Most Popular Bible Verses in Job
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Chapter
Job Rank:
Now there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the
“For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives,
And at the last He will take His stand upon the earth.
He said,
And naked I will return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know and have understanding.
But put forth Your hand now and touch (destroy) all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Have You not put a hedge [of protection] around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands [and conferred prosperity and happiness upon him], and his possessions have increased in the land.
When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy?
“But to man He said, ‘Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.’”
Now there was a day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
“The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of
“For affliction does not come forth from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring forth from the ground.
How then could I gaze [lustfully] at a virgin?
and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them,
“Even though He kills me;
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless, I will argue my ways to His face.
“Who provides prey for the raven
When its young cry to God
And wander about without food?
“By His breath the heavens are cleared;
His hand has pierced the [swiftly] fleeing serpent.
Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God].
The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God].”
and the
While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “The
Who does great things, [beyond understanding,] unfathomable,
Yes, marvelous and wondrous things without number.
“I had heard of You [only] by the hearing of the ear,
But now my [spiritual] eye sees You.
“But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it].
When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous].
While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “The fire of God (lightning) has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
“I know that You can do all things,
And that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained.
and suddenly, a great wind came from across the desert, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
“But now
It touches you, and you are horrified.
“[Then] You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for [me] the work of Your hands.
“Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him;
He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him.
“But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise
[Only] when the
“The eye of him who sees me [now] will see me no more;
Your eyes will be upon me, but I will not be.
“My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped [death] by the skin of my teeth.
“But [only] with Him are [perfect] wisdom and might;
He [alone] has [true] counsel and understanding.
“Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And put my life in my hands [incurring the wrath of God]?
“Let darkness and gloom claim it for their own;
Let a cloud settle upon it;
Let all that blackens the day terrify it (the day that I was born).
“For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are [like] a shadow [just a breath or a vapor].
“My soul refuses to touch them;
Such things are like loathsome food to me [sickening and repugnant].
‘[You have] clothed me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews.
How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt,
Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!
Satan answered the Lord, “
“But now You number [each of] my steps;
You do not observe nor take note of my sin.
“The stranger has not lodged in the street,
Because I have opened my door to the traveler.
“There is nothing left of what he devoured;
Therefore his prosperity does not endure.
“If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up [and restored];
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,
“Will they (the fathers) not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their hearts [the deepest part of their nature]?
“Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your providence (divine care, supervision) has preserved my spirit.
“I wish that it would please God to crush me,
That He would let loose His hand and cut me off.
“Is not your fear of God your confidence,
And [is not] the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope?
“Behold, He snatches away; who can restrain or turn Him back?
Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
“Oh that my request would come to pass,
And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
“He has no offspring or prosperity among his people,
Nor any survivor where he sojourned.
And place your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks [considering it of little value],
“Therefore my lyre (harp) is used for [the sound of] mourning,
And my flute for the [sound of the] voices of those who weep.
But put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh [and severely afflict him]; and he will curse You to Your face.”
“Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has touched me.
Then, indeed, you could lift up your face [to Him] without moral defect,
And you would be firmly established and secure and not fear.
If sin is in your hand, put it far away [from you],
And do not let wrongdoing dwell in your tents;
“Why do you persecute me as God does?
Why are you not satisfied with my flesh (anguish)?
“As for that night, let darkness seize it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not be counted in the number of the months.
“With Him are might and sound wisdom,
The misled and the misleader are His [and in His power].
“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no [resting] place for my cry [where it will cease being heard].
“As I have seen, those who plow wickedness
And those who sow trouble and harm harvest it.
“Remember now, who, being innocent, ever perished?
Or where [and in what circumstances] were those upright and in right standing with God destroyed?
“Have I concealed my transgressions like Adam or like other men,
By hiding my wickedness in my bosom,
So that He sets on high those who are lowly,
And He lifts to safety those who mourn.
“For you would forget your trouble;
You would remember it as waters that have passed by.
‘If I sin, then You would take note and observe me,
And You would not acquit me of my guilt.
“My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You cover my wickedness [from Your view].
“In the fullness of his excess (great abundance) he will be in trouble;
The hand of everyone who suffers will come against him [he is miserable on every side].
“Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
Again, He sends the waters out, and they overwhelm and devastate the earth.
“And your
Darkness [then] would be like the morning.
“But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they will not escape [the justice of God];
And their hope is to breathe their last [and die].”
“Those in the west are astonished and appalled at his fate,
And those in the east are seized with horror.
“He uncovers mysteries [that are difficult to grasp and understand] out of the darkness
And brings black gloom and the shadow of death into light.
“He makes priests walk barefoot,
And He overturns men firmly seated and secure.
“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not
“But as a mountain, if it falls, crumbles into nothing,
And as the rock is moved from its place,
‘You renew Your witnesses against me
And increase Your indignation and anger toward me;
Hardship after hardship is with me [attacking me time after time].
“While it is still green (in flower) and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant [when without water].
For though I were righteous, I could not answer.
I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge.
“Then you would trust [with confidence], because there is hope;
You would look around you and rest securely.
“God will not turn back His anger;
The [proud] helpers of Rahab [the arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him.
“He pours contempt on princes and nobles
And loosens the belt of the strong [disabling them].
“Let the stars of its early dawn be dark;
Let the morning wait in vain for the light,
Let it not see the eyelids of morning (the day’s dawning),
“You would lie down with no one to frighten you,
And many would entreat and seek your favor.
Before I go—and I shall not return—
To the land of darkness and the deep shadow [of death],
“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 [O Lord].
“He deprives the trusted ones of speech
And takes away the discernment and discretion of the aged.
His pails are full of milk [his sides are filled out with fat],
And the marrow of his bones is moist,
‘Yet these [present evils] You have hidden in Your heart [since my creation]:
I know that this was within You [in Your purpose and thought].
“He trusts in his house, but it does not stand;
He holds tightly to it, but it does not endure.
“Would He not let my few days alone,
Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer
‘Why then did You bring me out of the womb?
Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me!
“They grope in darkness without light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.”
“He thrives and prospers [like a green plant] before the sun,
And his branches spread out over his garden.
“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the rushes or reed grass grow without water?
“Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty;
Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty.
“He removes intelligence and understanding from the leaders of the people of the earth
And makes them wander and move blindly in a pathless waste.
“If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
And Job took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself, and he sat [down] among the ashes (rubbish heaps).
‘Job ought to be tried
Because he answers like wicked men!
“How can I answer Him [and plead my case],
Choosing my words [to reason] with Him?
“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked and the ungodly,
And such is the place of him who does not know or recognize or honor God.”
“If it is a matter of strength and power, behold, He is mighty!
And if of justice, who can summon and challenge Him?
“Is it that I have no help within myself,
And that success and wisdom have been driven from me?
“He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.
“The caravans of
The caravans of
“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my sin and guilt?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me [diligently], but I will not be.”
“Then I would still have consolation,
And I would jump for joy amid unsparing pain,
That I have not denied or hidden the words of the Holy One.
Because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,
Nor hide trouble from my eyes.
