Bible in 90 Days
The First Speech of Bildad
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied,
2 “Job, how long will you talk like that?
Your words don’t have any meaning.
3 Does God ever treat people unfairly?
Does the Mighty One make what is wrong
appear to be right?
4 Your children sinned against him.
So he punished them for their sin.
5 But seek God with all your heart.
Make your appeal to the Mighty One.
6 Be pure and honest.
And he will rise up and help you now.
He’ll give you everything you had before.
7 In the past, things went well with you.
But in days to come, things will get even better.
8 “Find out what our parents taught.
Discover what those who lived before them learned.
9 After all, we were born only yesterday.
So we don’t know anything.
Our days on this earth are like a shadow that disappears.
10 Won’t your people of long ago teach you and tell you?
Won’t the things they said help you understand?
11 Can grass grow tall where there isn’t any swamp?
Can plants grow well where there isn’t any water?
12 While they are still growing and haven’t been cut,
they dry up faster than grass does.
13 The same thing happens to everyone who forgets God.
The hope of ungodly people dies out.
14 What they trust in is very weak.
What they depend on is like a spider’s web.
15 They lean on it, but it falls apart.
They hold on to it, but it gives way.
16 They are like a plant in the sunshine
that receives plenty of water.
It spreads its new growth all over the garden.
17 It wraps its roots around a pile of rocks.
It tries to find places to grow among the stones.
18 But when the plant is pulled up from its spot,
that place says, ‘I never saw you.’
19 The life of that plant is sure to dry up.
But from the same soil other plants will grow.
20 “I’m sure God doesn’t turn his back on anyone who is honest.
And he doesn’t help those who do what is evil.
21 He will fill your mouth with laughter.
Shouts of joy will come from your lips.
22 Your enemies will put on shame as if it were clothes.
The tents of sinful people will be gone.”
Job’s Reply
9 Job replied,
2 “I’m sure that what you have said is true.
But how can human beings prove to God they are not guilty?
3 They might wish to argue with him.
But they couldn’t answer him
even once in a thousand times.
4 His wisdom is deep. His power is great.
No one opposes him and comes away unharmed.
5 He moves mountains, and they don’t even know it.
When he is angry, he turns them upside down.
6 He shakes the earth loose from its place.
He makes its pillars tremble.
7 When he tells the sun not to shine, it doesn’t.
He turns off the light of the stars.
8 He’s the only one who can spread out the heavens.
He alone can walk on the waves of the ocean.
9 He made the Big Dipper and Orion.
He created the Pleiades and the southern stars.
10 He does wonderful things that can’t be understood.
He does miracles that can’t even be counted.
11 When he passes by me, I can’t see him.
When he goes past me, I can’t recognize him.
12 If he takes something, who can stop him?
Who would dare to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God doesn’t hold back his anger.
Even the helpers of the sea monster Rahab
bowed in fear at his feet.
14 “So how can I disagree with God?
How can I possibly argue with him?
15 Even if I hadn’t done anything wrong,
I couldn’t answer him.
I could only beg my Judge to have mercy on me.
16 Suppose I called out to him and he answered.
I don’t believe he’d listen to me.
17 He would send a storm to crush me.
He’d increase my wounds without any reason.
18 He wouldn’t let me catch my breath.
He’d make my life very bitter.
19 If it’s a matter of strength, he is mighty!
And if it’s a matter of being fair,
who would dare to bring charges against him?
20 Even if I hadn’t sinned, what I said would prove me guilty.
Even if I were honest, my words would show that I’m wrong.
21 “Even though I’m honest,
I’m not concerned about myself.
I hate my own life.
22 It all amounts to the same thing. That’s why I say,
‘God destroys honest people and sinful people alike.’
23 Suppose a plague brings sudden death.
Then he laughs when those who haven’t sinned lose hope.
24 Suppose a nation falls into the power of sinful people.
Then God makes its judges blind to the truth.
If he isn’t the one doing it, who is?
25 “God, my days race by like a runner.
They fly away without seeing any joy.
26 They speed along like papyrus boats.
They are like eagles swooping down on their food.
27 Suppose I say, ‘I’ll forget about all my problems.
I’ll change my frown into a smile.’
28 Then I’d still be afraid I’d go on suffering.
That’s because I know you would say
I had done something wrong.
29 In fact, you have already said I’m guilty.
So why should I struggle without any reason?
30 Suppose I clean myself with soap.
Suppose I wash my hands with cleanser.
31 Even then you would throw me into a muddy pit.
And even my clothes would hate me.
32 “God isn’t a mere human being like me. I can’t answer him.
