Bible in 90 Days
Bildad Speaks to Job
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “How long will you say such things?
Your words are no more than a strong wind.
3 God does not twist fairness.
God All-Powerful does not make wrong what is right.
4 Your children sinned against God.
And he punished them for their sins.
5 But you should ask God for help.
Pray to God All-Powerful for mercy.
6 You must be good and honest.
Then he will start doing something for you.
And he will bring you back where you belong.
7 The place you began will seem unimportant
because your future will be so successful.
8 “Ask old people
and find out what their ancestors learned.
9 We were only born yesterday and know nothing.
Our days on earth are like only a shadow.
10 Those people will teach you and tell you.
They will tell you what they know.
11 Papyrus plants cannot grow tall where there is no wet land.
Reeds cannot grow tall without water.
12 While they are still growing and not yet cut,
they will dry up more quickly than grass.
13 That is what will happen to everyone who forgets God.
The hope of the person without God will be gone.
14 What he trusts in is easily broken.
It is as easily broken as a spider’s web.
15 He leans on the spider’s web, but it breaks.
He holds on to it, but it does not hold him up.
16 He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine.
The plant spreads its roots all through the garden.
17 It wraps its roots around a pile of rocks.
And it looks for a place among the stones.
18 But the plant may be torn from its place.
Then that place rejects it and says, ‘I never saw you.’
19 Then its life dries up.
And other plants grow up from the dirt in its place.
20 “Surely God does not reject innocent men.
He does not give strength to those who do evil.
21 God will yet fill your mouth with laughter.
And he will fill your lips with shouts of joy.
22 Your enemies will be covered in shame.
And the tents of the wicked will be gone.”
Job Answers Bildad
9 Then Job answered:
2 “Yes, I know that this is true.
But how can man be right in the presence of God?
3 A person might want to argue with God.
But he could not answer God one time out of a thousand.
4 God’s wisdom is deep, and his power is great.
No one can fight God without being hurt.
5 God moves mountains without anyone knowing it.
He turns mountains over when he is angry.
6 God shakes the earth out of its place.
And he makes the earth’s foundations shake.
7 God commands the sun not to shine.
He shuts off the light of the stars.
8 God alone stretches out the skies.
And he walks on the waves of the sea.
9 It is God who made the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades[a]
and the groups of stars in the southern sky.
10 God does wonderful things that people cannot understand.
He does so many miracles they cannot be counted.
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him.
When he goes by me, I cannot recognize him.
12 If God snatches 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 the helpers of the monster Rahab lie at God’s feet in fear.
14 So how can I argue with God?
I cannot find words to argue with him.
15 Even if I was right, I could not answer him.
I could only beg God, my Judge, for mercy.
16 I might call to him. But even if he answered,
I still would not believe he would listen to me.
17 God would crush me with a storm.
He would multiply my hurts for no reason.
18 He would not let me catch my breath.
He would overwhelm me with misery.
19 When it comes to strength, God is stronger than I.
And when it comes to justice, no one can accuse him!
20 Even if I were right, my own mouth would say I was wrong.
If I were innocent, my mouth would say I was guilty.
21 “I am innocent.
But I don’t think about myself.
I hate my own life.
22 It is all the same. That is why I say,
‘God destroys both the innocent and the evil people.’
23 A whip may bring sudden death.
And God will laugh when good people suffer.
24 When land falls into the hands of evil people,
God covers the judges’ faces so they can’t see it.
If it is not God who does this, then who is it?
25 “My days go by faster than a runner.
They fly away without my seeing even a little joy.
26 They glide past like boats made of papyrus plants.
My days are like eagles that swoop down on animals they attack.
27 I might say, ‘I will forget my complaint.
I will change the look on my face, and smile.’
28 But I will still dread all my suffering.
I know you will hold me guilty.
29 I have already been found guilty.
So why should I struggle for no reason?
30 I might wash myself with soap.
And I might even wash my hands with strong soap.
31 But you would push me into a dirty pit.
And even my clothes would hate me.
32 “God is not a man like me. So I cannot answer him.
We cannot meet each other in court.
33 I wish there was someone to make peace between us.
I wish someone could decide our case.