“If he is snatched from his place [in the garden],
Then his place will forget him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’
‘If I am wicked, woe to me [for judgment comes]!
And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
For I am sated and filled with disgrace and the sight of my misery.
“A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears;
While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].
“His sons achieve honor, and he does not know it;
They become insignificant, and he is not aware of it.
“But God saves [the innocent] from the sword of the mouth of the devious,
And the poor from the hand of the mighty.
When they looked from a distance and did not recognize him [because of his disfigurement], they raised their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe [in grief] and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky [in sorrow].
Then you will have delight in the Almighty,
And you will lift up your face to God.
“That with an iron stylus and [molten] lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
“He catches the [so-called] wise in their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the devious is quickly thwarted.
“Or like a miscarriage which is hidden and put away, I would not exist,
Like infants who never saw light.
“Oh, that a man would mediate and plead with God [for me]
Just as a man [mediates and pleads] with his neighbor and friend.
“What strength do I have left, that I should wait [and hope]?
And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient and endure?
Complete darkness (misfortune) is held in reserve for his treasures.
An unfanned fire will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
“For now I would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then, I would have been at rest [in death],
“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already at hand.
“By the breath of God they perish,
And by the blast of His anger they are consumed.
What wise men have [freely] told,
And have not hidden [anything passed on to them] from their fathers,
With kings and counselors of the earth,
Who built up [now desolate] ruins for themselves;
So they sat down on the ground with Job for seven days and seven nights and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
“How many are my iniquities and sins [that so much sorrow should come to me]?
Make me recognize and understand my transgression and my sin.
The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it.”
I will give free expression to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
“That evil men are [now] reserved for the day of disaster and destruction,
They will be led away on the day of [God’s] wrath?
“No doubt you are the [only wise] people [in the world],
And wisdom will die with you!
“He makes nations great, and He destroys them;
He enlarges nations, and leads them away [captive].
Withdraw Your hand from me and remove this bodily suffering,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
“Let the day on which I was born perish,
And the night which announced: ‘There is a man-child conceived.’
“But who will confront him with his actions and rebuke him face to face,
And who will repay him for what he has done?
The [sunless] land of utter gloom as darkness itself,
[The land] of the shadow of death, without order,
And [where] it shines as [thick] darkness.”
“Only [O Lord,] do not do two things to me,
And then I will not hide myself from Your face:
Whom I, even I, will see for myself,
And my eyes will see Him and not another!
My heart faints within me.
“But his body [lamenting its decay] grieves in pain over it,
And his soul mourns over [the loss of] himself.”
Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
“He will even rescue the one [for whom you intercede] who is not innocent;
And he will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands.”
“Distress and anxiety terrify him,
They overpower him like a king ready for battle.
“I waste away and loathe my life; I will not live forever.
Let me alone, for my days are but a breath [futile and without substance].
“What is man that You [should] magnify him [and think him important]?
And that You are concerned about him?
“Then [Lord,] call, and I will answer;
Or let me speak, and then reply to me.
“For He inflicts pain, but He binds up and gives relief;
He wounds, but His hands also heal.
Then Job responded,
“His wisdom is as high as the heights of heaven. What can you do?
It is deeper than Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead). What can you know?
“If you say, ‘How shall we [continue to] persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find [since we claim the root of these afflictions is found in him]?’
To whom alone the land was given,
And no stranger passed among them [corrupting the truth].
And [that He would] show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom
Know therefore that God forgets a part of your wickedness and guilt.
“I am a joke to my friends;
I, one whom God answered when he called upon Him—
A just and blameless man is a joke [and laughed to scorn].
“You will laugh at violence and famine,
And you will not be afraid of the wild beasts of the earth.
And to which of the holy ones (angels) will you turn?
“For You write bitter things against me [in Your indictment]
And make me inherit and suffer for the iniquities of my youth.
“You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
“When he is carried to his grave,
A guard will keep watch over his tomb.
“When he fills his belly,
God will send His fierce anger on him
And will rain it upon him while he is eating.
“Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven,
And my Advocate [who vouches and testifies for me] is on high.
And he has lived in desolate [God-forsaken] cities,
In houses which no one should inhabit,
Which were destined to become heaps [of ruins];
“He will fail to bring his grapes to maturity [leaving them to wither unnourished] on the vine,
And will cast off blossoms [and fail to bring forth fruit] like the olive tree.
“Should your boasts and babble silence men?
And shall you scoff and no one put you to shame?
“Who among all these does not recognize [in all these things that good and evil are randomly scattered throughout nature and human life]
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
“Shall a multitude of words not be answered?
And should a talkative man [making such a long-winded defense] be acquitted?
“I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me [and declare me guilty]!
Show me why You contend and argue and struggle with me.
“I would count out to Him the number of my steps [with every detail of my life],
Approaching His presence as if I were a prince.
“If I have sinned, what [harm] have I done to You,
O Watcher of mankind?
Why have You set me as a target for You,
So that I am a burden to myself?
“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, and yet trouble still comes [upon me].”
“Will You cause a windblown leaf to tremble?
Will You pursue the chaff of the dry stubble?
“The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
“For you have said, ‘My teaching (doctrine) [that God knowingly afflicts the righteous] is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’
“For He recognizes and knows false and worthless men,
And He sees wickedness, will He not consider it?
“For you will be in harmony with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
“Why is the light of day given to a man whose way is hidden,
And whom God has hedged in?
“Does the ear not put words to the test,
Just as the palate tastes its food [distinguishing between the desirable and the undesirable]?
‘I should have been as though I had not existed;
[I should have been] carried from the womb to the grave.’
“You also put my feet in the stocks [as punishment]
And [critically] observe all my paths;
You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep],
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
“My brothers have acted deceitfully like a brook,
Like the torrents of brooks that vanish,
“How then can you vainly comfort me with empty words,
Since your answers remain untrue?”
“Behold, this is the joy of His way;
And from out of the dust others will spring up and grow [to take his place].
“You will know also that your tent is secure and at peace,
And you will visit your dwelling and fear no loss [nor find anything amiss].
“If God passes by or arrests,
Or calls an assembly [of judgment], who can restrain Him?
[If He is against a man, who can call Him to account for it?]
‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay;
So will You turn me into dust again?
“The tents of the destroyers prosper;
And those who provoke God are [apparently] secure,
Whom God brings into their power.
He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his grain will not bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth.
“Will You never turn Your gaze away from me [it plagues me],
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
For he has covered his face with his fat,
Adding layers of fat to his thighs [giving himself up to pleasures],
“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
And your lips with joyful shouting [if you are found blameless].
“But I have intelligence and understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these [of God’s wisdom and might]?
“They conceive mischief and bring forth wickedness,
And their inmost soul prepares deceit and fraud.”
“The produce and increase of his house will depart [with the victors];
His possessions will be dragged away in the day of God’s wrath.
Who wait for death, but it does not come,
And dig (search) for death more [diligently] than for hidden treasures,
Whereas another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even tasting pleasure or good fortune.
“He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills and saturates me with bitterness.
Because I feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
So that I kept silence and did not acknowledge my sin and did not go out of the door?
