command and build its nest on the highest crags?
"I'm still complaining bitterly today; my hand is heavy because of groaning.
Indeed, have you opened your eyes on one like this to bring me into a legal fight with you?
He is the grandest of God's undertakings, yet his creator is approaching him with his sword.
Because your sin dictates your speech, you have chosen the language of the crafty.
Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
because he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he didn't build.
"Indeed, he drew you away from the brink of distress to a spacious place without constraints, filling your festive table with bountiful food.
You've asked, "What does God know? Can he sort through pitch black darkness?'
"They would pluck off herbs from salt marshes to eat; and roots of the broom shrub for food.
Accept what he has to teach you, and treasure his words in your heart.
Even if it's true that I've erred, my error only affects me.
to show favor to him and to plead, "Deliver him from having to go down to the Pit I know where his ransom is!'
Job lived 140 years after this, and saw his children and grandchildren to the fourth generation.
"If my heart has been seduced by a woman and I've laid in wait at my friend's door,
"He is petrified by terror that surrounds him on all sides; they chase at his heels.
if I call out to the Pit, "You're my father!' or say to the worm, "My mother!' or "My sister!'
Abaddon and death said, "We did hear a rumor about it.'
Your own mouth is condemning you, not I; your own lips will testify against you."
Are God's encouragements inconsequential to you, even a word that has been spoken gently to you?
If they listen and serve him, they'll finish their lives in prosperity and their years will be pleasant.
and encourage you with what I have to say; my words of comfort would lessen your pain.
"What a help you are to the weak! How powerfully you deliver those without strength!
"Haven't you known this from ancient times, since mankind was placed on the earth?
My feet stay where his footsteps lead; I kept on his pathway and haven't turned aside.
He is driven away from light to darkness, made to wander the landscape.
His troops march in a column against me, erecting their siege ramps against me; they surround my tent."
"His snorting releases flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of the dawn.
"He'll sing to mankind with these words: "I've sinned. I have twisted what is right. Yet he has not repaid me like I deserve.
His archers surround me, slashing open my kidneys without pity; he pours out my gall on the ground.
He'll deliver the afflicted through their afflictions and open their ears when they are oppressed."
Offer, then, some collateral on my behalf. Is there anyone who will be my guarantor?
"But if I speak, my pain isn't assuaged; if I refrain from speaking, what do I have to lose?"
Whenever I hear an insulting rebuke, I respond from my spirit because I understand."
You've arrested me, making me testify against myself! My leanness rises up to attack me, accusing me to my face.
People gaped at me with mouths wide open; they slap me in their scorn and gather together against me.
"This is what a wicked person inherits from God, and what the ruthless will receive from the Almighty:
I was a father to the needy; I diligently inquired into the case of those I didn't know.
Can you bind the ox to plow a furrow with a rope? Will he harrow after you in the valley?
stared down and subdued every proud person, trampled the wicked right where they are,
He watches my life, observing every one of my actions, does he not?"
Attack follows attack as he breaks through my defenses! He runs over me like a mighty warrior.
"Have I rejoiced in the destruction of those who hate me, or have I been happy that evil caught up with him?
I know that you're about to kill me, so I'm about to go to the house that's appointed for all the living."
my relatives have failed me; and my friends have abandoned me.
"He has stripped me of my honor; he has stolen the crown off my head!
Job continued with his discussion and said:
Their bull breeds without fail, and their cows calve without miscarriages.
He named the first daughter Jemima, the second Keziah, and the name of the third was Keren-happuch.
The adulterer watches for twilight, saying, "No eye is watching me' while he veils his face.
Like clay is molded by a signet ring, the earth's hills and valleys then stand out like the colors of a garment.
Truly, God doesn't practice wickedness, and the Almighty doesn't pervert justice.
In reply, Job responded:
"Indeed God is mighty and he doesn't show disrespect; he is mighty and strong of heart.
"Now, I've become the object of their mocking melodies; I'm nothing but a fool's proverb to them!
who teaches us more than the earth's wild animals, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?'
"There's nothing in his tent that belongs to him; sulfur is scattered all over his dwelling place.
Even if its roots have grown ancient in the earth, and its stump begins to rot in the ground,
let my righteousness be weighed in honest scales, and God will make known my integrity.