34 I wish someone could remove God’s punishment from me.
Then his terror would not frighten me anymore.
35 Then I could speak up without being afraid of God.
But I am not able to do that.
10 “I hate my own life.
So I will complain without holding back.
And I will speak because I am so unhappy.
2 I will say to God: Do not hold me guilty.
But tell me what you have against me.
3 Does it make you happy to trouble me?
Don’t you care about me, the work of your own hands?
Are you happy with the plans of evil people?
4 Do you have human eyes?
Do you see as a man sees?
5 Are your days like the days of man?
Are your years like the years of a man?
6 You look for evil I have done
and search for my sin.
7 But you know I am not guilty.
And you know no one can save me from your power.
8 “Your hands shaped me and made me.
But now you turn around and destroy me.
9 Remember that you molded me like a piece of clay.
Now will you turn me back into dust?
10 You formed me in my mother’s womb
as cheese is formed from milk.
11 You put skin and flesh on me like clothing.
You sewed me together with bones and muscles.
12 You gave me life and showed me kindness.
And in your care you watched over my life.
13 “But in your heart you hid other plans.
I know this is what was in your mind:
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me.
You would not let my sin go unpunished.
15 How terrible it will be for me if I am guilty!
But even if I am right, I cannot lift my head.
I am full of shame.
It is as if I am drowning in my pain.
16 If I hold up my head, you hunt me like a lion.
And again you show your terrible power against me.
17 You bring new witnesses against me.
You increase your anger against me.
Your armies come against me like waves of the sea.
18 “So why did you allow me to be born?
I wish I had died before anyone saw me.
19 I wish I had never been born.
Or I wish I had been carried straight from birth to the grave!
20 My few days of life are almost over.
Leave me alone so I can have a moment of joy.
21 Soon I will leave and not return.
I will go to the land of darkness and gloom.
22 It is the land of darkest night.
It is the land of gloom and confusion.
Even the light is darkness there.”
Zophar Speaks to Job
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:
2 “All these words should not go without an answer.
Is this talker to be judged as right?
3 Your talk should not make people be quiet.
People should shame you when you make fun of God.
4 You say to God, ‘My teachings are right.
And I am clean in God’s sight.’
5 I wish God would speak.
I wish he would open his lips to speak against you.
6 I wish he would tell you the secrets of wisdom.
This is because wisdom has two sides.
Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.
7 “Can you understand the secrets of God?
Can you search the limits of the God All-Powerful?
8 God’s limits are higher than the heavens. You cannot reach them!
They are deeper than where the dead are. You cannot know them!
9 His limits are longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.
10 “God might come along and put you in prison.
If he calls you into court, no one can stop him.
11 God knows which men are evil.
And when he sees evil, he notices it.
12 A stupid person cannot become wise.
That is as impossible as a wild donkey being born tame.
13 “You must give your whole heart to him.
You must hold out your hands to him for help.
14 Put away the sin that is in your hand.
Let no evil live in your tent.
15 Then you can lift up your face without shame.
You can stand strong without fear.
16 You will forget your trouble.
You will remember your troubles only as water that has passed by.
17 Your life will be as bright as the noonday sun.
And darkness will seem like morning.
18 You will feel safe because there is hope.
You will look around and rest in safety.
19 You will lie down, and no one will make you afraid.
Many people will want favor from you.
20 But the wicked people will not be able to see.
So they will not be able to find the way to escape.
Their only hope will be to die.”
Job Answers Zophar
12 Then Job answered:
2 “You really think you are the only wise people.
You think when you die wisdom will die with you.
3 But my mind is as good as yours.
You are not better than I am.
Everyone knows all these things.
4 My friends all laugh at me
when I call on God and expect him to answer me.
They laugh at me even though I am right and innocent!
5 People who are comfortable don’t care that others have trouble.
They think that people who are in trouble should have more troubles.
6 The tents of robbers are not bothered.
Those who make God angry are safe.
They have their god in their pocket.
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
8 Speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
Or let the fish of the sea tell you.
9 Every one of these knows
that the hand of the Lord has done this.
10 The life of every creature
and the breath of all people are in God’s hand.