“He who is at ease has contempt for misfortune,
But misfortune is ready [and anxiously waiting] for those whose feet slip.
“Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the tents of the wicked will be no longer.”
‘Does it indeed seem right to You to oppress,
To despise and reject the work of Your hands,
And to look with favor on the schemes of the wicked?
“Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
“Behold, God will not reject a man of integrity,
Nor will He strengthen or support evildoers.
‘Although You know that I am not guilty or wicked,
Yet there is no one who can rescue me from Your hand.
“You will come to your grave in old age,
Like the stacking of grain [on the threshing floor] in its season.
“Can something that has no taste to it be eaten without salt?
Or is there any flavor in the white of an egg?
“For my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And my cries [of despair] are poured out like water.
“The hungry devour his harvest
And take it even [when it grows] among the thorns;
The trap opens for [his] wealth.
Because the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
My spirit drinks their poison;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.
“The wicked man writhes with pain all his days,
And numbered are the years stored up for him, the ruthless one.
“Inquire, please, of past generations,
And consider and apply yourself to the things searched out by their fathers.
“You will know also that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.
Then Job answered and said,
Then Job answered and said,
“Remember that my life is but breath [a puff of wind, a sigh];
My eye will not see good again.
“I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering],
But I cursed his dwelling immediately [for his destruction was certain].
“His [godless] roots are wrapped around a pile of rocks,
And he gazes at a house of stones.
“If you would [diligently] seek God
And implore the compassion and favor of the Almighty,
Which are dull and dirty because of ice,
And into which the snow melts and hides itself;
“Behold this; we have investigated it, and it is true.
Hear and heed it, and know for yourself [for your own good].”
“The earth is given into the hands of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice].
If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?
“His children are far from safety [and included in their father’s ruin],
They are oppressed and crushed in the [court of justice in the city’s] gate,
And there is no
So am I allotted months of futility and suffering,
And [long] nights of trouble and misery are appointed to me.
“God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?
“How long will you say these things?
And will the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
“Indeed, you have now become like a dried-up stream,
You see a terror [believing me to be a victim of the wrath of God] and are afraid [to be compassionate].
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Water wears away the stones,
Its floods and torrents wash away the soil of the earth,
So You [O Lord] destroy the hope of man.
“When I lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise [and the night be gone]?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until the dawning of day.
“You prevail forever against him and overpower him, and he passes on;
You change his appearance and send him away [from the presence of the living].
“It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it,
When He overturns them in His anger;
When it is warm, they are silent and cease to flow;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
And make the Almighty your gold
And your precious silver,
“As a slave earnestly longs for the shade,
And as a hired man eagerly awaits his wages,
“If your children have sinned against Him,
Then He has handed them over to the power of their transgression and punished them.
“Oh, that my grief could actually be weighed
And placed in the balances together with my tragedy [to see if my grief is the grief of a coward]!
“My friends are scoffers [who ridicule];
My eye pours out tears to God.
“My body is clothed with worms and a crust of dust;
My skin is hardened [and broken and loathsome], and [breaks out and] runs.
“For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;
Therefore my words have been incoherent,
‘Can [mortal] man be just before God or be more righteous than He?
Can a man be pure before his Maker or be more cleansed than He?
Then, if you are pure and upright,
Surely now He will awaken for you
And restore your righteous place.
‘For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his [unacknowledged] sin;
He claps his hands among us [in open mockery and contempt of God],
And he multiplies his words [of accusation] against God.’”
“It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.’
“The paths of their course wind along,
They go up into nothing and perish.
[Your counsel is as helpful to me as a dry streambed in the heat of summer.]
“Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
“You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And the light [of God’s favor] will shine upon your ways.
“They pass by like the [swift] boats made of reeds,
Like an eagle that swoops down on its prey.
‘God puts no trust or confidence, even in His [heavenly] servants,
And He charges His angels with error.
“Are they like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that the storm steals and carries away?
“They were put to shame and disappointed because they had trusted [that they would find water];
They came there and were ashamed.
Or, ‘Rescue me from the adversary’s hand,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?
“Do you intend to reprove my words [with a convincing argument],
When the words of one in despair belong to the wind [and go ignored]?
“Is there injustice or malice on my tongue?
Can my palate not discern what is destructive?
“Now please look at me,
And see if I lie to your face [for you know that I would not].
“If one should want to contend or dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
But he said to her, “You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God’s will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.
I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come];
I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.
“They spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering against the cold.
“But there is [a vital force and] a spirit [of intelligence] in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.
He also possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke (pairs) of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great number of servants, so that this man was the greatest [and wealthiest and most respected] of all the men of the east (northern Arabia).
It came about that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.
“Turn away [from your suspicion], let there be no injustice;
Turn away, my righteousness and vindication is still in it.
“I am accounted wicked and held guilty;
Why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]?
“If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will leave off my sad appearance, and be cheerful and brighten up,’
“Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you [by searching] discover the limits of the Almighty [ascend to His heights, extend to His widths, and comprehend His infinite perfection]?
Again there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (adversary, accuser) also came among them to present himself before the Lord.
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your power, only do not put your hand on the man himself.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
When the days of their feasting were over, Job would send [for them] and consecrate them, rising early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and
‘How much more [will He blame and charge] those who dwell in houses (bodies) of clay,
Whose foundations are in the dust,
Who are crushed like a moth.
The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it.”
“If a man dies, will he live again?
I will wait all the days of my struggle
Until my change and release will come.
“He does not believe that he will return out of the darkness [for fear of being murdered],
And he is destined for the sword [of God’s vengeance].
The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
“For the thing which I greatly fear comes upon me,
And that of which I am afraid has come upon me.
‘Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces and destroyed;
Unobserved and unnoticed, they perish forever.
“Behold, how happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise or reject the discipline of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering].
“For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that the shoots of it will not cease nor fail, [but there is no such hope for man].
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still cling to your integrity [and your faith and trust in God, without blaming Him]? Curse God and die!”
The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God]. And still he maintains and holds tightly to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.”
“Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character];
And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;
‘Is not their tent-cord drawn up within them [so that the tent collapses]?
Do they not die, and yet without [acquiring] wisdom?’
“Your words have helped the one who was stumbling to stand,
And you have strengthened feeble knees.
Then all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him over all the [distressing] adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him a piece of money, and each a ring of gold.
“Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death],
Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God,
“When you are cast down and humbled, you will speak with confidence,
And the humble person He will lift up and save.
“Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion?
“Can you [Job] hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions
So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome boils and agonizingly painful sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You [in Your control],
And You have made his limits so he cannot pass [his allotted time].
“I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
“The spirit stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, and then I heard a voice, saying:
Then the Lord said to Job,
“Oh, that I had one to listen to me!
Look, here is my signature (mark);
Let the Almighty answer me!
Let my adversary write out His indictment [and put His vague accusations in tangible form].
“The heavens will reveal his wickedness and guilt,
And the earth will rise up against him.
“But He is unique and unchangeable, and who can turn Him?
And what His soul desires, that He does.
“Behold, you have admonished and instructed many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.
