Job Curses the Day of His Birth
Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job answered and said,
3 “aLet the day perish on which I was to be born,
And the night which said, ‘A man is conceived.’
4 May that day be darkness;
Let not God seek it from above,
Nor light shine on it.
5 Let adarkness and shadow of death redeem it;
Let a cloud dwell upon it;
Let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, let thick darkness take it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Behold, let that night be barren;
Let no joyful shout enter it.
8 Let those curse it who curse the day,
Who are ready to arouse Leviathan.
9 Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;
Let it hope for light but have none,
And let it not see the breaking dawn,
10 Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s body,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “aWhy did I not die from the womb,
Come forth from the womb and breathe my last?
12 Why did the knees receive me,
And why the breasts, that I should suck?
13 For now I awould have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then; it would have been rest to me,
14 With akings and with bcounselors of the earth,
Who rebuilt cwaste places for themselves,
15 Or with aprinces bwho had gold,
Who were filling their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not like a miscarriage hidden away,
As infants that never saw light?
17 There the wicked cease from raging,
And there the weary of strength are at arest.
18 The prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there,
And the slave is free from his master.
20 “Why is alight given to him who is troubled,
And life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who along for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for bhidden treasures,
22 Who are glad with joy,
And rejoice when they find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man awhose way is hidden,
And whom bGod has hedged in?
24 For amy groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And bmy roaring pours out like water.
25 For athe dread that I dread comes upon me,
And what I am afraid of befalls me.
26 I aam not complacent, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, and raging comes.”
Eliphaz Says the Innocent Do Not Suffer
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “If one tries a word with you, will you become weary?
But awho can hold back from speaking?
3 Behold, ayou have disciplined many,
And you have strengthened limp hands.
4 Your words have helped the stumbling to stand,
And you have encouraged feeble knees.
5 But now it has come to you, and you aare impatient;
It btouches you, and you are dismayed.
6 Is not your afear of God byour confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember now, awho ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright wiped out?
8 According to what I have seen, athose who plow wickedness
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
9 By athe breath of God they perish,
And bby the wind of His anger they come to an end.
10 The aroaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The alion perishes for lack of prey,
And the bwhelps of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word awas brought to me stealthily,
And my ear received a bwhisper of it.
13 Amid disquieting athoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14 Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made the multitude of my bones shake in dread.
15 Then a spirit swept by my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled up.
16 It stood still, but I could not recognize its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can amankind be right before God?
Can a man be pure before his bMaker?
18 aHe puts no trust even in His slaves;
And against His angels He charges error.
19 How much more those who dwell in ahouses of clay,
Whose bfoundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
20 aBetween morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unobserved, they bperish forever.
21 Is not their atent‑cord pulled up within them?
They die, yet bwithout wisdom.’
The Discipline of the Almighty
“Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the aholy ones will you turn?
2 For avexation kills the ignorant fool,
And jealousy puts to death the simple.
3 I have seen the aignorant fool taking root,
And I bcursed his abode suddenly.
4 His asons are far from salvation,
They are even crushed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.
5 His harvest the hungry devour
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the aschemer pants after their wealth.
6 For awickedness does not come out from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 For aman is born for trouble,
As sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would aseek God,
And I would set my cause before God,
9 Who adoes great and unsearchable things,
Wonders without number.
10 He agives rain on the earth
And sends water on the fields outside,
11 So that aHe sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to salvation.
12 He afrustrates the thoughts of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot attain success of sound wisdom.
13 He acatches the wise by their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the twisted is quickly thwarted.
14 By day they ameet with darkness
And grope at noon as in the night.
15 But He saves from athe sword of their mouth,
And bthe needy from the hand of the strong.
16 So the poor has hope,
And aunrighteousness must shut its mouth.
17 “Behold, how ablessed is the man whom God reproves,
So do not reject the bdiscipline of the Almighty.
18 For aHe inflicts pain and gives relief;
He wounds, and His hands also heal.
19 From six distresses aHe will deliver you,
Even in seven bevil will not touch you.
20 In afamine He will redeem you from death,
And bin war from hands with swords.
21 You will be ahidden from the scourge of the tongue,
bAnd you will not be afraid of devastation when it comes.
22 You will alaugh at devastation and starvation,
bAnd you will not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 For your covenant will be with the stones of the field,
And athe beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your atent is at peace,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.
25 You will know also that your aseed will be many,
And byour offspring as the vegetation of the land.
26 You will acome to the grave in full vigor,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27 Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
Job Answers Eliphaz
Then Job answered and said,
2 “aOh that my vexation were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my destruction!
3 For then it would be aheavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.
4 For the aarrows of the Almighty are within me,
Their bpoison my spirit drinks;
The chorrors of God are arranged against me.