11 The ear tests words
as the tongue tastes food.
12 Older people are supposed to be wise.
Long life is supposed to bring understanding.
13 “But God has wisdom and power.
He has good advice and understanding.
14 What God tears down cannot be rebuilt.
The man God puts in prison cannot be let out.
15 If God holds back the waters, there is a time without rain.
But if he lets the waters go, they flood the land.
16 God is strong and victorious.
Both the person who fools others and the one who is fooled belong to him.
17 God leads wise men away as captives.
He turns wise judges into fools.
18 God takes the royal belt off of kings.
And he dresses them like prisoners with only a cloth around their waist.
19 He leads priests away as captives.
He destroys the power of those who have been powerful.
20 God makes trusted people be silent.
And he takes away the wisdom of elders.
21 God brings disgrace on important people.
And he takes away the weapons of the strong.
22 God uncovers the deep things of darkness.
He brings dark shadows into the light.
23 He makes nations great, and he destroys them.
He makes nations large, and he scatters them.
24 He takes understanding away from the leaders of the earth.
He makes them wander through a desert with no paths.
25 They feel around in darkness with no light.
God makes them stumble around like drunken people.
13 “My eyes have seen all this.
My ears have heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know.
You are not better than I am.
3 But I want to speak to God All-Powerful.
I want to argue my case with God.
4 But you smear me with lies.
You are worthless doctors, all of you!
5 I wish you would just stop talking.
Then you would really be wise!
6 Listen to my argument.
Hear my lips begging.
7 You should not speak for God by saying evil things.
You cannot speak God’s truth by telling lies.
8 You should not unfairly choose his side against mine.
You should not argue the case for God.
9 You will not do well if he examines you.
You cannot fool God as you might fool men.
10 God would surely scold you
if you unfairly took one person’s side.
11 His bright glory would scare you.
You would be very much afraid of him.
12 Your wise sayings are worth no more than ashes.
Your arguments are as weak as clay.
13 “Be quiet and let me speak.
Then let things happen to me as they will.
14 I will put myself in danger
and take my life in my own hands.
15 He will kill me. I have no hope.[b]
But I still will defend my ways to his face.
16 This might really save me,
because a wicked man would not be brave enough to come before him.
17 Listen carefully to what I say.
Let your ears hear what I say.
18 See now, I have prepared my case.
I know I will be proved right.
19 No one can blame me for doing wrong.
If someone can, I will be quiet and die.
20 “God, please just give me these two things.
Then I will not hide from you.
21 Take your punishment away from me.
And stop frightening me with your terrors.
22 Then call me, and I will answer.
Or let me speak and you answer.
23 How many evil things and sins have I done?
Show me my wrong and my sin.
24 Don’t hide your face from me.
Don’t think of me as your enemy.
25 Don’t punish a leaf that is blown by the wind.
Don’t chase after dry chaff.
26 You write down cruel things against me.
You make me suffer for sins I did when I was young.
27 You put my feet in chains.
You keep close watch on everywhere I go.
And you mark the soles of my feet.
28 So man wears out like something rotten.
He is like clothing that has been eaten by moths.
14 “All of us born to women
live only a few days and have a lot of trouble.
2 We grow up like flowers and then dry up and go away.
We are like a passing shadow that does not last.
3 Lord, do you need to watch someone like this?
Do you need to bring him before you to be judged?
4 I wish something clean could come from something unclean.
But it never can!
5 Our time is limited.
You have given us only so many months to live.
You have set limits we cannot go beyond.
6 So look away from us and leave us alone.
Leave us alone until we put in our time like a hired man.
7 “There is hope for a tree.
If you cut it down, it will grow again.
It will keep sending out new branches.
8 Its roots may grow old in the ground.
And its stump may die in the dirt.
9 But at the smell of water it will bud.
It will put out new shoots like a plant.
10 But we die, and our bodies are laid in the ground.
We take our last breath and are gone.
11 Water disappears from a lake.
And a river loses its water and dries up.
12 In the same way we lie down and do not rise again.
We will not get up or be awakened
until the heavens disappear.
13 “I wish you would hide me where the dead are.