His sons used to go [in turn] and feast in the house of each one on his
“Did not He who made me in the womb make my servant,
And did not the same One fashion us both in the womb?
Whose fathers I refused to put with the sheepdogs of my flock.
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.
Or press down his tongue with a cord?
“Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance] for yourselves,
For wrathful are the punishments of that sword,
So that you may know there is judgment.”
So man lies down and does not rise [again].
Until the heavens are no longer,
The dead will not awake nor be raised from their sleep.
“If we dare to converse with you, will you be impatient [or offended]?
But who can restrain himself from speaking?
“Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways,
And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
“Like a flower he comes forth and withers;
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
And are not his days like the days of a hired man?
“For you say, ‘Where is the house of the noble man?
And where is the tent, the dwelling place of the wicked?’
“Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom]
By words without knowledge?
“Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace;
In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you.
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered [Job] and said,
Then Job answered and said,
“There is no arbitrator between us,
Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were].
If I beheld the sun [as an object of worship] when it shone
Or the moon going in its splendor,
“What is man, that he should be pure and clean,
Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous and just?
“But you smear me with lies [you defame my character most untruthfully];
You are all worthless physicians and have no remedy to offer.
“If there is an angel as a mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To explain to a man what is right for him [that is, how to be in right standing with God],
Then Job answered and said,
“Who has first given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. [Who can have a claim against Me who made the unmastered beast?]
“Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) is naked before God,
And Abaddon (the place of destruction) has no covering [from His eyes].
“But [the brave, strong] man must die and lie face down;
Man breathes his last, and where is he?
“Behold, I am of little importance and contemptible; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
Then Job answered and said,
‘Your hands have formed and made me altogether.
Would You [turn around and] destroy me?
“As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
So he who goes down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) does not come up.
“Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would set a definite time and then remember me [and in Your lovingkindness imprint me on your heart]!
When my steps [through rich pastures] were washed with butter and cream [from my livestock],
And the rock poured out for me streams of oil [from my olive groves].
Let thorns grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed and cockleburs instead of barley.”
So the words of Job [with his friends] are finished.
“Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the [vast starry] spaces of the south;
“Oh, that the words I now speak were written!
Oh, that they were recorded in a scroll!
And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
“If God should determine to do so,
If He should gather to Himself [that is, withdraw from man] His [life-giving] spirit and His breath,
“He has inscribed a circular limit (the horizon) on the face of the waters
At the boundary between light and darkness.
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
“[You said to me] ‘Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge?’
Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
“As for me, I would seek God and inquire of Him,
And I would commit my cause to God;
Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
“Have you not asked those who travel this way,
And do you not recognize their witness?
“But if I look to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) as my home,
If I make my bed in the darkness,
“The arrow is drawn forth and it comes out of his back [after passing through his body];
Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall.
Terrors march in upon him;
My ear has heard and understood it.
“When I went out to the gate of the city,
When I took my seat [as a city father] in the square,
“If I have despised and rejected the claim of my male or female servants
When they filed a complaint against me,
“Since your days began, have you ever commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them].
“His skin is devoured by disease;
The firstborn of death [the worst of diseases] consumes his limbs.
“For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court and judgment together.
“Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable.
“Behold, God puts no trust in His holy ones (angels);
Indeed, the heavens are not pure in His sight—
Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him [and his prayer] so that I may not deal with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has.”
“Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might [even] come to His seat!
“He stirred up the sea by His power,
And by His understanding He smashed [proud]
“The [flightless] wings of the ostrich wave joyously;
With the pinion (shackles, fetters) and plumage of love,
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless is only for a moment?
“How then can man be justified and righteous with God?
Or how can he who is born of a woman be pure and clean?
“His wrath has torn me and hunted me down,
He has gnashed at me with his teeth;
My adversary sharpens His gaze and glares [with piercing eyes] at me.
“Therefore hear me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God that He would do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
“Some remove the landmarks;
They [violently] seize and pasture flocks [appropriating land and flocks openly].
“But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who gives songs [of rejoicing] in the night,
“In a dream, a vision of the night [one may hear God’s voice],
When deep sleep falls on men
While slumbering upon the bed,
And Job again took up his discussion and said,
“Yet these are just the fringes of His ways [mere samples of His power],
The faintest whisper of His voice!
Who can contemplate the thunder of His [full] mighty power?”
“The [dirt] clods of the valley are sweet to him [and gently cover him],
Moreover, all men will follow after him [to a grave],
While countless ones go before him.
“Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there;
I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him;
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
“Have you entered and explored the springs of the sea
Or [have you] walked in the recesses of the deep?
“Surely I would [proudly] bear it on my shoulder,
And bind the scroll around my head like a crown.
“How long will you hunt for words and continue these speeches?
Do some clear thinking and show understanding and then we can talk.
And said, ‘This far you shall come, but no farther;
And here your proud waves shall stop’?
“They fully enjoy their days in prosperity,
And so go down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) in a [peaceful] moment.
“Let him not trust in vanity (emptiness, futility) and be led astray;
For emptiness will be his
“Indeed, the light of the wicked will be put out,
And the flame of his fire will not shine.
“Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
As in the days when God watched over me,
But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became indignant. His indignation was kindled and burned and he became upset with Job because he justified himself rather than God [and even expressed doubts about God’s character].
Why do those who know Him not see His days [for punishment of the wicked]?
“Will my hope go down with me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead)?
Shall we go down together in the dust?”
“This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
And the heritage decreed and appointed to him by God.”
Do you observe the calving of the deer?
“Can you lead forth a
And guide [the stars of] the Bear with her
“They lift up their voices and sing to the tambourine and the lyre
And rejoice to the sound of the flute.
“He will not escape from darkness [fleeing disaster];
The flame [of God’s wrath] will wither his branch,
And by the blast of His mouth he will go away.
‘Thick clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see,
And He walks on the vault (circle) of the heavens.’
“Though evil and wickedness are sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
“I put on
My justice was like a robe and a turban!
“He is torn from his tent which he trusted [for safety],
And he is marched and brought to the king of terrors (death).
“Is not God in the height of heaven?
And behold the distant stars, how high they are!
“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who disputes with God answer it.”
“Dominion and awe belong to God;
He establishes peace and order in His high places.
“I also could speak like you,
If you were in my place;
I could compose and join words together against you
And shake my head at you.
“Do you know about the layers of thick clouds [and how they are balanced and poised in the heavens],
The wonderful works of Him who is perfect in knowledge,
“If I have put my trust and confidence in gold,
Or have declared fine gold my hope and assurance,
“Drought and heat consume the snow waters;
So does Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) [consume] those who have sinned.
‘Who [and what] is
And what would we gain if we plead with Him?’
“Indeed, you are doing away with fear,
And you are diminishing meditation before God.
“If I have withheld from the poor what they desired,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to look in vain [for relief],
“I am a brother to [howling] jackals,
And a companion to ostriches [which scream dismally].
“Have you given the horse his might?
Have you clothed his neck with quivering and a shaking mane?
“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked.
“Out of the north comes golden splendor [and people can hardly look on it];
Around God is awesome splendor and majesty [far too glorious for man’s eyes].
