Bible in 90 Days
Bildad Answers
25 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “God rules and must be honored.
He set up order in his high heaven.
3 No one can count God’s armies.
His light shines on all people.
4 So no man can be good in the presence of God.
No one born to a woman can be pure.
5 Even the moon is not bright,
and the stars are not pure in his eyes.
6 Man is much less! He is like an insect.
He is only a worm!”
Job Answers Bildad
26 Then Job answered:
2 “You are no help to a person who has no strength!
You have given no help to one whose arm is weak!
3 You have given advice to me as if I had no wisdom!
This is not great wisdom you have shown!
4 Who has helped you say these words?
And where did you get these words you speak?
5 “The spirits of the dead beneath the waters shake.
And so do those that live in the waters.
6 Death is naked before God.
Destruction is uncovered before him.
7 God stretches the northern sky out over empty space.
And he hangs the earth on nothing.
8 God wraps up the waters in his thick clouds.
But the clouds do not break under the weight of the water.
9 God covers the face of the full moon.
He spreads his clouds over it.
10 God draws the horizon like a circle on the water
at the place where light and darkness meet.
11 Heaven’s foundations shake
when he thunders at them.
12 God’s power controls the sea.
By his wisdom he destroyed Rahab, the sea monster.
13 God breathes, and the sky becomes clear.
God’s hand stabs the gliding snake.
14 And these are only a small part of God’s works.
We only hear a small whisper of him.
So who can understand God’s thundering power?”
27 And Job continued speaking:
2 “As surely as God lives, he has taken away my rights.
God All-Powerful has made me unhappy.
3 As long as I am alive
and God’s breath of life is in my nose,
4 My lips will not speak evil.
And my tongue will not tell a lie.
5 I will never agree you are right.
Until I die, I will never stop saying I was innocent.
6 I will hold tightly to the right things I said.
My sense of right and wrong does not bother me at all.
7 “Let my enemies be like evil people.
Let them be like those who are not fair!
8 What hope does a wicked person have when he dies?
He has no hope when God takes his life away.
9 God will not listen to his cry
when trouble comes to him.
10 He will not find joy in God All-Powerful,
even though he calls out to God all the time.
11 “I will teach you about the power of God.
I will not hide the ways of God All-Powerful.
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
So why are we having all this talk that means nothing?
13 “Here is what God has planned for evil people.
This is what cruel people will get from God All-Powerful:
14 They may have many children, but the sword will kill them.
The children who are left will never have enough to eat.
15 Then they will die and be buried.
And the widows will not even cry for them.
16 The evil person may heap up silver like piles of dirt.
He may have so many clothes they are like piles of clay.
17 But good people will wear what the evil person has gathered.
And those who are not guilty of wrong will divide up his silver.
18 The house the evil person builds is like a spider’s web.
It is like a hut that a guard builds.
19 The evil person is rich when he goes to bed, but he is rich for the last time.
When he opens his eyes, everything is gone.
20 Fears come over him like a flood.
A storm snatches him away in the night.
21 The east wind will carry him away, and then he is gone.
It sweeps him out of his place.
22 The wind will hit the evil person without mercy
as he tries to run away from its power.
23 It will be as if the wind is clapping its hands at him.
It will whistle at him as he runs from his place.
28 “There are mines where people dig silver.
And there are places where gold is made pure.
2 Iron is taken out of the ground.
And copper is melted out of rocks.
3 Miners bring light into the mines.
They search even the deepest parts of the mines.
They look for metal in places of thick darkness.
4 Miners dig a tunnel far away from where people live.
They dig it where people never go.
They work far away from people, swinging and swaying from ropes.
5 Food grows on top of the earth.
But below ground things are changed as if by fire.
6 Sapphires are found in rocks.
And the dust of the earth contains gold.
7 No hawk knows the path.
The falcon has not seen it.
8 Proud animals have not walked on this path.
And no lions cross over it.
9 Men hit the rocks of flint.
They dig away at the bottom of the mountains.
10 Miners cut tunnels through the rock.
They see all the treasures there.
11 They search the places where rivers begin.
And they bring things hidden there out into the light.
12 “But where can wisdom be found.
Where does understanding live?
13 People do not understand the value of wisdom.
It cannot be found among living people.
14 The deep ocean says, ‘It’s not in me.’
The sea says, ‘It’s not in me.’
15 Wisdom cannot be bought with the best gold.
Its cost cannot be weighed in silver.
