Theme: Job

Reading: Job

Job, the Good Man

1 There was a man named Job who lived in the country of Uz. He was a good, honest man. He respected God and refused to do evil. ² Job had seven sons and three daughters. ³ He owned 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 1000 oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He had many servants. He was the richest man in the east.

⁴ Job’s sons took turns having dinner parties in their homes, and they invited their sisters. ⁵ The day after each of these parties, Job got up early in the morning, sent for his children, and offered a burnt offering for each of them. He thought, “Maybe my children were careless and sinned against God at their party.” Job always did this so that his children would be forgiven of their sins.

⁶ Then the day came for the angels^[a] to meet with the Lord. Even Satan was there with them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you been?”

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been roaming around the earth, going from place to place.”

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him. He is a good, faithful man. He respects God and refuses to do evil.”

⁹ Satan answered the Lord, “But Job has a good reason to respect you. ¹⁰ You always protect him, his family, and everything he has. You have blessed him and made him successful in everything he does. He is so wealthy that his herds and flocks are all over the country. ¹¹ But if you were to destroy everything he has, I promise you that he would curse you to your face.”

¹² The Lord said to Satan, “All right, do whatever you want with anything that he has, but don’t hurt Job himself.”

Then Satan left the meeting.

Job Loses Everything

¹³ One day Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house. ¹⁴ A messenger came to Job and said, “We were plowing the fields with the oxen and the donkeys were eating grass nearby, ¹⁵ when some Sabeans^[b] attacked us and took your animals! They killed the other servants. I am the only one who escaped to come and tell you the news!”

¹⁶ That messenger was still speaking when another one came in and said, “A bolt of lightning^[c] struck your sheep and servants and burned them up. I am the only one who escaped to come and tell you the news!”

¹⁷ That messenger was still speaking when another one came in and said, “The Chaldeans^[d] sent out three raiding parties that attacked us and took the camels! They killed the other servants. I am the only one who escaped to come and tell you the news!”

¹⁸ That messenger was still speaking when another one came in and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house. ¹⁹ A strong wind suddenly came in from across the desert and blew the house down. It fell on your sons and daughters, and they are all dead. I am the only one who escaped to come and tell you the news!”

²⁰ When Job heard this, he got up, tore his clothes, and shaved his head to show his sadness. Then he fell to the ground to bow down before God ²¹ and said,

“When I was born into this world,
    I was naked and had nothing.
When I die and leave this world,
    I will be naked and have nothing.
The Lord gives,
    and the Lord takes away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”

²² Even after all this, Job did not sin. He did not accuse God of doing anything wrong.

Satan Bothers Job Again

2 Then another day came for the angels^[e] to meet with the Lord. Satan joined them for this meeting with the Lord. ² The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you been?”

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been roaming around the earth, going from place to place.”

³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him. He is a good, faithful man. He respects God and refuses to do evil. He is still faithful, even though you asked me to let you destroy, without reason, everything he has.”

⁴ Satan answered, “Skin for skin!^[f] A man will give everything he has to protect himself. ⁵ I swear, if you attack his flesh and bones, he will curse you to your face!”

⁶ So the Lord said to Satan, “All right, Job is in your hands, but you are not allowed to kill him.”

⁷ So Satan left the meeting with the Lord and gave Job painful sores all over his body, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. ⁸ Job sat on the pile of ashes where he was mourning and used a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores. ⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your faith? Why don’t you just curse God and die!”

¹⁰ Job answered, “You sound like one of those fools on the street corner! How can we accept all the good things that God gives us and not accept the problems?” So even after all that happened to Job, he did not sin. He did not accuse God of doing anything wrong.

Job’s Three Friends Come to See Him

¹¹ Job’s three friends heard about all the bad things that happened to him, so Eliphaz came from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah. They met together and went to comfort Job and show him their sympathy. ¹² But his friends didn’t even recognize him when they first saw him in the distance! They began to cry loudly. They tore their clothes and threw dirt in the air over their heads to show how sad they were. ¹³ Then they sat on the ground with Job for seven days and seven nights. They didn’t say a word, because they saw he was in so much pain.

Job Curses the Day He Was Born

3 Then Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born. ² He said,

³ “I wish the day I was born would be lost forever.
    I wish the night they said, ‘It’s a boy!’ had never happened.
⁴ I wish that day had remained dark.
    I wish God above had forgotten that day
    and not let any light shine on it.
⁵ I wish that bitter day had remained as dark as death,
    covered with the darkest clouds.
⁶ I wish the darkness had carried away that night,
    that it was left off the calendar
    and not included in any of the months.
⁷ I wish that night had produced nothing
    and no happy shouts had been heard.
⁸ Some magicians think they can wake Leviathan.^[g]
    So let them say their curses and curse the day I was born.
⁹ Let that day’s morning star be dark.
    Let that night wait for a morning that never comes.
    I wish it had never seen the first rays of sunlight.
¹⁰ I wish it had stopped me from being born
    and kept me from seeing all these troubles.
¹¹ Why didn’t I die when I was born?
    Why didn’t I die as I came from my mother’s womb?
¹² Why did my mother hold me on her knees?
    Why did her breasts feed me?
¹³ If I had died when I was born,
    I would be at peace now.
I wish I were asleep and at rest
¹⁴     with the kings and their advisors
    who built palaces that are now in ruins.
¹⁵ I wish I were buried with rulers
    who filled their graves with gold and silver.
¹⁶ Why wasn’t I a child who died at birth
    and was put in the ground?
I wish I had been buried like a baby
    who never saw the light of day.
¹⁷ There the wicked stop causing trouble,
    and the weary find rest.
¹⁸ Even prisoners find relief there;
    they no longer hear their guards shouting at them.
¹⁹ Everyone—from the greatest to the least important—will be there,
    and even the slave is free from his master.

