Job
I. The Prologue (1:1-2:13)
Job's Good Life0
1:11 There was a man2 in the land of Uz3 whose4 name was Job.5 And that man was pure6 and upright,7 one who feared God and turned away from evil.8 1:2 Seven9 sons and three daughters were born to him.10 1:3 His possessions11 included seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household.12 Thus he13 was the greatest of all the people in the east.14
1:4 Now, his sons used to go15 and hold16 a feast in the house of each one in turn,17 and they would send and invite18 their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 1:5 When19 the days of their feasting were finished,20 Job would send21 for them and sanctify22 them; he would get up early23 in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to24 the number of them all. For Job thought, "Perhaps25 my children26 have sinned and cursed27 God in their hearts." Job customarily did this.28
Satan's Accusation of Job29
1:6 Now the day came when30 the sons of God31 came to present themselves before32 the LORD--and Satan33 also came among them. 1:7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"34 And Satan answered the LORD,35 "From roving about36 on the earth, and from walking up and down37 in it." 1:8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered38 my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away39 from evil."
1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Is it for nothing that Job fears God?40 1:10 Have you41 not made a hedge42 around him and his house and all that he has on every side? You have blessed43 the work of his hands, and his cattle44 have increased45 in the land. 1:11 But46 extend your hand and strike47 everything he has, and he will indeed48 curse you49 to your face!"
1:12 So the LORD said to Satan, "All right then,50 everything he has is51 in your power.52 Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!"53 So Satan went out54 from the presence of the LORD.55
Job's Integrity in Adversity56
1:13 Now the day57 came when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 1:14 and a messenger came to Job, saying, "The oxen were plowing58 and the donkeys grazing beside them, 1:15 and the Sabaeans59 swooped down60 and carried them all away, and they killed61 the servants with the sword!62 And I--only I alone63--escaped to tell you!"
1:16 While this one was still speaking,64 another messenger arrived65 and said, "The fire of God66 has fallen from heaven67 and has burned up the sheep and the servants--it has consumed them! And I--only I alone--escaped to tell you!"
1:17 While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, "The Chaldeans68 formed three bands and made a raid69 on the camels and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword!70 And I--only I alone--escaped to tell you!"
1:18 While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 1:19 and suddenly71 there came a great wind across72 the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died! And I--only I alone--escaped to tell you!"
1:20 Then Job got up73 and tore his robe.74 He shaved his head,75 and then he fell down to the ground with his face to the ground.76 1:21 He said, "Naked77 I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return there.78 The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away.79 May the name of the LORD80 be blessed!" 1:22 In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with moral impropriety.81
Satan's Additional Charge
2:1 Again the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.1 2:2 And the LORD said to Satan, "Where do you come from?" Satan answered the LORD,2 "From roving about on the earth, and from walking up and down in it." 2:3 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly3 his integrity,4 so that5 you stirred me up to destroy him6 without reason."7
2:4 But8 Satan answered the LORD, "Skin for9 skin!10 Indeed, a man will give up11 all that he has to save his life!12 2:5 But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh,13 and he will indeed curse you to your face!"
2:6 So the LORD said to Satan, "All right,14 he is15 in your power;16 only preserve17 his life."
Job's Integrity in Suffering
2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and he afflicted18 Job with a malignant ulcer19 from the sole of his feet to the top of his head.20 2:8 Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape21 himself22 with while he was sitting23 among the ashes.24
2:9 Then25 his wife said to him, "Are you still holding firmly to your integrity?26 Curse27 God, and die!"28 2:10 But he replied,29 "You are speaking like one of the godless30 women would speak! Should we receive31 what is good from God, and not also32 receive33 what is evil?"34 In all this Job did not sin by what he said.35
The Visit of Job's Friends36
2:11 When Job's three friends heard about all this evil that had happened to him, each of them came from his own country37--Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.38 They met together39 to come to show grief40 for him and to console41 him. 2:12 But when they gazed intently42 from a distance but could not recognize43 him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads. 2:13 Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain44 was very great.45
II. Job's Dialogue With His Friends (3:1-27:33)
Job Regrets His Birth
3:1 After this Job opened his mouth1 and cursed2 the day he was born.3 3:2 Job spoke up4 and said:
3:3 "Let the day in which5 I was born6 perish,
and the night that said,7
`A man8 has been conceived!'9
3:4 That day10--let it be darkness;11
let not God on high regard12 it,
nor let light shine13 on it!
3:5 Let darkness and the shadow of death14 claim it;15
let a cloud settle on it;
let whatever blackens the day16 terrify it!
3:6 That night--let darkness seize17 it;
let it not be included18 among the days of the year;
let it not enter among the number of the months!19
3:7 Indeed,20 let that night be barren;21
let no shout of joy22 penetrate23 it!
3:8 Let those who curse the day24 curse it25--
those who are prepared to rouse26 Leviathan.27
3:9 Let its morning stars28 be darkened;
let it wait29 for daylight but find none,30
nor let it see the first rays31 of dawn,32
3:10 because it33 did not shut the doors34 of my mother's womb on me,35
nor did it hide trouble36 from my eyes!
Job Wishes He Had Died at Birth37
3:11 "Why did I not38 die39 at birth,40
and why did I not expire
when41 I came out of the womb?
3:12 Why did the knees welcome me,42
and why were there43 two breasts44
that I might nurse at them?45
3:13 For now46 I would be lying down
and47 would be quiet,48
I would be asleep and then at peace49
3:14 with kings and counselors of the earth
who built for themselves places now desolate,50
3:15 or with princes who had gold,51
who filled their houses52 with silver.
3:16 Or why53 was54 I not buried55
like a stillborn infant,56
like infants57 who have never seen the light?58
3:17 There59 the wicked60 cease61 from turmoil,62
and there the weary63 are at rest.
3:18 There64 the prisoners65 rest66 together;67
they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.68
3:19 Small and great are69 there,
and the slave is free70 from his master.71
Longing for Death72
3:20 "Why does God73 give74 light to one who is in misery,75
and life to those76 whose soul is bitter,
3:21 to77 those who wait78 for death that79 does not come,
and search for it80
more than for hidden treasures,
3:22 who rejoice81 even to jubilation,82
and are exultant83 when84 they find the grave?85
3:23 Why is light given86 to a man87
whose way is hidden,88
and whom God has hedged in?89
3:24 For my sighing comes in place of90 my food,91
and my groanings92 flow forth like water.93
3:25 For the thing that I dreaded94 has happened95 to me,
and what I feared has come upon me.96
3:26 I have no ease,97 I have no quietness;
I cannot rest;98 trouble has come upon me."99
Eliphaz Begins to Speak100
4:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:1
4:2 "If someone2 should attempt3 a word with you,
will you be impatient?4
But who can refrain from speaking5?
4:3 Look,6 you have instructed7 many,
you have strengthened8 feeble hands.9
4:4 Your words have supported10 those who stumbled,11
and you have strengthened the knees
that gave way.12
4:5 But now the same thing13 comes to you,
and you are discouraged;14
it strikes you,
and you are terrified.15
4:6 Is not your piety16 your confidence,17
and your blameless ways your hope?18
4:7 Call to mind now:19
Who,20 being innocent, ever perished?21
And where were upright people22 ever destroyed?23
4:8 Even as I have seen,24 those who plow25 iniquity26
and those who sow trouble reap the same.27
4:9 By the breath28 of God they perish,29
and by the blast30 of his anger they are consumed.
4:10 There is31 the roaring of the lion32
and the growling33 of the young lion,
but the teeth of the young lions are broken.34
4:11 The mighty lion35 perishes36 for lack of prey,
and the cubs of the lioness37 are scattered.
Ungodly Complainers Provoke God's Wrath
4:12 "Now a word was secretly38 brought39 to me,
and my ear caught40 a whisper41 of it.
4:13 In the troubling thoughts42 of the dreams43 in the night
when a deep sleep44 falls on men,
4:14 a trembling45 gripped me--and a terror!--
and made all my bones shake.46
4:15 Then a breath of air47 passes48 by my face;
it makes49 the hair of my flesh stand up.
4:16 It stands still,50
but I cannot recognize51 its appearance;
an image is before my eyes,
and I hear a murmuring voice:52
4:17 "Is53 a mortal man54 righteous55 before56 God?
Or a man pure57 before his Creator?58
4:18 If59 God60 puts no trust in61 his servants62
and attributes63 folly64 to his angels,
4:19 how much more to those who live in houses of clay,65
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed66 like67 a moth?
4:20 They are destroyed68 from morning to evening;69
they perish forever70 without anyone regarding it.71
4:21 Is not their excess wealth72 taken away from them?73
They die,74 yet without attaining wisdom.75
5:1 "Call now!1 Is there anyone who will answer you?2
To which of the holy ones3 will you turn?4
5:2 For5 wrath kills the foolish person,6
and anger7 slays the silly one.
5:3 I myself8 have seen the fool9 taking root,
but suddenly I cursed his place of residence.10
5:4 His children are far11 from safety,
and they are crushed12 at the place of judgment,13
nor is there anyone to deliver them.14
5:5 The hungry15 eat up his harvest,16
and take it even out of the thorns,17
and the thirsty18 swallow up19 their fortune.20
5:6 For evil does not come up from the dust,21
nor does trouble spring up from the ground,
5:7 but people22 are born23 to trouble,
as surely as the sparks24 fly25 upward.26
Blessings for the One Who Seeks God27
5:8 "But28 as for me,29 I would seek30 God,31
and to God32 I would set forth my case.33
5:9 He does34 great and unsearchable35 things,
marvelous things without36 number;37
5:10 he gives38 rain on the earth,39
and sends40 water upon the fields;41
5:11 he sets42 the lowly43 on high,
that those who mourn44 are raised45 to safety.
5:12 He frustrates46 the plans47 of the crafty48
so that49 their hands do not accomplish
what they had planned!50
5:13 He catches51 the wise in their own craftiness,52
and the counsel of the cunning53 is brought to a quick end.54
5:14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,55
and grope about56 in the noontime as if it were night.57
5:15 So he saves58 from the sword that comes from their mouth,59
even60 the poor from the hand of the powerful.
5:16 Thus the poor have hope,
and iniquity61 shuts its mouth.62
5:17 "Therefore,63 blessed64 is the man whom God corrects,65
so do not despise the discipline66
of the Almighty.67
5:18 For68 he69 wounds,70 but he also bandages;
he strikes, but his hands also heal.
5:19 He will deliver you71 from six calamities;
yes, in seven72 no evil will touch you.
5:20 In time of famine73 he will redeem you from death,
and in time of war from the power of the sword.74
5:21 You will be protected75 from malicious gossip,76
and will not be afraid of the destruction77
when it comes.
5:22 You will laugh at destruction and famine78
and need not79 be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
5:23 For you will have a pact with the stones80 of the field,
and the wild animals81 will be at peace82
with you.
5:24 And83 you will know84 that your home85
will be secure,86
and when you inspect87 your domains,
you will not be missing88 anything.
5:25 You will also know that your children89 will be numerous,
and your offspring90 like the grass of the earth.
5:26 You will come to your grave in a full age,91
As stacks of grain are harvested in their season.
5:27 Look, we have investigated this, so it is true.
Hear it,92 and apply it for your own93 good."94
Job Replies to Eliphaz
6:1 Then Job responded:1
6:2 "Oh2 if only my grief3 could be weighed,4
and my misfortune laid5 on the scales too!6
6:3 But because it is heavier7 than the sand8 of the sea,
that is why my words have been wild.9
6:4 For the arrows10 of the Almighty11 are within me;
my spirit12 drinks their poison;13
God's sudden terrors14 are arrayed15
against me.
Complaints Reflect Suffering
6:5 "Does the wild donkey16 bray17 when it is near grass?18
Or19 does the ox low near its fodder?20
6:6 Can food that is tasteless21 be eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in the white22 of an egg?
