'God' in the Bible

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.

And at the end of their days of feasting, Job sent and made them clean, getting up early in the morning and offering burned offerings for them all. For, Job said, It may be that my sons have done wrong and said evil of God in their hearts. And Job did this whenever the feasts came round.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil?

And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Is it for nothing that Job is a god-fearing man?

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil? and he still keeps his righteousness, though you have been moving me to send destruction on him without cause.

And his wife said to him, Are you still keeping your righteousness? Say a curse against God, and put an end to yourself.

And he said to her, You are talking like one of the foolish women. If we take the good God sends us, are we not to take the evil when it comes? In all this Job kept his lips from sin.

That day--let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;

To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?

Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?

Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off?

By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.

May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker?

But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him:

Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.

If only I might have an answer to my prayer, and God would give me my desire!

Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?

If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;

So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:

Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.

Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?

I will say to God, Do not put me down as a sinner; make clear to me what you have against me.

But if only God would take up the word, opening his lips in argument with you;

It seems that I am to be as one who is a cause of laughing to his neighbour, one who makes his prayer to God and is answered! the upright man who has done no wrong is to be made sport of!

There is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength.

But I would have talk with the Ruler of all, and my desire is to have an argument with God.

Truly, you make the fear of God without effect, so that the time of quiet worship before God is made less by your outcry.

Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself?

Are the comforts of God not enough for you, and the gentle word which was said to you?

So that you are turning your spirit against God, and letting such words go out of your mouth?

Because his hand is stretched out against God, and his heart is lifted up against the Ruler of all,

God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.

My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,

So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.

Truly, these are the houses of the sinner, and this is the place of him who has no knowledge of God.

Be certain that it is God who has done me wrong, and has taken me in his net.

Have pity on me, have pity on me, O my friends! for the hand of God is on me.

Why are you cruel to me, like God, for ever saying evil against me?

And ... without my flesh I will see God;

He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.

God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.

This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.

Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them.

Though they said to God, Go away from us, for we have no desire for the knowledge of your ways.

You say, God keeps punishment stored up for his children. Let him send it on the man himself, so that he may have the punishment of it!

Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.

Is it possible for a man to be of profit to God? No, for a man's wisdom is only of profit to himself.

Is not God as high as heaven? and see the stars, how high they are!

And you say, What knowledge has God? is he able to give decisions through the deep dark?

Who said to God, Go away from us; and, What is the Ruler of all able to do to us?

For then you will have delight in the Ruler of all, and your face will be lifted up to God.

For God makes low those whose hearts are lifted up, but he is a saviour to the poor in spirit.

For God has made my heart feeble, and my mind is troubled before the Ruler of all.

From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer.

But God by his power gives long life to the strong; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life.

How then is it possible for man to be upright before God? or how may he be clean who is a son of woman?

By the life of God, who has taken away my right; and of the Ruler of all, who has made my soul bitter;

(For all my breath is still in me, and the spirit of God is my life;)

For what is the hope of the sinner when he is cut off, when God takes back his soul?

Will his cry come to the ears of God when he is in trouble?

Will he take delight in the Ruler of all, and make his prayer to God at all times?

I will give you teaching about the hand of God; I will not keep secret from you what is in the mind of the Ruler of all.

This is the punishment of the evil-doer from God, and the heritage given to the cruel by the Ruler of all.

God sends his arrows against him without mercy; he goes in flight before his hand.

God has knowledge of the way to it, and of its resting-place;

If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!

As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;

Truly God has made me low, even to the earth, and I have become like dust.

(Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness:)

What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?

Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies?

(For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;)

For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.

That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high.

If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing!

And Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was angry, burning with wrath against Job, because he seemed to himself more right than God;

Take care that you do not say, Wisdom is here; God may overcome him, but not man.

The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Ruler of all gives me life.

See, I am the same as you are in the eyes of God; I was cut off from the same bit of wet earth.

Truly, in saying this you are wrong; for God is greater than man.

For God gives his word in one way, even in two, and man is not conscious of it:

If now there may be an angel sent to him, one of the thousands which there are to be between him and God, and to make clear to man what is right for him;

He makes his prayer to God, and he has mercy on him; he sees God's face with cries of joy; he gives news of his righteousness to men;

Truly, God does all these things to man, twice and three times,

For Job has said, I am upright, and it is God who has taken away my right;

What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God,

For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.

Now then, you wise, take note; you men of knowledge, give ear to me. Let it be far from God to do evil, and from the Ruler of all to do wrong.

Truly, God does not do evil, and the Ruler of all is not a false judge.

For in addition to his sin, he is uncontrolled in heart; before our eyes he makes sport of God, increasing his words against him.

Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,

But no one has said, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night;

But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it;

Give me a little more time, and I will make it clear to you; for I have still something to say for God.

Truly, God gives up the hard-hearted, and will not give life to the sinner.

Those who have no fear of God keep wrath stored up in their hearts; they give no cry for help when they are made prisoners.

Truly God is lifted up in strength; who is a ruler like him?

Truly, God is great, greater than all our knowledge; the number of his years may not be searched out.

By the breath of God ice is made, and the wide waters are shut in.