²⁰ “Why must a suffering person continue to live?
    Why let anyone live such a bitter life?
²¹ Such people want to die, but death does not come.
    They search for death more than for hidden treasure.
²² They would be happy to find their grave.
    They would rejoice to find their tomb.
²³ But God keeps their future a secret
    and builds a wall around them to protect them.
²⁴ When it is time to eat, all I can do is sigh with sadness, not joy.
    My groans pour out like water.
²⁵ I was afraid something terrible would happen,
    and what I feared most has happened.
²⁶ I cannot calm down or relax.
    I am too upset to rest!”

Eliphaz Speaks

4 Eliphaz from Teman answered:

² “I must say something.
    Would it upset you if I speak?
³ Job, you have taught many people.
    You encouraged those who were ready to quit.
⁴ Your words helped those who were ready to fall.
    You gave strength to those who could not stand by themselves.
⁵ But now trouble comes to you,
    and you are discouraged.
Trouble hits you,
    and you are upset.
⁶ You worship God.
    You trust him.
You are a good man,
    so let that be your hope.
⁷ Can you think of any innocent person who was ever destroyed?
    Do you know of any place where good people are punished?
⁸ Yes, I have seen people whose lives were cut short,
    but they were evil troublemakers.
⁹ They lost the breath God gave them.
    They were cut off from his breath of life.
¹⁰ They were like roaring lions,
    like growling lions with broken teeth—
¹¹ like a lioness that cannot find prey.
    They died, and their cubs starved to death.

¹² “I happened to hear a message.
    My ears caught a whisper of it.
¹³ Like a bad dream^[h] in the night,
    it ruined my sleep.
¹⁴ It frightened me,
    and I trembled down to my bones.
¹⁵ A spirit passed by my face.
    The hair on my body stood up!
¹⁶ The spirit stood still,
    but I could not see what it was.
A shape stood before my eyes,
    and there was silence.
    Then I heard a quiet voice:
¹⁷ ‘A person cannot be more right than God.
    People cannot be more pure than their Maker.
¹⁸ Look, God cannot even trust his heavenly servants.
    He sees faults even in his angels.
¹⁹ So surely people are worse!
    They live in houses of clay^[i] built on dust.
    They can be crushed as easily as a moth!
²⁰ From dawn to sunset people are destroyed.
    They die—gone forever—and no one even notices.
²¹ The ropes of their tent are pulled up,
    and they die before gaining wisdom.’

5 “Job, call out if you want, and see if anyone answers!
    But to which of the angels will you turn?
² A fool’s anger will kill him.
    His jealousy will destroy him.
³ I saw a fool who thought he was safe,
    but suddenly he died.^[j]
4 There was no one to help his children.
    No one defended them in court.
⁵ Hungry people ate all his crops,
    even the grain growing among the thorns,
    and greedy people took all he had.
⁶ Bad times don’t come up from the dirt.
    Trouble does not grow from the ground.
⁷ But people are born to have trouble,
    as surely as sparks rise from a fire.
⁸ If I were you, I would turn to God
    and tell him about my problems.
⁹ People cannot understand the wonderful things God does.
    His miracles are too many to count.
¹⁰ He sends rain all over the earth
    and waters the fields.
¹¹ He raises up the humble
    and makes sad people happy.
¹² He spoils the plans of even the smartest people
    so that they will not succeed.
¹³ He catches those who think they are wise in their own clever traps
    and brings to an end their evil plans.
¹⁴ Daylight will be like darkness for them.
    Even at noon they will have to feel their way as in the dark.
¹⁵ God saves the poor from the hurtful words of the wicked.
    He saves them from those who are powerful.
¹⁶ So the poor have hope;
    God shuts the mouths of those who would cause them harm.

¹⁷ “You are fortunate when God corrects you.
    So don’t complain when God All-Powerful punishes you.
¹⁸ God might injure you, but he will bandage those wounds.
    He might hurt you, but his hands also heal.
¹⁹ He will save you again and again.
    No evil will harm you.^[k]
20 God will save you from death
    when there is famine.
He will protect you from the sword
    when there is war.
²¹ People might say bad things about you with their sharp tongues.
    But God will protect you.
    You will not be afraid when bad things happen!
²² You will laugh at destruction and famine.
    You will not be afraid of wild animals!
²³ It is as if you have a peace treaty
    with the wild animals and the rocks in the field.
²⁴ You will live in peace because your tent is safe.
    You will count your property and find nothing missing.
²⁵ You will have many children.
    They will be as many as the blades of grass on the earth.
²⁶ You will be like the wheat that grows until harvest time.
    Yes, you will live to a ripe old age.

²⁷ “We have studied this and know it is true.
    So listen to us, and learn for yourself.”

Job Answers Eliphaz

6 Then Job answered:

² “I wish my suffering could be weighed
    and all my trouble be put on the scales.
³ They would be heavier than all the sand of the sea!
    That is why my words are so crazy.
⁴ God All-Powerful has shot me with his arrows.
    My spirit feels their poison!
    God’s terrible weapons are lined up against me.
⁵ Even a wild donkey does not complain when it has grass to eat.
    And a cow is quiet when it has food.
⁶ Food without salt does not taste good,
    and the white of an egg has no taste.
⁷ I refuse to touch that kind of food;
    it makes me sick!

⁸ “I wish I could have what I ask for.
    I wish God would give me what I want.
⁹ I wish he would crush me—
    just go ahead and kill me!
¹⁰ Then I would be comforted by this one thing:
    Even through all this pain,
    I never refused to obey the commands of the Holy One.

¹¹ “With my strength gone, I have no hope to go on living.
    With nothing to look forward to, why should I be patient?
¹² I am not strong like a rock.
    My body is not made from bronze.
¹³ I don’t have the power to help myself,
    because all hope of success has been taken away from me.