6:7 I23 have refused24 to touch such things;25
they are like loathsome food to me.26
A Cry for Death
6:8 "Oh that27 my request would be realized,28
and that God would grant me what I long for!29
6:9 And that God would be willing30 to crush me,
that he would let loose31 his hand
and32 kill me.33
6:10 Then I would yet have my comfort,34
then35 I would rejoice,36
in spite of pitiless fear,37
for38 I have not concealed the words39
of the Holy One.40
6:11 What is my strength, that I should wait?41
and what is my end,42
that I should prolong my life?
6:12 Is my strength like that of stones?43
or is my flesh of bronze?
6:13 Is44 not my power to help myself nothing,
and has not every resource45 been driven from me?
Disappointing Friends
6:14 "To the one in despair, kindness should come from his friend46
even if47 he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
6:15 My brothers48 have been as treacherous49 as a seasonal stream,50
and as the riverbeds of the intermittent streams51
that flow away.52
6:16 They53 are dark54 because of ice;
snow is piled55 up over them.56
6:17 When they are warmed,57 they dry up,
when it is hot, they vanish58 from their place.
6:18 Caravans59 turn aside from their routes;
they go60 into the wasteland61 and perish.62
6:19 The caravans of Tema63 looked intently64 for these streams;65
the traveling merchants66 of Sheba hoped for them.
6:20 They were distressed,67
because each one had been68 so confident;
they arrived there,69 but were disappointed.
6:21 For now70 you have become like these streams that are no help;71
you see a terror,72 and are afraid.
Friends' Fears
6:22 "Have I73 ever said,74 `Give me something,
and from your fortune75 make gifts76 in my favor'?
6:23 Or `Deliver me77 from the enemy's power,
and from the hand of tyrants78 ransom79 me'?
No Sin Discovered
6:24 "Teach80 me and I, for my part,81 will be silent;
explain to me82 how I have been mistaken.83
6:25 How painful84 are honest words!
But85 what does your reproof86 prove?87
6:26 Do you intend to criticize mere words,
and treat88 the words of a despairing man as wind?
6:27 Yes, you would gamble89 for the fatherless,
and auction off90 your friend.
Other Explanation
6:28 "Now then, be good enough to look91 at me;92
and I will not93 lie to your face!
6:29 Relent,94 let there be no falsehood;95
reconsider,96 for my righteousness is intact!97
6:30 Is there any falsehood98 on my lips?
Can my mouth99 not discern evil things?100
The Brevity of Life
7:1 "Does not man have hard service1 on earth?
Are not his days also
like the days of a hired man?2
7:2 Like a servant3 longing for the evening shadow,4
and like a hired man looking5 for his wages.6
7:3 Thus7 I have been made to inherit8
months of futility,9
and nights of sorrow10
have been appointed11 to me.
7:4 If I lie down, I say,12 `When will I arise?',
and the night stretches on13
and I am full of tossing14 to and fro
unto the dawning of the day.
7:5 My body15 is clothed16 with worms17 and dirty scabs;18
my skin is broken19 and festering.
7:6 My days20 are swifter21 than a weaver's shuttle22
and they come to an end without hope.23
7:7 Remember24 that my life is but a breath,
that25 my eyes will never again26 see happiness.
7:8 The eye of him who sees me now will see me no more;27
your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone.28
7:9 As29 a cloud is dispersed and then disappears,30
so the one who goes down to the grave31
does not come up again.32
7:10 He returns no more to his house,
nor does his place33 know him34 any more.
Job Remonstrates With God
7:11 "Therefore,35 I will not refrain my mouth;36
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain37 in the bitterness of my soul.
7:12 Am I the sea, or the creature of the deep,38
that you must set39 a watch40 over me?
7:13 If41 I say,42 "My bed will comfort me,43
my couch will ease44 my complaint,"
7:14 then you scare me45 with dreams
and terrify46 me with47 visions,
7:15 so that I48 would prefer49 strangling,50
and51 death52 more53 than life.54
7:16 I loathe55 it;56 I would not live forever;
leave me alone,57 for my days are a vapor!58
Insignificance of Humans
7:17 "What is man59 that you make so much of him,60
and that you pay attention61 to him?
7:18 And that you visit62 him every morning,
and try63 him every moment?64
7:19 Will you never65 look away from me,66
will you not let me alone67
long enough to swallow my spittle?
7:20 If68 I have sinned--what have I done to you,69
O watcher of men?70
Why have you set me as your target?71
Have I become a burden to you?72
7:21 And why do you not pardon my transgression,
and take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust,73
and you will seek me diligently,74
but I will be gone."
Bildad's First Speech to Job75
8:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite spoke up and said:
8:2 "How long will you speak these things,1
seeing2 that the words of your mouth
are like a great3 wind?4
8:3 Does God pervert5 justice?6
Or does the Almighty pervert7 what is right?
8:4 If8 your children sinned against him,
he gave them over9 to the penalty10 of their sin.
8:5 But11 if you will look12 to God,
and make your supplication13 to the Almighty,
8:6 if you become14 pure15 and upright,16
even now he will rouse himself17 for you,
and will restore18 your righteous abode.19
8:7 Your beginning20 will seem so small,
since your future will flourish.21
8:8 "For inquire now of the former22 generation,
and pay attention23 to the findings24
of their ancestors;25
8:9 For we are recent26 and do not have knowledge,
since our days on earth are but a shadow.27
8:10 Will they not28 instruct you and29 speak to you,
and bring forth words30
from their understanding?31
8:11 Can the papyrus plant grow tall32 where there is no marsh?
Can reeds flourish33 without water?
8:12 While they are still in their early flowering34
and not ripe for cutting,35
they can wither away36
faster37 than any grass!38
8:13 Such is the destiny39 of all who forget God,
and the hope of the godless40 perishes,
8:14 whose41 trust42 is in something futile,43
whose security is a spider's web.44
8:15 He leans against his house but it does not hold up,45
he takes hold46 of it but it does not stand.
8:16 He is a well-watered plant47 in48 the sun,
its shoots spread49 over its garden.50
8:17 It wraps its roots around a heap51 of stones52
and it looks53 for a place among stones.54
8:18 If he is uprooted55 from his place,
then that place56 will disown him, saying,57
`I have never seen you!'
8:19 Indeed, this is the joy of his way,58
and out of the earth others spring up.59
8:20 "Surely, God does not reject a blameless man,60
nor does he grasp the hand61
of the evildoers.
8:21 He will yet62 fill your mouth with laughter,63
and your lips with gladness.
8:22 Those who hate you64 will be clothed with shame,65
and the tent of the wicked will be no more."
Job's Reply to Bildad66
9:1 Then Job answered:
9:2 "Truly,1 I know that this is so.
But how2 can a human3 be just before4 God?5
9:3 If someone wishes6 to contend7 with him,
he cannot answer8 him one time in a thousand.
9:4 He is wise in heart9 and mighty10 in strength11--
who has resisted12 him and remained safe?13
9:5 He who removes mountains suddenly,14
who overturns them in his anger;15
9:6 he who shakes the earth out of its place16
so that its pillars tremble;17
9:7 he who commands the sun and18 it does not shine19
and seals up20 the stars;
9:8 he alone spreads out the heavens,
and treads21 upon the waves of the sea;22
9:9 he makes the Bear,23 Orion,24 and the Pleiades,25
and the constellations26 of the south;
9:10 he does great and unsearchable things,27
and wonderful things without number.
9:11 If28 he passes by me, I cannot see29 him,30
if he goes by, I cannot perceive him.31
9:12 If he snatches away,32 who can turn him back?33
Who dares to say to him, `What are you doing?'
9:13 God does not restrain his anger;34
under him the helpers of Rahab35 lie crushed.36
The Impossibility of Facing God in Court
9:14 "How much less,37 then, can I answer him38
and choose my words39 to argue40 with41 him!42
9:15 Although43 I am innocent,44
I could not answer him;45
I could only plead46 with my judge47 for mercy.
9:16 If I summoned him, and he answered me,48
I would not believe49
that he would be listening to my voice--
9:17 he who50 crushes51 me with a tempest,
and multiplies my wounds for no reason.52
9:18 He does not allow53 me to recover54 my breath,
for he fills55 me with bitterness.
9:19 If it is a matter of strength,56
most certainly57 he is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice,
he will say, `Who will summon me?'58
9:20 Although I am innocent,59
my mouth60 would condemn me;61
although I am blameless,
it would declare me perverse.62
9:21 I am blameless.63 I do not know myself.64
I despise my life.
Accusation of God's Justice
9:22 "It is all one!65 That is why I say,66
`He destroys the blameless and the guilty.'
9:23 If a scourge brings sudden death,67
he mocks68 at the despair69 of the innocent.70
9:24 If a land71 has been given
into the hand of a wicked man,72
he covers73 the faces of its judges;74
if it is not he, then who is it?75
Renewed Complaint
9:25 "My days76 are swifter than a runner,77
they speed by without seeing happiness.
9:26 They glide by78 like reed79 boats,
like an eagle that swoops80 down on its prey.81
9:27 If I say,82 `I will83 forget my complaint,
I will change my expression84 and be cheerful,'85
9:28 I dread86 all my sufferings,87
for88 I know that you do not hold me blameless.89
9:29 If I am guilty,90
why then91 weary myself92 in vain?93
9:30 If I wash myself with snow water,94
and make my hands clean with lye,95
9:31 then you plunge me into a slimy pit96
and my own clothes abhor me.
9:32 For he97 is not a human being like I am,
that98 I might answer him,
that we might come99 together in judgment.
9:33 Nor is there an arbiter100 between us,
who101 might lay102 his hand on us both,103
9:34 who104 would take his105 rod106 away from me
so that his terror107 would not make me afraid.
9:35 Then108 would I speak and not fear him,
but it is not so with me.109
An Appeal for Revelation
10:1 "I1 am weary2 of my life;
I will give free course3 to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
10:2 I will say to God, `Do not condemn4 me;
tell me5 why you are contending6 with me.'
10:3 Is it good for you7 to oppress,8
to9 despise the work of your hands,
while10 you smile11
on the schemes of the wicked?
Motivations of God
10:4 "Do you have eyes of flesh,12
or do you see13 as a human sees?14
10:5 Are your days like the days of a human,
or your years like the years15 of a human,
10:6 that16 you must search out17 my iniquity,
and inquire about my sin,
10:7 although you know18 that I am not guilty,
and that there is no one who can deliver19
out of your hand?
Contradictions in God's Dealings
10:8 "Your hands have shaped20 me and made me,
and21 afterward you destroy me utterly.22
10:9 Remember that you have made me as with23 the clay;
will24 you return me to dust?
10:10 Did you not pour25 me out like milk,
and curdle26 me like cheese?27
10:11 You clothed28 me with skin and flesh
and knit me together29 with bones and sinews.
10:12 You gave me30 life and favor,31
and your intervention32 watched over my spirit.
10:13 "But these things33 you have concealed in your heart;
I know that this34 is with you:35
10:14 If I sinned, then you would watch me
and you would not acquit me of my iniquity.
10:15 If I am guilty,36 woe37 to me,
and if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head;38
I am full of shame,39
and satiated with my affliction.40
10:16 If I lift myself up,41
you hunt me as a fierce lion,42
and again43 you display your power44 against me.
10:17 You bring new witnesses45 against me,
and increase your anger against me;
relief troops46 come against me.
An Appeal for Relief
10:18 "Why then did you bring me out from the womb?
I should have died47
and no eye would have seen me!
10:19 I should have been as though I had never existed;48
I should have been carried
from the womb to the grave!
10:20 Are not my days few?49
Cease,50 then, and leave51 me alone,52
that I may find a little comfort,53
10:21 before I depart and cannot return,54
even to the land of darkness
and the shadow of death,55
10:22 to the land of darkness,
like the deepest darkness,
and the shadow of death and disorder,56
where even the light57 is like darkness."58
Zophar's First Speech to Job59
11:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite spoke up and said:
11:2 "Should not this1 abundance of words be answered,2
or should this3 talkative man4
be vindicated?5
11:3 Will your idle talk6 reduce people to silence,7
and will no one rebuke8 you when you mock?9
11:4 For you have said, `My teaching10 is flawless,
and I am pure in your sight.'11
11:5 But O that God would speak,12
that he would open his lips against you,13
11:6 and reveal to you the secrets of wisdom,
for true wisdom has two sides,14
so that you would know15
that God has forgiven some of your sins.16
11:7 "Can you discover17 the essence18 of God?