“Do you hear the secret counsel of God,
And do you limit [the possession of] wisdom to yourself?
“Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to know its ways
Nor stay in its paths.
“Who is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich above the poor,
For they all are the work of His hands.
“For the company of the godless is barren,
And fire consumes the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).
“For what is the hope of the godless, even though he has gained [in this world],
When God takes his life?
“Let his flesh be restored and become fresher than in youth;
Let him return to the days of his youthful strength.
“Is not your wickedness great,
And your sins without end?
“He wraps the waters in His clouds [which otherwise would spill on earth all at once],
And the cloud does not burst under them.
“Should a wise man [such as you] utter such windy and vain knowledge [as we have just heard]
And fill himself with the east wind [of withering, parching, and violent accusations]?
“I was [living] at ease, but He crushed me and broke me apart,
And He has seized me by the neck and has shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His target.
“It will be fulfilled while he still lives,
And his branch will not be green [but shall wither away].
“You have sent widows away empty-handed,
And the arms (strength) of the fatherless have been broken.
“How often [then] is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out,
And that their disaster falls on them?
Does God distribute pain and destruction and sorrow [to them] in His anger?
“I will not [I warn you] be partial to any man [that is, let my respect for you mitigate what I say];
Nor flatter any man.
“He sucks the poison of vipers [which ill-gotten wealth contains];
The viper’s tongue slays him.
“Surely there are mockers and mockery with me,
And my eye gazes on their obstinacy and provocation.
“[O God] turn your gaze from him so that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day [on earth] like a hired man.
“Let Him take His rod away from me,
And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.
“Will it be well for you when He investigates you [and your tactics against me]?
Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
“I have sewed sackcloth over my skin [as a sign of mourning]
And have defiled my horn (symbol of strength) in the dust.
If I have eaten its fruits without paying for them,
Or have caused its [rightful] owners to lose their lives,
“Pour out the overflowings of your wrath,
And look at everyone who is proud and make him low.
“Will you really annul My judgment and set it aside as void?
Will you condemn Me [your God] that you may [appear to] be righteous and justified?
Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite said,
For that reason I was anxious and dared not tell you what I think.
You would still plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would hate me [and refuse to cover my foul body].
“God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
“Because he has stretched out his hand against God
And behaves arrogantly against
“Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
Or [can you] establish their rule over the earth?
“He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
He has uprooted my hope like a tree.
“As God lives, who has taken away my right and denied me justice,
And the Almighty, who has caused bitterness and grief for my soul,
“Others snatch the fatherless [infants] from the breast [to sell or make them slaves],
And against the poor they take a pledge [of clothing].
“Man is also disciplined with pain on his bed,
And with unceasing complaint in his bones,
“He has put my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
“Far be it from me that I should admit you are right [in your accusations against me];
Until I die, I will not remove my integrity from me.
“No mention of coral and crystal can be made;
For the possession of wisdom is even above [that of] rubies or pearls.
“Who has put wisdom in the innermost being [of man, or in the layers of clouds]
Or given understanding to the mind [of man, or to the heavenly display]?
“He sways his tail like a cedar;
The tendons of his thighs are twisted and knit together [like a rope].
“Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rain and for the flood,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
“You who tear yourself apart in anger,
Is the earth to be abandoned for your sake,
Or the rock to be moved out of its place?
“Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity [since you question the Almighty],
And array yourself with honor and majesty.
And marked for it My [appointed] boundary
And set bars and doors [defining the shorelines],
“My days are past, my purposes and plans are frustrated and torn apart;
The wishes of my heart [are broken].
“Man puts his hand on [and tears apart] the flinty rock;
He overturns the mountains at the base [looking for treasure].
“He flies away like a dream and cannot be found;
Yes, he is chased away like a vision of the night.
“Bear with me, and I also will speak;
And after I have spoken, you may [continue to] mock [me].
“Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
And makes his nest on high [in an inaccessible place]?
“You also open Your eyes upon him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
“He is the first [in magnitude and power] of the works of God;
[Only] He who made him can bring near His sword [to master him].
“For your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose [to speak] the language of the crafty and cunning.
“Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
“For he has oppressed and neglected the poor;
He has violently taken away houses which he did not build.
“Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress and confinement,
Into a broad place where there is no constraint or distress;
And that which was set on your table was full of fatness (rich food).
“You say, ‘What does God know [about me]?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?
“They pluck [and eat]
And their food is the root of the broom shrub.
“Behold, even the moon has no brightness [compared to God’s majesty and glory]
And the stars are not pure in His sight,
“Please receive the law and instruction from His mouth
And establish His words in your heart and keep them.
“And if it were true that I have erred,
My error would remain with me [and I would be conscious of it].
“Who sent out the wild donkey free [from dependence on man]?
And who has loosed the bonds of the wild donkey [to survive in the wild],
Then
‘Spare him from going down to the pit [of destruction];
I have found a ransom [a consideration, or reason for redemption, an atonement]!’
After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations.
“If my heart has been enticed and I was made a fool by a woman,
Or if I have [covetously] lurked at my neighbor’s door [until his departure],
If I call out to the pit (grave), ‘You are my father’;
And to the worm [that feeds on decay], ‘You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you],’
“Abaddon (the place of destruction) and Death say,
‘We have [only] heard a report of it with our ears.’
“Are the consolations of God [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you,
[Or] were we too gentle toward you [in our first speech] to be effective?
“If they hear and serve Him,
They will end their days in prosperity
And their years in pleasantness and joy.
“[But instead] I could strengthen and encourage you with [the words of] my mouth,
And the consolation and solace of my lips would soothe your suffering and lessen your anguish.
“What a help you are to the weak (powerless)!
How you have saved the arm that is without strength!
“Do you not know this from the old days,
Since the time that man was placed on the earth,
“My feet have carefully followed His steps;
I have kept His ways and not turned aside.
“He is driven and propelled from light into darkness,
And chased from the inhabited world.
“His troops come together
And build up their way and siege works against me
And camp around my tent.
“His sneezes flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the [reddish] eyelids of the dawn.
“Can you put a rope [made] of rushes into his nose
Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
“He sings out to other men,
‘I have sinned and perverted that which was right,
And it was not proper for me!
“His arrows surround me.
He pierces my kidneys (vital organs) without mercy;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
“He rescues the afflicted in their affliction,
And opens their ears [so that they pay attention to His voice] in times of oppression.
“The vigorous stride will be shortened,
And his own counsel and the scheme [in which he trusted] will bring his downfall.
“Give me a pledge (guarantee, promise) with Yourself [acknowledge my innocence before my death];
Who is there that will
“If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved;
And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?
That you should turn your spirit against God
And let such words [as you have spoken] go out of your mouth?
“I have heard the reproof which insults me,
But the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
“You have taken a firm hold on me and have shriveled me up,
It has become a witness [against me];
And my leanness [and infirmity] rises up [as evidence] against me,
It testifies to my face [about my guilt].
“My face is red and swollen with weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death [my eyes are dimmed],
“They have gaped at me with their mouths,
With contempt they have struck me on the cheek;
They massed themselves together [and conspired] against me.