We can’t take each other to court.
33 I wish someone would settle matters between us.
I wish someone would bring us together.
34 I wish someone would keep God from punishing me.
Then his terror wouldn’t frighten me anymore.
35 I would speak up without being afraid of him.
But as things stand now, I can’t do that.
10 “I’m sick of living.
So I’ll talk openly about my problems.
I’ll speak out because my spirit is bitter.
2 I say to God, ‘Don’t find me guilty.
Instead, tell me what charges
you are bringing against me.
3 Does it make you happy when you crush me?
Does it please you to turn your back on what you have made?
While you do those things,
you smile on the plans of sinful people!
4 You don’t have human eyes.
You don’t see as people see.
5 Your days aren’t like the days of a mere human being.
Your years aren’t even like the years of a strong man.
6 So you search for my mistakes.
You look for my sin.
7 You already know I’m not guilty.
No one can save me from your power.
8 “ ‘Your hands shaped me and made me.
So are you going to destroy me now?
9 Remember, you molded me like clay.
So are you going to turn me back into dust?
10 Didn’t you pour me out like milk?
Didn’t you form me like cheese?
11 Didn’t you put skin and flesh on me?
Didn’t you sew me together with bones and muscles?
12 You gave me life. You were kind to me.
You took good care of me. You watched over me.
13 “ ‘But here’s what you hid in your heart.
Here’s what you had on your mind.
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me.
You wouldn’t let me go without punishing me.
15 If I were guilty, how terrible that would be for me!
Even if I haven’t sinned,
I can’t be proud of what I’ve done.
That’s because I’m so full of shame.
I’m drowning in my suffering.
16 If I become proud, you hunt me down like a lion.
You show your mighty power against me.
17 You bring new witnesses against me.
You become more and more angry with me.
You use your power against me again and again.
18 “ ‘Why did you bring me out of my mother’s body?
I wish I had died before anyone saw me.
19 I wish I’d never been born!
I wish I’d been carried straight from my mother’s body to the grave!
20 Aren’t my few days almost over?
Leave me so I can have a moment of joy.
21 Turn away before I go to the place I can’t return from.
It’s the land of gloom and total darkness.
22 It’s the land of darkest night
and total darkness and disorder.
There even the light is like darkness.’ ”
The First Speech of Zophar
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied,
2 “Don’t all your words require an answer?
I’m sure that what you are saying can’t be right.
3 Your useless talk won’t keep us quiet.
Someone has to correct you when you make fun of truth.
4 You say to God, ‘My beliefs are perfect.
I’m pure in your sight.’
5 I wish God would speak.
I wish he’d answer you.
6 I wish he’d show you the secrets of wisdom.
After all, true wisdom has two sides.
Here’s what I want you to know.
God has forgotten some of your sins.
7 “Do you know how deep the mysteries of God are?
Can you discover the limits of the Mighty One’s knowledge?
8 They are higher than the heavens above.
What can you do?
They are deeper than the deepest parts of the earth below.
What can you know?
9 They are longer than the earth.
They are wider than the ocean.
10 “Suppose God comes along and puts you in prison.
Suppose he takes you to court.
Then who can oppose him?
11 He certainly knows when people tell lies.
When he sees evil, he pays careful attention to it.
12 A wild donkey’s colt can’t be born a human being.
And it’s just as impossible that a person without sense can become wise.
13 “So commit yourself to God completely.
Reach out your hands to him for help.
14 Get rid of all the sin you have.
Don’t let anything that is evil stay in your tent.
15 Then, free of those things, you can face others.
You can stand firm without being afraid.
16 You can be sure you will forget your troubles.
They will be like water that has flowed on by.
17 Life will be brighter than the sun at noon.
And darkness will become like morning.
18 You will be secure, because there is hope.
You will look around you and find a safe place to rest.
19 You will lie down, and no one will make you afraid.
Many people will want you to help them.
20 But sinful people won’t find what they are looking for.
They won’t be able to escape.
All they can hope for is to die.”
Job’s Reply
12 Job replied,
2 “You people think you are the only ones who matter!
You are sure that wisdom will die with you!
3 But I have a brain, just like you.
I’m as clever as you are.
In fact, everyone knows as much as you do.
4 “My friends laugh at me all the time,
even though I called out to God and he answered.
My friends laugh at me,
even though I’m honest and right.
5 People who have an easy life look down on those who have problems.
They think trouble comes only to those whose feet are slipping.
6 Why doesn’t anyone bother the tents of robbers?
Why do those who make God angry remain secure?
They are in God’s hands!
7 “But ask the animals what God does.