Hide me until your anger is gone.
I wish you would set a time
and then remember me!
14 Will the dead live again?
I will wait, struggling hard
until things change for me.
15 You will call, and I will answer you.
You will desire the creature your hands have made.
16 Then you will count my steps.
But you will not keep track of my sin.
17 My wrongs will be closed up in a bag.
And you will cover up my sin.
18 “A mountain washes away and crumbles.
And a rock can be moved from its place.
19 Water washes over stones and wears them down.
And rushing waters wash away the dirt.
In the same way, you destroy hope.
20 You defeat man forever, and he is gone.
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 His sons are honored, but he does not know it.
His sons are disgraced, but he does not see it.
22 He only feels the pain of his body.
And he feels sorry only for himself.”
Eliphaz Answers Job
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 “A wise man would not answer with empty words.
He would not fill his stomach with hot, east wind.
3 He would not argue with useless words.
He would not make speeches that have no value.
4 But you even break down the worship of God.
You stand in the way of those who pray to him.
5 Your sin teaches your mouth what to say.
You use the same words as people who trick others.
6 It is your own mouth, not mine, that shows you are wicked.
Your own lips speak as a witness against you.
7 “You are not the first man ever born.
You were not born before the hills were made.
8 You cannot listen in on God’s secret advice.
You cannot limit wisdom to yourself.
9 You don’t know any more than we know.
You don’t understand any more than we understand.
10 Old people with gray hair are on our side.
They are men even older than your father.
11 The comfort God gives you is not enough for you,
even when words are spoken gently to you.
12 Your heart has carried you away from God.
Your eyes flash with anger.
13 You speak out your anger against God.
And these words pour out of your mouth.
14 “How can man be pure?
How can a person born to a woman be good?
15 God places no trust in his holy ones.
Even the heavens are not pure in his eyes.
16 And man is even less than they are. He is terrible and rotten.
He drinks up evil as if it were water!
17 “Job, listen to me, and I will tell you about it.
I will tell you what I have seen.
18 These are things wise men have told.
Their ancestors told them these things, and they have hidden nothing.
19 (The land was given to their fathers only.
No foreigner lived among them.)
20 The evil man suffers pain all his life.
The cruel man suffers during all the years saved up for him.
21 Terrible sounds fill his ears.
When things seem to be going well, robbers attack him.
22 The evil person gives up trying to escape from the darkness.
It has been decided that he will die by the sword.
23 He wanders around. He will become food for vultures.
He knows death will soon come.
24 Worry and suffering terrify him.
They overwhelm him. They seem like a king ready to attack.
25 This is because he shakes his fist at God.
He tries to get his own way against God All-Powerful.
26 He stubbornly charges at God
with a thick, strong shield.
27 “The evil person’s face is covered with fat.
His waist is fat with flesh.
28 He will live in towns that are ruined.
He will live in houses where no one lives.
They are houses that are crumbling into ruins.
29 The evil person will no longer get rich.
And the riches he has will not last.
The things he owns will no longer spread over the land.
30 He will not escape the darkness.
A flame will dry up his branches.
God’s breath will carry that evil person away.
31 The evil person should not fool himself by trusting what is useless.
If he does, he will get nothing in return.
32 His branch will dry up before it finishes growing.
It will not even become green.
33 He will be like a vine whose grapes are pulled off before they are ripe.
He will be like an olive tree that loses its blossoms.
34 People without God can produce nothing.
Fire will destroy the tents of people who take money to do evil.
35 They plan trouble and give birth to evil.
Their hearts plan ways to trick people.”
Job Answers Eliphaz
16 Then Job answered:
2 “I have heard many things like these.
You are all painful comforters!
3 Will your long, useless speeches never end?
What makes you keep on arguing?
4 I also could speak as you do
if you were in my place.
I could make great speeches against you.
And I could shake my head at you.
5 But, instead, my words would encourage you.
I would speak words of comfort to bring you relief.
6 “But if I speak, my pain does not become less.
And if I don’t speak, it still does not go away.
7 God, you have surely taken away my strength.
You have destroyed my whole family.
8 You have made me thin and weak.
And people feel that this shows I have done wrong.
