'God' in the Bible

There once was a man in the land of Uz named Job. The man was blameless as well as upright. He feared God and kept away from evil.

When their time of feasting had concluded, Job would rise early in the morning to send for them and consecrate them to God. He would offer a burnt offering for each one, because Job thought, "Perhaps my children sinned by cursing God in their hearts." Job did this time and again.

Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth. The man is blameless as well as upright. He fears God and keeps away from evil."

But in response, Satan asked the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?

and exclaimed: "I left my mother's womb naked, and I will return to God naked. The LORD has given, and the LORD has taken. May the name of the LORD be blessed."

Job neither sinned nor charged God with wrongdoing in all of this.

The LORD asked Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth. The man is blameless as well as upright. He fears God and keeps away from evil. He remains firm in his integrity, even though you have been urging me to overwhelm him without cause."

Then his wife told him, "Do you remain firm in your integrity? Curse God and die!"

But he replied to her, "You're talking like foolish women do. Are we to accept what is good from God but not tragedy?" Throughout all of this, Job did not sin by what he said.

Let that day be dark; let God above not care about it; let no light shine over it.

"Why does God give light to the sufferer or life to the bitter person:

To the formerly successful man who lost his way in life, and God fenced him in?

"Your fear of God has been your confidence, hasn't it? The integrity of your life has been your hope, hasn't it?

They perish by the breath of God; they are consumed by the storm that is his anger.

"Can a mortal person be more righteous than God? Or can the purity of the valiant exceed that of his maker?'

"Now as for me, I would seek God if I were you; I would commit my case to God.

"Indeed, how blessed is the person whom God reproves! So never disrespect the discipline of the Almighty,

"Who will grant my wish? I wish God would grant what I'm hoping for:

that God would just be willing to crush me; that he would let loose and eliminate me!

Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what's right?

If you seek God, if you ask the Almighty for mercy,

Such are the paths of everyone who forgets God the hope of the godless will be destroyed:

Surely God won't reject those who are blameless or hold hands with those who practice evil.

"Indeed, I'm fully aware that this is so, but how can a person become right with God?

"God doesn't restrain his anger. Rahab's assistants are humiliated under him.

A land is given into the hands of a wicked person; he covers the faces of its judges. If it is not God, then who is it?"

I'll say to God, "Don't condemn me! Let me know why you are fighting me.

"But what if God were to speak? What if he were to talk with you,

and disclose his wise secrets? After all, there's so much more to understanding. So be aware that God will exact from you less than your sin deserves."

"I'm a laughingstock to my friends, someone who called on God. But then he answered this upright and blameless man, and I have become a laughingstock.

The tents of robbers are at rest, and those who provoke God are secure, that is, those who carry their god in their pocket.

With God is wisdom and strength; counsel and understanding belongs to him.

"With God are strength and sound wisdom; both the deceived and those who deceive are responsible to him.

But I want to talk to the Almighty; and I'm determined to argue my case before God."

Are you a god who would make a leaf tremble or who would prosecute a dry straw?

Yet you dispense with fear of God and hinder meditations before God.

that you turn your anger against God and speak words like this?

Look, if God doesn't trust his holy ones, if even the heavens aren't pure as he looks at them,

"For he has raised his fist against God, defying the Almighty.

"God has certainly worn me out; you devastated my entire world.

God has delivered me over to the ungodly, throwing me into the control of the wicked.

My friends mock me, while my eyes overflow with tears to God,

crying for him to arbitrate between this man and God; as a human being does with his fellow neighbor.

Indeed, the residences of the wicked are like this; and so are the homes of those who don't know God."

then at least you must know that God has accused me of wrong, and trapped me with his net."

Why are you chasing me, as God has been doing? Aren't you satisfied that I'm sick?

Even after my skin has been destroyed, clothed in my flesh I will see God,

"Though he swallows wealth, he will vomit it; God will dislodge it from his stomach.

"It will come about that, when he has filled himself to the full, God will vent his burning anger on him; he will pour it out on him and on his body.

A flood will wash away his house; dragging it away when God becomes angry.

This is what the wicked person inherits from God; it is the inheritance that God appoints for him."

"They say to God, "Turn away from us! We have no desire to know your ways.

"How often do the wicked have their lights put out? Does calamity ever fall on them? Will God in his anger ever apportion their destruction?

God stores up their iniquity to repay their children; making them repay so that they may be aware.

"Can God learn anything? After all, he will judge even the exalted ones.

"Can a human being be useful to God, since he, who is wise, is sufficient to himself?

"Isn't God in heaven above? Consider how far away the stars are, and how lofty they are!

You've asked, "What does God know? Can he sort through pitch black darkness?'

They told God, "Get away from us!' and "What will the Almighty do to them?'

"Though God fills their houses with good things, the counsel of the wicked will remain far from me.

"Get to know God, and you'll be at peace with him, and then prosperity will come to you.

"Then you'll take delight in the Almighty; and will turn your face toward God.

God has caused me to faint; the Almighty makes me terrified!

From the city, dying men groan aloud, and the wounded cries out for help, but God charges no one with wrong.

God prolongs the life of the strong by his power, but they get up in the morning without purpose in life.

"Dominion and fear belong to God; who fashions peace in his high heaven.

How can a human being become right with God? How can a human being be pure?

Sheol is naked before God and Abaddon has no clothes.

"The living God has withheld justice from me; the Almighty has made my life bitter.

For where is the hope of the godless when he is eliminated; when God takes away his life?

Will God hear his cry when distress overtakes him?

Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?"

"I'll teach you about the power of God, that which is with the Almighty I won't conceal.

"This is what a wicked person inherits from God, and what the ruthless will receive from the Almighty:

God understands how to get there; he knows where they live.

"I wish I could go back to how things were a few months ago; when God used to watch over me,

like when I was in my prime and God trusted me with his secrets!

But God has loosened his cord and afflicted me; so they've cast off all restraints in my presence.

What would I have from God above, what heritage from the Almighty on high,

let my righteousness be weighed in honest scales, and God will make known my integrity.

what will I do when God stands up to act? When he asks the questions, how will I answer him?

For I'm terrified of what calamity God may have in store for me; and I cannot endure his grandeur."

this is also a sin that deserves to be judged, since I would have tried to deceive God above."

But then Barachel's son Elihu from Buz, one of Ram's descendants, got really angry. He was furious with Job because he had been declaring himself righteous instead of vindicating God.

"So that you cannot claim, "We have found wisdom!' let God do the rebuking, not man;

"The spirit of God fashioned me; and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Look! As far as God is concerned, I'm just like you are I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay.

Nevertheless, God has found a pretext to attack me; he considers me his enemy.

"You aren't right about this; My response is that God is greater than human beings.

"God speaks time and time again but nobody notices

Let him pray to God and he will accept him; he will appear before him with joyful shouts!"

Indeed God does all these things again and again with a person

Now this is Job's claim: "Even though I'm innocent, God has stopped treating me righteously.

Because he says, "There's no profit for a man to find joy with God.'"

"Therefore you men of understanding, listen to me! Far be it for God to practice wickedness, or the Almighty to do what is wrong,

Truly, God doesn't practice wickedness, and the Almighty doesn't pervert justice.

Can one who hates justice really govern? And if God is righteous and mighty, can you condemn him?

He won't examine mankind further, that they would go before God to judgment.

"Has anyone ever really told God, "I've endured, and I won't act corruptly anymore.

because he has been adding rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us, and keeps on ranting against God."