16 Wisdom cannot be bought with fine gold.
It cannot be bought with valuable onyx or sapphire gems.
17 Gold and crystal are not as valuable as wisdom.
And you cannot buy it with jewels of gold.
18 Coral and jasper are not even worth talking about.
The price of wisdom is much greater than rubies.
19 The topaz from Cush cannot compare to wisdom.
It cannot even be bought with the purest gold.
20 “So from where does wisdom come?
And where does understanding live?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing.
It is hidden even from the birds of the air.
22 The places of destruction and death say,
‘We have only heard reports about it.’
23 God understands the way to wisdom.
And he is the only one who knows where it lives.
24 This is because God sees to the farthest parts of the earth.
And he sees everything under the heavens.
25 Wisdom began when God gave power to the wind.
It was when he measured the water and put limits on it.
26 It was when God made rules for the rain.
And he set a path for a thunderstorm to follow.
27 Then God looked at wisdom and decided its worth.
He set wisdom up and tested it.
28 Then he said to man,
‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom,
and to stay away from evil is understanding.’”
Job Continues
29 Job continued to speak:
2 “How I wish for the months that have passed.
I wish for the days when God watched over me.
3 I wish for the days when God’s lamp shined on my head.
And I wish for the time I walked through darkness by his light.
4 I wish for the days when I was at my strongest,
when God’s close friendship blessed my house.
5 That was when my children were all around me.
And God All-Powerful was still with me.
6 Life was so good. It was as if my path were covered with cream.
It was as if even the rocks poured out streams of olive oil for me.
7 I would go to the city gate
and sit in the public square.
8 When the young men saw me, they would step out of my way.
And the old men would stand up in respect for me.
9 The leading men stopped speaking
and covered their mouths with their hands.
10 The voices of the important men were quiet.
It was as if each man’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.
11 Anyone who heard me said good things about me.
And those who saw me praised me.
12 This was because I saved the poor who cried for help.
And I saved the orphan who had no one to help him.
13 The dying person blessed me.
And I made the widow’s heart sing.
14 I put on right living as if it were clothing.
I wore fairness as if it were my robe and my turban.
15 I tried to be eyes for the blind.
And I tried to be feet for those who were crippled.
16 I was like a father to needy people.
And I took the side of strangers when they were in trouble.
17 I broke the fangs of evil people.
And I snatched from their teeth the people they wanted to hurt.
18 “I thought, ‘I will live for as many days as there are grains of sand.
And I will die in my own house.
19 I will be like a tree whose roots reach down to the water.
The dew will lie on the branches all night.
20 New honors will come to me continually.
I will always have great strength.’
21 “People listened to me carefully.
They waited quietly for my advice.
22 After I finished speaking, they spoke no more.
My words fell very gently on their ears.
23 They waited for me as they would for rain.
They drank in my words as if they were spring rain.
24 I smiled at them when they doubted.
And my approval was important to them.
25 I chose the right way for them and was their leader.
I lived like a king among his army.
I was like a person who gives comfort to sad people.
30 “But now men who are younger than I make fun of me.
I would not have even let their fathers
sit with my sheep dogs.
2 Their hands had no strength to help me.
They had even lost their strength to work.
3 They were thin from being hungry and in need.
They wandered through the dry and ruined land at night.
4 They gathered desert plants by the brush for food.
They even ate the root of the broom tree.
5 They were forced to live away from other people.
People shouted at them as if they were thieves.
6 These young men had to live in dried up streambeds.
They lived in caves and among the rocks.
7 They howled like animals out among the bushes.
And they huddled together in the brush.
8 They are worthless people without names.
They were forced to leave the land.
9 “Now they make fun of me with songs.
My name has become a joke among them.
10 They hate me and stay far away from me.
But they do not mind spitting in my face.
11 God has taken away my strength and made me suffer.
So they attack me with all their anger.
12 On my right side they attack me like a mob.
They lay traps for my feet.
They prepare to attack me.
13 They break up my road.
They work to destroy me
without anyone stopping them.
14 They go forward as if through a hole in the wall.
They roll in among the ruins.
15 Great fears overwhelm me.
They blow my honor away as if by a great wind.
My safety disappears like a cloud.
16 “Now my life is almost over.
My days are full of suffering.
17 At night my bones ache.
Gnawing pains never stop.
18 In his great power God grabs hold of my clothing.
He chokes me with the collar of my coat.
19 He throws me into the mud.
And I become like dirt and ashes.
20 “I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer.