¹⁴ “Friends should be loyal to you in times of trouble,
    even if you turn away from God All-Powerful.^[l]
15 But I cannot depend on you, my brothers.
    You are like a stream that has no water when the weather is dry
    but is flooded when the rains come.
¹⁶ In the winter, it is choked with ice and melting snow.
¹⁷ But when the weather is hot and dry,
    the water stops flowing,
    and the stream disappears.
¹⁸ It twists and turns along the way
    and then disappears into the desert.
¹⁹ Traders from Tema search for it.
    Travelers from Sheba hope to find it.
²⁰ They are sure they can find water,
    but they will be disappointed.
²¹ Now, you are like those streams.
    You see my troubles and are afraid.
²² But have I ever asked you to help me?
    Did I ask you to offer a bribe for me from your wealth?
²³ No, and I never said, ‘Save me from my enemies!’
    or ‘Save me from those who are cruel!’

²⁴ “So now, teach me, and I will be quiet.
    Show me what I have done wrong.
²⁵ Honest words are powerful,
    but your arguments prove nothing.
²⁶ Do you plan to criticize me?
    Will you speak more tiring words?
²⁷ Are you the kind of people
    who would gamble for orphans
    and sell out your own friends?
²⁸ Now, look me in the face,
    and see that I am telling the truth!
²⁹ You need to start over and stop being so unfair!
    Think again, because I am innocent.
³⁰ I am not lying.
    I know right from wrong.

7 “People have a hard struggle on earth.
    Their life is like that of a hired worker.
² They are like a slave looking for cool shade
    or a hired worker waiting for payday.
³ Month after frustrating month has gone by.
    I have suffered night after night.
⁴ When I lie down, I think,
    ‘How long before it’s time to get up?’
The night drags on.
    I toss and turn until the sun comes up.
⁵ My skin is covered with worms and scabs.
    It is cracked and covered with sores.

⁶ “My days pass by faster than a weaver’s shuttle,^[m]
    and my life will end without hope.
⁷ God, remember, my life is like a breath.
    I will not get a second chance to enjoy it.
⁸ Those who see me now will never see me again.
    You watch me for a while, but then I am gone.
⁹ Just as clouds that come and go,
    people are put in the grave, never to rise again.
¹⁰ They don’t come back to their old homes.
    The people there would not know them.

¹¹ “So I will not be quiet!
    I will let my suffering spirit speak!
    I will let my bitter soul complain!
¹² Am I one of your enemies?
    Is that why you put a guard over me?^[n]
13 My bed should bring me comfort.
    My couch should give me rest and relief.
¹⁴ But when I lie down, you scare me with dreams;
    you frighten me with visions.
¹⁵ So I would rather be choked to death
    than to live like this.
¹⁶ I hate my life—I give up.
    I don’t want to live forever.
Leave me alone!
    My life means nothing.
¹⁷ God, why are people so important to you?
    Why do you even notice them?
¹⁸ Why do you visit them every morning
    and test them at every moment?
¹⁹ You never look away from me
    or leave me alone for a second.
²⁰ You are always watching us!
    If I sinned, would that hurt you?
Why have you made me your target?
    Have I become a problem for you?
²¹ Why don’t you just pardon me for doing wrong?
    Why don’t you just forgive me for my sins?
Soon I will die and be in my grave.
    You will search for me, but I will be gone.”

Bildad Speaks to Job

8 Then Bildad from Shuah answered:

² “How long will you talk like that?
    Your words are nothing but hot air!
³ God is always fair.
    God All-Powerful does what is right.
⁴ If your children sinned against God, he punished them.
    They paid for their sins.
⁵ But now, look to God
    and pray to the All-Powerful.
⁶ If you are pure and good,
    he will quickly come to help you.
    He will give your family back to you.
⁷ Then you will have a lot more
    than you had in the beginning!

⁸ “Ask those who are now old.
    Find out what their ancestors learned.
⁹ It seems as though we were born yesterday.
    We are too young to know anything.
    Our days on earth are very short, like a shadow.
¹⁰ Maybe the old people can tell you something.
    Maybe they will teach you what they learned.

¹¹ “Can papyrus grow tall on a dry land?
    Can reeds grow without water?
¹² No, they will dry up before harvest.
    They will be too small to cut and use.
¹³ People who forget God are like that.
    Those who oppose him have no hope.
¹⁴ They have put their trust in something weak.
    It is like a spider’s web.
¹⁵ When they lean against it,
    it will break.
When they reach out for it,
    it will not hold them up.
¹⁶ Such people are like a vine that gets plenty of water and sunshine,
    and its branches spread throughout the garden.
¹⁷ Its roots spread among the rocks,
    searching for good soil.
¹⁸ But if you move it, it will die,
    and no one can tell it was ever there.
¹⁹ Everything might have been going well,
    but another vine will take its place.
²⁰ God does not support evil people,
    and he does not abandon the innocent.
²¹ So perhaps you might laugh again.
    Maybe shouts of joy will come from your lips.
²² Maybe your enemies will be humiliated
    and the homes of the wicked destroyed.”

Job Answers Bildad

9 Then Job answered:

² “Of course, I know that this is true.
    But how can a human being win an argument with God?
³ Anyone who chose to argue with him
    could not answer one question in a thousand!
⁴ God is so wise and powerful that
    no one could oppose him and survive.
⁵ When God is angry, he moves mountains before they know what happened.
⁶ He can shake the earth,
    and it will tremble down to its foundations.
⁷ With one command he can stop the sun from rising.
    He can lock up the stars and keep them from shining.
⁸ He alone made the skies,
    and he walks on the ocean waves.

⁹ “God made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades.^[o]
    He made the planets that cross the southern sky.^[p]
10 He does things too marvelous for people to understand.
    He does too many miracles to count!
¹¹ When he passes by, I cannot see him.
    He goes right past me, and I don’t notice.
¹² If he takes something away, no one can stop him.
    No one can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
¹³ God will not hold back his anger.
    Even Rahab’s helpers are afraid of him.
¹⁴ So I cannot argue with God.
    I would not know what to say to him.
¹⁵ I am innocent, but I cannot give him an answer.
    All I can do is beg my Judge for mercy.
¹⁶ Even if I called and he answered,
    I cannot believe he would listen to me.
¹⁷ He would just send storms to crush me.
    He would give me more wounds for no reason.
¹⁸ He would not let me catch my breath again.
    He would just give me more trouble.
¹⁹ I cannot defeat God.
    He is too powerful!
I cannot take him to court for justice.
    Who could force him to come?
²⁰ I am innocent, but anything I say makes me seem guilty.
    I am innocent, but if I speak, my mouth proves me wrong.
²¹ I am innocent, but I don’t know what to think.
    I hate my own life.
²² So I say, ‘Does it make any difference?
    God destroys the innocent as well as the guilty.’
²³ Is it God who laughs when a disaster kills innocent people?
²⁴ Is it God who keeps the leaders from seeing when an evil person takes control?
    If it is not God, then who is it?