“This [which I am about to explain] is the portion of a wicked man from God,
And the inheritance which tyrants and oppressors receive from the Almighty:
“I was a father to the needy;
I investigated the case I did not know [and assured justice].
“Can you bind the wild ox with a harness [to the plow] in the furrow?
Or will he plow the valleys for you?
Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him,
And [if you are so able] tread down the wicked where they stand.
So that light may take hold of the corners of the earth
And shake the wickedness out of it?
“For what is the portion I would have from God above,
And what heritage from the Almighty on high?
“But now God has exhausted me.
You [O Lord] have destroyed all my family and my household.
“Have I rejoiced at the destruction of the enemy [who hated me],
Or exulted [in malicious triumph] when evil overtook him?
“For I know that You will bring me to death
And to the house of meeting [appointed] for all the living.
Job continued his discourse and said,
And he called the name of the first [daughter] Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch.
“The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me,’
And he covers his face.
“The earth is changed like clay into which a seal is pressed;
And the things [of the earth] stand out like a [multi-colored] garment.
But Job answered and said,
“Behold, God is mighty, and yet does not despise anyone [nor regard any as trivial];
He is mighty in the strength and power of understanding.
“And now I have become [the subject of] their taunting;
Yes, I am a
Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
“Nothing of his dwells in his tent;
Brimstone (burning sulfur) is scattered over his dwelling [to purify it].
“Though its roots grow old in the earth
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
“If indeed you [braggarts] vaunt and magnify yourselves over me
And prove my disgrace (humiliation) to me,
“Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not heard;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.
“For God pays a man according to his work,
And He will make every man find [appropriate] compensation according to his way.
“For it is a fire which consumes to Abaddon (destruction, ruin, final torment);
And [illicit passion] would burn and rage and uproot all my [life’s] increase [destroying everything].
“Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me answer,
Because of the uneasiness that is within me.
“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south [as winter approaches]?
Men who were snatched away before their time,
Whose foundations were poured out like a river?
“He cuts out channels and passages among the rocks;
And his eye sees every precious thing.
“Because he knew no quietness or calm within him [because of his greed],
He does not retain anything he desires.
“The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to [nor disregard] justice and abundant righteousness.
“For the wicked is thrown into a net by his own feet (wickedness),
And he steps on the webbing [of the lattice-covered pit].
Know then that God has wronged me and overthrown me
And has closed His net around me.
“Were you the first man to be born [the original wise man],
Or were you created before the hills?
“He will pray to God, and He shall be favorable to him,
So that he looks at His face with joy;
For God restores to man His righteousness [that is, his right standing with God—with its joys].
“God seals (brings to a standstill, stops) [by severe weather] the hand of every man,
That all men [whom He has made] may know His work [that is, His sovereign power and their subjection to it].
“He builds his house like a spider’s web,
Like a (temporary) hut which a watchman makes.
“Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert,
The poor go to their work, diligently seeking food;
As bread for their children in the desert.
“Will you show partiality for Him [and be unjust to me so that you may gain favor with Him]?
Will you contend and plead for God?
“But He has made me a byword and mockery among the people,
And I have become one in whose face people spit.
“But You [Lord] have closed their hearts to understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them [by giving a verdict against me].
Yet his food turns [to poison] in his stomach;
It is the venom of vipers within him.
Yet he perishes forever like his own refuse;
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
“He does not look at the rivers,
The flowing streams of honey and butter [to enjoy his wealth].
“Out of whose womb has come the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
“His strong scales are his pride,
Bound together as with a tight seal.
“No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By cursing my enemy and asking for his life.
“Now
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me.
“I hold fast my uprightness and my right standing with God and I will not let them go;
My heart does not reproach me for any of my days.
“These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me [and harden your hearts against me].
“It cannot be valued in [terms of] the gold of Ophir,
In the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire.
“Listen carefully to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out of His mouth!
“He looks on everything that is high [without terror];
He is monarch over all the sons of pride. [And now, Job,
“I cry to You for help, [Lord,] but You do not answer me;
I stand up, but You [only] gaze [indifferently] at me.
“The murderer rises at dawn;
He kills the poor and the needy,
And at night he becomes a thief.
“From the [populous and crowded] city men groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry out for help;
Yet God [seemingly] does not pay attention to the wrong [done to them].
“He swallows [his ill-gotten] riches,
But will vomit them up;
God will drive them out of his belly.
“For He performs what is planned (appointed) for me,
And He is mindful of many such things.
“When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.
“He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous [those in right standing with Him];
But with kings upon the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
“Your memorable sayings are [worthless, merely] proverbs of ashes;
Your defenses are defenses of [crumbling] clay.
“When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
When He hides His face [withdrawing His favor and help], who then can behold Him [and make supplication to Him],
Whether it be a nation or a man by himself?—
“He who denounces and informs against his friends for a share of the spoil,
The eyes of his children will also languish and fail.
“But the godless in heart store up anger [at the divine discipline];
They do not cry [to Him] for help when He binds them [with cords of affliction].
“You say, ‘God stores away [the punishment of] man’s wickedness for his children.’
Let God repay him so that he may know and experience it.
“For what pleasure does he have in his house and family after he is dead,
When the number of his months [of life] is cut off?
In all the land there were found no women so fair as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.
“He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has set darkness upon my paths.
“Look, let me answer you, in this you are not right or just;
For God is greater and far superior to man.
“God hands me over to
And tosses me [headlong] into the hands of the wicked.
If his loins have not thanked and blessed me [for clothing them],
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
‘God has redeemed my life from going to the pit [of destruction],
And my life shall see the light.’”
“For when an ear heard [my name mentioned], it called me happy and fortunate;
And when an eye saw [me], it testified for me [approvingly],
“Is there any number to His [vast celestial] armies?
And upon whom does His light not rise?
“Is there no end to [your futile] words of wind?
Or what plagues you [so much] that you [so boldly] answer [me like this]?
Elihu continued speaking [to Job] and said,
“But as for all of you, come back again,
Even though I do not find a wise man among you.
“What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not equally clear to us?
“He lies down under the lotus plants,
In the hidden shelter of the reeds in the marsh.
“The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,
And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
“The path [deep within] no bird of prey knows,
And the falcon’s eye has not caught sight of it.
“[If you can do all this, Job, proving your divine power] then I [God] will also praise you and acknowledge
That your own right hand can save you.
“They drive away the donkeys of the orphans;
They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
“The sword that reaches him cannot avail,
Nor [does] the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
“No one is so fierce [and foolhardy] that he dares to stir up Leviathan;
Who then is he who can stand before Me [or dares to contend with Me, the beast’s creator]?
“As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he smells the battle from far away,
And senses the thunder of the captains and the war cry.
“And if they are bound in bonds [of adversity],
And held by cords of affliction,
“Why do you complain against Him?
That He does not answer [you with] all His doings.
“For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
And [He speaks] to the showers and to the downpour [of His mighty rains], ‘Be strong.’
“He lets it loose under the whole heaven,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
“Those [who are] abundant in years may not [always] be wise,
Nor may the elders [always] understand justice.