I stand up, but you just look at me.
21 You turn on me without mercy.
You attack me with your powerful hand.
22 You snatch me up and throw me into the wind.
You toss me about in the storm.
23 I know you will bring me down to death.
You will bring me to the place where all living people must go.
24 “Surely no one would hurt a ruined man
when he cries for help in his time of trouble.
25 I have cried for those who are in trouble.
My soul has been very sad for poor people.
26 But when I hoped for good, only evil came to me.
When I looked for light, darkness came.
27 I never stop being upset inside.
Days of suffering are ahead of me.
28 I have become black, but not by the sun.
I stand up in public and cry for help.
29 It is as if I have become a brother to wild dogs
and a friend to ostriches.
30 My skin becomes black and peels off.
My body burns with fever.
31 My harp is tuned for singing a sad song.
And my flute is tuned for the sound of loud crying.
31 “But I made an agreement with my eyes
not to look with desire at a girl.
2 What has God above promised those who do this?
What has God All-Powerful on high planned for them?
3 It is ruin for the evil people.
It is disaster for those who do wrong.
4 God sees my ways,
and he counts every step I take.
5 “I have not been a dishonest person.
I have not lied to others.
6 Let God weigh me on honest scales.
Then he will know I have done nothing wrong.
7 I have not turned away from doing what is right.
My heart has not been led by my eyes to do wrong.
My hands have not been made unclean.
8 If I have done these things, then let other people eat what I have planted.
And let my crops be plowed up.
9 “I have not desired another woman.
I have never waited at my neighbor’s door to commit adultery with his wife.
10 If I have done these things, then let my wife grind another man’s grain.
And let other men have physical relations with her.
11 Sexual sin is shameful.
It is a sin which must be punished.
12 It is like a fire that burns and destroys forever.
It would destroy all I have.
13 “I have been fair to my male and female slaves
when they had a complaint against me.
14 If I have not, how could I tell God what I did?
What will I answer when God asks me to explain what I’ve done?
15 God made me in my mother’s womb, and he also made them.
The same God formed both of us in our mothers’ wombs.
16 “I have never refused anything the poor wanted.
I have never let widows give up hope while looking for help.
17 I have not kept my food to myself.
I have also given it to the orphans.
18 Since I was young, I have been like a father to the orphans.
And from my birth I guided the widows.
19 I have not let a person die because he had no clothes.
I have not let a needy person go without a coat.
20 That person’s heart blessed me.
This was because I warmed him with the wool of my sheep.
21 I have never hurt an orphan
even when I knew I could win in court.
22 If I have, then let my arm fall off my shoulder.
Let it be broken at the joint.
23 This is because I dread destruction from God.
I could not do such things because I fear his majesty.
24 “I have not put my trust in gold.
I have not said to pure gold, ‘You are my safety.’
25 I have not celebrated my great wealth.
I have not celebrated that my hands had gained riches.
26 I have not thought about worshiping the sun in its brightness.
I have not admired the moon moving in glory
27 so that my heart was pulled away from God.
My hand has never offered the sun and moon a kiss of worship.
28 If I had, these also would have been sins to be punished.
I would have been unfaithful to God if I had done these things.
29 “I have not been happy when my enemy was ruined.
I have not laughed when he had trouble.
30 I have not let my mouth sin
by cursing my enemy’s life.
31 The men of my house have always said,
‘Everyone has eaten all he wants of Job’s food.’
32 No stranger ever had to spend the night in the street.
I always let the traveler stay in my home.
33 I have not hidden my sin as other men do.
I did not hide my guilt in my heart.
34 I was not so afraid of the crowd.
I did not keep quiet and stay inside
because I feared being hated by other families.
35 (“How I wish a court would hear my case!
Here I sign my name to show I have told the truth.
Now let God All-Powerful answer me.
Let the one who is against me write down what he accuses me of.
36 I would surely wear the writing on my shoulder.
I would put it on like a crown.
37 I would explain to God every step I took.
I would come near to God like a prince.)
38 “My land did not cry out against me.
Its plowed rows were not wet with tears.
39 I did not take the land’s harvest without paying.
I did not break the spirit of those who took care of the land.
40 If I did, then let thorns come up instead of wheat.
And let weeds come up instead of barley.”
The words of Job are finished.