²⁵ “My days are passing faster than a runner.
    They are flying by without any joy.
²⁶ They go by as quickly as papyrus boats,
    as fast as an eagle swooping down on its prey.

²⁷ “I could say, ‘I will not complain.
    I will forget my pain and put a smile on my face.’
²⁸ But the suffering still frightens me.
    I know that God will not see me as innocent.
²⁹ I will be found guilty,
    so why should I even think about it?
³⁰ Even if I scrubbed my hands with soap
    and washed myself whiter than snow,
³¹ God would still push me into the slime pit,^[q]
    and even my clothes would hate to touch me.
³² God is not a human like me, so I cannot argue with him.
    I cannot take him to court.
³³ I wish there were someone who could listen to both sides,^[r]
    someone to judge both of us in a fair way.
³⁴ I wish someone could take away the threat of God’s punishment.
    Then he would not frighten me anymore.
³⁵ Then I could say what I want without being afraid of him.
    But I cannot do that now.

10 “I hate my own life, so I will complain freely.
    I am very bitter, so now I will speak.
² I will say to God, ‘Don’t just say I am guilty!
    Tell me what you have against me.
³ Do you enjoy hurting me?
    Do you enjoy ignoring me while smiling at what evil people say?
⁴ Do you have human eyes?
    Do you see things the way people do?
⁵ Is your life as short as ours?
    Is your life as short as a man’s life?
⁶ You look for my wrong
    and search for my sin.
⁷ You know I am innocent,
    but no one can save me from your power!
⁸ Your hands made me and shaped my body.
    But now they are closing around me and squeezing me to death!
⁹ Remember, you molded me like clay.
    Will you turn me into clay again?
¹⁰ You poured me out like milk.
    You spun me around and squeezed me like someone making cheese.
¹¹ You put me together with bones and muscles,
    and then you clothed me with skin and flesh.
¹² You gave me life and were very kind to me.
    You cared for me and watched over my spirit.
¹³ But this is what you hid in your heart.
    Now I know what you were planning for me.
¹⁴ If I sinned, you would be watching me
    so that you could punish me for doing wrong.
¹⁵ If I sin, I am guilty
    and should be cursed.
But even when I am innocent,
    I cannot lift up my head.
I am so ashamed
    because of all the troubles I have.
¹⁶ If I have any success and feel proud,
    you hunt me down like a lion
    and show your power over me.
¹⁷ You bring witness after witness
    to prove that I am wrong.
Again and again you show your anger
    as you send army after army against me.
¹⁸ So why did you let me be born?
    I wish I had died before anyone saw me.
¹⁹ I wish I had never lived.
    I wish they had carried me from my mother’s womb straight to the grave.
²⁰ My life is almost finished.
    So leave me alone!
    Let me enjoy the little time I have left.
²¹ I am going soon to the land of no return,
    the place of death and darkness—
²² that land of darkest night, of shadows and confusion,
    where even the light is darkness.’”

Zophar Speaks to Job

11 Then Zophar from Naamah answered Job and said,

² “This flood of words should be answered!
    Does all this talking make Job right?
³ Do you think we don’t have
    an answer for you?
Do you think no one will warn you
    when you laugh at God?
⁴ You say to God,
    ‘My arguments are right,
    and you can see I am pure.’
⁵ I wish God would answer you
    and tell you that you are wrong.
⁶ He could tell you the secret of wisdom.
    He would tell you that every story has two sides.
You can be sure of this:
    God is not punishing you as much as he should.

⁷ “Do you think you really understand God?
    Do you completely understand God All-Powerful?
⁸ That knowledge is higher than the heavens
    and deeper than the place of death.
So what can you do?
    How can you learn it all?
⁹ It is greater than the earth
    and bigger than the seas.

¹⁰ “If God decides to arrest you and take you to court,
    no one could stop him.
¹¹ God knows who is worthless.
    When he sees evil, he remembers it.
¹² A wild donkey cannot give birth to a man,
    and a stupid person will never become wise.
¹³ Prepare your heart to serve only God.
    Lift your arms and pray to him.
¹⁴ Put away the sin that you still hold on to.
    Don’t keep evil in your tent.
¹⁵ If you will do that, you could look to God without shame.
    You can stand strong and not be afraid.
¹⁶ Then you can forget your troubles,
    like water that has already passed by.
¹⁷ Your life will be brighter than the sunshine at noon.
    Life’s darkest hours will shine like the morning sun.
¹⁸ You will feel safe because there is hope.
    God will protect you and give you rest.
¹⁹ You will lie down without fear of anyone.
    Many people will come to you for help.
²⁰ Evil people might look for help,
    but they will not escape their troubles.
    Their hope leads only to death.”

Job Answers His Friends

12 Then Job answered them:

² “I’m sure you think you are
    the only wise people left.
You think that when you die,
    wisdom will be gone with you.
³ But my mind is as good as yours.
    You aren’t any smarter than I am.
You haven’t said anything
    that people don’t already know.

⁴ “My friends laugh at me now.
    They say, ‘He prayed to God and got his answer.’
I am a good, innocent man,
    but still they laugh at me.
⁵ Those who have no troubles make fun of those who do.
    They hit a man when he is down.
⁶ But robbers’ tents are not bothered.
    Those who make God angry live in peace,
    even though God has them in his power.