They will teach you.
Or ask the birds in the sky.
They will tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth. It will teach you.
Or let the fish in the ocean educate you.
9 Are there any of these creatures that don’t know
what the powerful hand of the Lord has done?
10 He holds the life of every creature in his hand.
He controls the breath of every human being.
11 Our tongues tell us what tastes good and what doesn’t.
And our ears tell us what’s true and what isn’t.
12 Old people are wise.
Those who live a long time have understanding.
13 “Wisdom and power belong to God.
Advice and understanding also belong to him.
14 What he tears down can’t be rebuilt.
The people he puts in prison can’t be set free.
15 If he holds back the water, everything dries up.
If he lets the water loose, it floods the land.
16 Strength and understanding belong to him.
Those who tell lies and those who believe them also belong to him.
17 He removes the wisdom of rulers and leads them away.
He makes judges look foolish.
18 He sets people free from the chains that kings put on them.
Then he dresses the kings in the clothes of slaves.
19 He removes the authority of priests and leads them away.
He removes from their positions
officials who have been in control for a long time.
20 He shuts the mouths of trusted advisers.
He takes away the understanding of elders.
21 He looks down on proud leaders.
He takes away the strength of those who are mighty.
22 He tells people the secrets of darkness.
He brings total darkness out into the light.
23 He makes nations great, and then he destroys them.
He makes nations grow, and then he scatters them.
24 He takes away the understanding of the leaders of the earth.
He makes them wander in a desert where no one lives.
25 Without any light, they feel their way along in darkness.
God makes them unsteady like those who get drunk.
13 “My eyes have seen everything God has done.
My ears have heard it and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know.
I’m as clever as you are.
3 In fact, I long to speak to the Mighty One.
I want to argue my case with God.
4 But you spread lies about me and take away my good name.
If you are trying to heal me,
you aren’t very good doctors!
5 I wish you would keep your mouths shut!
Then people would think you were wise.
6 Listen to my case.
Listen as I make my appeal.
7 Will you say evil things in order to help God?
Will you tell lies for him?
8 Do you want to be on God’s side?
Will you argue his case for him?
9 Would it turn out well if he looked you over carefully?
Could you fool him as you might fool human beings?
10 He would certainly hold you responsible
if you took his side in secret.
11 Wouldn’t his glory terrify you?
Wouldn’t the fear of him fall on you?
12 Your sayings are as useless as ashes.
The answers you give are as weak as clay.
13 “So be quiet and let me speak.
Then I won’t care what happens to me.
14 Why do I put myself in danger?
Why do I take my life in my hands?
15 Even if God kills me, I’ll still put my hope in him.
I’ll argue my case in front of him.
16 No matter how things turn out,
I’m sure I’ll still be saved.
After all, no ungodly person
would dare to come into his court.
17 Listen carefully to what I’m saying.
Pay close attention to my words.
18 I’ve prepared my case.
And I know I’ll be proved right.
19 Can others bring charges against me?
If they can, I’ll keep quiet and die.
20 “God, I won’t hide from you.
Here are the only two things I want.
21 Stop treating me this way.
And stop making me so afraid.
22 Then send for me, and I’ll answer.
Or let me speak, and you reply.
23 How many things have I done wrong?
How many sins have I committed?
Show me my crime. Show me my sin.
24 Why do you turn your face away from me?
Why do you think of me as your enemy?
25 I’m already like a leaf that is blown by the wind.
Are you going to terrify me even more?
I’m already like dry straw.
Are you going to keep on chasing me?
26 You write down bitter things against me.
You make me suffer for the sins
I committed when I was young.
27 You put my feet in chains.
You watch every step I take.
You do it by putting marks on the bottom of my feet.
28 “People waste away like something that is rotten.
They are like clothes that are eaten by moths.
14 “Human beings have only a few days to live.
Their lives are full of trouble.
2 They grow like flowers, and then they dry up.
They are like shadows that quickly disappear.
3 “God, do you even notice them?
Will you let them appear in your court?
4 Who can bring what is pure from something that isn’t pure?
No one!
5 You decide how long anyone will live.
You have established the number of his months.
You have set a limit to the number of his days.
6 So look away from him. Leave him alone.
Let him put in his time like a hired worker.
7 “At least there is hope for a tree.
If it’s cut down, it will begin to grow again.
New branches will appear on it.
8 Its roots may grow old in the ground.
Its stump may die in the soil.
9 But when it smells water, it will begin to grow.
It will send out new growth like a plant.
10 No man is like that. When he dies, he is buried in a grave.
He takes his last breath. Then he is gone.