Can you find out19
the perfection of the Almighty?20
11:8 It is higher21 than the heavens--what can you do?
It is deeper than Sheol22--what can you know?
11:9 Its measure is longer than the earth,
and broader than the sea.
11:10 If he comes by23 and confines24 you25
and convenes a court,26
then who can prevent27 him?
11:11 For he knows deceitful28 men;
when he sees evil, will he not29 consider it?30
11:12 But an empty man will become wise,
when a wild donkey colt is born a human being.31
11:13 "As for you,32 if you prove faithful,33
and if34 you stretch out your hands toward him,35
11:14 if36 iniquity is in your hand--put it far away,37
and do not let evil reside in your tents.
11:15 For38 then you will lift up your face
without39 blemish;40
you will be securely established41
and will not fear.
11:16 For you will forget your trouble;42
you will remember it
like water that43 has flowed away.
11:17 And life44 will be brighter45 than the noonday;
though there be darkness,46
it will be like the morning.
11:18 And you will be secure, because there is hope;
you will be protected47
and will take your rest in safety.
11:19 You will lie down with48 no one making you afraid,
and many will seek your favor.49
11:20 But the eyes of the wicked fail,50
and escape51 eludes them;
their hope52 is to breathe their last."53
Job's Reply to Zophar54
12:1 Then Job answered:
12:2 "Doubtless, you are the people,1
and wisdom will die with you.2
12:3 I also have understanding3 as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.4
Who does not know such things as these?5
12:4 I am6 a laughingstock7 to my friend,8
I, who called on God and whom he answered,9
--a righteous and blameless man
is a laughingstock!10
12:5 For calamity,11 there is derision
(according to the ideas of the fortunate12)--
a fate13 for those whose feet slip!
12:6 But14 the tents of robbers are peaceful,
and those who provoke God are confident15--
who carry their god in their hands.16
Knowledge of God's Wisdom
12:7 "But now, ask the animals and they17 will teach you,
or the birds of the air and they will tell you.
12:8 Or speak18 to the earth19 and it will teach you,
or let the fish of the sea declare to you.
12:9 Which of all these20 does not know
that the hand of the LORD21 has done22 this,23
12:10 in whose hand24 is the life25 of every creature
and the breath of all the human race.26
12:11 Does not the ear test words,
as27 the tongue28 tastes food?29
12:12 Is not wisdom found among the aged,30
does not life bring understanding?
12:13 "With God31 are wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his.32
12:14 If33 he tears down, it cannot be rebuilt;
if he shuts a person in, it cannot be opened.34
12:15 If he holds back the waters, then they dry up;35
if he releases them,36 they destroy37 the land.
12:16 With him are strength and prudence;38
both the one who goes astray39
and the one who misleads are his.
12:17 He40 leads41 counselors away stripped42
and makes fools43 of judges.44
12:18 He loosens45 the bonds46 of kings
and binds a loincloth47 around their waist.
12:19 He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows48 the potentates.49
12:20 He deprives the trusted advisors50 of speech51
and takes away the discernment52 of elders.
12:21 He pours contempt on noblemen
and disarms53 the mighty.54
12:22 He reveals the deep things of darkness,
and brings deep shadows55 into the light.56
12:23 He makes nations great,57 and destroys them;
he extends the boundaries of nations
and disperses58 them.59
12:24 He deprives the leaders of the earth60
of their understanding;61
he makes them wander
in a trackless desert waste.62
12:25 They grope about in darkness63 without light;
he makes them stagger64 like drunkards.
Job Pleads His Cause to God65
13:1 "Indeed, my eye has seen all this,1
my ear has heard and understood it.
13:2 What you know,2 I3 know also;
I am not inferior4 to you.
13:3 But I wish to speak5 to the Almighty,6
and I desire to argue7 my case8 with God.
13:4 But you, however, are inventors of lies;9
all of you are worthless physicians!10
13:5 O that you would keep completely silent!11
For you that would be wisdom.12
13:6 "Listen now to my rebuke,13
and be attentive to the arguments of my lips.
13:7 Will you speak wickedly14 on God's behalf?15
Will you speak deceitfully for him?
13:8 Will you show him partiality?16
Will you argue the case for God?
13:9 Would it turn out well if he would examine17 you?
Or as one deceives18 a man would you deceive him?
13:10 He would certainly rebuke19 you
if you secretly20 showed partiality.
13:11 Would not his splendor21 terrify22 you
and the fear he inspires23 fall on you?
13:12 Your maxims24 are proverbs of ashes;25
your defenses26 are defenses of clay.27
13:13 "Refrain from talking28 with me so that29 I may speak;
then let come upon me30 what may.31
13:14 Why32 do I put myself in jeopardy,33
and take my life in my hands?
13:15 If he slays me, I will hope in him;34
I will surely35 defend36 my ways to his face!
13:16 Moreover, this will become my deliverance,
for no godless person would come before him.37
13:17 Listen carefully38 to my words;
let your ears be attentive to my explanation.39
13:18 See now,40 I have prepared41 my42 case;43
I know that I am right.44
13:19 Who45 will contend with me?
If so, I will be silent and die.46
13:20 Only in two things spare me,47 O God,48
and then I will not hide from your face:
13:21 Remove49 your hand50 far from me
and stop making me afraid with your terror.51
13:22 Then call,52 and I will answer,
or I will speak, and you respond to me.
13:23 How many are my53 iniquities and sins?
Show me my transgression and my sin.54
13:24 Why do you hide your face55
and regard me as your enemy?
13:25 Do you wish to torment56 a windblown57 leaf
and chase after dry chaff?58
13:26 For you write down59 bitter things against me
and cause me to inherit the sins of my youth.60
13:27 And you put my feet in the stocks61
and you watch all my movements;62
you put marks63 on the soles of my feet.
13:28 So man64 wastes away like something rotten,65
like a garment eaten by moths.
The Brevity of Life
14:1 "Man, born of woman,1
lives but a few days,2 and full of trouble.3
14:2 He comes up4 like a flower and then withers away;5
he flees like a shadow, and does not remain.6
14:3 Do you open your eye7 on such a one?8
And do you bring me9 before you for judgment?
14:4 Who can make10 a clean thing come from an unclean?11
No one!
14:5 Since man's days12 are determined,13
the number of his months is under your control;14
you have set his limit15 and he cannot pass it.
14:6 Look away from him and let him desist,16
until he fulfills17 his time like a hired man.
The Inevitability of Death
14:7 "But there is hope for18 a tree:19
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.
14:8 Although its roots may grow old20 in the ground
and its stump begins to die21 in the soil,22
14:9 at the scent23 of water it will flourish24and put forth25 shoots like a new plant.
14:10 But man26 dies and is powerless;27
he expires--and where is he?28
14:11 As29 water disappears from the sea,30
or a river drains away and dries up,
14:12 so man lies down and does not rise;
until the heavens are no more,31
they32 will not awake
nor arise from their sleep.
The Possibility of Another Life
14:13 "O that33 you would hide me in Sheol,34
and conceal me till your anger has passed!35
O that you would set me a time36
and then remember me!37
14:14 If a man dies, will he live again?38
All the days of my hard service39 I will wait40
until my release comes.41
14:15 You will call42 and I43--I will answer you;
you will long for44 the creature you have made.45
The Present Condition46
14:16 "Surely now you count my steps;47
then you would not mark48 my sin.49
14:17 My offenses would be sealed up50 in a bag;51
you would cover over52 my sin.
14:18 But as53 a mountain falls away and crumbles,54
and as a rock will be removed from its place,
14:19 as water wears away stones,
and torrents55 wash away the soil,56
so you destroy man's hope.57
14:20 You overpower him once for all,58
and he departs;
you change59 his appearance
and send him away.
14:21 If60 his sons are honored,61
he does not know it;62
if they are brought low,
he does not see63 it.
14:22 Only his flesh has pain for himself,64
and he mourns for himself."65
Eliphaz's Second Speech66
15:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
15:2 "Does a wise man answer with blustery knowledge,1
or fill his belly2 with the east wind?3
15:3 Does he argue4 with useless5 talk,
with words that have no value in them?
15:4 But you even break off6 piety,7
and hinder8 meditation9 before God.
15:5 Your sin inspires10 your mouth;
you choose the language11 of the crafty.12
15:6 Your own mouth condemns13 you, not I;
your lips testify against14 you.
15:7 "Were you the first man ever born?
Were you brought forth before the hills?
15:8 Do you listen in God's council?15
Do you limit16 wisdom to yourself?
15:9 What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not understood by us?17
15:10 The gray-haired18 and the aged are on our side,19
men far older than your father.20
15:11 Are God's consolations21 too trivial for you;22
or a word spoken23 in gentleness to you?
15:12 Why24 has your heart carried you away,25
and why do your eyes flash,26
15:13 when you turn your rage27 against God
and allow such words to proceed28 from your mouth?
15:14 What is man that he should be pure,
or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
15:15 If God places no trust in his holy ones,29
if even the heavens30 are not pure in his eyes,
15:16 how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt,31
who drinks in evil like water!32
15:17 "I will explain to you; listen to me,
and what33 I have seen, I will declare,34
15:18 what wise men declare,
hiding nothing,
from the tradition of35 their ancestors,36
15:19 to whom alone the land was given
when no foreigner passed among them.37
15:20 All his days38 the wicked man suffers torment,39
throughout the number of the years
that40 are stored up for the tyrant.41
15:21 Terrifying sounds fill42 his ears;
in a time of peace marauders43 attack him.
15:22 He does not expect44 to escape from darkness;45
he is marked for the sword;46
15:23 he wanders about--food for vultures;47
he knows that the day of darkness is at hand.48
15:24 Distress and anguish49 terrify him;
they prevail against him
like a king ready for attack,50
15:25 for he stretches out his hand against God,51
and vaunts himself52 against the Almighty,
15:26 defiantly charging against him53
with a thick, strong shield!54
15:27 Because he covered his face with fat,55
and made56 his hips fat,57
15:28 he lived in ruined towns58
and in houses where59 no one lives,
where they are ready to crumble into heaps.60
15:29 He will not grow rich,
and his wealth will not endure,
nor will his possessions61 spread over the land.
15:30 He will not escape the darkness;62
a flame will wither his shoots
and he will depart
by the breath of God's mouth.63
15:31 Let him not trust in what is worthless,64
deceiving himself;
for worthlessness will be his reward.65
15:32 Before his time66 he will be paid in full,67
and his branches will not flourish.68
15:33 Like a vine he will let his sour grapes fall,69
and like an olive tree
he will shed his blossoms.70
15:34 For the company of the godless is barren,71
and fire72 consumes the tents of those who accept bribes.73
15:35 They conceive74 trouble and bring forth evil;
their belly75 prepares deception."
Job's Reply to Eliphaz76
16:1 Then Job replied:
16:2 "I have heard many things like these before.
Miserable comforters1 are you all!
16:3 Will2 there be an end to your windy words?3
Or what provokes4 you that you answer?5
16:4 I also could speak6 like you,
if7 you were in my place;
I could pile up8 words against you
and I could shake my head at you.9
16:5 But10 I would strengthen11 you with my words;12
comfort from my lips would bring13 you relief.
Abandonment by God and Man
16:6 "But14 if I speak, my pain is not assuaged,15
and if I refrain from speaking
--how16 much of it goes away?
16:7 Surely now he17 has worn me out,
you have devastated my entire household.
16:8 You have seized me,18
and it19 has become a witness;
my leanness20 has risen up against me
and testifies against me.
16:9 His21 anger has torn me22 and persecuted23 me;
he has gnashed at me with his teeth;
my adversary fastens24 his eyes against me.
16:10 People25 have opened their mouths against me,
they have struck my cheek in scorn;26
they unite27 together against me.