Elihu Speaks
32 These three men stopped answering Job. This is because Job was so sure he was right. 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite became very angry with Job. (Elihu was from the family of Ram.) He was angry because Job claimed he was right instead of God. 3 Elihu was also angry with Job’s three friends. They had no answer to show that Job was wrong. And yet they continued to blame him. 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job. This is because the three friends were older than he was. 5 But when Elihu saw that the three men had nothing more to say, he became very angry.
6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said this:
“I am young,
and you are old.
That is why I was afraid
to tell you what I know.
7 I thought, ‘Older people should speak.
Those who have lived many years should teach wisdom.’
8 But it is the spirit in a person that gives him understanding.
It is the breath of God All-Powerful in him.
9 It is not just older people who are wise.
Older people are not the only ones who understand what is right.
10 So I say, listen to me!
I will also tell you what I know.
11 I waited while you spoke.
I listened to your explanations.
I waited while you looked for words to use.
12 I paid close attention to you.
But not one of you has proved Job wrong.
Not one of you has answered his arguments.
13 Don’t you say, ‘We have found wisdom.
Only God will show Job to be wrong, not people.’
14 Job has not spoken his words against me.
So I will not use your arguments to answer Job.
15 “These three friends are defeated and have no more to say.
Words have failed them.
16 Now they are standing there with no answer for Job.
Now that they are quiet, must I wait to speak?
17 No, I also will speak.
I will also tell what I know.
18 I am full of words.
And the spirit in me causes me to speak.
19 I am like wine that has been bottled up.
I am ready to burst like a new leather bag for holding wine.
20 I must speak. Then I will feel relief.
I must open my mouth and answer.
21 I will be fair to everyone.
I will not flatter anyone.
22 I don’t know how to flatter.
If I did, God, my Maker, would quickly take me away.
33 “But now, Job, listen to my words.
Pay attention to everything I say.
2 I open my mouth.
I am ready to speak.
3 My words come from an honest heart.
I am sincere when I speak what I know.
4 The Spirit of God created me.
The breath of God All-Powerful gave me life.
5 Answer me if you can.
Get yourself ready and stand before me.
6 I am just like you before God.
I was also made out of clay.
7 Don’t be afraid of me.
I will not be hard on you.
8 “But I heard what you have said.
I heard every word.
9 You said, ‘I am pure and without sin.
I am innocent and free from guilt.
10 But God has found fault with me.
He considers me his enemy.
11 He locks my feet in chains.
He closely watches everywhere I go.’
12 “But I tell you, you are not right in saying this.
God is greater than we are!
13 Why do you accuse God
of not answering man’s complaints?
14 God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another.
He speaks even though men may not understand it.
15 God may speak in a dream or a vision of the night.
This is when men are in a deep sleep
and lying in their beds.
16 He may speak in their ears
and frighten them with warnings.
17 He warns them to turn away from doing wrong.
And he warns them not to be proud.
18 God does this to save a man’s soul from death.
He does it to keep him from dying.
19 A man may be corrected while on his bed in great pain.
He may have continual pain in his very bones.
20 He may be in such pain that he even hates food.
He may hate even the very best meal.
21 His body becomes so thin there is almost nothing left of it.
And his bones that were hidden by flesh now stick out.
22 His soul is near the place of death.
His life is almost over.
23 “But there may be an angel on his side.
The angel may be one out of a thousand who will speak for the man.
He will tell the man what he should do.
24 The angel will beg for mercy and say:
‘Save this man from the place of death.
I have found a way to pay for his life.’
25 Then his body is made new like a child’s body.
It will be returned to the way it was when he was young.
26 That person will pray to God, and God will listen to him.
He will see God’s face and will shout with happiness.
And God will set things right for him again.
27 Then the man will say to other people,
‘I sinned and twisted what was right.
But I did not receive the punishment I should have received.
28 God bought back my life from death.
And I will continue to enjoy life.’
29 “God does all these things to a man.
He does them two times or even three.
30 He does them so a person won’t die as punishment for his sins.
He does it so the man may still enjoy life.
31 “Job, pay attention and listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me.
Speak up, because I want you to be shown as right.
33 But if you have nothing to say, then listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
34 Then Elihu said:
2 “Hear my words, you men who think you are wise.
Listen to me, you men who think you know a lot.
3 The ear tests words
as the tongue tastes food.
4 Let’s decide for ourselves what is right.
And let’s learn together what is good.
5 “Job says, ‘I am not guilty.
But God has refused me a fair trial.
6 Instead of getting a fair trial,
I am called a liar.
I have been seriously hurt,
even though I have not sinned.’