If you really intend to vaunt yourselves over me, and make my problems the basis of your case against me,
"Although I cried out "Violence!' I received no answer; I cried for help, but there was no justice.
because he repays a person for his behavior; and according to a person's conduct, he lets it happen to him.
"Therefore my anxious thoughts cause me to answer because I'm agitated within me.
"Is it by your understanding that the hawk flies, spreading its wings toward the south?
who were snatched away before their time; when their foundation was swept away by a river?
He cuts a channel through the rocks, while his eyes search for anything of value.
We cannot find the Almighty he is majestic in power and justice, and overflowing with righteousness; he never oppresses.
It can neither be compared with the topaz of Ethiopia nor valued in comparison to pure gold."
"For he has stumbled into a net with his own feet; he walked right into the network!
then at least you must know that God has accused me of wrong, and trapped me with his net."
"Were you the first personto be born? Were you brought forth before the hills were made?
Let him pray to God and he will accept him; he will appear before him with joyful shouts!"
"He puts a limit to the skill of every person; to delineate all people from what they do.
"He has built his house like a moth's cocoon, like a temporary sunshade that a watchman makes.
"Look! Like wild donkeys in the wilderness, they work diligently as they seek wild game in the desert, food for them and their young ones.
Will you show partiality to him? Will you plead God's case?
"He has made me a byword among people; I'm being spit on in the face.
"Because you're the one who closed their hearts to compassion; therefore, you won't let them triumph.
his food will turn rancid in his stomach it will become a cobra's poison inside him.
he'll perish forever, like his own excrement; those who saw him will ask, "Where is he?'
His protective scales are his pride, they lie sealed tightly together.
Can you command the lightning, so that it goes forth and calls to you, "Look at us!'
Then Job died at an old age, having lived a full life.
I'll retain my righteousness and not compromise it; my conscience won't rebuke me at any time.
Listen carefully to his thundering voice; to the sound that rumbles from his mouth.
His breath can ignite coal; and flames proceed from his mouth.
I cry for help to you, but you won't answer me; I stand still, but you only look at me.
The murderer rises at dawn to kill the poor and needy; at night, he is like a thief.
From the city, dying men groan aloud, and the wounded cries out for help, but God charges no one with wrong.
He set in place ordinances for the rain; and determined the pathway for thunder that accompanies lightning.
because I'm filled with things to say, and my spirit within me compels me to speak.
"Though he swallows wealth, he will vomit it; God will dislodge it from his stomach.
though he savors it and delays swallowing it so he can taste it again and again in his mouth,
When he rears up, the mighty are terrified; they are bewildered as he thrashes about.
He won't stop looking at righteous people; he seats them on thrones with kings forever, and they are exalted.
Your maxims are just worthless proverbs; your defensive arguments are made of clay."
"If he remains silent, who will condemn him? If he conceals his face, who can see him? He watches over both nation and individual alike,
Now as for the one who testifies against his friends to take their property, even the eyes of his children will fail.
"From the south, a whirlwind proceeds, out of the icy north winds.
The godless at heart cherish anger; they won't cry out for help when God afflicts them.
Look! As far as God is concerned, I'm just like you are I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay.
God stores up their iniquity to repay their children; making them repay so that they may be aware.
"I used to say: "I will die in my home. I'm going to live as many days as there are grains of sand on the shore.
What will they care for their household after them, when the number of his months comes to an end?"
From the breath of God ice is produced, and a wide body of water is frozen.
No one could find more beautiful women in the whole land than Job's daughters. Their father gave them their inheritance along with their brothers.
He blocked my path, so I cannot pass; and he turned out the lights on my pathways.
"You aren't right about this; My response is that God is greater than human beings.
God has delivered me over to the ungodly, throwing me into the control of the wicked.
if he hadn't thanked me from the bottom of his heart, if he had not been warmed by wool from my sheep,
He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit; my life will see the light.'
"When people heard me speak, they blessed me; when people saw me, they approved me,
Is there any limit to his armies? On whom does his light not shine?
Though his bones were full of youthful vigor; yet they will lie down with him in the dust.
Will windy words like yours never end? What is upsetting you that you keep on arguing?
In response, Elihu said:
My insides feel like unvented wine, like it's about to burst like a new wineskin.
There's no such thing as darkness to him not even deep darkness that can conceal those who practice evil.
"Come here now, all of you, and I won't find a wise person among you.