16:11 God abandons me to evil28 men,29
and throws30 me into the hands of wicked men.
16:12 I was in peace, and he has shattered me.31
He has seized me by the neck and crushed me.32
He has made me his target;
16:13 his archers33 surround me.
Without pity34 he pierces35 my kidneys
and pours out my gall36 on the ground.
16:14 He breaks through against me, time and time again;37
he rushes38 against me like a warrior.
16:15 I have sewed sackcloth on my skin,39
and buried40 my horn41 in the dust;
16:16 my face is reddened42 because of weeping,43
and on my eyelids there is a deep darkness,44
16:17 although45 there is no violence in my hands
and my prayer is pure.
An Appeal to God as Witness
16:18 "O earth, do not cover my blood,46
nor let there be a secret47 place for my cry.
16:19 Even now my witness48 is in heaven;
my advocate49 is on high.
16:20 My intercessor is my friend50
as my eyes pour out51 tears to God;
16:21 and52 he contends with God on behalf of man
as a man53 pleads54 for his friend.
16:22 For the years that lie ahead are few,55
and then I will go on the way of no return.56
17:1 My spirit is broken,1
my days have faded out,2
the grave3 awaits me.
17:2 Surely mockery4 is with me;5
my eyes must dwell on their hostility.6
17:3 Make then my pledge7 with you.
Who else will put up security for me?8
17:4 Because9 you have closed their10 minds to understanding,
therefore you will not exalt them.11
17:5 If a man denounces his friend for personal gain,
the eyes of his children will fail.12
17:6 He has made me13 a byword14 to people,
I am the one in whose face they spit.15
17:7 My eyes have grown dim16 with grief;
my whole frame17 is but a shadow.
17:8 Upright men are appalled18 at this;
the innocent man is troubled19
with the godless.20
17:9 But the righteous man holds to his way,
and the one with clean hands
grows stronger.21
Anticipation of Death
17:10 "But turn, all of you,22 and come23 now!24
I will not find a wise man among you.
17:11 My days have passed, my plans25 are shattered,
even26 the desires27 of my heart.
17:12 These men28 change29 night into day;
they say,30 `The light is near
in the face of darkness.'31
17:13 If32 I hope for the grave to be my home,
if I spread out my bed in darkness,
17:14 If I cry33 to corruption,34 `You are my father,'
and to the worm, `My Mother,' or `My sister,'
17:15 and where then35 is my hope?
And my hope,36 who sees it?
17:16 Will37 it38 go down to the bars39 of death?
Will40 we descend41 together into the dust?"
Bildad's Second Speech42
18:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
18:2 "How long until you1 make an end of words?2
You must consider,3 and then4 we can talk.
18:3 Why should we be regarded as beasts,
and considered stupid5 in your sight?
18:4 You who tear yourself6 to pieces in your anger,
will the earth be abandoned7 for your sake?
Or will a rock be moved from its place?8
18:5 "Yes,9 the lamp10 of the wicked is extinguished;
his flame of fire11 does not shine.
18:6 The light in his tent grows dark;
his lamp above him is extinguished.12
18:7 His vigorous steps13 are restricted,14
and his own counsel throws him down.15
18:8 For he has been thrown into a net by his feet16
and he wanders into a mesh.17
18:9 A snare18 seizes him by the heel;
a trap19 grips him.
18:10 A rope is hidden for him20 on the ground
and a trap for him21 lies on the path.
18:11 Terrors22 frighten him on all sides
and dog23 his every step.
18:12 Calamity is24 hungry for him,25
and misfortune is ready at his side.26
18:13 It eats away parts of his skin;27
the most terrible death28 devours his limbs.
18:14 He is dragged from the security of his tent,29
and marched off30 to the king31 of terrors.
18:15 Fire resides in his tent;32
over his residence burning sulfur is scattered.
18:16 Below his roots dry up,
and his branches wither above.
18:17 His memory perishes from the earth,
he has no name in the land.33
18:18 He is driven34 from light into darkness
and is banished from the world.
18:19 He has no children or descendants35 among his people,
no survivor in those places he once stayed.36
18:20 People of the west37 are appalled at his fate;38
people of the east are seized with horror,39 saying,40
18:21 `Surely such is the residence41 of an evil man;
and this is the place of one who has not known God.'"42
Job's Reply to Bildad43
19:1 Then Job answered:
19:2 "How long will you torment me1
and crush2 me with your words?3
19:3 These ten times4 you have been reproaching me;5
you are not ashamed to attack me!6
19:4 But even if it were7 true that I have erred,8
my error9 remains solely my concern!
19:5 If indeed10 you would exalt yourselves11 above me
and plead my disgrace against me,12
19:6 know13 then that God has wronged me14
and encircled15 me with his net.16
Job's Abandonment and Affliction
19:7 "If17 I cry out,18 `Violence!'19
I receive no answer;20
I cry for help,
but there is no justice.
19:8 He has blocked21 my way so I cannot pass,
and has set darkness22 over my paths.
19:9 He has stripped me of my honor
and has taken the crown off my head.23
19:10 He tears me down24 on every side until I perish;25
he uproots26 my hope27 like one uproots28 a tree.
19:11 His anger burns against me,
and he considers me among his enemies.29
19:12 His troops30 advance together;
they throw up31 a siege ramp against me,
and they camp around my tent.
Job's Forsaken State
19:13 "He has put my relatives32 far from me;
my acquaintances only33 turn away from me.
19:14 My kinsmen have failed me;
my friends34 have forgotten me.35
19:15 My guests36 and my servant girls
consider37 me a stranger;
I am a foreigner38 in their eyes.
19:16 I summon39 my servant, but he does not respond,
even though I implore him with my own mouth.
19:17 My breath is repulsive40 to my wife;
I am loathsome41 to my brothers.42
19:18 Even youngsters have scorned me;
when I get up,43 they scoff at me.44
19:19 All my closest friends45 detest me;
and those whom46 I love
have turned against me.47
19:20 My bones stick to my skin and my flesh;48
I have escaped49 alive50 with only the skin of my teeth.
19:21 Have pity on me, my friends, have pity on me,
for the hand of God has struck me.
19:22 Why do you pursue me like God does?51
Will you never be satiated with my flesh?52
Job's Assurance of Vindication
19:23 "O that53 my words were written down,
O that they were written on a scroll,54
19:24 that with an iron chisel and with lead55
they were engraved in a rock forever!
19:25 As for me, I know that my Redeemer56 lives,
and that as the last57
he will stand upon the earth.58
19:26 And after my skin has been destroyed,59
yet in my flesh60 I will see God,61
19:27 whom I will see for myself,62
and whom my own eyes will behold,
and not another.63
My heart64 grows faint within me.65
19:28 If you say, `How we will pursue him,
since the root of the trouble is found in him!'66
19:29 Fear the sword yourselves,
for wrath67 brings the punishment68 by the sword,
so that you may know
that there is judgment."69
Zophar's Second Speech70
20:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:
20:2 "This is why1 my troubled thoughts bring me back2
--because of my feelings3 within me.
20:3 When4 I hear a reproof that dishonors5 me,
then my understanding6
prompts me to answer.7
20:4 "Surely you know8 that it has been from old,
ever since mankind was placed9 on the earth,
20:5 that the elation of the wicked is brief,10
the joy of the godless11
lasts but for a moment.12
20:6 Even though his stature13 reaches to the heavens
and his head touches the clouds,
20:7 he will perish forever, like his own excrement;14
those who used to see him will say, `Where is he?'
20:8 Like a dream he flies away, never again to be found,15
and like a vision of the night he is put to flight.
20:9 People16 who had seen him will not see him again,
and the place where he was
will recognize him no longer.
20:10 His sons must recompense17 the poor;
his own hands18 must return his wealth.
20:11 His bones19 were full of his youthful vigor,20
but it will lie down with him in the dust.
20:12 "If21 evil is sweet in his mouth
and he hides it under his tongue,22
20:13 if he retains it for himself
and does not let it go,
and holds it fast in his mouth,23
20:14 his food is turned sour24 in his stomach;25
it becomes the venom of serpents26 within him.
20:15 The wealth that he consumed27 he vomits up,
God will make him throw it out28 of his belly.
20:16 He sucks the poison29 of serpents;30
the fangs of a viper31 kill him.
20:17 He will not look on the streams,32
the rivers, which are the torrents33
of honey and butter.34
20:18 He gives back the ill-gotten gain35
without assimilating it;36
he will not enjoy the wealth from his exchange.37
20:19 For he has oppressed the poor and abandoned them;38
he has seized a house which he did not build.39
20:20 For he knows no satisfaction in his appetite;40
he does not let anything he desires41escape.42
20:21 "Nothing is left for him to devour;43
that is why his prosperity does not last.44
20:22 In the fullness of his sufficiency,45
distress46 overtakes him.
the full force of misery will come upon him.47
20:23 "While he is48 filling his belly,
God49 sends his burning anger50 against him,
and rains down his blows upon him.51
20:24 If he flees from an iron weapon,
then an arrow52 from a bronze bow pierces him.
20:25 When he pulls it out53 and it comes out of his back,
the gleaming point54 out of his liver,
terrors come over him.
20:26 Total darkness waits to receive his treasures;55
a fire which has not been kindled56
will consume him
and devour what is left in his tent.
20:27 The heavens reveal his iniquity;
the earth rises up against him.
20:28 A flood will carry off his house,
rushing waters on the day of God's wrath.
20:29 Such is the lot God allots the wicked,
and the heritage of his appointment57 from God."
Job's Reply to Zophar58
21:1 Then Job answered:
21:2 "Listen carefully1 to my words;
let this be2 the consolation you offer me.3
21:3 Bear with me4 and I5 will speak,
and after I have spoken6 you may mock.7
21:4 Is my8 complaint against a man?9
If so,10 why should I not be impatient?11
21:5 Look12 at me and be appalled;
put your hands over your mouths.13
21:6 For, when I think14 about this, I am terrified15
and my body feels a shudder.16
The Wicked Prosper
21:7 "Why do the wicked go on living,17
grow old,18 even increase in power?
21:8 Their children19 are firmly established
in their presence,20
their offspring before their eyes.
21:9 Their houses are safe21 and without fear;22
and no rod of punishment23 from God is upon them.24
21:10 Their bulls25 breed26 without fail;27
their cows calve and do not miscarry.
21:11 They allow their children to run28 like a flock;
their little ones dance about.29
21:12 They sing30 to the accompaniment of tambourine and harp,
and make merry to the sound of the flute.
21:13 They live out31 their years in prosperity
and go down32 to the grave33 in peace.
21:14 So they say to God, `Turn away from us!
We do not want to34 know your ways.35
21:15 Who is the Almighty, that36 we should serve him?
What would we gain
if we were to pray37 to him?'38
21:16 But their prosperity is not their own doing.39
The counsel of the wicked is far from me!40
How Often Do the Wicked Suffer?
21:17 "How often41 is the lamp of the wicked extinguished?
How often does their42 misfortune come upon them?
How often does God apportion pain43 to them44 in his anger?
21:18 How often45 are they like straw before the wind,
and like chaff swept away46 by a whirlwind?
21:19 You may say,47 `God stores up a man's48 punishment for his children!'49
Instead let him repay50 the man himself51
so that52 he may know it!
21:20 Let his own eyes see his destruction;53
let him drink of the anger of the Almighty.
21:21 For what is his interest54 in his home
after his death,55
when the number of his months
has been broken off?56
21:22 Can anyone teach57 God knowledge,
since58 he judges those that are on high?59
Death Levels Everything
21:23 "One man dies in his full vigor,60
completely secure and prosperous,
21:24 his body61 well nourished,62
and the marrow of his bones moist.63
21:25 And another man64 dies in bitterness of soul,65
never having tasted66 anything good.
21:26 Together they lie down in the dust,
and worms cover over them both.
Futile Words, Deceptive Answers
21:27 "Yes, I know what you are thinking,67
the schemes68 by which you would wrong me.69
21:28 For you say,
`Where now is the nobleman's house,70
and where are the tents in which the wicked lived?'71
21:29 Have you never questioned those who travel the roads?