5 Does the awild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his fodder?
6 Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the slime of a yolk?
7 My soul arefuses to touch them;
They are like loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my hope!
9 Would that God were awilling to crush me,
That He would release His hand and cut me off!
10 But it is still my comfort,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I ahave not at all hidden away the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should aendure?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is it that there is no ahelp within me,
And that the bsuccess of sound wisdom is driven from me?
14 “For the adespairing man lovingkindness should be from his friend;
But he bforsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have abetrayed me like a wadi,
Like the torrents of wadis which pass away,
16 Which grow dark because of ice
And upon which the snow hides itself.
17 When athey become waterless, they are silent;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 The paths of their course wind along;
They go up into a formless place and perish.
19 The caravans of aTema looked;
The travelers of bSheba hoped for them.
20 They awere ashamed for they had trusted;
They came there and were humiliated.
21 Indeed, you have now become such;
aYou see a terror and are afraid.
22 Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 Or, ‘Give me escape from the hand of the adversary,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the ruthless men’?
24 “Instruct me, and aI will be silent;
And cause me to understand how I have erred.
25 How painful are upright words!
But what does your reproof prove?
26 Do you think to reprove my words,
Or think of the awords of one in despair as wind?
27 You would even acast lots for bthe orphans
And cbargain over your friend.
28 So now be willing to face me,
And see if I alie to your face.
29 Now turn from this, let there be no unrighteousness;
Even turn from this, amy righteousness is yet in it.
30 Is there unrighteousness on my tongue?
Cannot amy palate discern destruction?
“Is not man aconscripted to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of ba hired man?
2 As a slave who pants for the shade,
And as a hired man who eagerly hopes for his wages,
3 So am I apportioned months of worthlessness,
And anights of trouble are appointed me.
4 If I alie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the twilight continues,
And I am saturated with tossing until dawn.
5 My aflesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt;
My skin scabs over and flows out again.
6 My days are aswifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And come to an end bwithout hope.
7 “Remember that my life ais but wind;
My eye will bnot again see good.
8 The aeye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but bI will not be.
9 A acloud vanishes, and it is gone,
So bhe who goes down to cSheol does not come up.
10 He will not return again to his house,
Nor will ahis place recognize him anymore.
11 “Indeed aI will not hold back my mouth;
I will speak in the distress of my spirit;
I will muse on the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea or athe sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 If I say, ‘aMy bed will comfort me;
My couch will ease my bitter musing,’
14 Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me by visions,
15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my pains.
16 I have arejected everything; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, bfor my days are but a breath.
17 aWhat is man that You magnify him,
And that You set Your heart on him,
18 That aYou examine him every morning
And test him every moment?
19 aWill You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spit?
20 aHave I sinned? What have I done to You,
O bwatcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why then ado You not forgive my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will blie down in the dust;
And You will seek me earnestly, cbut I will not be.”
Bildad Claims God Rewards the Good
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
2 “How long will you say these things,
And the awords of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3 Does aGod pervert justice?
Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?
4 aIf your sons sinned against Him,
Then He sent them into the power of their transgression.
5 If you would aseek God earnestly
And plead for the grace of the Almighty,
6 If you are pure and upright,
Indeed now aHe would rouse Himself for you
And make your righteous babode at peace.
7 Though your beginning was insignificant,
Yet your aend will increase greatly.
8 “Please aask of past generations,
And establish the things searched out by their fathers.
9 For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because aour days on earth are but a shadow.
10 Will they not instruct you and tell you,
And bring forth words from their hearts?
11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the rushes grow without water?
12 While it is still green and not cut down,
Yet it dries up before any other plant.
13 So are the paths of aall who forget God;
And the bhope of the godless will perish,
14 Whose confidence is fragile,
And whose trust a aspider’s web.
15 He relies on his ahouse, but it does not stand;
He holds fast to it, but it is not established.
16 He athrives before the sun,
And his bshoots go forth over his garden.
17 His roots wrap around a rock pile;
He looks upon a house of stones.
18 If He swallows him up from ahis place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘bI never saw you.’
19 Behold, athis is the joy of His way;
And out of the dust others will spring.
20 Behold, aGod will not reject a blameless man,
Nor bwill He strengthen the hand of the evildoers.
21 He will yet fill ayour mouth with laughter
And your lips with shouting.
22 Those who hate you will be aclothed with shame,
And the btent of the wicked will be no longer.”
Job Replies There Is No Adjudicator
Then Job answered and said,
2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a aman be in the right before God?
3 If one desired to acontend with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 aWise in heart and bmighty in power,
Who has cstiffened his neck against Him and been at peace?