What do you know that we don't know, or that you understand and that isn't clear to us?
He lies under the lotus trees, hiding under reeds and marshes.
a place where birds of prey never fly, and the eyes of the falcon have never seen.
He'll be swept up by a storm wind and carried away; he'll be whirled away from his place.
then I will applaud you myself! I'll admit that you can deliver yourself by your own efforts!"
They drive away the orphan's donkey; they take the ox of the widow as security for a loan;
"Thrusting at him with a sword won't be effective, nor will spears, darts, or javelins.
No one is fierce enough to dare to arouse him. "Who, then, can stand in my presence and face me?
When the trumpet blasts he'll neigh, "Aha! Aha!' From a distance he can sense war, the war cry of generals, and their shouting."
"If they're bound in chains, caught in ropes of affliction,
Why are you arguing with him? He doesn't have to give explanations for what he does to you!
For he says to the snow, "Fall to the earth.' He tells the rain, "Pour down,' then it rains profusely.
"The aged aren't always wise, nor do the elderly always understand justice.
the presence of water will make it to bud so that it sprouts new branches like a young plant.
My greatest fears have overcome me; my honor is assaulted as though by a wind storm; my prosperity evaporates like a morning cloud."
Haven't I wept for the one who is going through hard times? Haven't I grieved for the needy?
Now take a look at the strength that he has in his loins, and in the muscles of his abdomen.
So Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamath did precisely as the LORD had spoken to them, because the LORD showed favor to Job.
Unproductive due to poverty and hunger, they could only scratch in parched soil, devastated and desolated.
They have transformed night into day "The light,' they say, "is about to become dark.'
I speak from the innocence of my heart; and my lips will utter what I sincerely know.
Will it please the Almighty if you are innocent, or does he profit if your life is blameless?
Smoke billows from his nostrils; like a boiling pot or burning reeds.
If he's working in the north, I can't observe him; If he turns south, I can't see him.
whether for discipline on his land or to demonstrate his gracious love, he causes it to be realized."
It cannot be compared to gold and fine glass crystal, nor can it be exchanged for gold-plated weaponry.
what will I do when God stands up to act? When he asks the questions, how will I answer him?
They press oil between the olive groves owned by the wicked; they suffer from thirst, even while treading the winepress.
Those who live in my house and my maidservants, too! treat me like a stranger; they think I'm a foreigner.
Mankind limits the darkness as they search the deepest depths for ore in unfathomable darkness.
Their own eyes will see their destruction; and they'll drink the wrath of the Almighty.
Even little children hate me; when I get up, they mock me.
"He will restore what he has attained from his work and won't consume it; he won't enjoy the profits from his business transactions,
I thought, experience should speak; abundance of years teaches wisdom.
if I ate my meals by myself without feeding orphans,
So that no one entices you with riches, don't let a large ransom turn you astray.
After all, isn't my complaint against a human being? If so, why shouldn't I be impatient?
"I call to my servant, but he doesn't respond, even though I beg to him earnestly.
There is no flaw in his body's armor; it is firmly fixed on him and unbreachable.
A rope lies hidden in the dirt; a trap lies waiting for him where he is walking."
Remember to magnify his awesome activities, about which mortal man has sung.
They reap fodder in the field and glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
I spoke once, but I can't answer; I tried a second time, but I won't do so anymore."
but it will clap its hands over him, hissing at him as it lunges toward him."
Behold! Their prosperity isn't in their control! The counsel of the wicked will remain far from me."
Flames blaze from his mouth; streams of sparking fire fly out.
It whirls about in circles at his direction to accomplish all that he commands throughout the surface of the entire world,
"If I've lived my life in the company of vanity, or run quickly to embrace deception,
If you are righteous, what will you add to him? What can God receive from your efforts?
Will your business be able to buy him, Will you divide him among your merchant friends?
He shatters valiant men without a need to investigate, and he raises others in their place.
If I have stepped away from the way, or if my heart covets whatever my eyes see, or if some other blemish clings to my hands,
Who set its measurement? Am I to assume you know? Who stretched a boundary line over it?
"They cry out because they have many oppressors; they cry for help because the powerful are abusing them.
"Has anyone ever really told God, "I've endured, and I won't act corruptly anymore.