Do you not recognize their accounts72--
21:30 that the evil man is spared
from the day of his misfortune,
that he is delivered73
from the day of misfortune?
21:31 No one denounces his conduct to his face;
no one repays him for what74 he has done.75
21:32 And when he is carried to the tombs,
and watch is kept76 over the funeral mound,77
21:33 The clods of the torrent valley78 are sweet to him;
behind him everybody follows in procession,
and before him goes a countless throng.
21:34 So how can you console me with your futile words?
Nothing is left of your answers but deception!"79
Eliphaz's Third Speech80
22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
22:2 "Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?
Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable?1
22:3 Is it of any special benefit2 to the Almighty
that you should be righteous,
or is it any gain to him
that you make your ways blameless?3
22:4 Is it because of your piety4 that he rebukes you
and goes to judgment with you?5
22:5 Is not your wickedness great
and is there no end to your iniquity?6
22:6 "For you took pledges7 from your brothers
for no reason,
and you stripped the clothing from the naked.8
22:7 You gave the weary9 no water to drink
and from the hungry you withheld food.
22:8 Although you were a powerful man,10 owning land,11
an honored man12 living on it,13
22:9 you sent widows away empty-handed,
and the arms14 of the orphans are crushed.15
22:10 That is why snares surround you,
and why sudden fear terrifies you,
22:11 why it is so dark you cannot see,16
and why a flood17 of water covers you.
22:12 "Is not God on high in heaven?18
And see19 the lofty stars,20 how high they are!
22:13 But you have said, `What does God know?
Does he judge through such deep darkness?21
22:14 Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us,
as he goes back and forth
in the vault22 of heaven.'23
22:15 Will you keep to the old path24
that evil men have walked--
22:16 men25 who were carried off26 before their time,27
when the flood28 was poured out29
on their foundations?30
22:17 They were saying to God, `Turn away from us,'
and `What can the Almighty do to us?'31
22:18 But it was he32 who filled their houses
with good things--
yet the counsel of the wicked33
was far from me.34
22:19 The righteous see their destruction35 and rejoice;
the innocent mock them scornfully,36 saying,
22:20 `Surely our enemies37 are destroyed,
and fire consumes their wealth.'
22:21 "Reconcile yourself38 with God,39
and be at peace40 with him;
in this way your prosperity will be good.
22:22 Accept instruction from his mouth
and store up his words41 in your heart.
22:23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;42
if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent,
22:24 and throw43 your gold44 in the dust--
your gold45 of Ophir
among the rocks in the ravines--
22:25 then the Almighty himself will be your gold,46
and the choicest47 silver for you.
22:26 Surely then you will delight yourself48 in the Almighty,
and will lift up your face toward God.
22:27 You will pray to him and he will hear you,
and you will fulfill your vows to him.49
22:28 Whatever you decide50 on a matter,
it will be established for you,
and light will shine on your ways.
22:29 When people are brought low51 and you say
`Lift them up!'52
then he will save the downcast;53
22:30 he will deliver even someone who is not innocent,54
who will escape55 through the cleanness of your hands."
Job's Reply to Eliphaz56
23:1 Then Job answered:
23:2 "Even today my complaint is still bitter;1
his2 hand is heavy despite3 my groaning.
23:3 O that I knew4 where I might find him,5
that I could come6 to his place of residence!7
23:4 I would lay out my case8 before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
23:5 I would know with what words9 he would answer me,
and understand what he would say to me.
23:6 Would he contend10 with me with great power?
No, he would only pay attention to me.11
23:7 There12 an upright person
could present his case13 before him,
and I would be delivered forever from my judge.
The Inaccessibility and Power of God
23:8 "If I go to the east, he is not there,
and to the west, yet I do not perceive him.
23:9 In the north14 when he is at work,15
I do not see him;16
when he turns17 to the south,
I see no trace of him.
23:10 But he knows the pathway that I take;18
if he tested me, I would come forth like gold.19
23:11 My feet20 have followed21 his steps closely;
I have kept to his way and have not turned aside.22
23:12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth
in my heart.23
23:13 But he is unchangeable,24 and who can change25 him?
Whatever he26 has desired, he does.
23:14 For he fulfills his decree against me,27
and many such things are his plans.28
23:15 That is why I am terrified in his presence;
when I consider, I am afraid because of him.
23:16 Indeed, God has made my heart faint;29
the Almighty has terrified me.
23:17 Yet I have not been silent because of the darkness,
because of the thick darkness
that covered my face.30
The Apparent Indifference of God
24:1 "Why are times not appointed by1 the Almighty?2
Why do those who know him not see his days?
24:2 Men3 move boundary stones;
they seize the flock and pasture them.4
24:3 They drive away the orphan's donkey;
they take the widow's ox as a pledge.
24:4 They turn the needy from the pathway,
and the poor of the land hide themselves together.5
24:5 Like6 wild donkeys in the desert
they7 go out to their labor,8
seeking diligently for food;
the wasteland provides9 food for them
and for their children.
24:6 They reap fodder10 in the field,
and glean11 in the vineyard of the wicked.
24:7 They spend the night naked because they lack clothing;
they have no covering against the cold.
24:8 They are soaked by mountain rains
and huddle12 in the rocks because they lack shelter.
24:9 The fatherless child is snatched13 from the breast,14
the infant of the poor is taken as a pledge.15
24:10 They go about naked, without clothes,
and go hungry while they carry the sheaves.16
24:11 They press out the oil among the olive rows;17
they tread the winepresses while they are thirsty.18
24:12 From the city the dying19 groan,
and the wounded20 cry out for help,
but God charges no one with wrongdoing.21
24:13 There are those22 who rebel against the light;
they do not know its ways
and they do not stay on its paths.
24:14 Before daybreak23 the murderer rises up;
he kills the poor and the needy;
in the night he is24 like a thief.25
24:15 And the eye of the adulterer watches for the twilight,
thinking,26 `No eye can see me,'
and covers his face with a mask.
24:16 In the dark the robber27 breaks into houses,28
but by day they shut themselves in;29
they do not know the light.30
24:17 For all of them,31 the morning is to them
like deep darkness;
they are friends with the terrors of darkness.
24:1832 "You say,33 `He is foam34 on the face of the waters;35
their portion of the land is cursed
so that no one goes to their vineyard.36
24:19 The drought as well as the heat carry away
the melted snow;37
so the grave38 takes away those who have sinned.39
24:20 The womb40 forgets him,
the worm feasts on him,
no longer will he be remembered.
Like a tree, wickedness will be broken down.
24:21 He preys on41 the barren and childless woman,42
and does not treat the widow well.
24:22 But God43 drags off the mighty by his power;
when God44 rises up against him, he has no faith in his life.45
24:23 God46 may let them rest in a feeling of security,47
but his eyes are on all their ways.48
24:24 They are exalted for a little while,
and then they are gone,49
they are brought low50 like all others,
and gathered in,51
and like a head of grain they are cut off.'52
24:25 "If this is not so, who can prove me a liar
and reduce my words to nothing?"53
Bildad's Third Speech54
25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
25:2 "Dominion1 and awesome might2 belong to3 God;
he establishes peace in his heights.4
25:3 Can his armies be numbered?5
On whom does his light6 not rise?
25:4 How then can a human being be righteous before God?
How can one born of a woman be pure?7
25:5 If even the moon is not bright,8
and the stars are not pure as far as he is concerned,9
25:6 how much less a mortal man, who is but a maggot--10
a son of man, who is only a worm!"
Job's Reply to Bildad11
26:1 Then Job replied:
26:2 "How you have helped1 the powerless!2
How you have saved the person who has no strength!3
26:3 How you have advised the one without wisdom,
and abundantly4 revealed your insight!
26:4 To whom5 did you utter these words?
And whose spirit has come forth6 from your mouth?
A Better Description of God's Greatness7
26:5 "The dead8 tremble9--
those beneath the waters
and all that live in them.10
26:6 The underworld11 is naked before God;12
the place of destruction lies uncovered.13
26:7 He spreads out the northern skies14 over empty space;15
he suspends the earth on nothing.16
26:8 He locks the waters in his clouds,
and the clouds do not burst with the weight of them.
26:9 He conceals17 the face of the full moon,18
shrouding it with his clouds.
26:10 He marks out the horizon19 on the surface of the waters
as a boundary between light and darkness.
26:11 The pillars20 of the heavens tremble
and are amazed at his rebuke.21
26:12 By his power he stills22 the sea;
by his wisdom he cut the great sea monster23 to pieces.24
26:13 By his breath25 the skies became fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.26
26:14 Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways!27
How faint is the whisper28 we hear of him!
But who can understand the thunder of his power?"
A Protest of Innocence
27:1 And Job took up his discourse again:1
27:2 "As surely as God lives,2 who has denied me justice,3
the Almighty, who has made my life bitter4--
27:3 for while5 my spirit6 is still in me,
and the breath from God is in my nostrils,
27:4 my7 lips will not speak wickedness,
and my tongue will whisper8 no deceit.
27:5 I will never9 declare that you are in the right;
until I die, I will not set aside my integrity!
27:6 I will maintain my righteousness
and never let it go;
my conscience10 will not reproach me
for as long as I live.11
The Condition of the Wicked
27:7 "May my enemy be like the wicked,12
my adversary13 like the unrighteous.14
27:8 For what hope does the godless have when he is cut off,15
when God takes away his life?16
27:9 Does God listen to his cry
when distress overtakes him?
27:10 Will he find delight in the Almighty?
Will he call out to God at all times?
27:11 I will teach you17 about the power18 of God;
What is on Shaddai's mind19 I will not conceal.
27:12 If you yourselves have all seen this,
Why in the world20 do you continue this meaningless talk?21
27:13 This is the portion of the wicked man
allotted by God,22
the inheritance that evildoers receive
from the Almighty.
27:14 If his children increase--it is for the sword!23
His offspring never have enough to eat.24
27:15 Those who survive him are buried by the plague,25
and their26 widows do not mourn for them.
27:16 If he piles up silver like dust
and store up clothing like mounds of clay,
27:17 what he stores up27 a righteous man will wear,
and an innocent man will inherit his silver.
27:18 The house he builds is as fragile as a moth's cocoon,28
like a hut29 that a watchman has made.
27:19 He goes to bed wealthy, but will do so no more.30
when he opens his eyes, it is all gone.31
27:20 Terrors overwhelm him like a flood;32
at night a whirlwind carries him off.
27:21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;
it sweeps him out of his place.
27:22 It hurls itself against him without pity33
as he flees headlong from its power.
27:23 It claps34 its hands at him in derision
and hisses him away from his place.
III. Job's Search for Wisdom (28:1-28)
No Known Road to Wisdom35
28:1 "Surely1 there is a mine2 for silver,
and a place where gold is refined.3
28:2 Iron is taken from the ground,4
and rock is poured out5 as copper.
28:3 Man puts an end to the darkness;6
he searches the farthest recesses
for the ore in the deepest darkness.7
28:4 Far from where people live8 he sinks a shaft,
in places travelers have long forgotten,9
far from other people he dangles and sways.10
28:5 The earth, from which food comes,
is overturned below as though by fire;11
28:6 a place whose stones are sapphires12
and which contains dust of gold;13
28:7 a hidden path14 no bird of prey knows--
no falcon's15 eye has spotted it.
28:8 Proud beasts16 have not set foot on it,
and no lion17 has passed along it.
28:9 On the flinty rock man has set to work18 with his hand;
he has overturned mountains at their bases.19
28:10 He has cut out channels20 through the rocks;
his eyes have spotted21 every precious thing.
28:11 He has searched22 the sources23 of the rivers
and what was hidden he has brought into the light.
No Price Can Buy Wisdom
28:12 "But wisdom--where can it be found?
Where is the place of understanding?
28:13 Mankind does not know its place;24
it cannot be found in the land of the living.
28:14 The deep25 says, `It is not with26 me.'
And the sea says, `It is not with me.'