11 Water dries up from lakes.
Riverbeds become empty and dry.
12 In the same way, people lie down and never get up.
People won’t wake or rise from their sleep
until the heavens are gone.
13 “I wish you would hide me in a grave!
I wish you would cover me up until your anger passes by!
I wish you would set the time for me to spend in the grave
and then bring me back up!
14 If someone dies, will they live again?
All the days of my hard work
I will wait for the time when you give me new life.
15 You will call out to me, and I will answer you.
You will long for the person your hands have made.
16 Then you will count every step I take.
But you won’t keep track of my sin.
17 The wrong things I’ve done will be sealed up in a bag.
You will wipe out my sins by forgiving them.
18 “A mountain wears away and crumbles.
A rock is moved from its place.
19 Water wears away stones.
Storms wash away soil.
In the same way, you destroy a person’s hope.
20 You overpower them completely, and then they’re gone.
You change the way they look and send them to their graves.
21 If their children are honored, they don’t even know it.
If their children are dishonored, they don’t even see it.
22 All they feel is the pain of their own bodies.
They are full of sadness only for themselves.”
The Second Speech of Eliphaz
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied,
2 “Job, would a wise person answer with a lot of meaningless talk?
Would they fill their stomach with the hot east wind?
3 Would they argue with useless words?
Would they give worthless speeches?
4 But you even cause others to lose their respect for God.
You make it hard for them to be faithful to him.
5 Your sin makes you say evil things.
You talk like people who twist the truth.
6 Your own mouth judges you, not mine.
Your own lips witness against you.
7 “Are you the first man who was ever born?
Were you created before the hills?
8 Do you listen in when God speaks with his angels?
Do you think you are the only wise person?
9 What do you know that we don’t know?
What understanding do you have that we don’t have?
10 People who are old and gray are on our side.
And they are even older than your parents!
11 Aren’t God’s words of comfort enough for you?
He speaks them to you gently.
12 Why have you let your wild ideas carry you away?
Why do your eyes flash with anger?
13 Why do you get so angry with God?
Why do words like those pour out of your mouth?
14 “Can human beings really be pure?
Can those who are born really be right with God?
15 God doesn’t trust his holy angels.
Even the heavens aren’t pure in his sight.
16 So he’ll certainly find fault with human beings.
After all, they are evil and sinful.
They drink up evil as if it were water.
17 “Listen to me. I’ll explain things to you.
Let me tell you what I’ve seen.
18 I’ll tell you what those who are wise have said.
They don’t hide anything they’ve received
from their people of long ago.
19 The land was given only to those people.
Their wisdom didn’t come from outsiders.
And here’s what those who are wise have said.
20 Sinful people always suffer pain.
Mean people suffer all their lives.
21 Terrifying sounds fill their ears.
When everything seems to be going well,
robbers attack them.
22 They lose all hope of escaping the darkness of death.
They will certainly be killed by swords.
23 Like vultures, they look around for food.
They know that the day they will die is near.
24 Suffering and pain terrify them.
Their troubles overpower them,
like a king ready to attack his enemies.
25 They shake their fists at God.
They brag about themselves and oppose the Mighty One.
26 They boldly charge against him
with their thick, strong shields.
27 “Their faces are very fat.
Their stomachs hang out.
28 They’ll live in towns that have been destroyed.
They’ll live in houses where no one else lives.
The houses will crumble to pieces.
29 They won’t be rich anymore. Their wealth won’t last.
Their property will no longer spread out over the land.
30 They won’t escape the darkness of death.
A flame will dry up everything they have.
The breath of God will blow them away.
31 Don’t let them fool themselves
by trusting in what is worthless.
They won’t get anything out of it.
32 Even before they die, they will dry up.
No matter what they do, it won’t succeed.
33 They’ll be like vines
that are stripped of their unripe grapes.
They’ll be like olive trees
that drop their flowers.
34 People who are ungodly won’t have any children.
Fire will burn up the tents of people who accept money
from those who want special favors.
35 Instead of having children,
ungodly people create suffering.
All they produce is evil.
They are full of lies.”
Job’s Reply
16 Job replied,
2 “I’ve heard many of these things before.
All of you are terrible at comforting me!
3 Your speeches go on forever.
Won’t they ever end?
What’s wrong with you?
Why do you keep on arguing?
4 If you and I changed places,
I could say the same things you are saying.
I could make fine speeches against you.
I could shake my head at you.
5 But what I might say would give you hope.
My words of comfort would help you.
6 “If I speak, it doesn’t help me.
And if I keep quiet, my pain doesn’t go away.