9 God attacks me and tears me with anger.
He grinds his teeth at me.
My enemy stares at me with his angry eyes.
10 People open their mouths to make fun of me.
They hit my cheeks to insult me.
They join together against me.
11 God has turned me over to evil men.
He has thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.
12 Everything was fine with me.
But then God broke me into pieces.
He held me by the neck and crushed me.
He has made me his target.
13 God’s archers surround me.
He stabs my kidneys and has no mercy.
He spills my blood on the ground.
14 Again and again God attacks me.
He runs at me like a soldier.
15 “I have sewed rough cloth over my skin to show my sadness.
I have buried my face in the dust.
16 My face is red from crying.
I have dark circles around my eyes.
17 And yet my hands have never done anything cruel.
And my prayer is pure.
18 “Earth, please do not cover up my blood.
Don’t let my cry ever stop being heard!
19 Even now I have one who speaks for me in heaven.
The one who is on my side is high above.
20 The one who speaks for me is my friend.
While he does this, my eyes pour out tears to God.
21 He begs God on behalf of a man
as a man begs for his friend.
22 “Only a few years will pass
before I go on the journey from which I cannot return.
17 My spirit is broken.
The days of my life are almost gone.
The grave is waiting for me.
2 Those who laugh at me surround me.
I watch them insult me.
3 “God, make me a promise.
No one else will make a promise for me.
4 You have closed the minds of my friends so they do not understand.
So you will not let them win over me.
5 A man might speak against his friends for money.
But if he does, the eyes of his children go blind.
6 “God has caused people to use my name as a curse word.
People spit in my face.
7 My sight has grown weak because of my sadness.
My body is so thin it’s like a shadow.
8 Honest people are upset about this.
Innocent people are upset with people who do wrong.
9 But people who do right will continue to do right.
And those whose hands are not dirty with sin will grow stronger.
10 “But, all of you, come and try again!
I do not find a wise man among you!
11 My days are gone, and my plans have been destroyed.
The desires of my heart are also destroyed.
12 These men think night is day.
When it is dark, they say, ‘Light is near.’
13 It might be that the only home I hope for is where the dead are.
I might spread out my bed in darkness.
14 I might say to the grave, ‘You are my father.’
And I might say to the worm, ‘You are my mother’ or ‘You are my sister.’
15 If these things are true, I have no hope.
No one can see any hope for me.
16 Hope will go down to the gates of death.
We will go down together into the dust.”
Bildad Answers Job
18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “When will you stop these speeches?
Be sensible, and then we can talk.
3 You think of us as only cattle.
You think we are stupid.
4 You tear yourself to pieces in your anger.
Does everyone have to leave the earth just for you?
Do the rocks have to be moved from their place for you?
5 “The lamp of the wicked person will be put out.
The flame in his lamp will stop burning.
6 The light in his tent will become dark.
The lamp by his side will go out.
7 His footsteps will become weak and lose their strength.
He will fall into his own evil trap.
8 His feet are caught in a net
when he walks into its web.
9 A trap will catch him by the heel.
And it will hold him tight.
10 A trap for him is hidden on the ground.
It lies in his path.
11 Terrible things startle him from every side.
They chase him at every step.
12 Hunger takes away his strength.
Disaster is at his side.
13 Disease eats away parts of his skin.
The signs of death begin to eat away at his arms and legs.
14 The evil person is torn from the safety of his tent.
He is dragged off to Death, the King of Terrors.
15 His tent is set on fire.
Burning sulfur is scattered over his home.
16 His roots dry up below ground,
and his branches above ground die.
17 People on earth will not remember him.
His name will be forgotten in the land.
18 He will be driven from the light into darkness.
He will be chased out of the world.
19 He has no children or descendants among his people.
No one will be left alive where he once lived.
20 People of the west are shocked at what has happened to him.
People of the east are very frightened.
21 This is surely what will happen to the home of an evil person.
This is the place of one who does not know God.”
Job Answers Bildad
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 attack me without shame.
4 If I have sinned,
it is my worry alone.
5 Maybe you want to make yourselves look better than I do
so you can blame me for my suffering.