28:15 Fine gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
28:16 It cannot be measured out for purchase27 with the gold of Ophir,
with precious onyx28 or sapphires.
28:17 Neither gold nor crystal29 can be compared with it,
nor can a vase30 of gold match its worth.
28:18 Of coral and jasper no mention will be made;
the price31 of wisdom is more than pearls.32
28:19 The topaz of Cush33 cannot be compared with it;
it cannot be purchased with pure gold.
God Alone Has Wisdom
28:20 "But wisdom--from where does it come?34
Where is the place of understanding?
28:21 For35 it has been hidden
from the eyes of every living creature,
and from the birds of the sky it has been concealed.
28:22 Destruction36 and Death say,
`With our ears we have heard a rumor about where it can be found.'37
28:23 God understands the way to it,
and he alone knows its place.
28:24 For he looks to the ends of the earth
and observes everything under the heavens.
28:25 When he made38 the force of the wind
and measured39 the waters with a gauge.
28:26 When he imposed a limit40 for the rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,41
28:27 then he looked at wisdom42 and assessed its value;43
he established44 it and examined it closely.45
28:28 And he said to mankind,
`The fear of the LORD--that is wisdom,
and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"46
IV. Job's Concluding Soliloquy (29:1-31:40)
Job Recalls His Former Condition47
29:1 Then Job continued1 his speech:
29:2 "O that I could be2 as3 I was
in the months now gone,4
in the days5 when God watched6 over me,
29:3 when7 he caused8 his lamp9
to shine upon my head,
and by his light
I walked10 through darkness;11
29:4 just as I was in my productive time,12
when God's intimate friendship13 was experienced in my tent,
29:5 when the Almighty14 was still with me
and my children were15 around me;
29:6 when my steps16 were bathed17 with butter18
and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil!19
29:7 When I went out to the city gate
and secured my seat in the public square,20
29:8 the young men would see me and step aside,21
and the old men would get up and remain standing;
29:9 the chief men restrained from talking
and covered their mouths with their hands;
29:10 the voices of the nobles fell silent,22
and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
Job's Benevolence
29:11 "As soon as the ear heard these things,23 it blessed me,24
and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me,
29:12 for I rescued the poor who cried out for help,
and the orphan who25 had no one to assist him;
29:13 the blessing of the dying man descended on me,26
and I made the widow's heart rejoice;27
29:14 I put on righteousness and it clothed me,28
my just dealing29 was like a robe and a turban;
29:15 I was eyes for the blind
and feet for the lame;
29:16 I was a father30 to the needy,
and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;
29:17 I broke the fangs31 of the wicked,
and made him drop32 his prey from his teeth.
Job's Confidence
29:18 "Then I thought, `I will die in my own home,33
my days as numerous as the grains of sand.34
29:19 My roots reach the water,
and the dew lies on my branches all night long.
29:20 My glory35 will always be fresh36 in me,
and my bow ever new in my hand.'
Job's Reputation
29:21 "People37 listened to me and waited silently;38
they kept silent for my advice.
29:22 After I had spoken, they did not respond;
my words fell on them drop by drop.39
29:23 They waited for me as people wait40 for the rain,
and they opened their mouths41
as for42 the spring rains.
29:24 If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it;43
and they did not cause the light of my face to darken.44
29:25 I chose45 the way for them46
and sat as their chief;47
I lived like a king among his troops;
I was like one who comforts mourners.48
Job's Present Misery
30:1 "But now they mock me, those who are younger1 than I,
whose fathers I disdained too much2
to put with my sheep dogs.3
30:2 Moreover, the strength of their4 hands--
what use was it to me?
Men whose strength5 had perished;
30:3 gaunt6 with want and hunger,
they would gnaw7 the parched land,
in former time desolate and waste.8
30:4 By the brush they would gather9 herbs from the salt marshes,10
and the root of the broom tree was their bread.
30:5 They were banished from the community11--
people12 shouted at them
like they would at thieves13--
30:6 so that they had to live14
in the dry stream beds,15
in the holes of the ground, and among the rocks.
30:7 They brayed16 like animals among the bushes
and were huddled together17 under the nettles.
30:8 Sons of senseless and nameless people,18
they were driven out of the land with whips.
Job's Indignities
30:9 "And now I have become their taunt song;
I have become a byword19 among them.
30:10 They detest me and maintain their distance;20
they do not hesitate to spit in my face.
30:11 Because God has untied21 my tent cord and afflicted me,
people throw off all restraint in my presence.22
30:12 On my right the young rabble23 rise up;
they drive me from place to place,24
and build up siege ramps against me.25
30:13 They destroy26 my path;
they succeed in destroying me27
without anyone helping28 them.
30:14 They come in as through a wide breach;
amid the crash29 they come rolling in.30
30:15 Terrors are turned loose31 on me;
they drive away32 my honor like the wind,
and like a cloud my deliverance has passed away.
Job's Despondency
30:16 "And now my soul pours itself out within me;33
days of suffering take hold of me.
30:17 Night pierces34 my bones;35
my gnawing pains36 never cease.
30:18 With great power God37 grasps my clothing;38
he binds me like the collar39 of my tunic.
30:19 He has flung me into the mud,
and I have come to resemble dust and ashes.
30:20 I cry out to you,40 but you do not answer me;
I stand up,41 and you only look at me.42
30:21 You have become cruel to me;43
with the strength of your hand you attack me.44
30:22 You pick me up on the wind and make me ride on it;45
you toss me about46 in the storm.47
30:23 I know that you are bringing48 me to death,
to the meeting place for all the living.
The Contrast With the Past
30:24 "Surely one does not stretch out his hand
against a broken man49
when he cries for help in his distress.50
30:25 Have I not wept for the unfortunate?51
Was not my soul grieved for the poor?
30:26 But when I hoped for good, trouble came;
when I expected light, then darkness came.
30:27 My heart52 is in turmoil53 unceasingly;54
the days of my affliction confront me.
30:28 I go about blackened,55 but not by the sun;
in the assembly I stand up and cry for help.
30:29 I have become a brother to jackals
and a companion of ostriches.56
30:30 My skin has turned dark on me;57
my body58 is hot with fever.59
30:31 My harp is used for60 mourning
and my flute for the sound of weeping.
Job Vindicates Himself
31:1 "I made a covenant with1 my eyes;
how then could I pay attention to a virgin?2
31:2 What then would be one's lot from God above,
one's heritage from the Almighty3 on high?
31:3 Is it not misfortune for the unjust,
and disaster for those who work iniquity?
31:4 Does he not see my ways
and count all my steps?
31:5 If4 I have walked in falsehood,
and if5 my foot has hastened6 to deceit--
31:6 let him7 weigh me with honest8 scales;
then God will discover9 my integrity.
31:7 If my footsteps have strayed from the way,
if my heart has gone after my eyes,10
or if anything11 has defiled my hands,
31:8 then let me sow12 and let another eat,
and let my crops13 be uprooted.
31:9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
and I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door,14
31:10 then let my wife turn the millstone15 for another man,
and may other men have sexual relations with her.16
31:11 For I would have committed17 a shameful act,18
an iniquity to be judged.19
31:12 For it is a fire that devours even to Destruction,20
and it would uproot21 all my harvest.
31:13 "If I have disregarded the right of my male servant
or my female servants
when they disputed22 with me,
31:14 then what will I do when God confronts me in judgment;23
when he intervenes,24
how will I respond to him?
31:15 Did not the one who made me in the womb make them?25
Did not the same one form us in the womb?
31:16 If I have refused to give the poor what they desired,26
or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
31:17 If I ate my morsel of bread myself,
and did not share any of it with orphans--
31:18 but from my youth27 I raised the orphan28 like a father,
and from my mother's womb29
I guided the widow.30
31:19 If I have seen anyone about to perish for lack of clothing,
or a poor man without a coat,
31:20 whose heart did not bless me31
as he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep,32
31:21 if I have raised my hand33 to vote against the orphan,
when I saw my support in the court,34
31:22 then35 let my arm fall from the shoulder,36
let my arm be broken off at the socket.37
31:23 For the calamity from God was a terror to me,38
and by reason of his majesty39 I was powerless.
31:24 "If I have put my confidence in gold
or said to pure gold,
`You are my security!'
31:25 if I have rejoiced because of the extent of my wealth,
or because of the great wealth my hand had gained,
31:26 if I looked at the sun40 when it was shining,
and the moon advancing as a precious thing,
31:27 so that my heart was secretly enticed,
and my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth,41
31:28 then this42 also would be iniquity to be judged,43
for I would have been false44 to God above.
31:29 If45 I have rejoiced over the misfortune
of my enemy46
or exulted47
because calamity48 found him--
31:30 I49 have not even permitted my mouth50 to sin
by asking51 for his life through a curse--
31:31 if52 the members of my household53 have never said,54
`O that there were55 someone
who has not been satisfied from Job's56 meat!'--
31:32 But57 no stranger had to spend the night outside,
for I opened my doors to the traveler58--
31:33 if59 I have covered my transgressions as men do,60
by hiding61iniquity in my heart,62
31:34 because I was terrified63 of the great multitude,64
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I remained silent
and would not go outdoors--65
Job's Appeal
31:35 "If only I had66 someone to hear me!
Here is my signature--67
let the Almighty answer me!
If only I had an indictment68
that my accuser had written.69
31:36 Surely70 I would wear it proudly71 on my shoulder,
I would bind72 it on me like a crown;
31:37 I would give him an accounting of my steps;
like a prince I would approach him.
Job's Final Solemn Oath73
31:38 "If my land cried out against me74
and all its furrows wept together,
31:39 if I have eaten its produce without paying,75
or caused the death76 of its owners,77
31:40 then let thorns sprout up in place of wheat,
and in place of barley, weeds!"78
The words of Job have ended.
V. The Speeches of Elihu (32:1-37:24)
Elihu's First Speech79
32:1So these three men refused to answer1 Job further, because he was righteous in his2 own eyes. 32:2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry.3 He was angry4 with Job for justifying5 himself rather than God.6 32:3 With Job's7 three friends he was also angry, because they could not find8 an answer, and so declared Job guilty.9 32:4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking10 to Job, because the others11 were older than he. 32:5 But when Elihu saw12 that the three men had no further reply,13 he became very angry.
Elihu Claims Wisdom
32:6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up:14
"I am young,15 but you are elderly;
that is why I was fearful,16
and afraid to explain17 to you what I know.
32:7 I said to myself, `Age18 should speak,19
and length of years20 should make wisdom known.'
32:8 But it is a spirit21 in people,
the breath22 of the Almighty,
that makes them understand.
32:9 It is not the aged23 who are wise,
nor old men who understand what is right.
32:10 Therefore I say, `Listen24 to me.
I, even I, will explain what I know.'
32:11 Look, I waited for you to speak;25
I listened closely to your wise thoughts,26while you were searching for words.
32:12 Now I was giving you close attention,27
yet28 there was no one proving Job wrong,29
not one of you was answering his statements!
32:13 So do not say,30 `We have found wisdom!
God will refute31 him, not man!'
32:14 Job32 has not directed33 his words to me,
and so I will not reply to him with your arguments.34
Job's Friends Failed to Answer35
32:15 "They are dismayed36 and cannot answer any more;
they have nothing left to say.37
32:16 And I have waited.38 But because they do not speak,
because they stand there and answer no more,
32:17 I too will answer my part,
I too will explain what I know.
32:18 For I am full of words,
and the spirit within me constrains me.39
32:19 Inside I am like wine which has no outlet,40
like new wineskins41 ready to burst!
32:20 I will speak,42 so that I may find relief;
I will open my lips, so that I may answer.
32:21 I will not show partiality to anyone,43
nor will I confer a title44 on any man.
32:22 for I do not know how to give honorary titles,45
if I did,46 my Creator would quickly do away with me.47
Elihu Invites Job's Attention
33:1 "But now, O Job, listen to my words,
and hear1 everything I have to say!2
33:2 See now, I have opened3 my mouth;
my tongue in my mouth has spoken.4
33:3 My words come from the uprightness of my heart,5
and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely.6
33:4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.7
33:5 Reply to me, if you can;
set your arguments8 in order before me
and take your stand!