7 God has worn me out completely.
He has destroyed my whole family.
8 People can see the condition he has put me in.
My thin body stands as a witness against me.
9 God is angry with me.
He attacks me and tears me up.
He grinds his teeth at me.
He stares at me as if he were my enemy.
10 People make fun of me.
They slap my face and laugh at me.
All of them join together against me.
11 God has turned me over to sinful people.
He has handed me over to them.
12 Everything was going well with me.
But he broke me into pieces like a clay pot.
He grabbed me by the neck and crushed me.
He has taken aim at me.
13 He shoots his arrows at me from all sides.
Without pity, he stabs me in the kidneys.
He spills my insides on the ground.
14 He smashes through me as if I were a wall.
He rushes at me like a fighting man.
15 “I’ve sewed rough clothing over my skin.
All I can do is sit here in the dust.
16 My face is red from crying.
I have dark circles under my eyes.
17 But I haven’t harmed anyone.
My prayers to God are pure.
18 “Earth, please don’t cover up my blood!
May God always hear my cry for help!
19 Even now my witness is in heaven.
The one who speaks up for me is there.
20 My go-between is my friend
as I pour out my tears to God.
21 He makes his appeal to God to help me
as a person pleads for a friend.
22 “Only a few years will pass by.
Then I’ll take the path of no return.
17 My strength is almost gone.
I won’t live much longer.
A grave is waiting for me.
2 People who make fun of me are all around me.
I’m forced to watch as they attack me with their words.
3 “God, please pay the price to have me set free.
Who else would put up money for me?
4 You have closed the minds of those who are trying to comfort me.
They don’t understand that I haven’t done anything wrong.
So don’t let them win the argument.
5 Suppose someone tells lies about their friends to get a reward.
Then their own children will suffer for it.
6 “God has made an example of me.
People spit in my face.
7 My eyes have grown weak because I’m so sad.
My body is so thin it hardly casts a shadow.
8 People who claim to be honest
are shocked when they see me.
Those who think they haven’t sinned
are stirred up against me.
They think I’m ungodly.
9 But godly people will keep doing what is right.
Those who have clean hands will grow stronger.
10 “Come on, all of you! Try again!
I can’t find a wise person among you.
11 My life is almost over. My plans are destroyed.
Yet the desires of my heart
12 turn night into day.
Even though it’s dark,
‘Light is nearby.’
13 Suppose the only home I can hope for is a grave.
And suppose I make my bed in the darkness of death.
14 Suppose I say to the grave,
‘You are like a father to me.’
And suppose I say to its worms,
‘You are like a mother or sister to me.’
15 Then what hope do I have?
Who can give me any hope?
16 Will hope go down to the gates of death with me?
Will we go down together into the dust of the grave?”
The Second Speech of Bildad
18 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied,
2 “Job, when will you stop these speeches of yours?
Be reasonable! Then we can talk.
3 Why do you look at us as if we were cattle?
Why do you think of us as being stupid?
4 Your anger is tearing you to pieces.
Does the earth have to be deserted just to prove you are right?
Must all the rocks be moved from their places?
5 “The lamps of sinful people are blown out.
Their flames will never burn again.
6 The lights in their tents become dark.
The lamps beside those who are evil go out.
7 They walk more slowly than they used to.
Their own evil plans make them fall.
8 Their feet take them into a net.
They wander right into it.
9 A trap grabs hold of their heels.
It refuses to let them go.
10 A trap lies in their path.
A rope to catch them is hidden on the ground.
11 Terrors alarm them on every side.
They follow them every step of the way.
12 Trouble would like to eat them up.
Danger waits for them when they fall.
13 It eats away parts of their skin.
Death itself feeds on their arms and legs.
14 They are torn away from the safety of their tents.
They are marched off to the one who rules over death.
15 Fire races through their tents.
Burning sulfur is scattered over their homes.
16 Their roots dry up under them.
Their branches dry up above them.
17 No one on earth remembers them.
Their names are forgotten in the land.
18 They are driven from light into the place of darkness.
They are thrown out of the world.
19 Their family dies out among their people.
No one is left where they used to live.
20 What has happened to them shocks the people in the west.
It terrifies the people in the east.
21 Now you know what the homes of sinners are like.
Those who don’t know God live in places like that.”
Job’s Reply
19 Job replied,
2 “How long will you people make me suffer?
How long will you crush me with your words?
3 You have already accused me many times.
You have attacked me without feeling any shame.
4 Suppose it’s true that I’ve gone down the wrong path.
Then it’s my concern, not yours.
5 Suppose you want to place yourselves above me.
Suppose you want to use my shame to prove I’m wrong.