5 aGod is the One who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 The One who ashakes the earth out of its place,
And its bpillars tremble;
7 The One who says for the asun not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;
8 Who alone astretches out the heavens,
And btramples down the waves of the sea;
9 Who makes the aBear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the bchambers of the south;
10 Who adoes great things, unsearchable,
And wondrous works, innumerable.
11 Were He to sweep by me, aI would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
12 Were He to snatch away, who could aturn Him back?
Who could say to Him, ‘bWhat are You doing?’
13 “God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of aRahab.
14 How then can aI answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?
15 For athough I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to bplead for the grace of my judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was giving ear to my voice.
17 For He abruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will anot allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with bbitterness.
19 If it is a matter of power, abehold, He is the mighty one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can make Him testify?
20 aThough I am righteous, my mouth will bcondemn me;
Though I am blameless, He will declare me perverse.
21 I am ablameless;
I do not know my soul;
I breject my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He aconsumes the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge puts to death suddenly,
He amocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth ais given into the hand of the wicked;
He bcovers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 “Now amy days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away; bthey do not see good.
26 They sweep by like areed boats,
Like an beagle that swoops on its food.
27 Though I say, ‘I will forget amy musing,
I will forsake my sad countenance and be cheerful,’
28 I am aafraid of all my pains;
I know that bYou will not acquit me.
29 I am accounted awicked;
Why then should I toil in vain?
30 If I should awash myself with snow
And cleanse bmy hands with lye,
31 Yet You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would abhor me.
32 For aHe is not a man as I am that bI may answer Him,
That we may go to court for judgment together.
33 There is no aadjudicator between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let Him aremove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I awould speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
Job Cries Out to God
“aMy soul is loathed by my life;
I will abandon all restraint in myself to bmy complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, ‘aDo not account me as wicked;
Let me know why You contend with me.
3 Is it good to You that You aoppress,
That You reject bthe labor of Your hands,
And cause cthe counsel of the wicked to shine forth?
4 Have You eyes of flesh?
Or do You asee as a mortal man sees?
5 Are Your days as the days of a mortal man,
Or aYour years as man’s years,
6 That aYou should seek for my guilt
And search after my sin?
7 According to Your knowledge aI am indeed not wicked,
Yet there is bno deliverer from Your hand.
8 ‘aYour hands fashioned and made me altogether,
bAnd would You swallow me up?
9 Remember now, that You have made me as aclay;
And would You bturn me into dust again?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese,
11 Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?
12 You have amade alongside me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has kept my spirit.
13 Yet athese things You have concealed in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
14 If I sin, then You would atake note of me
And bwould not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If aI am wicked, woe to me!
And bif I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am sated with disgrace—so see my misery!
16 Should my head be set on high, aYou would hunt me like a lion;
And again You would show Your bwonders against me.
17 You renew aYour witnesses against me
And increase Your vexation toward me;
bHardship after hardship is with me.
18 ‘aWhy then have You brought me out of the womb?
Would that I had breathed my last and no eye had seen me!
19 I should have been as though I had not been,
Carried from womb to tomb.’
20 Would He not cease afor a few of my days?
bWithdraw from me that I may have a little cheer
21 Before I go—aand I shall not return—
bTo the land of darkness and cshadow of death,
22 The land of utter gloom as the thick darkness itself,
Of the shadow of death, without order,
And which shines as the thick darkness.”
Zophar Asks, Can You Find the Depths of God?
Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a aman of lips be in the right?
3 Shall your boasts silence men?
And shall you amock and none rebuke?
4 aYou have said, ‘My learning is pure,
And bI am innocent in your eyes.’
5 But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 And tell you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom ahas two sides.
Know then that God forgets a part of byour iniquity.
7 “aCan you find the depths of God?
Can you find the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are ahigh as the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than bSheol, what can you know?
9 Its measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 If He sweeps by or shuts up,
Or calls an assembly, awho can turn Him around?
11 For aHe knows worthless men,
And He bsees wickedness, so will He not carefully consider it?
12 aYet an empty headed man will obtain a heart of wisdom,
And the foal of a bwild donkey is born a man.
13 “aIf you would bset your heart right
And cspread out your hand to Him,
14 If wickedness is in your hand, aput it far away,
And do not let unrighteousness dwell in your tents;
15 Then, indeed, you could alift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and bnot fear.
16 For you would aforget your trouble,
As bwaters that pass by, so you would remember it.
17 And your lifetime would aarise brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
18 Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would search around and rest securely.
19 You would alie down and none would make you tremble,
And many would bentreat your favor.
20 But the aeyes of the wicked will come to an end,
And escape will bperish from them;
And their chope is dthe expiring of their soul.”