⁷ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you.
    Or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
⁸ Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
    Or let the fish in the sea tell you their wisdom.
⁹ Everyone knows
    that the Lord made these things.
¹⁰ Every animal that lives and everyone who breathes—
    they are all under God’s power.
¹¹ But just as the tongue tastes food,
    the ears test the words they hear.
¹² People say, ‘Wisdom is to be found in those who are old.
    Long life brings understanding.’
¹³ But wisdom and power belong to God.
    Good advice and understanding are his.
¹⁴ Anything God tears down cannot be rebuilt.
    Anyone he puts in prison cannot be set free.
¹⁵ If he holds back the rain, the earth will dry up.
    If he lets the rain loose, it will flood the land.
¹⁶ God is strong and always wins.
    He controls those who fool others and those who are fooled.
¹⁷ He strips advisors of their wisdom
    and makes leaders act like fools.
¹⁸ He strips kings of their authority
    and makes them slaves.
¹⁹ He strips priests of their power
    and removes those who feel so secure in their position.
²⁰ He makes trusted advisors be silent.
    He takes away the wisdom of the older leaders.
²¹ He brings disgrace to important people.
    He takes power away from rulers.
²² He exposes even the darkest secrets.
    He sends light into places that are as dark as death.
²³ God makes nations great,
    and then he destroys them.
He makes nations grow large,
    and then he scatters their people.
²⁴ He makes their leaders foolish.
    He makes them wander around in the desert.
²⁵ They are like someone feeling their way in the dark.
    They are like drunks who don’t know where they are going.

13 “I have seen all this before.
    I have already heard everything you say.
    I understand all these things.
² I know as much as you do.
    I am as smart as you are.
³ But I don’t want to argue with you.
    I want to speak to God All-Powerful.
    I want to argue with God about my troubles.
⁴ But you men try to cover up your ignorance with lies.
    You are like worthless doctors who cannot heal anyone.
⁵ I wish you would just be quiet.
    That would be the wisest thing you could do.

⁶ “Now, listen to my argument.
    Listen to what I have to say.
⁷ Will you speak lies for God?
    Do you really believe your lies are what God wants you to say?
⁸ Are you trying to defend God against me?
    You are not being fair.
    You are choosing God’s side simply because he is God.
⁹ If God checked you very closely,
    would he see that you are right?
Do you really think you can fool God
    the same as you fool people?
¹⁰ You know that God would criticize you
    if you chose someone’s side simply because they were important.
¹¹ God’s majesty frightens you.
    You are afraid of him.
¹² The wise sayings you quote are worthless.
    Your arguments are as weak as clay.

¹³ “Be quiet and let me talk!
    I accept whatever happens to me.
¹⁴ I will put myself in danger
    and take my life in my own hands.
¹⁵ I will continue to trust God even if he kills me.^[s]
    But I will defend myself to his face.
¹⁶ And if he lets me live, it will be because I had the confidence to speak.
    No guilty person would dare meet God face to face.
¹⁷ Listen carefully to what I say.
    Let me explain.
¹⁸ I am ready now to defend myself.
    I will carefully present my arguments.
    I know I will be shown to be right.
¹⁹ If anyone can prove I am wrong,
    I will shut up and wait to die.

²⁰ “God, just give me two things,
    and then I will not hide from you:
²¹ Stop punishing me,
    and don’t frighten me with your terrors.
²² Then call to me, and I will answer you.
    Or let me speak, and you answer me.
²³ How many sins have I committed?
    What wrongs have I done?
    Show me where I went wrong or how I sinned.
²⁴ God, why do you avoid me
    and treat me like your enemy?
²⁵ Are you trying to scare me?
    I am only a leaf blowing in the wind.
    You are attacking a piece of straw!
²⁶ You have a list of terrible charges against me.
    Are you making me suffer for the sins I did when I was young?
²⁷ You have put chains on my feet.
    You watch every step I take.
    You see every move I make.
²⁸ So I am becoming weaker and weaker,
    like a piece of wood rotting away,
    like a piece of cloth eaten by moths.

14 “We are all human beings.^[t]
    Our life is short and full of trouble.
² Our life is like a flower that grows quickly and then dies away.
    Our life is like a shadow that is here for a short time and then is gone.
³ God, do you need to keep an eye on something so small?
    Why bother to bring charges against me?

⁴ “No one can make something clean from something so dirty.
⁵ The length of our life has been decided.
    You alone know how long that is.
    You have set the limits for us and nothing can change them.
⁶ So stop watching us; leave us alone,
    and let us enjoy this hard life until we have put in our time.

⁷ “There is always hope for a tree.
    If it is cut down, it can grow again.
    It will keep sending out new branches.
⁸ Its roots might grow old in the ground
    and its stump die in the dirt,
⁹ but with water, it will grow again.
    It will grow branches like a new plant.
¹⁰ But when a man dies,
    he becomes weak and sick, and then he is gone!
¹¹ Like a lake that goes dry
    or a river that loses its source,
¹² so people lose their lives,
    never to live again.
The skies will all pass away
    before they rise from death.
The skies will all disappear before
    anyone wakes up from that sleep!

¹³ “I wish you would hide me in my grave.
    I wish you would hide me there, until your anger is gone.
    Then you could pick a time to remember me.
¹⁴ If a man dies, will he live again?
    If so, I would gladly suffer through this time waiting for my release.^[u]
15 God, you would call me,
    and I would answer you.
Then I, the one you made,
    would be important to you.
¹⁶ You would still watch every step I take,
    but you would not remember my sins.
¹⁷ It would be as if you had sealed my sins in a bag.
    It would be as if you had covered my guilt with plaster.

¹⁸ “Mountains fall and crumble away.
    Large rocks break loose and fall.
¹⁹ Water flowing over stones wears them down.
    Floods wash away the soil on the ground.
    In the same way, God, you destroy the hope people have.
²⁰ You defeat them completely
    and then they are gone.
You change the way they look
    and send them away forever to the place of death.
²¹ If their sons are honored, they will never know it.
    If their sons do wrong, they will never see it.
²² They only feel the pain in their bodies,
    and they alone cry for themselves.”