They're exalted momentarily, but then they are gone; they are humbled, just like all the others. They are cut down like heads of corn.
if I've found joy in great wealth that I own, if I've earned a lot with my own hands,
You've neglected to give water to the weary, and you've withheld food from the hungry.
The womb will forget them. Maggots will find them to be a delicacy! They won't be remembered anymore, their iniquity will be cut to pieces like firewood.
Mountains produce food for him, where all the wild animals frolic.
They abhor me they keep their distance from me; but they don't refrain from spitting at the sight of me.
so that in the depths of my deceived heart I worshipped them with my mouth and hands,
They wander around naked, without clothes; hungry, though they carry sheaves of grain.
buried them in the dust together, and sent them bound to that secret place,
A quiver of arrows rattles against his side, along with a flashing spear and a lance.
He paws the ground in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he goes out to face weapons.
The proud beasts haven't walked there; lions have never passed over it.
"Look! Anyone's hope to capture him will prove itself false; anyone would be terrified just by looking at him.
She mistreats her young as though they're not hers, and she has no fear that her labor may be in vain,
What you see as a raging river doesn't alarm him; he is confident when the Jordan overflows.
My glory renews for me and my bow is as good as new in my hand.'
My eyes have grown weak from grief; and my whole body is as thin as a shadow.
His soul is getting close to the Pit; his life is approaching its executioner."
"Are you saying that it's just for you to claim, "I'm more righteous than God?'
Will he acquit you just because you fear him, and render a verdict on your behalf?
"Observe the heavens! Take a look around! Look! The clouds are higher than you, aren't they?
Will he try to make a deal with you, so that you may take him in servitude forever?
The lotus trees cover him with their shade, and willows that line the wadis surround him.
Will God hear his cry when distress overtakes him?
As a group, deep darkness is their morning time; fear that lives in darkness is their friend."
The righteous will see this and rejoice; the innocent will insult him, saying,
Their children grow up while they're alive, and they live to see their grandchildren.
"I'm pure. I'm without sin; I'm innocent. I'm harboring no iniquity inside of me.
where stones are sapphire and gold dust can be found,
God prolongs the life of the strong by his power, but they get up in the morning without purpose in life.
"They remain only a short time on the water's surface; their inheritance will be cursed in the land; no one will work in their vineyards.
When I think about this, I'm petrified with terror and my body shudders uncontrollably."
to bring rain upon a land without inhabitants, a desert in which no human beings live,
He also loads the clouds with moisture, scattering his lightning with the clouds.
"They die suddenly, in the middle of the night; people suffer seizures and pass away; even valiant men can be taken away and not by human hands.
Sons of fools and of uncertain reputation, they have been driven from the land by scourging."
The land belongs to the powerful, and the privileged thrive in it.
if I've observed someone who is about to die for lack of clothes or if I have no clothing to give to the poor,
Leaping in his excitement, he takes in the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpets sound!
That's why I'm terrified at his presence! When I think about it, I'm afraid of him.
"Will you play with him like a pet bird? Will you put a leash on him for your little girls?
"An eye that gazes at him won't do so again; and his place won't even recognize him.
I won't speak lies nor will I utter deceit.
"Now, my soul pours itself out; the time of my affliction has taken control of me.
If you sin, what will that do to harm him? If you add transgression to transgression what will it do to him?
Will you trust him that he'll bring in your grain, and gather it to your threshing floor?"
Their young are strong; they grow up in the open field; then they go off and don't return to them."
"They cry out there, but he doesn't answer because of the arrogance of those who practice evil.
He will go to bed wealthy, but won't be doing that anymore! When he opens his eyes, it will be gone!
"Listen to what I have to say, you wise men! Pay attention to me, you educated people!
The upright are appalled over this, and the innocent person is troubled by the godless.
"Though God fills their houses with good things, the counsel of the wicked will remain far from me.
For I'm terrified of what calamity God may have in store for me; and I cannot endure his grandeur."
They push the needy off the road, and force the poor of the land into hiding.
Can you make him leap like the locust, and make the splendor of his snorting terrifying?
You changed toward me, and now you're cruel to me; with your mighty hand you are persecuting me;
He also had seven sons and three daughters.
Should he engage in unprofitable argument, or give a speech that benefits no one?
Indeed God does all these things again and again with a person
Can one who hates justice really govern? And if God is righteous and mighty, can you condemn him?
if not calamity that is due the unjust, and misfortune that is due those who practice iniquity?