6 Then I want you to know that God hasn’t treated me right.
In fact, he has captured me in his net.
7 “I cry out, ‘Someone harmed me!’
But I don’t get any reply.
I call out for help.
But I’m not treated fairly.
8 God has blocked my way, and I can’t get through.
He has made my paths so dark I can’t see where I’m going.
9 He has taken my wealth away from me.
He has stripped me of my honor.
10 He tears me down on every side until I’m gone.
He pulls up the roots of my hope as if I were a tree.
11 His anger burns against me.
He thinks I’m one of his enemies.
12 His troops march toward me in force.
They come at me from every direction.
They camp around my tent.
13 “God has caused my family to desert me.
The people I used to know are now strangers to me.
14 My relatives have gone away.
My closest friends have forgotten me.
15 My guests and my female servants think of me as a stranger.
They look at me as if I were an outsider.
16 I send for my servant, but he doesn’t answer.
He doesn’t come, even though I beg him to.
17 My wife can’t stand the way my breath smells.
My own family won’t have anything to do with me.
18 Even little children mock me.
When I appear, they make fun of me.
19 All my close friends hate me.
Those I love have turned against me.
20 I’m nothing but skin and bones.
I’ve barely escaped death.
21 “Have pity on me, my friends! Please have pity!
God has struck me down with his powerful hand.
22 Why do you chase after me as he does?
Aren’t you satisfied with what you have done to me already?
23 “I wish my words were written down!
I wish they were written in a book!
24 I wish they were cut into lead with an iron tool!
I wish they were carved in rock forever!
25 I know that my redeemer lives.
In the end he will stand on the earth.
26 Though my skin will be destroyed,
in my body I’ll see God.
27 I myself will see him with my own eyes.
I’ll see him, and he won’t be a stranger to me.
How my heart longs for that day!
28 “You might say, ‘Let’s keep bothering Job.
After all, he’s the cause of all his suffering.’
29 But you should be afraid when God comes to judge you.
He’ll be angry. He’ll punish you with his sword.
Then you will know that he is the Judge.”
The Second Speech of Zophar
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied,
2 “My troubled thoughts force me to answer you.
That’s because I’m very upset.
3 What you have just said dishonors me.
So I really have to reply to you.
4 “I’m sure you must know how things have always been.
They’ve been that way
ever since human beings were placed on this earth.
5 Those who are evil are happy for only a short time.
The joy of ungodly people lasts only for a moment.
6 Their pride might reach all the way up to the heavens.
Their heads might touch the clouds.
7 But they will disappear forever,
like the waste from their own bodies.
Anyone who has seen them will say,
‘Where did they go?’
8 Like a dream they will fly away.
They will never be seen again.
They will be driven away like visions in the night.
9 The eyes that saw them won’t see them anymore.
Even their own families won’t remember them.
10 Their children must pay back what they took from poor people.
Their own hands must give back the wealth they stole.
11 They might feel young and very strong.
But they will soon lie down in the dust of their graves.
12 “Anything that is evil tastes sweet to them.
They keep it under their tongues for a while.
13 They can’t stand to let it go.
So they hold it in their mouths.
14 But their food will turn sour in their stomachs.
It will become like the poison of a serpent inside them.
15 They will spit out the rich food they swallowed.
God will make their stomachs throw it up.
16 They will suck the poison of a serpent.
The fangs of an adder will kill them.
17 They won’t enjoy streams that flow with honey.
They won’t enjoy rivers that flow with cream.
18 What they worked for they must give back
before they can eat it.
They won’t enjoy what they have earned.
19 They’ve crushed poor people and left them with nothing.
They’ve taken over houses they didn’t even build.
20 “No matter how much they have,
they always long for more.
But their treasure can’t save them.
21 There isn’t anything left for them to eat up.
Their success won’t last.
22 While they are enjoying the good life,
trouble will catch up with them.
Terrible suffering will come on them.
23 When they’ve filled their stomachs,
God will pour out his great anger on them.
He’ll strike them down with blow after blow.
24 They might run away from iron weapons.
But arrows that have bronze tips will wound them.
25 They will pull the arrows out of their backs.
They will remove the shining tips from their livers.
They will be filled with terror.
26 Total darkness hides and waits for their treasures.
God will send a fire that will destroy them.
It will burn up everything that’s left in their tents.
27 Heaven will show their guilt to everyone.
The earth will be a witness against them.
28 A flood will carry their houses away.
Rushing water will wash them away
on the day when God judges.
29 Now you know what God will do to sinful people.
Now you know what he has planned for them.”