Yet at the scent of water [the stump of the tree] will flourish
And bring forth sprigs and shoots like a seedling.
“Terrors are turned upon me;
They chase away my honor and reputation like the wind,
And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.
“Did I not weep for one whose life was hard and filled with trouble?
Was not my heart grieved for the needy?
“See now, his strength is in his loins
And his power is in the muscles and sinews of his belly.
So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
“They are gaunt with want and famine;
They gnaw the dry and barren ground by night in [the gloom of] waste and desolation.
As I was in the prime of my days,
When the friendship and counsel of God were over my tent,
“These [thoughts try to] make the night into the day;
‘The light is near,’ they say in the presence of darkness [but they pervert the truth].
“My words will express the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips will speak what they know with utter sincerity.
“Is it any pleasure or joy to
Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect?
“The roots [of the wicked] are dried up below,
And above, his branch is cut off and withers.
“Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth
As from a boiling pot and [as from] burning rushes.
To the left (north) He turns, but I cannot behold Him;
He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him.
“Whether [it be] for correction, or for His earth [generally]
Or for [His] mercy and lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.
“Gold and glass cannot equal wisdom,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.
What then could I do when God arises [to judge me]?
When He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?
“Within the walls [of the wicked] the poor make [olive] oil;
They tread [the grapes in] the wine presses, but thirst.
“Those who live [temporarily] in my house and my maids consider me a stranger;
I am a foreigner in their sight.
“Man puts an end to darkness [by bringing in a light],
And to the farthest bounds he searches out
The rock buried in gloom and deep shadow.
“Let his own eyes see his destruction,
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
“He gives back what he has labored for and attained
And cannot swallow it [down to enjoy it];
As to the riches of his labor,
He cannot even enjoy them.
“God understands the way [to wisdom]
And He knows its place [for wisdom is with God alone].
He holds back his soul from the pit [of destruction],
And his life from passing over into Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).
“Do not let wrath entice you into scoffing;
And do not let the greatness and the extent of the ransom turn you aside.
“As for me, is my complaint to man or about him?
And why should I not be impatient and my spirit troubled?
“The folds of his flesh are joined together,
Firm on him and immobile [when he moves].
“A noose is hidden for him on the ground,
And a trap for him on the path.
“Remember that you should magnify God’s work,
Of which men have sung.
“They harvest their fodder in a field [that is not their own],
And glean the vineyard of the wicked.
“I have spoken once, but I will not reply again—
Indeed, twice [I have answered], and I will add nothing further.”
“Would He contend against me with His great power?
No, surely He would give attention to me.
“People will clap their hands at him [to mock and ridicule him]
And hiss him out of his place.
To whom I gave the wilderness as his home
And the salt land as his dwelling place?
“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
Nor his mighty strength, nor his orderly frame.
“Where is the way that the light is distributed,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were years older than he.
“But notice, the prosperity of the wicked is not in their hand (in their power);
The counsel of the wicked [and the mystery of God’s dealings with the ungodly] is far from my comprehension.
“Out of his mouth go burning torches,
And sparks of fire leap out.
“Its direction is turned around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
“If you are righteous, what do you give God,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
“Why does your heart carry you away [allowing you to be controlled by emotion]?
And why do your eyes flash [in anger or contempt],
“If my step has turned away from the way [of God],
Or if my heart has [covetously] followed my eyes,
Or if any spot [of guilt] has stained my hands,
“The strength [of the wicked] is famished and weakened,
And disaster is ready at his side [if he stops].
“Terrors overtake him like a [suddenly rising] flood;
A windstorm steals him away in the night.
“Who determined the measurements [of the earth], if you know?
Or who stretched the [measuring] line on it?
“Because of the multitudes of oppressions the people cry out;
They cry for help because of the [violent] arm of the mighty.
“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have endured my chastisement;
I will not offend anymore;
“They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone;
Moreover, they are brought low and like everything [they are] gathered up and taken out of the way;
Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.
If I gloated and rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my [powerful] hand [alone] had obtained so much,
“You have not given water to the weary to drink,
And you have withheld bread from the hungry.
“A mother will forget him;
The worm feeds on him until he is no longer remembered.
And wickedness will be broken like a tree [which cannot be restored].
“He has also kindled His wrath [like a fire] against me
And He considers and counts me as one of His adversaries.
“Surely the mountains bring him food,
And all the wild animals play there.
“They hate me, they stand aloof from me,
And do not refrain from spitting in my face.
And my heart became secretly enticed [by them],
And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth [in respect to them],
“They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing,
And they take away the sheaves [of grain] from the hungry.
“[Crush and] hide them in the dust together;
Shut them up in the hidden place [the house of death].
“The quiver rattles against him,
[As do] the flashing spear and the lance [of his rider].
“He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength;
He goes out to meet the weapons [of armed men].
“His sons favor the poor [and pay his obligations],
And his hands give back his [ill-gotten] wealth.
“The proud beasts [and their young] have not walked on it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
“
Will not one be overwhelmed even at the sight of him?
“She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor is in vain because she is unconcerned [for the safety of her brood],
So that his life makes him loathe food,
And his soul [loathe] even his favorite dishes.
“Who can open the doors (jaws) of his face?
Around his [open jaws and] teeth there is terror.
“If a river rages and overflows, he does not tremble;
He is confident, though the Jordan [River] swells and rushes against his mouth.
‘My glory and honor are fresh in me [being constantly renewed],
And my bow gains [ever] new strength in my hand.’
“My eye has grown dim (unexpressive) because of grief,
And all my [body’s] members are [wasted away] like a shadow.
“For adultery is a heinous and lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be a sin punishable by the judges.
“Then his soul draws near to the pit [of destruction],
And his life to those who bring death (the destroyers).
“Do you think this is according to [your] justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
“Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,
That He enters into judgment against you?
For God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
“Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the skies which are [much] higher than you.
“Will he make a covenant or an arrangement with you?
Will you take him for your servant forever?
“The lotus plants cover him with their shade;
The willows of the brook surround him.
“Will God hear his cry
When trouble and distress come upon him?
“For the morning is the same to him as the thick darkness [of midnight];
For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.
“The righteous see it and are glad;
And the innocent mock and laugh at them, saying,
Teach me what I do not see [in regard to how I have sinned];
If I have done wrong (injustice, unrighteousness),
I will not do it again’?
Let my wife grind [meal, like a bond slave] for another [man],
And let others
“Their children and descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
“Indeed, how could the strength of their hands profit me?
Vigor had perished from them.
“Its stones are the bed of sapphires;
It holds dust of gold.
“Yet God draws away the mighty by His power;
He rises, but no one has assurance of life.
“They are insignificant on the surface of the water;
Their portion is cursed on the earth;
They do not turn toward the vineyards.
“Even when I remember, I am troubled and afraid;
Horror and trembling take hold of my flesh.
“In a moment they die, even at midnight
The people are shaken and pass away,
And the powerful are taken away without a [human] hand.
“They are the sons of [worthless and nameless] fools,
They have been driven out of the land.
“But the land is possessed by the man with power,
And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.
