Job's Second Speech: A Response To Eliphaz

1 Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment?

1 (a)Is not man (A)forced to labor on earth,And are not his days like the days of (B)a hired man?

1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

1 Isn’t mankind consigned to forced labor(A) on earth?Are not his days like those of a hired hand?

1 "Men have harsh servitude on earth, do they not? His days are like those of a hired laborer, are they not?

2 As a servant desiring the shades of evening, and a workman looking for his payment:

2 “As a slave who pants for the shade,And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages,

2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:

2 Like a slave he longs for shade;like a hired man he waits for his pay.

2 I'm like a servant who longs for the shade, like a hired laborer who is looking for his wages.

3 So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.

3 So am I allotted months of vanity,And (C)nights of trouble are appointed me.

3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

3 So I have been made to inherit months of futility,and troubled nights have been assigned to me.(B)

3 Truly I've been allotted months of emptiness; nights of trouble have been appointed for me.

4 When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.

4 “When I (D)lie down I say,‘When shall I arise?’But the night continues,And I am (b)continually tossing until dawn.

4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

4 When I lie down I think:When will I get up?But the evening drags on endlessly,and I toss and turn until dawn.

4 "When I lie down I ask, "When will I wake up?' But the night continues and I keep tossing and turning until dawn.

5 My flesh is covered with worms and dust; my skin gets hard and then is cracked again.

5 “My (E)flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt,My skin hardens and runs.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.

5 My flesh is clothed with maggots and encrusted with dirt.(a)My skin forms scabs(b) and then oozes.(C)

5 My skin is covered with worms and clods of dirt; my skin becomes rough and then breaks out afresh.

6 My days go quicker than the cloth-worker's thread, and come to an end without hope.

6 “My days are (F)swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,And come to an end (G)without hope.

6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

6 My days pass more swiftly than a weaver’s shuttle;they come to an end without hope.(D)

6 My days pass as swiftly as a hand-loom; they come to their conclusion without hope.

Don'T Forget!

7 O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good.

7 “Remember that my life (H)is but breath;My eye will (I)not again see good.

7 O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.

7 Remember that my life is but a breath.My eye will never again see anything good.(E)

7 Remember that my life is a breath; my eyes won't go back to seeing good things.

8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer: your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone.

8 “The (J)eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;Your eyes will be on me, but (K)I will not be.

8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

8 The eye of anyone who looks on mewill no longer see me.Your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone.(F)

8 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!

9 A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again.

9 “When a (L)cloud vanishes, it is gone,So (M)he who goes down to (N)Sheol does not come up.

9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

9 As a cloud fades away and vanishes,so the one who goes down to Sheol(G) will never rise again.

9 As a cloud fades away and vanishes, the one who descends to the afterlife doesn't return.

10 He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.

10 “He will not return again to his house,Nor will (O)his place know him anymore.

10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

10 He will never return to his house;his hometown will no longer remember(c) him.(H)

10 He doesn't return again to his house, and his place won't recognize him anymore."

11 So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.

11 “Therefore (P)I will not restrain my mouth;I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth.I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

11 "In addition, I won't keep my opinion to myself; I'll speak from my distressed spirit; I'll complain with my bitter soul.

Job Says To God: Leave Me Alone

12 Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me?

12 “Am I the sea, or (Q)the sea monster,That You set a guard over me?

12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

12 Am I the sea(d)(I) or a sea monster,(J)that You keep me under guard?

12 Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you keep watching me?

13 When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;

13 “If I say, ‘(R)My bed will comfort me,My couch will (c)ease my complaint,’

13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

13 When I say: My bed will comfort me,and my couch will ease my complaint,

13 For I've said, "My bed will comfort me; my couch will ease my burdens while I complain.'

14 Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear;

14 Then You frighten me with dreamsAnd terrify me by visions;

14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:

14 then You frighten me with dreams,and terrify me with visions,(K)

14 But then you scared me with dreams; you terrified me with visions.

15 So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.

15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,Death rather than my (d)pains.

15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.

15 so that I prefer strangling(e)death rather than life in this body.(f)(L)

15 I would rather die by strangulation than continue living.

16 I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.

16 “I (e)(S)waste away; I will not live forever.Leave me alone, (T)for my days are but a breath.

16 I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.

16 I give up! I will not live forever.Leave me alone,(M) for my days are a breath.(g)

16 I hate the thought of living forever! Leave me alone, because my days are pointless."

17 What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him,

17 (U)What is man that You magnify him,And that You (f)are concerned about him,

17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

17 What is man, that You think so highly of himand pay so much attention to him?(N)

17 "What is a human being, that you make so much of him; that you set your affections on him,

18 And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute?

18 That (V)You examine him every morningAnd try him every moment?

18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?

18 You inspect him every morning,and put him to the test every moment.(O)

18 visit him every morning, and test him continually?

19 How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?

19 (g)(W)Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?

19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

19 Will You ever look away from me,or leave me alone long enough to swallow?(h)

19 Why won't you look away from me? Why don't you leave me alone so I can swallow my saliva?

20 If I have done wrong, what have I done to you, O keeper of men? why have you made me a mark for your blows, so that I am a weariness to myself?

20 (X)Have I sinned? What have I done to You,O (Y)watcher of men?Why have You set me as Your target,So that I am a burden to myself?

20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

20 If I have sinned, what have I done to You,Watcher of mankind?Why have You made me Your target,(P)so that I have become a burden to You?(i)

20 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?

21 And why do you not take away my sin, and let my wrongdoing be ended? for now I go down to the dust, and you will be searching for me with care, but I will be gone.

21 “Why then (Z)do You not pardon my transgressionAnd take away my iniquity?For now I will (AA)lie down in the dust;And You will seek me, (AB)but I will not be.”

21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

21 Why not forgive my sinand pardon my transgression?(Q)For soon I will lie down in the grave.(R)You will eagerly seek me, but I will be gone.(S)

21 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!"

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

King James Version Public Domain

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org