Job’s Reply
21 Job replied,
2 “Listen carefully to what I’m saying.
Let that be the comfort you people give me.
3 Put up with me while I speak.
After I’ve spoken, you can make fun of me!
4 “I’m not arguing with mere human beings.
So why shouldn’t I be angry and uneasy?
5 Look at me and be shocked.
Put your hand over your mouth and stop talking!
6 When I think about these things, I’m terrified.
My whole body trembles.
7 Why do sinful people keep on living?
The older they grow, the richer they get.
8 They see their children grow up around them.
They watch their family grow larger.
9 Their homes are safe.
They don’t have to be afraid.
God isn’t punishing them.
10 Every time their bulls mate, their cows become pregnant.
And the calves don’t die before they are born.
11 Sinful people send their children out like a flock of lambs.
Their little ones dance around.
12 They sing to the music of tambourines and lyres.
They have a good time while flutes are being played.
13 Those who are evil spend their years living well.
They go down to their graves in peace.
14 But they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
We don’t want to know how you want us to live.
15 Who is the Mighty One? Why should we serve him?
What would we get if we prayed to him?’
16 But they aren’t in control of their own success.
So I don’t pay any attention to their plans.
17 “How often are their lamps blown out?
How often does trouble come on them?
How often does God punish them when he’s angry?
18 How often are they like straw blowing in the wind?
How often are they like tumbleweeds swept away by a storm?
19 People say, ‘God stores up the punishment of evil people for their children.’
But let God punish the evil people themselves.
Then they’ll learn a lesson from it.
20 Let their own eyes see how they are destroyed.
Let them drink the wine of the Mighty One’s anger.
21 What do they care about the families they leave behind?
What do they care about them
when their lives come to an end?
22 “Can anyone teach God anything?
After all, he judges even the angels in heaven.
23 Some people die while they are still very strong.
They are completely secure. They have an easy life.
24 They are well fed.
Their bodies are healthy.
25 Others die while their spirits are bitter.
They’ve never enjoyed anything good.
26 Side by side they lie in the dust of death.
The worms in their graves cover all of them.
27 “I know exactly what you people are thinking.
I know you are planning to do bad things to me.
28 You are saying to yourselves,
‘Where is the great man’s house now?
Where are the tents where his evil family lived?’
29 Haven’t you ever asked questions of those who travel?
Haven’t you paid any attention to their stories?
30 They’ll tell you that sinful people
are spared from the day of trouble.
They’ll say that those people
are saved from the day when God will judge.
31 Who speaks against them for the way they act?
Who pays them back for what they’ve done?
32 Their bodies will be carried to their graves.
Guards will watch over their tombs.
33 The soil in the valley will be pleasant
to those who have died.
Many people will walk along behind their bodies.
Many others will walk in front of them.
34 “So how can you comfort me with your speeches?
They don’t make any sense at all.
Your answers are nothing but lies!”
The Third Speech of Eliphaz
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied,
2 “Can any person be of benefit to God?
Can even a wise person be of any help to him?
3 Job, what pleasure would it give the Mighty One if you were right?
What would he get if you were completely honest?
4 “You say you have respect for him.
Is that why he corrects you?
Is that why he brings charges against you?
5 Haven’t you done many evil things?
Don’t you sin again and again?
6 You took clothes away from your relatives
just because they owed you some money.
You left them naked for no reason at all.
7 You didn’t give any water to people who were tired.
You held food back from those who were hungry.
8 You did it even though you were honored and powerful.
You owned land and lived on it.
9 But you sent widows away without anything.
You mistreated children whose fathers had died.
10 That’s why traps have been set all around you.
That’s why sudden danger terrifies you.
11 That’s why it’s so dark you can’t even see.
That’s why a flood covers you up.
12 “Isn’t God in the highest parts of heaven?
See how high the highest stars are!
13 But you still say, ‘What does God know?
Can he see through the darkest clouds to judge us?
14 He goes around in the highest heavens.
Thick clouds keep him from seeing us.’
15 Will you stay on the old path
that sinful people have walked on?
16 They were carried off even before they died.
Their foundations were washed away by a flood.
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
What can you do to us, you Mighty One?’
18 But he was the one who filled their houses with good things.
So I don’t pay any attention to the plans of evil people.
19 “Those who do what is right are joyful
when they see sinners destroyed.
Those who haven’t done anything wrong make fun of them.
20 They say, ‘Our enemies are completely destroyed.
Fire has burned up their wealth.’
21 “Job, obey God and be at peace with him.
Then he will help you succeed.