Eliphaz Answers Job

15 Then Eliphaz from Teman answered Job:

² “If you were really wise,
    you would not answer with your worthless personal opinions!
    A wise man would not be so full of hot air.
³ Do you think a wise man would use empty words
    and meaningless speeches to win his arguments?
⁴ If you had your way,
    no one would respect God and pray to him.
⁵ What you say clearly shows your sin.
    Job, you are trying to hide your sin by using clever words.
⁶ I don’t need to prove to you that you are wrong.
    The words from your own mouth show that you are wrong.
    Your own lips speak against you.

⁷ “Do you think you were the first person ever to be born?
    Were you born before the hills?
⁸ Did you listen to God’s secret plans?
    Do you think you are the only wise person?
⁹ We know as much as you do!
    We understand as well as you.
¹⁰ The old, gray-haired men agree with us.
    People older than your father are on our side.
¹¹ God tries to comfort you, but that is not enough for you.
    We have spoken his message to you in a gentle way.
¹² Why will you not understand?
    Why can you not see the truth?
¹³ You are expressing your anger against God
    when you say these things.

¹⁴ “People cannot really be pure.
    They^[v] cannot be more right than God!
¹⁵ God does not even trust his angels.^[w]
    He does not even think the sky is pure.
¹⁶ People are even worse.
    They are disgusting and dirty.
    They drink up evil like water.

¹⁷ “Listen to me, and I will explain it to you.
    Let me tell you what I have seen.
¹⁸ I will tell you what wise men would say,
    things they heard from their fathers and then freely passed on.
    They didn’t hide any secrets from me.
¹⁹ These are important people in our country!
    Everyone knows who they are.
²⁰ And they said that an evil man suffers all his life.
    A cruel man suffers all his numbered years.
²¹ Every noise scares him.
    His enemy will attack him when he thinks he is safe.
²² An evil man has no hope of escaping the darkness.
    There is a sword somewhere waiting to kill him.
²³ He wanders from place to place, looking for food.
    But he knows a dark day is coming, which he brought on himself.
²⁴ He lives in fear, with worry and suffering threatening him
    like a king ready to attack.
²⁵ That is because that evil man shook his fist at God, refusing to obey.
    He dared to attack God All-Powerful,
²⁶ like a soldier with a thick, strong shield
    who runs at his enemy to strike him in the neck.
²⁷ He might be rich and fat,
²⁸     but his town will be ruined;
his home will be destroyed;
    his house will be empty.
²⁹ He will not be rich for long.
    His wealth will not last.
    His crops will not grow large.
³⁰ He will not escape the darkness.
    He will be like a tree whose leaves die from disease
    and are blown away by the wind.
³¹ That evil man should not fool himself by trusting in worthless things,
    because he will keep nothing.
³² He will die before his time,
    like a tree whose top branches have already begun to die.
³³ He will be like a vine that loses its grapes before they ripen.
    He will be like an olive tree that loses its buds.
³⁴ That is because people without God have nothing.
    Those who take bribes will have their homes destroyed by fire.
³⁵ They are always thinking of ways to do evil and cause trouble.
    They are always planning how they might cheat others.”

Job Answers Eliphaz

16 Then Job answered:

² “I have heard all these things before.
    You men give me trouble, not comfort.
³ Your long speeches never end!
    Why do you continue arguing?
⁴ I also could say the same things you say,
    if you had my troubles.
I could say wise things against you
    and shake my head at you.
⁵ But I would say things to encourage you
    and give you hope.

⁶ “Nothing I say makes my pain go away.
    But keeping quiet does not help either.
⁷ God, you surely took away my strength.
    You destroyed my whole family.
⁸ You have made me thin and weak,
    and people think that means I am guilty.

⁹ “God attacks me;
    he is angry with me and tears my body apart.
He grinds his teeth against me.
    My enemy looks at me with hate.
¹⁰ People have crowded around me.
    They make fun of me and slap my face.
¹¹ God has given me to evil people.
    He let the wicked hurt me.
¹² I was enjoying a quiet, peaceful life,
    but then God crushed me.
Yes, he took me by the neck
    and broke me into pieces.
He has made me his target.
¹³     With his archers all around me,
he shoots arrows into my kidneys.
    He shows no mercy
    and spills my gall^[x] on the ground.
¹⁴ Again and again he attacks me.
    He runs at me like a soldier in battle.

¹⁵ “I am very sad, so I wear this sackcloth.
    I sit here in dust and ashes, feeling defeated.
¹⁶ My face is red from crying.
    There are dark rings around my eyes.
¹⁷ I was never cruel to anyone,
    and my prayers are pure.

¹⁸ “Earth, don’t hide the wrong things that were done to me.^[y]
    Don’t let my begging for fairness be stopped.
¹⁹ Even now there is someone in heaven who will speak for me.
    There is someone above who will testify for me.
²⁰ My friend speaks for me,
    while my eyes pour out tears to God.
²¹ He speaks to God for me,
    like someone^[z] presenting an argument for a friend.

²² “In only a few years
    I will go to that place of no return.

17 My spirit is broken;
    I am ready to give up.
My life is almost gone;
    the grave is waiting for me.
² People stand around me and laugh at me.
    I watch them as they tease and insult me.

³ “God, give me some support.
    No one else will!
⁴ You have closed my friends’ minds,
    and they don’t understand.
    Please don’t let them win.
⁵ You know what people say:
    ‘A man neglects his own children to help his friends.’^[aa]
    But my friends have turned against me.
⁶ God has made my name a bad word to everyone.
    People spit in my face.
⁷ My eyes are almost blind from my grief.
    My whole body is as thin as a shadow.
⁸ Good people wonder how this could happen.
    The innocent are upset with anyone who is against God.
⁹ But those who do right will continue to do what is right.
    Those who are not guilty grow stronger and stronger.