6 Then know that God has wronged me.
He has pulled his net around me.
7 “I shout, ‘I have been wronged!’
But I get no answer.
I call loudly for help,
but I receive no justice.
8 God has blocked my way so I cannot pass.
He has covered my paths with darkness.
9 He has taken away my honor.
He has removed the crown from my head.
10 He beats me down on every side until I am gone.
He pulls up my hope as a tree is pulled up by its roots.
11 His anger burns against me.
And he treats me as one of his enemies.
12 His armies gather.
They prepare a way to attack me.
They camp around my tent.
13 “God has made my brothers my enemies.
My friends have become complete strangers.
14 My relatives have gone away.
My friends have forgotten me.
15 My guests and my women servants think of me as a stranger.
They look at me as if I were a foreigner.
16 I call for my servant, but he does not answer.
I even beg him with my own mouth.
17 My wife hates my breath.
My own family hates me.
18 Even the little boys hate me.
When I leave, they talk about me.
19 All my close friends hate me.
Even those I love have turned against me.
20 I am nothing but skin and bones.
I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.
21 Pity me, my friends. Pity me!
The hand of God has hit me.
22 Why do you chase me as God does?
Haven’t you had enough of hurting my body?
23 “How I wish my words were written down.
I wish they were written on a scroll.
24 I wish they were carved with an iron pen into lead,
or carved into stone forever!
25 I know that my Defender lives.
And in the end he will come to show that I am right.
26 Even after my skin has been destroyed,
in my flesh I will still see God.
27 I will see him myself.
I myself will see him with my own eyes.
How my heart wants that to happen!
28 “You may say, ‘We will continue to trouble Job.
The problem lies with him.’
29 But you should be afraid of the sword yourselves.
God’s anger will bring punishment by the sword.
Then you will know that there is judgment.”
Zophar Answers
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:
2 “My troubled thoughts cause me to answer.
I am very upset.
3 I hear you criticize, and I am insulted.
But I understand how to answer you.
4 “You know how it has been for a long time.
It has been this way since man was put on the earth.
5 The happiness of an evil person is very short.
The joy of a person without God lasts only a moment.
6 His pride may be as high as the heavens.
His head may touch the clouds.
7 But he will be gone forever, like his own dung.
People who knew him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He will fly away like a dream.
He will not be found again.
He will be chased away like a vision in the night.
9 Those who saw him will not see him again.
The place where he lived will see him no more.
10 His children will have to make up for how he mistreated the poor.
He will have to give his wealth back with his own hands.
11 He has the strength of his youth in his bones.
But it will lie with him in the dust of death.
12 “Evil may taste sweet in the evil person’s mouth.
He may hide it under his tongue.
13 He cannot stand to let go of it.
So he keeps it in his mouth.
14 But his food will turn sour in his stomach.
It will be like the poison of a snake inside him.
15 He has swallowed riches, but he will spit them out.
God will make the evil person’s stomach vomit them up.
16 He will suck the poison of snakes.
The snake’s poisonous fangs will kill him.
17 He will not admire the sparkling streams
or the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18 He must give back what he worked for without eating it.
He will not enjoy the money he made from his trading.
19 This is because he has troubled the poor people and left them with nothing.
He has taken houses he did not build.
20 “The evil person has no rest from his desire.
Nothing escapes his selfishness.
21 But nothing will be left for him to eat.
His riches will not continue.
22 When he still has plenty, trouble will catch up to him.
Great misery will come down on him.
23 The evil person may eat until his stomach is full.
But then God will send his burning anger against him.
God will send blows of punishment down on him like rain.
24 The evil person may run away from an iron weapon.
But then a bronze arrow will stab him.
25 He will pull the arrow out of his back.
He will pull its point out of his liver.
Terrors will come over him.
26 Total darkness waits for his treasure.
A fire not fanned by people will destroy him.
That fire will burn up what is left of his tent.
27 The heavens will show his guilt.
The earth will rise up against him.
28 A flood will carry his house away.
The rushing waters will come on the day of God’s anger.
29 This is what God plans for evil people.
This is what he has decided they will receive.”
Job Answers Zophar
21 Then Job answered:
2 “Listen carefully to my words.