7 There is no other man like Job.
He takes insults as if he were drinking water.
8 He is around people who do evil.
He spends time with wicked men.
9 This is because he says, ‘It does not help a man
to try and please God.’
10 “So listen to me, you who can understand.
God All-Powerful can never do wrong!
It is impossible for God to do evil.
11 God pays a person back for what he has done.
God gives him what his actions deserve.
12 Truly God will never do wrong!
God All-Powerful will never twist what is right.
13 No one chose God to rule over the earth.
No one put him in charge of the whole world.
14 God could decide
to take away his spirit and breath.
15 If he did, all people would die together.
And they would all turn back into dust.
16 “If you can understand, hear this.
Listen to what I have to say.
17 Can anyone govern who hates what is right?
How can you blame God who is both fair and powerful?
18 God is the one who says to kings, ‘You are worth nothing.’
And he says to important people, ‘You are evil.’
19 God is not better to princes than other people.
He is not better to rich people than poor people.
This is because he made them all with his own hands.
20 They can die in a moment, in the middle of the night.
The rich are struck down, and then they pass away.
Powerful people die without man’s help.
21 “God watches where people go.
He sees every step they take.
22 There is no dark place or deep shadow
where those who do evil can hide from God.
23 God does not need to watch people more closely.
He does not need for men to come before him for judging.
24 Without asking questions, God breaks powerful people into pieces.
And he puts other people in their place.
25 This is because God knows what people do.
He defeats them in the night, and they are crushed.
26 He punishes them for the evil things they do.
He does it so that everyone else can watch.
27 This is because they stopped following God.
They did not care about any of his ways.
28 God lets the cry of poor people reach him.
He hears the cry of the needy.
29 But if God keeps quiet, who can blame him?
If he hides his face, no one can see him.
But God still rules over both men and nations.
30 He still keeps wicked men from ruling.
And he keeps them from trapping others.
31 “But suppose such a man says to God,
‘I am guilty, but I will not sin anymore.
32 Teach me what I cannot see.
If I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
33 So, Job, should God reward you the way you want
when you will not change your heart and life?
You must decide, not I.
So tell me what you know.
34 “Men who understand speak.
And wise men who hear me say,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowing what is true.
His words show he does not understand.’
36 I wish Job would be tested completely
because he answered like an evil man!
37 Job has sinned, and now he turns against God.
He claps his hands as an insult.
And he speaks more and more against God.”
35 Then Elihu said:
2 “Do you think this is fair?
You say, ‘God will show that I am right.’
3 But you say to him, ‘What good is it to me?
I don’t gain anything by not sinning.’
4 “I would like to answer you.
And I want to answer your friends who are with you.
5 Look up at the sky and see.
Look at the clouds so high above you.
6 If you sin, it does nothing to God.
Even if your sins are many, they do nothing to God.
7 If you are good, you give nothing to God.
He receives nothing from your hand.
8 Your evil ways only hurt a man like yourself.
And the good you do only helps other human beings.
9 “People cry out for help when they are in trouble.
They beg for relief from powerful people.
10 But no one asks, ‘Where is God, my Maker?
He gives us songs in the night.
11 He makes us more clever than the animals of the earth.
He makes us wiser than the birds of the air.’
12 God does not answer evil people when they cry for help.
This is because they are too proud.
13 He does not listen to their useless begging.
God All-Powerful pays no attention to them.
14 He will listen to you even less
when you say you do not see him.
He will not listen when you say your case is before him
and you must wait for him.
15 He will not listen when you say his anger never punishes
and that he doesn’t notice evil.
16 So Job is only speaking useless words.
He says many words without knowing what is true.”
Elihu’s Speech Continues
36 Elihu continued:
2 “Listen to me a little longer. Then I will show you
that there is more to be said for God’s side.
3 What I know comes from far away.
I will show that God, my Maker, is right.
4 You can be sure that my words are not false.
One who really knows is with you.
5 “God is powerful, but he does not hate people.
He is powerful and sure of what he wants to do.
6 God will not keep evil people alive.
But he gives troubled people their rights.
7 God does not stop watching over those who do right.
He sets them on thrones with kings.
And he lifts them up on high forever.
8 People may be bound in chains.
Or trouble may tie them up like ropes around them.
9 But then God tells them what they have done.
He tells them they have sinned by being too proud.
10 God makes them listen to his warning.
He commands them to change from doing evil.
11 If they obey and serve him,
the rest of their lives will be successful.
And the rest of their years will be happy.