¹⁰ “But come on, all of you, and try to prove me wrong.
    I don’t find any of you to be wise.
¹¹ My life is passing away, and my plans are destroyed.
    My hope is gone.
¹² Everything is confused—
    night is day, and evening comes when it should be dawn.

¹³ “I might hope for the grave to be my new home.
    I might hope to make my bed in the dark grave.
¹⁴ I might say to the grave, ‘You are my father,’
    and to the worms, ‘my mother’ or ‘my sister.’
¹⁵ But you can’t really call that hope, can you?
    Does anyone see any hope for me?
¹⁶ Will hope go down with me to the place of death?
    Will we go down into the dirt together?”

Bildad Answers Job

18 Then Bildad from Shuah answered:

² “When will you stop talking?
    Be sensible; let us say something.
³ Why do you think we are stupid,
    like dumb cows?
⁴ Your anger is hurting no one but you.
    Do you think this world was made for you alone?
    Do you think God should move mountains just to satisfy you?

⁵ “Yes, the light of those who are evil will go out.
    Their fire will stop burning.
⁶ The light in their houses will become dark.
    The lamps next to them will go out.
⁷ Their steps, once strong and fast, become weak.
    Their own evil plans make them fall.
⁸ Their own feet lead them into a net.
    They fall into its hidden pit and are caught.
⁹ A trap catches them by the heel,
    and it holds them tight.
¹⁰ A rope is hidden on the ground to trip them.
    A trap is waiting in their path.
¹¹ On every side terrors frighten them.
    Fears follow every step they take.
¹² Disaster is hungry for them.
    Ruin stands close by, waiting for them to fall.
¹³ Diseases will eat away their skin.
    Death itself^[ab] will eat their arms and legs.
¹⁴ They will be taken away from the safety of their tents
    and be led away to meet death, the king of terrors.
¹⁵ Nothing will be left in their tents,
    which will be sprinkled with burning sulfur.
¹⁶ Their roots below will dry up,
    and their branches above will die.
¹⁷ People on earth will not remember them.
    Their names will be forgotten.
¹⁸ They will be forced from light into darkness.
    They will be chased out of this world.
¹⁹ They will leave behind no children, no descendants.
    None of their people will be left alive.
²⁰ People in the west will be shocked at what happened to them.
    People in the east will be numb with fear.
²¹ This is what will happen to the homes of those who are evil.
    This is the place of those who don’t know God!”

Job Answers

19 Then Job answered:

² “How long will you hurt me
    and crush me with your words?
³ You have insulted me ten times now.
    You have attacked me without shame!
⁴ Even if I have sinned,
    it is my problem, not yours!
⁵ You want me to look bad to make yourselves look good.
    You say my troubles are proof that I did wrong.
⁶ I want you to know it was God who did this.
    He set this trap for me.
⁷ I shout, ‘He hurt me!’ but get no answer.
    No one hears my cry for fairness.
⁸ God has blocked my way to keep me from getting through.
    He has hidden my path in darkness.
⁹ He took away my honor.
    He took the crown from my head.
¹⁰ He hits me on every side until I am worn out.
    He takes away my hope.
    It is like a tree pulled up by the roots.
¹¹ His anger burns against me.
    He treats me like an enemy.
¹² He sends his army to attack me.
    They build attack towers around me.
    They camp around my tent.

¹³ “God has made my brothers hate me.
    Those who knew me have become strangers.
¹⁴ My relatives have left me.
    My friends have forgotten me.
¹⁵ My servant girls and visitors in my home
    look at me as if I am a stranger and a foreigner.
¹⁶ I call for my servant, but he does not answer.
    Even if I beg for help, he will not answer.
¹⁷ My wife hates the smell of my breath.
    My own brothers hate me.
¹⁸ Even little children make fun of me.
    When I get up, they say bad things about me.
¹⁹ All my close friends hate me.
    Even my loved ones have turned against me.

²⁰ “I am so thin, my skin hangs loose on my bones.
    I have little life left in me.

²¹ “Pity me, my friends, pity me,
    because God is against me.
²² Why do you persecute me as God does?
    Don’t you get tired of hurting me?

²³ “I wish someone would write down everything I say.
    I wish my words were written on a scroll.
²⁴ I wish they were carved with an iron tool into lead
    or scratched on a rock so that they would last forever.
²⁵ I know that there is someone to defend me and that he lives!
    And in the end, he will stand here on earth and defend me.
²⁶ After I leave my body and my skin has been destroyed,
    I know I will still see God.
²⁷ I will see him with my own eyes.
    I myself, not someone else, will see God.
    And I cannot tell you how excited that makes me feel!^[ac]

²⁸ “Maybe you will say, ‘How can we push Job a little harder
    and make him realize that he is the source of his problems?’
²⁹ But you need to worry about your own punishment.
    God might use the sword against you!
    Then you will know there is a time for judgment.”

Zophar Answers Job

20 Then Zophar from Naamah answered:

² “You upset me, so I must answer you.
    I must tell you what I am thinking.
³ You insulted me with your answers!
    But I am wise and know how to answer you.

^4-5 “You know that the joy of the wicked does not last long.
    That has been true a long time, ever since Adam was^[ad] put on earth.
    Those who don’t know God are happy for only a short time.
⁶ Maybe an evil man’s pride will reach up to the sky,
    and his head will touch the clouds.
⁷ But he will be gone forever like his own body waste.
    People who knew him will say, ‘Where is he?’
⁸ Like a dream, he will fly away, never to be found.
    He will be chased away like a bad dream.^[ae]
9 Those who knew him before will not see him again.
    His family will never again get to see him.
¹⁰ His children will have to give back what he took from the poor.
    His own hands will give up his wealth.
¹¹ When he was young, his bones were strong,
    but, like the rest of his body, they will soon lie in the dirt.