33:6 Look, I am just like you in relation to God;
I too have been molded9 from clay.
33:7 Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,
nor should my pressure10 be heavy on you.11
Elihu Rejects Job's Plea of Innocence
33:8 "Indeed, you have said in my hearing12
(I heard the sound of the words!):
33:913 `I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean14 and have no iniquity.
33:1015 Yet God16 finds occasions17 with me;
he regards me as his enemy!
33:1118 He puts in my feet in shackles;
he watches closely all my paths.'
33:12 Now in this, you are not right--I answer you,19
for God is greater than a human being.20
33:13 Why do you contend against him,
that he does not answer all a person's21 words?
Elihu Disagrees With Job's View of God
33:14 "For God speaks, the first time in one way,
the second time in another,
though a person does not perceive22 it.
33:15 In a dream, a night vision,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they sleep in their beds.
33:16 Then he gives a revelation23 to people,
and terrifies them with warnings,24
33:17 to turn a person from his sin,25
and to cover a person's pride.26
33:18 He spares a person's life from corruption,27
his very life from crossing over28 the river.
33:19 Or a person is chastened29 by pain on his bed,
and with the continual strife of his bones,30
33:20 so that his life loathes food,
and his soul rejects appetizing food.31
33:21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
and his bones, which were not seen,
are easily visible.32
33:22 He33 draws near to the place of corruption,
and his life to the messengers of death.34
33:23 If there is an angel beside him,
one mediator35 out of a thousand,
to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness;36
33:24 and if37 God38 is gracious to him and says,
`Spare39 him from going down
to the place of corruption,
I have found a ransom for him,'
33:25 then his flesh is restored40 like a youth's;
he returns to the days of his youthful vigor.41
33:26 He entreats God, and God42 delights in him,
he sees God's face43 with rejoicing,
and God44 restores to him his righteousness.45
33:27 That person sings46 to others,47 saying:
`I have sinned and falsified what is right,
but I was not punished according to what I deserved.48
33:28 He redeemed my life
from going down to the place of corruption,
and my life sees the light!'
Elihu's Appeal to Job49
33:29 "Indeed, God does all these things,
twice, three times, in his dealings50 with a person,
33:30 to turn back his life from the place of corruption,
that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
33:31 Pay attention, Job--listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
33:32 If you have any words,51 reply to me;
speak, for I want to justify you.52
33:33 If not, you listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."
Elihu's Second Speech53
34:1 Elihu answered:
34:2 "Listen to my words, you wise men;
hear1 me, you learned men.2
34:3 For the ear assesses3 words
as the mouth4 tastes food.
34:4 Let us evaluate5 for ourselves what is right;6
let us come to know among ourselves what is good.
34:5 For Job says, `I am innocent,7
but God turns away my right.
34:6 Concerning my right, should I lie?8
My wound9 is incurable,
although I am without transgression.'10
34:7 What man is like Job,
who11 drinks derision12 like water!
34:8 He goes about13 in company14 with evildoers,
he goes along15 with wicked men.16
34:9 For he says, `It does not profit a man
when he makes his delight with God.'17
God is Not Unjust
34:10 "Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.18
Far be it from19 God to do wickedness,
from the Almighty to do evil.
34:11 For he repays a person for his work,20
and according to the conduct of a person,
he causes the consequences to find him.21
34:12 Indeed, in truth, God does not act wickedly,
and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
34:13 Who entrusted22 to him the earth?
And who put him over23 the whole world?
34:14 If God24 were to set his heart on it,25
and gather in his spirit and his breath,
34:15 all flesh would perish together
and human beings would return to dust.
God Is Impartial and Omniscient
34:16 "If you have26 understanding, listen to this,
hear what I have to say.27
34:17 Do you really think28
that one who hates justice can govern?29
And will you declare guilty
the supremely righteous30 One,
34:18 who says to a king,31 `Worthless man'32
and to nobles, `Wicked men,'
34:19 who shows no partiality to princes,
and does not take note of33 the rich more than the poor,
because all of them are the work of his hands?
34:20 In a moment they die, in the middle of the night,34
people35 are shaken36 and they pass away.
The mighty are removed effortlessly.37
34:21 For his eyes are on the ways of people,
he observes all a person's38 steps.
34:22 There is no darkness, and no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide themselves.39
34:23 For he does not still consider a person,40
that he should come before God in judgment.
34:24 He shatters the great without inquiry,41
and sets up others in their place.
34:25 Therefore, he knows their deeds,
he overthrows them42 in the night43
and they are crushed.
34:26 He strikes them for their wickedness,44
in a place where people can see,45
34:27 because they have turned away from following him,
and have not understood46 any of his ways,
34:28 so that they caused47 the cry of the poor
to come before him,
so that he hears48 the cry of the needy.
34:29 But if God49 is quiet, who can condemn50 him?
If he hides his face, then who can see him?
Yet51 he is over the individual and the nation alike,52
34:30 so that the godless man should not rule,
and not lay snares for the people.53
Job Is Foolish to Rebel
34:31 "Has anyone said to God,
`I have endured chastisement,54
but I will not act wrongly any more.
34:32 Teach me what I cannot see.55
If I have done evil, I will do so no more.'
34:33 Is it your opinion56 that God57 should recompense it,
because you reject this?58
But you must choose, and not I,
so tell us what you know.
34:34 Men of understanding say to me,
any wise man listening to me says,
34:35 Job speaks without knowledge
and his words are without understanding.59
34:36 But60 Job will be tested to the end,
because his answers are like those of wicked men.
34:37 For he adds transgression61 to his sin;
in our midst he claps his hands,62
and multiplies his words against God."
Elihu's Third Speech63
35:1 Then Elihu answered:
35:2 "Do you think this to be1 just:
when2 you say, `My right before God.'3
35:3 But you say, `What will it profit you,'4
and, `What do I gain by not sinning?'5
35:4 I6 will reply to you,7
and to your friends with you.
35:5 Gaze at the heavens and see;
consider the clouds, which are higher than you!8
35:6 If you sin, how does it affect God?9
If your transgressions are many,
what does it do to him?10
35:7 If you are righteous, what do you give to God,
or what does he receive from your hand?
35:8 Your wickedness affects only11 a person like yourself,
and your righteousness only other people.12
35:9 "People13 cry out
because of the excess of oppression;14
they cry out for help
because of the power15 of the mighty.
35:10 But no one says, `Where is God, my Creator,
who gives songs in the night,16
35:11 who teaches us17 more than18 the wild animals of the earth,
and makes us wiser that the birds of the air?'
35:12 Then19 they cry out--but he does not answer--
because of the arrogance of the wicked.
35:13 Surely it is an empty cry20--God does not hear it;
the Almighty does not take notice of it.
35:14 How much less, then,
when you say that you do not perceive him,
that the case is before him
and you are waiting for him!21
35:15 And further,22 when you say
that his anger does not punish,23
and that he does not know transgression!24
35:16 So Job opens his mouth to no purpose;25
without knowledge he multiplies words."
Elihu's Fourth Speech26
36:1 Elihu said further:1
36:2 "Be patient2 with me a little longer
and I will instruct you,
for I still have words to speak on God's behalf.3
36:3 With my knowledge I will speak comprehensively,4
and to my Creator I will ascribe righteousness.5
36:4 For in truth, my words are not false;
it is one complete6 in knowledge
who is with you.
36:5 Indeed, God is mighty; and he does not despise people,7
he8 is mighty, and firm9 in his intent.10
36:6 He does not allow the wicked to live,11
but he gives justice to the poor.
36:7 He does not take his eyes12 off the righteous;
but with kings on the throne
he seats the righteous13 and exalts them forever.14
36:8 But if they are bound in chains,15
and held captive by the cords of affliction,
36:9 then he reveals16 to them what they have done,17
and their transgressions,
that they were dealing proudly.
36:10 And he reveals18 this19 for correction,
and says that they must turn20 from evil.
36:11 If they obey and serve him,
they live out their days in prosperity
and their years in pleasantness.21
36:12 But if they refuse to listen,
they pass over the river of death,22
and expire without knowledge.
36:13 The godless at heart23 nourish anger,24
they do not cry out even when he binds them.
36:14 They die25 in their youth,
and their life ends among the male cultic prostitutes.26
36:15 He delivers the afflicted by27 their28 afflictions,
he reveals himself to them29 by their suffering.
36:16 And surely, he drew you30 from the mouth of distress,
to a wide place, unrestricted,31
and to the comfort32 of your table
filled with rich food.33
36:17 But now you are preoccupied with the judgment due the wicked,
judgment and justice take hold of you.
36:18 Be careful that34 no one entices you with riches;
do not let a large bribe35 turn you aside.
36:19 Would your wealth sustain you,
so that you would not be in distress,36
even all your mighty efforts?37
36:20 Do not long for the cover of night
to drag people away from their homes.38
36:21 Take heed, do not turn to evil,
for because of this you have been tested
by affliction.
36:22 Indeed, God is exalted in his power;
who is a teacher39 like him?
36:23 Who has prescribed his ways for him?
or said to him, `You have done what is wicked.'
36:24 Remember to extol40 his work,
which people have praised in song.
36:25 All humanity has seen it;
people gaze on it from afar.
The Work and Wisdom of God
36:26 "Yes, God is great--beyond our knowledge!41
The number of his years is unsearchable.
36:27 He draws up drops of water;
they distill42 the rain into its mist,43
36:28 which the clouds pour down
and shower on mankind abundantly.
36:29 Who can understand the spreading of the clouds,
the thunderings of his pavilion?44
36:30 See how he scattered45 his lightning46 about him;
he has covered the depths47 of the sea.
36:31 It is by these that he judges48 the nations
and supplies food in abundance.
36:32 With his hands49 he covers50 the lightning,
and directs it against its target.
36:3351 His thunder announces the coming storm,
the cattle also, concerning the storm's approach.
37:1 At this also my heart pounds
and leaps from its place.
37:2 Listen carefully1 to the thunder of his voice,
to the rumbling2 that proceeds from his mouth.
37:3 Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
even his lightning to the far corners3 of the earth.
37:4 After that a voice roars;
he thunders with an exalted voice,
and he does not hold back his lightning bolts4
when his voice is heard.
37:5 God thunders with his voice in marvelous ways;5
he does great things beyond our understanding.6
37:6 For to the snow he says, `Fall7 to earth,'
and to the torrential rains,8 `Pour down.'9
37:7 He causes everyone to stop working,10
so that all people11 may know12 his work.
37:8 The animals go to their lairs,
and in their dens they remain.
37:9 A tempest blows out from its chamber,
icy cold from the driving winds.13
37:10 The breath of God produces ice,
and the breadth of the waters freeze solid.
37:11 He loads the clouds with moisture;14
he scatters his lightning through the clouds.
37:12 The clouds15 go round in circles,
wheeling about according to his plans,
to carry out16 all that he commands them
over the face of the whole inhabited world.
37:13 Whether it is for punishment17 for his land,
or whether it is for mercy,
he causes it to find its mark.18
37:14 "Pay attention to this, Job!
Stand still and consider the wonders God works.
37:15 Do you know how God commands them,19
how he makes lightning flash in his stormcloud?20
37:16 Do you know about the balancing of the clouds,
that wondrous activity of him who is perfect in knowledge?
37:17 You, whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind,
37:18 will you, with him, spread out21 the clouds,
solid as a mirror of molten metal?
37:19 Tell us what we should22 say to him.
We cannot prepare a case23
because of the darkness.
37:20 Should he be informed that I want24 to speak?
If a man speaks, surely he would be swallowed up!
37:21 But now, the sun25 cannot be looked at26--
it is bright in the skies--
after a wind passed and swept the clouds away.27
37:22 From the north he comes in golden splendor;28
around God is awesome majesty.
37:23 As for the Almighty,29 we cannot attain to him!
He is great in power and justice,
and abundant righteousness;
he does not oppress.