12 But if they do not listen,
they will die by the sword.
And they will die without knowing better.
13 “People who have wicked hearts hold on to anger.
Even when God ties them down with trouble, they do not cry for help.
14 They die while they are still young.
They die among the male prostitutes at the places of worship.
15 But God will save suffering people by their suffering.
He gets them to listen through their pain.
16 “God is gently calling you from the jaws of trouble.
He is calling you to an open place of freedom.
There he has set your table full of the best food.
17 But now you are given the punishment evil people should have.
Now you are being punished.
18 Be careful! Don’t be led away from God by riches.
Don’t let a promise of much money turn you away.
19 Neither your wealth nor all your great strength
will keep you out of trouble.
20 Don’t wish for the night.
That is when people are taken from their homes.
21 Be careful not to turn to evil,
which you seem to want more than suffering.
22 “God does great things by his power.
No other teacher is like him.
23 No one has planned his ways for him.
No one has said to God, ‘You have done wrong.’
24 Remember to praise his work.
Men sing about it.
25 Everybody has seen it.
People look at it from far off.
26 God is so great! He is greater than we can understand!
No one can discover how many years he has been alive.
27 “God takes up the drops of water from the earth.
And he turns them into drops of rain.
28 Then the rain pours down from the clouds.
And showers fall on people.
29 No one understands how God spreads out the clouds.
No one understands how he thunders from where he lives.
30 Watch how God scatters his lightning around him.
It even lights up the deepest parts of the sea.
31 This is the way God governs the nations.
This is how he gives us enough food.
32 God fills his hands with lightning.
And he commands it to strike its target.
33 His thunder announces that a storm is coming.
Even the cattle show that the storm is coming.
37 “At the sound of his thunder, my heart pounds.
It is as if my heart will jump out of my chest.
2 Listen! Listen to the thunder of God’s voice.
Listen to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He turns his lightning loose under the whole sky.
And he sends it to the farthest parts of the earth.
4 After that you can hear the roar
when he thunders with a great sound.
He does not hold back the flashing
when his voice is heard.
5 God’s voice thunders in wonderful ways.
He does great things we cannot understand.
6 God says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth.’
And he says to the rain shower, ‘Be a heavy rain.’
7 With it, God stops everyone from working.
That way, everyone knows it is the work of God.
8 The animals take cover from the rain.
They stay in their dens.
9 The storm comes from where it was stored.
The cold comes from the strong winds.
10 The breath of God makes ice.
And the wide waters become frozen.
11 God fills the clouds up with water.
And he scatters his lightning through them.
12 At God’s command they swirl around
over the whole earth.
They do whatever he commands.
13 God uses the clouds to punish people
or to water his earth and show his love.
14 “Job, listen to this.
Stop and notice God’s miracles.
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightning flash?
16 Do you know how the clouds hang in the sky?
They are the miracles of God, who knows everything.
17 You suffer in your clothes
when the land is made quiet by the hot, south wind.
18 You cannot stretch out the sky like God
and make it look as hard as polished bronze.
19 Tell us what we should say to God.
We cannot get our arguments ready because we do not have enough understanding.
20 Should God be told that I want to speak?
A man might try to speak to God, but he would surely be
swallowed up.
21 No one can look at the sun
when it is bright in the sky
after the wind has blown all the clouds away.
22 God comes out of the north in golden light.
He comes in overwhelming greatness.
23 God All-Powerful is too high for us to reach.
He has great strength.
He is always right and never punishes unfairly.
24 That is why people honor God.
He does not respect those who say they are wise.”
The Lord Questions Job
38 Then the Lord answered Job from the storm. He said:
2 “Who is this that makes my purpose unclear
by saying things that are not true?
3 Be strong like a man.
I will ask you questions,
and you must answer me.
4 Where were you when I made the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off how big it should be?
Surely you know!
6 What were the earth’s foundations set on?
Or who put its cornerstone in place?
7 Who did all this while the morning stars sang together?
Who did this while the angels shouted with joy?
8 “Who shut the doors to keep the sea in
when it broke through and was born?
9 This was when I made the clouds like a coat for the sea.
And I wrapped the sea in dark clouds.
10 It was when I put limits on the sea.
And I put its doors and bars in place.
11 It was when I said to the sea, ‘You may come this far, but no farther.
This is where your proud waves must stop.’
12 “Have you ever given orders for morning to begin?
Or have you shown the dawn where its place was?