Let this be the way you comfort me.
3 Be patient while I speak.
After I have finished, you may continue to make fun of me if you wish.
4 “My complaint is not just against people.
I have reason to be impatient.
5 Look at me then and be shocked.
Put your hand over your mouth in shock.
6 When I think about this, I am terribly afraid.
My body shakes!
7 Why do evil people live a long time?
They grow old and become more powerful.
8 They see their children become strong around them.
They watch their children grow up.
9 Their homes are safe and without fear.
God does not punish them.
10 Their bulls never fail to mate.
Their cows have healthy calves.
11 Their children run and play like flocks of lambs.
Their little ones dance about.
12 They sing to the music of tambourines and harps.
The sound of the flute makes them happy.
13 Evil people enjoy success during their lives.
Then they go down in peace to where the dead are.
14 But they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
We don’t want to know your ways.
15 Who is God All-Powerful that we should serve him?
We would gain nothing by praying to him.’
16 But the wicked think they succeed by their own strength.
Their way of thinking is not godly.
17 Yet how often is the lamp of evil people turned off?
How often does trouble come to them?
How often do they suffer the punishment God plans in his anger?
18 How often are they like straw in the wind
or like chaff that is blown away by a storm?
19 It is said, ‘God saves up a man’s punishment for the man’s children.’
God should punish the evil person himself so he will know it.
20 His eyes should see his own destruction.
He should suffer the anger of God All-Powerful.
21 He does not care about the family he leaves behind
when his life has come to an end.
22 “No one can teach knowledge to God.
He is the one who judges even the most important people.
23 One man dies while he still has all his strength.
He feels completely safe and comfortable.
24 His body was well fed.
And his bones were strong and healthy.
25 But another man dies with an unhappy heart.
He never had any happiness.
26 These two men are buried next to each other.
And worms cover both of them.
27 “I know very well what you are thinking.
I know your plans to do wrong to me.
28 You say about me, ‘Now where is this great man’s house?
And where are the tents where the evil men lived?’
29 You have never asked those who travel.
You have not listened to their stories.
30 On the day of God’s anger and punishment,
it is the evil man who is spared.
31 Who will accuse him to his face?
No one pays him back for the evil he has done.
32 He is carried to his grave.
And someone keeps watch over his tomb.
33 The dirt in the valley will seem sweet to him.
Everybody follows after him.
Many people go before him.
34 “So you cannot comfort me with this nonsense.
Your answers are still only lies!”
Eliphaz Answers
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 “A man cannot be of any real use to God.
Even a wise man does him no good.
3 It does not help God All-Powerful for you to be good.
He gains nothing if you are innocent.
4 God does not punish you for respecting him.
He does not bring you into court for this.
5 No! It is because your evil is without limits.
And your sins have no end.
6 You took your brothers’ things to pay a debt they didn’t owe.
You took clothes from people and left them naked.
7 You did not give water to tired people.
And you kept food away from the hungry.
8 You were a powerful man who owned land.
You were honored and lived in the land.
9 But you sent widows away without giving them anything.
You even mistreated orphans.
10 That is why traps are all around you.
That is why sudden danger frightens you.
11 That is why it is so dark you cannot see.
And that is why a flood of water covers you.
12 “God is in the highest part of heaven.
See how high the highest stars are!
13 But you say, ‘God knows nothing.
He cannot judge us through the dark clouds.
14 Thick clouds cover him so he cannot see us.
He walks around high up in the sky.’
15 Are you going to stay on the old path
where evil people walk?
16 They were carried away before their time was up.
Their foundations were washed away by a flood.
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
God All-Powerful can do nothing to us.’
18 But it was God who filled their houses with good things.
He did this even though their way of thinking was not godly.
19 “Good people can watch and be glad.
Innocent people can laugh at them and say,
20 ‘Surely our enemies are destroyed.
And fire burns up their wealth.’
21 “Obey God, and then you will be at peace with him.
This way you can be happy.
22 Accept teaching from his mouth.
Keep his words in your heart.
23 If you return to God All-Powerful, you will be blessed again.
Remove evil from your house.