Who has the wisdom to be able to count the clouds, or to empty the water jars of heaven,
They waited for me as one waits for rain, as one opens his mouth to drink in a spring rain shower.
It will toss him around without pity. He'll try to break free from its grip,
If he has many children, their destiny is to die by the sword, and his descendants won't have enough food.
I have hoped for good, but evil came instead; I have hoped for light, but darkness came.
then let my arm fall from its socket; and may my arm be torn off at the shoulder.
if I've raised my hand against an orphan when I thought I would against him in court,
As a result, the cries of the poor have reached him and he has heard the cry of the afflicted.
Who entrusted the earth to him? Who made him responsible for the entire inhabited world?
But God has loosened his cord and afflicted me; so they've cast off all restraints in my presence.
He dwells on the crags where he makes his home, there on the rocky crag is his stronghold.
He gives them security and financial support, but he watches everything they do.
His hands are covered with lightning that he commands to strike his designated target.
He ranges the mountains that are his pasture to search for anything green.
"I'll teach you about the power of God, that which is with the Almighty I won't conceal.
because what I have to say isn't deceptive, and the one who has perfect knowledge is with you."
When he began speaking, he communicated only worthlessness; he added words upon words without knowing anything."
Furthermore, he was furious with his three friends because they had not answered Job, but instead had condemned him.
Lay your hand on him, and you'll remember the struggle. You'll never do that again!
And yet when she gets ready to run, she laughs at the horse and its rider."
"So then, the sun is too bright to gaze at, is it not? The sky is swept clean by the wind that blows, is it not?
Now this is Job's claim: "Even though I'm innocent, God has stopped treating me righteously.
It has been concealed from the sight of every living creature and hidden even from the birds in the skies.
"Can you call out to the clouds, so that abundant water drenches you?
I know how he would answer me; I understand what he'll tell me.
"In growing darkness, I walked without sunlight; I stood in the congregation to cry for help.
Your wickedness affects only yourself; and your righteousness, only human beings.
I set an example of the way to live, as a leader would; I lived like a king among his army; like one who comforts mourners."
Listen now, and I will speak for myself; I'll interrogate you and then inform me.
"A wretched crowd ambushes me to my right; they trip my feet; they build up their path of calamity for me.
Even though you complain that you can't perceive him, your case is already pending for judgment in his presence so keep on placing your hope in him.
Have I lied concerning the justice that I deserve? My wound is incurable, though transgression cannot be attributed to me.'
The night racks my bones; and the pain that gnaws on me will not rest.
He sinks his shaft far from human habitations, in a place forgotten by explorers; they hang on harnesses as they swing back and forth.
"But if they won't listen, they'll perish by the sword and die in their ignorance.
His thunder roars after it; his majestic voice will thunder; and no one can trace them once his voice has been heard.
He won't examine mankind further, that they would go before God to judgment.
Otherwise, I would speak without being terrified of him, because I'm not like that inside myself."
but she forgets that a foot might crush them or any wild animal might trample them.
"Look! I have waited to hear your speech, so I listened to your insights while you searched for the right words to say.
They bray like donkeys among the bushes and huddle together under the desert weeds.
They lived in the most dangerous of ravines, in holes in the ground, and among rocks.
"You spoke clearly so I could hear; I've heard what you've said:
"Furthermore, can anyone understand cloud patterns, or the thundering in his pavilion?
but when he saw that there had been no response from those three, he got even more angry.
you carried me off in a wind storm, making me ride on it while you toss me about as the storm roars around me.
I smiled at them when they had no confidence, and no one could discourage me.
I'm boiling mad inside, and I won't remain silent; the time for my affliction to confront me has arrived.
In that place, the upright can reason with him; and I'll be acquitted once and for all by my judge."
They break into houses in the dark; during the day they remained sealed in. They don't know daylight.
"Be patient with me a moment longer, and I'll show you that there's more to say on God's behalf.
"Our enemies are sure to be destroyed, and fire will burn up what's left of their riches."
They are wet from mountain rains; without shelter, they cling to a rock.
The voices of the commanders-in-chief were hushed, and their tongues would cling to the roofs of their mouths."
I'll take what I know to its logical conclusion and ascribe righteousness to my Creator,
let him not direct a rebuke toward me. I won't be responding to him with your arguments.