Job Answers
Then Job answered and said,
2 “Truly then ayou are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
3 But aI have a heart of wisdom as well as you;
I do not fall short of you.
And who does not know such things as these?
4 I am a alaughingstock to my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The righteous and bblameless man is a laughingstock.
5 As for upheaval, there is only contempt by the one who acts at ease,
But it is prepared for those whose feet slip.
6 The atents of the destroyers are complacent,
And those who provoke God bare secure,
Whom God brings cinto their power.
7 “But now ask the beasts, and let them instruct you;
And the birds of the sky, and let them tell you.
8 Or muse to the earth, and let it instruct you;
And let the fish of the sea recount it to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That athe hand of Yahweh has done this,
10 aIn whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And bthe breath of all the flesh of man?
11 Does not athe ear test words,
As the palate tastes its food?
12 Wisdom is with aaged men,
With long life is discernment.
Job Speaks of God’s Strength
13 “With Him are awisdom and amight;
To Him belong counsel and bdiscernment.
14 Behold, He apulls down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He bcloses a man in, and it cannot be opened.
15 Behold, He arestrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He bsends them out, and they overturn the earth.
16 With Him are strength and sound wisdom;
The amisled and the misleader belong to Him.
17 He makes acounselors walk barefoot
And makes fools of bjudges.
18 He aopens the bond of kings
And binds their loins with a belt.
19 He makes priests walk barefoot
And subverts athe enduring ones.
20 He removes speech from the faithful
And atakes away the discerning taste of the elders.
21 He apours contempt on nobles
And bloosens the belt of the strong.
22 He areveals mysteries from the darkness
And brings out the shadows of death into light.
23 He amakes the nations great, then makes them perish;
He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24 He aremoves the heart of wisdom from the heads of the earth’s people
And makes them wander in a pathless waste.
25 They agrope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them bwander about like a drunken man.
I Will Be Declared Righteous
“aBehold, my eye has seen all this;
My ear has heard and understood it.
2 aWhat you know I also know;
I have not fallen short of you.
3 “But aI would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to bargue with God.
4 But you acover me with lies;
You are all bworthless physicians.
5 O that you would abe completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
6 Please hear my argument
And give heed to the contentions of my lips.
7 Will you aspeak what is unrighteous for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
8 Will you ashow partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9 Will it be well when He examines you?
Or awill you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10 He will surely reprove you
If you secretly ashow partiality.
11 Will not aHis exaltedness terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes;
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “aBe silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And aput my life in my hands?
15 aThough He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I bwill argue my ways before Him.
16 This also will be my asalvation,
For ba godless man may not come before His presence.
17 Listen carefully to my words,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
18 Behold now, I have aarranged my case for justice;
I know that bI will be declared righteous.
19 aWho will contend with me?
For now I am silent and bwill breathe my last.
20 “Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:
21 aMove Your hand far from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
22 Then call, and aI will answer;
Or let me speak, then respond to me.
23 aHow many are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my transgression and my sin.
24 Why do You ahide Your face
And think of me as bYour enemy?
25 Will You cause a adriven leaf to tremble?
Or will You pursue the dry bchaff?
26 For You write abitter things against me
And bmake me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
27 You aput my feet in the stocks
And kept watch over all my paths;
You set a limit for the soles of my feet,
28 While I am decaying like a arotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth‑eaten.
If a Man Dies, Will He Live Again?
“aMan, who is born of woman,
Is short‑lived and bfull of turmoil.
2 aLike a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like ba shadow and does not stand.
3 You also aopen Your eyes on him
And bbring me into judgment with Yourself.
4 aWho can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
5 Since his days are determined,
The anumber of his months is with You;
And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.
6 aTurn Your gaze from him that he may cease from toil,
Until he accepts his day like a hired man.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will change back sprouting again,
And its shoots will not cease.
8 Though its roots grow old in the ground
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
9 At the scent of water it will flourish
And put forth sprigs like a plant.
10 But aman dies and lies prostrate.
Man bbreathes his last, and where is he?
11 As awater evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,
12 So aman lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens are no longer,
He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.
13 “Oh that You would conceal me in Sheol,
That You would hide me auntil Your anger returns to You,
That You would set a limit for me and remember me!
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my labor I will wait
Until my change comes.
15 You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for athe work of Your hands.
16 For now You anumber my steps,
You do not bkeep watch over my sin.
17 My transgression is asealed up in a bag,
And You cover up my iniquity.
18 “But the falling mountain crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;
19 Water wears away stones;
Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;
So You amake man’s hope perish.
20 You forever overpower him and he agoes away;
You alter his appearance and send him away.
21 His sons achieve honor, but ahe does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.
22 But his flesh pains him,
And he mourns only for himself.”