¹² “Evil tastes sweet in his mouth.
    He keeps it under his tongue to enjoy it fully.
¹³ He hates to let it go
    and holds it in his mouth.
¹⁴ But that evil will turn sour in his stomach.
    It will be like a snake’s bitter poison inside him.
¹⁵ The evil man will spit out the riches he has swallowed.
    God will make him vomit them up.
¹⁶ What he drank will be like a snake’s poison;
    it will kill him like the bite of a deadly snake.
¹⁷ He will never again enjoy so much wealth—
    rivers flowing with honey and cream.^[af]
18 He will be forced to give back his profits.
    He will not be allowed to enjoy what he worked for,
¹⁹ because he hurt the poor and left them with nothing.
    He took houses he did not build.

²⁰ “The evil man is never satisfied.
    But the things he wants cannot save him.
²¹ After filling himself, there is nothing left.
    His success will not continue.
²² Even while he has plenty, he will be pressed down with trouble.
    His problems will come down on him!
²³ If he does get all he wants,
    God will throw his burning anger against him.
    God will attack him and rain down punishment on him.
²⁴ Maybe he will run away from an iron sword,
    but then a bronze arrow^[ag] will strike him down.
²⁵ It will go through his body
    and stick out of his back.
Its shining point will pierce his liver,
    and he will be shocked with terror.
²⁶ All his treasures will be lost in darkness.
    He will be destroyed by a fire, a fire that no human started.
    It will destroy everything left in his house.
²⁷ Heaven will prove that he is guilty.
    The earth will be a witness against him.
²⁸ His house and everything in it will be carried away
    in the flood of God’s anger.
²⁹ That is what God will do to those who are evil.
    That is what he plans to give them.”

Job Answers

21 Then Job answered:

² “Listen to what I say.
    Let this be your way of comforting me.
³ Be patient while I speak.
    Then after I have finished speaking, you may make fun of me.

⁴ “My complaint is not against people.
    There is a good reason why I am not patient.
⁵ Look at me and be shocked.
    Put your hand over your mouth, and stare at me in shock!
⁶ When I think about what happened to me,
    I feel afraid and my body shakes!
⁷ Why do evil people live long lives?
    Why do they grow old and successful?
⁸ They watch their children grow up
    and live to see their grandchildren.
⁹ Their homes are safe and free from fear.
    God does not punish them.
¹⁰ Their bulls never fail to mate.
    Their cows have healthy calves.
¹¹ They send their children out to play like lambs.
    Their children dance around.
¹² They sing and dance to the sound of harps and flutes.
¹³ Evil people enjoy success during their lives
    and then go to the grave without suffering.
¹⁴ They say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    We don’t care what you want us to do!’
¹⁵ And they say, ‘Who is God All-Powerful?
    We don’t need to serve him!
    It will not help to pray to him!’

Footnotes

1. Job 1:6 angels Literally, “sons of God.”
2. Job 1:15 Sabeans A group of people from the Arabian Desert, probably south of Uz.
3. Job 1:16 A bolt of lightning Or “God’s fire fell from the sky.”
4. Job 1:17 Chaldeans Tribes of people who moved from place to place in the area between the Euphrates and Jordan rivers.
5. Job 2:1 angels Literally, “sons of God.”
6. Job 2:4 Skin for skin This means a person will do anything to avoid pain.
7. Job 3:8 Leviathan Here, this is probably a giant sea monster. Some people thought magicians were able to make it “swallow the sun,” that is, cause an eclipse.
8. Job 4:13 bad dream Or “vision of the night.”
9. Job 4:19 houses of clay This means the human body.
10. Job 5:3 suddenly he died Or “suddenly his home was cursed.”
11. Job 5:19 Literally, “In six troubles, he will rescue you, and in seven, evil will not touch you.”
12. Job 6:14 Or “People who fail to be loyal to their friends have also failed to respect God All-Powerful.”
13. Job 7:6 weaver’s shuttle The tool a person who makes cloth uses to pass the thread between the other threads.
14. Job 7:12 Literally, “Am I Yam or Tannin that you should appoint a guard to watch me?” In ancient Canaanite stories, Yam was the god of the sea, and Tannin was a sea monster.
15. Job 9:9 Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades Names of well-known constellations (groups of stars) in the night sky.
16. Job 9:9 planets … sky Literally, “Rooms of the South” or “Rooms of Teman.” This might be the planets or the twelve constellations of the Zodiac. North of the equator, these seem to move across the southern sky.
17. Job 9:31 slime pit The grave, a place where bodies rot.
18. Job 9:33 someone … sides Literally, “a mediator” or “an umpire.”
19. Job 13:15 I will … kills me Or “If he decides to kill me, I have no hope.”
20. Job 14:1 human beings Literally, “born of woman.”
21. Job 14:14 I would … release Or “I would wait my whole tour of duty for my replacement to come.”
22. Job 15:14 They Literally, “a man born of woman.”
23. Job 15:15 angels Literally, “holy ones.”
24. Job 16:13 gall The bitter contents of the gall bladder, which is near the liver. Here, it means something bitter and painful.
25. Job 16:18 Earth … done to me Literally, “Earth, don’t cover my blood.” See Gen. 4:10-11.
26. Job 16:21 someone Literally, “son of man.”
27. Job 17:5 You know … friends Literally, “He promises a share to his friends and his children’s eyes go blind.”
28. Job 18:13 Death itself Literally, “Death’s firstborn,” a name for a deadly disease, or the worms that eat a dead body.
29. Job 19:27 Or “And in the end, he will stand here on earth and defend me, ²⁶ even after my skin has been destroyed. But I want to see God while I am still in my body. ²⁷ I want to see him with my own eyes, not through someone else’s eyes. And I cannot tell you how much I want this to happen!”
30. Job 20:4 Adam was Or “people were.”
31. Job 20:8 bad dream Or “vision of the night.”
32. Job 20:17 rivers … cream A figure meaning a plentiful supply of rich food. The word translated “cream” could mean butter, curds, or yogurt.
33. Job 20:24 bronze arrow Literally, “bronze bow.” Or “powerful bow,” possibly a bow made of sinew, wood and horn.

 

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