13 The dawn takes hold of earth by its edges
and shakes evil people out of it.
14 At dawn the earth changes like clay being pressed by a seal.
The hills and valleys stand out like folds in a coat.
15 Light is not given to evil people.
Their arm is raised to do harm, but it is broken.
16 “Have you ever gone to where the sea begins?
Or have you walked in the valleys under the sea?
17 Have the gates of death been opened to you?
Or have you seen the gates of the deep darkness?
18 Do you understand the great width of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all these things.
19 “What is the path to light’s home?
And where does darkness live?
20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the way to their homes?
21 Surely you know, if you were already born when all this happened!
Have you lived that many years?
22 “Have you ever gone into the storehouse where snow is kept?
Or have you seen the storehouses for hail?
23 I save the snow and hail for times of trouble.
I save them for days of war and battle.
24 How do you get to the place where light comes from?
Or where is the place from which the east winds are scattered over the earth?
25 Who cuts a waterway for the heavy rains?
And who sets a path for the thunderstorm to follow?
26 Who waters the land where no one lives?
Who waters the desert that has no one in it?
27 Who sends rain to satisfy the empty land
so the grass begins to grow?
28 Does the rain have a father?
Who is father to the drops of dew?
29 Who is the mother of the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the sky?
30 The waters become hard as stone.
Even the surface of the deep ocean is frozen.
31 “Can you tie up the stars of the Pleiades?
Can you loosen the ropes of the stars in Orion?
32 Can you bring out the stars at the right times?
Or can you lead out the stars of the Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the laws of the sky?
Can you understand their rule over the earth?
34 “Can you shout an order to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?
35 Can you send lightning bolts on their way?
Do the flashes of lightning report to you and say, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who put wisdom inside the mind?
Or who put understanding in the heart?
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can pour water from the jars of heaven?
38 Who can do this when the dust becomes hard
and the clumps of dirt stick together?
39 “Do you hunt food for the female lion
to satisfy the hunger of the young lions?
40 Do you hunt for them while they lie in their dens
or hide in the bushes waiting to attack?
41 Who gives food to the birds
when their young cry out to God?
And who gives them food when they wander about without any?
39 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the deer gives birth to her fawn?
2 Do you count the months until they give birth?
Do you know when the time is right for them to give birth?
3 They lie down, and their young are born.
Then the pain of giving birth is over.
4 Their young ones grow and become strong in the wild country.
Then they leave their homes and do not come back.
5 “Who let the wild donkey go free?
Who untied his ropes?
6 I am the one who gave the donkey the desert as his home.
I gave him the desert lands as a place to live.
7 The wild donkey laughs at the confusion in the city.
He does not hear the drivers shout.
8 He roams the hills looking for pasture.
And he looks for anything green to eat.
9 “Will the wild ox agree to serve you?
Will he stay by your feeding box at night?
10 Can you hold him to the plowed row with a harness?
Will he plow the valleys for you?
11 Will you depend on the wild ox for his great strength?
Will you leave your heavy work for him to do?
12 Can you trust the ox to bring in your grain?
Will he gather it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap happily.
But the ostrich’s wings are not as beautiful as the feathers of the stork.
14 The ostrich lays her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand.
15 She does not stop to think that a foot might step on them and crush them.
She does not care that some animal might walk on them.
16 The ostrich is cruel to her young, as if they were not even hers.
She does not care that her work is for nothing.
17 This is because God did not give the ostrich wisdom.
God did not give her a share of good sense.
18 But when the ostrich gets up to run, she is so fast
that she laughs at the horse and its rider.
19 “Job, are you the one who gives the horse his strength?
Or do you put a flowing mane on his neck?
20 Do you make the horse jump like a locust?
He scares people with his proud snorting.
21 He paws wildly, enjoying his strength.
And he charges into the battle.
22 He laughs at fear and is afraid of nothing.
He will not run away from the sword.
23 The bag of arrows rattles against the horse’s side.
It is there with the flashing spears.
24 With great excitement, the horse races over the ground.
He cannot stand still when he hears the trumpet.
25 When the trumpet blows, the horse snorts, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from far away.
He hears the thunder of commanders and the shouts of battle.
26 “Is it through your wisdom that the hawk flies?
Is this why he spreads his wings toward the south?
27 Are you the one that commands the eagle to fly
and build his nest so high?
28 The eagle lives on a high cliff and stays there at night.
The rocky peak is his protected place.
29 From there he looks for his food.
His eyes can see it from far away.