24 Throw your gold nuggets into the dust.
Throw your fine gold to the rocks in the ravines.
25 Then God All-Powerful will be your gold.
He will be the best silver for you.
26 You will find pleasure in God All-Powerful.
And you will look up to him.
27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you.
And you will keep your promises to him.
28 Anything you decide will be done.
And light will shine on your ways.
29 When terrible things happen to people, you will say, ‘Have courage.’
Then those who are humble will be saved.
30 Even the guilty will escape.
They will be saved because your hands are clean.”
Job Answers
23 Then Job answered:
2 “My complaint is still strong today.
God’s hand is heavy against me even though I am groaning.
3 I wish I knew where to find God.
I wish I could go to where he lives.
4 I would present my case before him.
I would fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words of his answer.
And I would think about what he would say.
6 He would not come against me with great power.
He would really listen to me.
7 Then an honest person could present his case to God.
And I would be saved forever from my judge.
8 “If I go to the east, God is not there.
And if I go to the west, I do not see him there.
9 When he is at work in the north, I catch no sight of him.
And when he turns to the south, I cannot see him.
10 But God knows the way that I take.
When he has tested me, I will come out pure as gold.
11 My feet have closely followed his steps.
I have stayed in his way without turning aside.
12 I have never left the commands he has spoken.
I have treasured his words more than my food.
13 “But he is the only God.
No one can come against him.
He does anything he wants.
14 He will do to me what he said he would do.
And he has many plans like this.
15 That is why I am so afraid before him.
When I think of all this, I am afraid of him.
16 God has made me afraid.
God All-Powerful has made me terribly afraid.
17 But I am not cut off by the darkness,
by the thick darkness that covers my face.
24 “I wish God All-Powerful would set a time for judging.
People who know God look for such a day, but they do not see it.
2 Wicked people take other people’s land.
They steal flocks of sheep and take them to new pastures.
3 They chase away the orphan’s donkey.
And they take the widow’s ox when she cannot pay what she owes.
4 They push needy people off the path.
So all the poor people of the land hide from them.
5 The poor become like wild donkeys in the desert.
They go about their job of finding food.
The desert gives them food for their children.
6 They gather hay and straw in the fields.
And they pick up leftover grapes from the evil man’s vineyard.
7 They spend the night naked, because they have no clothes.
They have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.
8 They are soaked from mountain rains.
They stay near the large rocks because they have no shelter.
9 The child who has no father is grabbed from its mother’s breast.
They take a poor mother’s baby to pay for what she owes.
10 So the poor go around naked because they have no clothes.
They carry bundles of grain for evil people, but they still go hungry.
11 They crush olives to get oil.
And they crush grapes in the winepresses, but they still are thirsty.
12 Dying people groan in the city.
People who are injured cry out for help.
But God accuses no one of doing wrong.
13 “There are people who fight against the light.
God’s ways are strange to them.
And they do not stay in the lighted path.
14 When the light of day is gone, the murderer gets up.
He kills poor and needy people.
At night he goes about like a thief.
15 The person who is guilty of adultery watches for the night.
He thinks, ‘No one will see me.’
And he keeps his face covered.
16 In the dark, evil people break into houses.
But in the daytime they shut themselves up in their own houses.
They want nothing to do with the light.
17 Darkness is like morning to all these evil people.
They make friends with the terrors of darkness.
18 “They are like foam floating on the water.
Their part of the land is cursed.
No one uses the road that goes by their vineyards.
19 Heat and dryness quickly take away the melted snow.
In the same way, the place for the dead quickly takes away those who have sinned.
20 The evil person’s mother will even forget him.
The worms will eat his body.
He will no longer be remembered.
So wickedness is broken in pieces like a stick.
21 These evil men are unfair to women who cannot have children.
And they show no kindness to widows.
22 God drags away strong men by his power.
But even though they seem strong, they do not know how long they will live.
23 God may let these evil people feel safe.
But he is watching their ways.
24 For a little while they are important, and then they are gone.
They are made unimportant and gathered up like everyone else.
They are cut off like the tops of stalks of grain.
25 If this is not true, who can prove I am wrong?
And who can show that my words are worth nothing?”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.