If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor person without covering,
“With fierceness and rage he races to devour the ground,
And he does not stand still at the sound of the [war] trumpet.
“Therefore I would be terrified at His presence;
When I consider [all of this], I tremble in dread of Him.
“Those who survive him will be buried because of the plague,
And [their] widows will not be able to weep.
“Will you play with him as with a bird?
Or will you bind him [and put him on a leash] for your maidens?
“The eye which saw him sees him no longer,
Neither does his [accustomed] place behold him any longer.
“Man dams up the streams from flowing [so that they do not trickle into the mine],
And what is hidden he brings out to the light.
“If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what have you done to Him?
“Who can penetrate or strip off his outer armor?
Who can come to his jaws with a double bridle?
“Will you have faith and depend on him to return your grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?
“Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.
“God who says to a king, ‘You are worthless and vile,’
Or to princes and nobles, ‘You are wicked and evil’?
“To whom have you uttered [these] words?
And whose spirit [inspired what] came forth from you?
“Men therefore fear Him;
He does not regard nor respect any who are wise in heart [in their own understanding and conceit].”
“Will he make many supplications to you [begging to be spared]?
Or will he speak soft words to you [to coax you to treat him kindly]?
“The upright will be [astonished and] appalled at this,
And the innocent will stir himself up against the godless and polluted.
“Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked and ungodly is far from me.
“For tragedy from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty and exaltation I can do nothing [nor endure facing Him].
“[As for] the earth, out of it comes food,
But underneath [its surface, down deep] it is turned over as fire.
“Have you [Job] made him leap like a locust?
The majesty of his snorting [nostrils] is terrible.
“For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
When he takes delight and is pleased with God and obeys Him.’
“You have become harsh and cruel to me;
With the might of Your hand You [keep me alive only to] persecute me.
“Should he rebuke and argue with useless talk?
Or with words in which there is no benefit?
“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And [in battle] he does not turn back from the sword.
[Elihu comments,] “Behold, God does all these things
“Shall one who hates justice [and is an enemy of right] govern?
And will you condemn Him who is just and mighty?
“Does not tragedy fall [justly] on the unjust
And disaster to those who work wickedness?
“Who can count the clouds by [earthly] wisdom,
Or pour out the water jars of the heavens,
“They waited for me [and for my words] as for the rain,
And they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
“For it will hurl [thunderbolts of God’s wrath] at him unsparingly and without compassion;
He flees in haste from its power.
To bring his life back from the pit [of destruction],
That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
“Though his children are many, they are destined for the sword;
And his descendants will not have sufficient bread.
“Can anyone capture him when he is on watch,
Or pierce his nose with barbs [to trap him]?
“When I expected good, then came evil [to me];
And when I waited for light, then came darkness.
“He opens their ears to instruction and discipline,
And commands that they return from evil.
Then let my shoulder fall away from its socket,
And my arm be broken off at the elbow.
If I have lifted my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw [that the judges would be] my help at the [council] gate,
So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And He heard the cry of the afflicted.
“Who put God in charge over the earth?
And who has laid on Him the whole world?
“For God has loosed His bowstring [attacking me] and [He has] afflicted and humbled me;
They have cast off the bridle [of restraint] before me.
“On the cliff he dwells and remains [securely],
Upon the point of the rock and the inaccessible stronghold.
“He explores the mountains as his pasture
And searches after every green thing.
“I will teach you regarding the hand (power) of God;
I will not conceal what is with the Almighty [God’s actual treatment of the wicked].
Job uselessly opens his mouth
And multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked].”
Elihu’s anger burned against Job’s three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job’s error], and yet they had condemned Job and declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions].
“Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle [with him]; you will not do such [an ill-advised thing] again!
“Yet when she lifts herself
[So swift is she that] she laughs at the horse and his rider.
“Now people cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies [without being blinded],
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous [and innocent],
But God has taken away my right;
“It is hidden from the eyes of all the living
And concealed from the birds of the heavens.
“He scorns the tumult of the city,
And does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster.
“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
So that an abundance of water will cover you?
“I would learn the words which He would answer,
And understand what He would say to me.
“I go about mourning without comfort [my skin blackened by disease, not by the heat of the sun];
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
“Your wickedness affects only a man such as you,
And your righteousness affects only
“I chose a way for them and sat as chief,
And dwelt as a king among his soldiers,
As one who comforts mourners.
‘Hear, please, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct [and answer] me.’
“On my right the [rabble] brood rises;
They push my feet away, and they build up their ways of destruction against me [like an advancing army].
“Even though you say that you do not see Him [when missing His righteous judgment on earth],
Yet your case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
“Upon earth there is nothing like him—no equal exists,
A creature made without fear.
Although I am right, I am accounted a liar.
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
“My bones are pierced [with aching] in the night season,
And the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
“He breaks open (mine) shafts far away from where people live,
[In places] forgotten by the [human] foot;
They dangle [in the mines] and hang away from men.
“But if they do not hear and obey, they will die by the sword [of God’s destructive judgments]
And they will die [in ignorance] without [true] knowledge.
“Water becomes like stone [and hides itself],
And the surface of the deep is frozen and imprisoned.
“After it, His voice roars;
He thunders with the voice of His majesty,
And He does not restrain His lightning [against His adversaries] when His voice is heard.
“For He sets no appointed time for a man,
That he should appear before Him in judgment.
“Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
Where now is my hope?
And who regards or considers or is even concerned about my hope?
“His thundering voice declares [awesomely] His presence;
The cattle also are told of His coming storm.
“You see, I waited for your words,
I listened to your [wise] reasons,
While you pondered and searched out what to say.
“Among the bushes they cry out [like wild animals];
Beneath the prickly scrub they gather and huddle together.
“His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
And his bones which were not seen now stick out.
“Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying:
“Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds
Or the thundering of His pavilion?
And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he burned with anger.
“You lift me up on the wind and cause me to ride [upon it];
And You toss me about in the tempest and dissolve me in the storm.
“God has cast me into the mire [a swampland of crisis],
And I have become [worthless] like dust and ashes.
“I smiled at them when they did not believe,
And they did not diminish the light of my face.
“Surely God will not listen to an empty cry [which lacks trust],
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
“Let us choose for ourselves that which is right;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
“I am seething within and my heart is troubled and cannot rest;
Days of affliction come to meet me.
“After I spoke, they did not speak again,
And my speech dropped upon them [like a refreshing shower].
“There the righteous and upright could reason with Him;
So I would be acquitted forever by my Judge.
You whose garments are hot,
When He quiets the earth [in sultry summer] with the [oppressive] south wind?
“In the dark they dig into [the penetrable walls of] houses;
They shut themselves up by day;
They do not know the light [of day].
“Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you,
That there is yet more to say on God’s behalf.
‘Surely our adversaries are cut off and destroyed,
And fire has consumed their abundance.’
“They are wet from the rain of the mountains
And cling to the rock for lack of shelter.
The voices of the nobles were hushed,
And their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together [because of the heat]?
“Now Job has not directed his words against me [therefore I have no reason to be offended],
Nor will I answer him with arguments like yours. [I speak for truth, not for revenge.]