37:24 Therefore people fear him,
for he does not regard all the wise in heart."30
VI. The Divine Speeches (38:1-42:6)
The LORD's First Speech31
38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind:1
38:2 "Who is this2 who darkens counsel3
with words without knowledge?
38:3 Get ready for a difficult task4 like a man;
I will question you
and you will inform me!
God's questions to Job
38:4 "Where were you
when I laid the foundation5 of the earth?
Tell me,6 if you possess understanding!
38:5 Who set its measurements--if7 you know--
or who stretched a measuring line across it?
38:6 On what8 were its bases9 set,
or who laid its cornerstone--
38:7 when the morning stars10 sang11 in chorus,12
and all the sons of God13 shouted for joy?
38:8 "Who shut up14 the sea with doors
when it burst forth,15 coming out of the womb,
38:9 when I made16 the storm clouds its garment,
and thick darkness its swaddling band,17
38:10 when I prescribed18 its limits,
and set19 in place its bars and doors,
38:11 when I said, `To here you may come20
and no farther,21
here your proud waves will be confined'?22
38:12 Have you ever in your life23 commanded the morning,
or made the dawn know24 its place,
38:13 that it might seize the corners of the earth,25
and shake the wicked out of it?
38:14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal.26
its features27 are dyed28 like a garment.
38:15 Then from the wicked the light is withheld,
and the raised arm in violence29 is broken.30
38:16 Have you gone to the springs that fill the sea,31
or walked about in the recesses of the deep?
38:17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?32
Have you seen the gates of deep darkness?33
38:18 Have you considered the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know it all!
38:19 "In what direction34 does light reside,
and darkness, where is its place,
38:20 that you may take them to their borders
and perceive the pathways to their homes?35
38:21 You know, for you were born before them;36
and the number of your days is great!
38:22 Have you entered the storehouse37 of the snow,
or seen the armory38 of the hail,
38:23 which I reserve for the time of trouble,
for the day of war and battle?39
38:24 In what direction is lightning40 dispersed,
or the east winds scattered over the earth?
38:25 Who carves out a channel for the heavy rains,
and a path for the rumble of thunder,
38:26 to cause it to rain on an uninhabited land,41
a desert where there are no human beings,42
38:27 to satisfy a devastated and desolate land,
and to cause it to sprout with vegetation?43
38:28 Does the rain have a father,
or who has fathered the drops of the dew?
38:29 From whose womb does the ice emerge,
and the frost from the sky,44 who gives birth to it,
38:30 when the waters become hard45 like stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen solid?
38:31 Can you tie the bands46 of the Pleiades,
or release the cords of Orion?
38:32 Can you lead out the constellations47
in their seasons,
or guide the Bear with its cubs?48
38:33 Do you know the laws of the heavens,
or can you set up their rule over the earth?
38:34 Can you raise your voice to the clouds
so that a flood of water covers you?49
38:35 Can you send out lightning bolts, and they go?
Will they say to you, `Here we are'?
38:36 Who has put wisdom in the heart,50
or has imparted understanding to the mind?
38:37 Who by wisdom can count the clouds,
and who can tip over51 the water jars of heaven,
38:38 when the dust hardens52 into a mass,
and the clumps of earth stick together?
38:39 "Do you hunt prey for the lioness,
and satisfy the appetite53 of the lions,
38:40 when they crouch in their dens,
when they wait in ambush in the thicket?
38:41 Who prepares prey for the raven,
when its young cry out to God
and wander about54 for lack of food?
39:1 "Are you acquainted with the way1
the mountain goats2 give birth?
Do you watch as the wild deer give birth to their young?
39:2 Do you count the months they must fulfill,
and do you know the time they give birth?3
39:3 They crouch, they bear4 their young,
they bring forth the offspring they have carried.5
39:4 Their young grow strong, and grow up in the open;6
they go off, and do not return to them.
39:5 Who let the wild donkey go free?
Who released the bonds of the donkey,
39:6 to whom I appointed the steppe for its home,
the salt wastes as its dwelling place?
39:7 It scorns the tumult in the town;
it does not hear the shouts of a driver.7
39:8 It ranges the hills as its pasture,
and searches after every green plant.
39:9 Is the wild ox willing to be your servant?
Will it spend the night at your feeding trough?
39:10 Can you bind the wild ox8 to a furrow with its rope,
will it till the valleys, following after you?
39:11 Will you rely on it because its strength is great?
Will you commit9 your labor to it?
39:12 Can you count on10 it to bring in11 your grain,12
and gather the grain13 to your threshing floor?14
39:1315 "The wings of the ostrich16 flap with joy,17
but are they the pinions and plumage of a stork?18
39:14 For she leaves19 her eggs on the ground,
and lets them be warmed on the soil.
39:15 She forgets that a foot might crush them,
or that a wild animal20 might trample them.
39:16 She is harsh21 with her young,
as if they were not hers;
she is unconcerned
about the uselessness of her labor.
39:17 For God deprived her of wisdom,
and did not impart understanding to her.
39:18 But as soon as she springs up,22
she laughs at the horse and its rider.
39:19 "Do you give the horse its strength?
Do you clothe its neck with a mane?23
39:20 Do you make it leap24 like a locust?
Its proud neighing25 is terrifying!
39:21 It26 paws in the valley,27
exulting mightily,28
it goes out to meet the weapons.
39:22 It laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
it does not shy away from the sword.
39:23 On it the quiver rattles;
the lance and javelin29 flash.
39:24 In excitement and impatience it consumes the ground;30
it cannot stand still31 when the trumpet is blown.
39:25 At the sound of the trumpet, it says, `Aha!'
And from a distance it catches the scent of battle,
the thunder of commanders, and battle cries.
39:26 "Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,32
and spreads its wings toward the south?
39:27 Is it at your command33 that the eagle soars,
and builds its nest on high?
39:28 It lives on a rock and spends the night there,
on a rocky crag34 and a fortress.35
39:29 From there it spots36 its prey,37
its eyes gaze intently from a distance.
39:30 And its young ones devour the blood,
and where the dead carcasses38 are,
there it is."
Job's Reply to God's Challenge
40:1 Then the LORD answered Job:
40:2 "Will the one who contends1 with the Almighty
correct him?2
Let the person who accuses God give him an answer!"
40:3 Then Job answered the LORD:
40:4 "Indeed, I am completely unworthy3--how could I reply to you?
I put4 my hand over my mouth to silence myself.5
40:5 I have spoken once, but I cannot answer;
twice, but I will say no more."6
The LORD's First Speech7
40:6 Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:
40:7 "Get ready for a difficult task8 like a man.
I will question you and you will inform me!
40:8 Would you indeed annul9 my justice?
Would you declare me guilty so that you might be right?
40:9 Do you have an arm like God's,
and can you thunder with a voice like his?
40:10 Adorn yourself, then, with majesty and excellency,
and clothe yourself with glory and honor!
40:11 Scatter abroad10 the abundance11 of your anger.
Look at every proud man12 and bring him low;
40:12 Look at every proud man and abase him;
crush the wicked on the spot!13
40:13 Hide them in the dust14 together,
imprison15 them16 in the grave.17
40:14 Then I myself will acknowledge18 to you
that your own right hand can save you.19
The Description of Behemoth20
40:15 "Look now at Behemoth,21 which I made as I made you;
it eats grass like the ox.
40:16 Look22 at its strength in its loins,
and its power in the muscles of its belly.
40:17 It makes its tail stiff23 like a cedar,
the sinews of its thighs are tightly wound.
40:18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
its limbs like bars of iron.
40:19 It ranks first among the works of God,24
the One who made it
has furnished it with a sword.25
40:20 For the hills bring it food,26
where all the wild animals play.
40:21 Under the lotus trees it lies,
in the secrecy of the reeds and the marsh.
40:22 The lotus trees conceal it in their27 shadow;
the poplars by the stream conceal it.
40:23 If the river rages,28 it is not disturbed,
it is secure,29 though the Jordan
should surge up to its mouth.
40:24 Can anyone catch it by its eyes,30
or pierce its nose with a snare?31
The Description of Leviathan
41:1 (40:25)1 "Can you pull in2 Leviathan with a hook,
and tie down3 its tongue with a rope?
41:2 Can you put a cord through its nose,
or pierce its jaw with a hook?
41:3 Will it make numerous supplications to you,4
will it speak to you with tender words?5
41:4 Will it make a pact6 with you,
so you could take it7 as your slave for life?
41:5 Can you play8 with it, like a bird,
or tie it up9 for your girls?
41:6 Will partners10 bargain11 for it?
Will they divide it up12 among the merchants?
41:7 Can you fill its hide with harpoons
or its head with fishing spears?
41:8 If you lay your hand on it,
you will remember13 the struggle,
and you will not do it again!
41:9 (41:1)14 See, his expectation is wrong,15
he is laid low even at the sight of it.16
41:10 Is it not fierce17 when it is awakened?
Who is he, then, who can stand before it?18
41:11 "Who has confronted19 me that I should repay?20
Everything under heaven belongs to me.21
41:12 "I will not keep silent about its limbs,
and the extent of its might,
and the grace of its arrangement.22
41:13 Who can uncover its outer covering?23
Who can penetrate to the inside of its armor?24
41:14 Who can open the doors of its mouth?25
Its teeth all around are fearsome.
41:15 Its back26 has rows of shields,
shut up closely27 together as with a seal;
41:16 each one is so close to the next28
that no air can come between them.
41:17 They lock tightly together, one to the next;29
they cling together and cannot be separated.
41:18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
its eyes are like the rays30 of dawn.
41:19 Out of its mouth go flames,31
sparks of fire shoot forth!
41:20 Smoke streams from its nostrils
as from a boiling pot over burning32 rushes.
41:21 Its breath sets coals ablaze
and a flame shoots from its mouth.
41:22 Strength lodges in its neck,
and dismay33 runs before it.
41:23 The folds34 of its flesh are tightly joined;
they are firm on it, immovable.35
41:24 Its heart36 is hard as rock,
hard as a lower millstone.
41:25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified,
at its thrashing about they withdraw.37
41:26 Whoever strikes it with a sword38
will have no effect,39
nor with the spear, arrow, or dart.
41:27 It regards iron as straw
and bronze as rotten wood.
41:28 Arrows40 do not make it flee;
slingstones become like chaff to it.
41:29 A club is counted41 as a piece of straw;
it laughs at the rattling of the lance.
41:30 Its underparts42 are the sharp points of potsherds,
it leaves its mark in the mud
like a threshing sledge.43
41:31 It makes the deep boil like a cauldron
and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment,44
41:32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
one would think the deep to be a hoary head.
41:33 The likes of it is not on earth,
a creature45 without fear.
41:34 It looks on every haughty being;
it is king over all that are proud."46
Job's Confession
42:1 Then Job answered the LORD:
42:2 "I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted;
42:3 you asked,1
`Who is this who darkens counsel
without knowledge?'
But2 I have declared without understanding3
things too wonderful for me to know.4
42:4 You said,5
`Pay attention, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you will answer me.'
42:5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye has seen you.6
42:6 Therefore I despise myself,7
and I repent in dust and ashes!
VII. The Epilogue (42:7-17)
42:7 After the LORD had spoken these things to Job, he8 said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My anger is stirred up9 against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken about me what is right,10 as my servant Job has. 42:8 So now take11 seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will intercede12 for you, and I will respect him,13 so that I do not deal with you14 according to your folly,15 because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has."16
42:9 So they went, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and did just as the LORD had told them; and the LORD had respect for Job.17
42:10 So the LORD18 restored what Job had lost19 after he prayed for his friends,20 and the LORD doubled21 all that had belonged to Job. 42:11 So they came to him, all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him and consoled him for all the trouble the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver22 and a gold ring.23
42:12 So the LORD blessed the second part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. 42:13 And he also had seven sons24 and three daughters. 42:14 The first daughter he named Jemimah,25 the second Keziah,26 and the third Keren-Happuch.27 42:15 Nowhere in all the land could women be found who were as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance alongside their brothers.
42:16 After this Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 42:17 And so Job died, old and full of days.