22 Do what he teaches you to do.
Keep his words in your heart.
23 If you return to the Mighty One,
you will have what you had before.
But first you must remove
everything that is evil far from your tent.
24 You must throw your gold nuggets away.
You must toss your gold from Ophir into a valley.
25 Then the Mighty One himself will be your gold.
He’ll be like the finest silver to you.
26 You will find delight in the Mighty One.
You will honor God and trust in him.
27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you.
You will keep the promises you made to him.
28 What you decide to do will be done.
Light will shine on the path you take.
29 When people are brought low you will say, ‘Lift them up!’
Then God will help them.
30 He’ll even save those who are guilty.
He’ll save them because your hands are clean.”
Job’s Reply
23 Job replied,
2 “Even today my problems are more than I can handle.
In spite of my groans, God’s hand is heavy on me.
3 I wish I knew where I could find him!
I wish I could go to the place where he lives!
4 I would state my case to him.
I’d give him all my arguments.
5 I’d find out what his answers would be.
I’d think about what he would say to me.
6 Would he strongly oppose me?
No. He wouldn’t bring charges against me.
7 There honest people can prove to him they’re not guilty.
There my Judge would tell me once and for all that I’m not guilty.
8 “But if I go to the east, God isn’t there.
If I go to the west, I don’t find him.
9 When he’s working in the north, I don’t see him there.
When he turns to the south, I don’t see him there either.
10 But he knows every step I take.
When he has tested me,
I’ll come out as pure as gold.
11 My feet have closely followed his steps.
I’ve stayed on his path without turning away.
12 I haven’t disobeyed his commands.
I’ve treasured his words more than my daily bread.
13 “But he’s the only God. Who can oppose him?
He does anything he wants to do.
14 He carries out his plans against me.
And he still has many other plans just like them.
15 That’s why I’m so terrified.
When I think about all of this, I’m afraid of him.
16 God has made my heart weak.
The Mighty One has filled me with terror.
17 But even the darkness of death won’t make me silent.
When the darkness of the grave covers my face, I won’t be quiet.
24 “Why doesn’t the Mighty One set a time for judging sinful people?
Why do those who know him have to keep waiting for that day?
2 People move their neighbor’s boundary stones.
They steal their neighbor’s flocks.
3 They take away the donkeys
that belong to children whose fathers have died.
They take a widow’s ox until she has paid what she owes.
4 They push those who are needy out of their way.
They force all the poor people in the land to go into hiding.
5 The poor are like wild donkeys in the desert.
They have to go around looking for food.
The dry and empty land provides the only food for their children.
6 The poor go to the fields and get a little grain.
They gather up what is left in the vineyards of sinners.
7 The poor don’t have any clothes. So they spend the night naked.
They don’t have anything to cover themselves in the cold.
8 They are soaked by mountain rains.
They hug the rocks because they don’t have anything to keep them warm.
9 Children whose fathers have died
are torn away from their mothers.
A poor person’s baby is taken away to pay back what is owed.
10 The poor don’t have any clothes. They go around naked.
They carry bundles of grain, but they still go hungry.
11 They work very hard as they crush olives.
They stomp on grapes in winepresses,
but they are still thirsty.
12 The groans of those who are dying are heard from the city.
Those who are wounded cry out for help.
But God doesn’t charge anyone with doing what is wrong.
13 “Some people hate it when daylight comes.
In the daytime they never walk outside.
14 When daylight is gone, murderers get up.
They kill poor people and those who are in need.
In the night they sneak around like robbers.
15 Those who commit adultery wait until the sun goes down.
They think, ‘No one will see us.’
They keep their faces hidden.
16 In the dark, thieves break into houses.
But by day they shut themselves in.
They don’t want anything to do with the light.
17 Midnight is like morning to them.
The terrors of darkness are their friends.
18 “But sinners are like bubbles on the surface of water.
Their share of the land is under God’s curse.
So no one goes to their vineyards.
19 Melted snow disappears when the air is hot and dry.
And sinners disappear when they go down into their graves.
20 Even their mothers forget them.
The worms in their graves eat them up.
No one remembers sinful people anymore.
They are cut down like trees.
21 They mistreat women who aren’t able to have children.
They aren’t kind to widows.
22 But God is powerful.
He even drags away people who are strong.
When he rises up against them,
they can never be sure they are safe.
23 God might let them rest and feel secure.
But his eyes see how they live.
24 For a little while they are honored.
Then they are gone.
They are brought low.
And they die like everyone else.
They are cut off like heads of grain.
25 “Who can prove that what I’m saying is wrong?
Who can prove that my words aren’t true?”
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.