30 His young eat blood.
And where there is something dead, the eagle is there.”
40 The Lord said to Job:
2 “Will the person who argues with God All-Powerful correct him?
Let the person who accuses God answer him!”
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “I am not worthy. I cannot answer you anything.
I will put my hand over my mouth.
5 I spoke one time, but I will not answer again.
I even spoke two times, but I will say nothing more.”
6 Then the Lord spoke to Job from the storm:
7 “Be strong, like a man.
I will ask you questions.
And you must answer me.
8 Would you say that I am unfair?
Would you blame me to make yourself look right?
9 Are you as strong as God?
And can your voice thunder like his?
10 If so, then decorate yourself with glory and beauty.
And put on honor and greatness as if they were clothing.
11 Let your great anger punish.
Look at everyone who is proud and make him feel unimportant.
12 Look at everyone who is proud and bring him under your control.
Crush the wicked wherever they are.
13 Bury them all in the dirt together.
Cover their faces in the grave.
14 If you can do that, then I myself will praise you
because you are strong enough to save yourself.
15 “Look at Behemoth.[a]
I made him just as I made you.
He eats grass like an ox.
16 Look at the strength he has in his body.
The muscles of his stomach are powerful!
17 His tail extends like a cedar tree.
The muscles of his thighs are woven together.
18 His bones are like tubes of bronze metal.
His legs are like bars of iron.
19 He is one of the first of God’s works.
But God, his Maker, can destroy him.
20 The hills, where the wild animals play,
provide food for him.
21 He lies under the lotus plants
hidden by the tall grass in the swamp.
22 The lotus plants hide him in their shadow.
The poplar trees by the streams surround him.
23 If the river floods, he will not be afraid.
He is not afraid even if the Jordan River rushes to his mouth.
24 Can anyone blind his eyes and capture him?
Can anyone put hooks in his nose?
41 “Can you catch Leviathan[b] on a fishhook?
Or can you tie his tongue down with a rope?
2 Can you put a cord through his nose
or put a hook in his jaw?
3 Will he keep begging you for mercy?
Will he speak to you with gentle words?
4 Will he make an agreement with you?
Will he let you take him as your slave for life?
5 Can you make a pet of Leviathan as you would a bird?
Or can you put him on a leash for your girls?
6 Will traders try to bargain with you for him?
Will they divide him up among the traders?
7 Can you stick him with darts until his skin is full of them?
Or can you fill his head with fishing spears?
8 If you put one hand on him,
you will never forget the battle.
And you will never do it again!
9 There is no hope of defeating him.
Just seeing him overwhelms people.
10 No one is brave enough to make him angry.
So who would be able to stand up against me?
11 No one has ever given me anything that I must pay back.
Everything under heaven belongs to me.
12 “I can silence his bragging.
I can silence his brave words and powerful arguments.
13 No one can tear off his outer hide.
No one can poke through his double armor.
14 No one can force open his great jaws.
There are frightening teeth all around his jaws.
15 He has rows of shields on his back.
They are tightly sealed together.
16 Each shield is so close to the next one
that no air can go between them.
17 They are joined strongly to one another.
They hold on to each other and cannot be broken apart.
18 When he snorts, flashes of light are thrown out.
His eyes look like the light at dawn.
19 Flames blaze from his mouth.
Sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours out of his nose
as if coming from a large pot over a hot fire.
21 His breath sets coals on fire.
And flames come out of his mouth.
22 There is great strength in his neck.
People are afraid and run away from him.
23 The folds of his skin are tightly joined.
They are set and cannot be moved.
24 His chest is as hard as a rock.
It is as hard as a stone used to grind grain.
25 Powerful creatures fear his terrible looks.
They draw back in fear as he moves.
26 The sword that hits him does not hurt him.
The darts and spears, small and large, do not hurt him.
27 He treats iron as if it were straw.
And he treats bronze metal as if it were rotten wood.
28 He does not run away from arrows.
Stones from slings are like chaff to him.
29 Clubs feel like pieces of straw to him.
And he laughs when they shake a spear at him.
30 The underside of his body is like broken pieces of pottery.
It leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing board.
31 He makes the deep sea bubble like a boiling pot.
And he stirs up the sea like a pot of oil.
32 When he swims, he leaves a shining path in the water.
It makes the sea look as if it had white hair.
33 Nothing else on earth is equal to him.
He is a creature without fear.
34 He looks down on all those who are too proud.
He is king over all proud creatures.”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.