Bible in 90 Days
Bildad Speaks to Job
8 Then Bildad from Shuah answered:
2 “How long will you talk like that?
Your words are nothing but hot air!
3 God is always fair.
God All-Powerful does what is right.
4 If your children sinned against God, he punished them.
They paid for their sins.
5 But now, look to God
and pray to the All-Powerful.
6 If you are pure and good,
he will quickly come to help you.
He will give your family back to you.
7 Then you will have a lot more
than you had in the beginning!
8 “Ask those who are now old.
Find out what their ancestors learned.
9 It seems as though we were born yesterday.
We are too young to know anything.
Our days on earth are very short, like a shadow.
10 Maybe the old people can tell you something.
Maybe they will teach you what they learned.
11 “Can papyrus grow tall on a dry land?
Can reeds grow without water?
12 No, they will dry up before harvest.
They will be too small to cut and use.
13 People who forget God are like that.
Those who oppose him have no hope.
14 They have put their trust in something weak.
It is like a spider’s web.
15 When they lean against it,
it will break.
When they reach out for it,
it will not hold them up.
16 Such people are like a vine that gets plenty of water and sunshine,
and its branches spread throughout the garden.
17 Its roots spread among the rocks,
searching for good soil.
18 But if you move it, it will die,
and no one can tell it was ever there.
19 Everything might have been going well,
but another vine will take its place.
20 God does not support evil people,
and he does not abandon the innocent.
21 So perhaps you might laugh again.
Maybe shouts of joy will come from your lips.
22 Maybe your enemies will be humiliated
and the homes of the wicked destroyed.”
Job Answers Bildad
9 Then Job answered:
2 “Of course, I know that this is true.
But how can a human being win an argument with God?
3 Anyone who chose to argue with him
could not answer one question in a thousand!
4 God is so wise and powerful that
no one could oppose him and survive.
5 When God is angry, he moves mountains before they know what happened.
6 He can shake the earth,
and it will tremble down to its foundations.
7 With one command he can stop the sun from rising.
He can lock up the stars and keep them from shining.
8 He alone made the skies,
and he walks on the ocean waves.
9 “God made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades.[a]
He made the planets that cross the southern sky.[b]
10 He does things too marvelous for people to understand.
He does too many miracles to count!
11 When he passes by, I cannot see him.
He goes right past me, and I don’t notice.
12 If he takes something away, no one can stop him.
No one can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God will not hold back his anger.
Even Rahab’s helpers are afraid of him.
14 So I cannot argue with God.
I would not know what to say to him.
15 I am innocent, but I cannot give him an answer.
All I can do is beg my Judge for mercy.
16 Even if I called and he answered,
I cannot believe he would listen to me.
17 He would just send storms to crush me.
He would give me more wounds for no reason.
18 He would not let me catch my breath again.
He would just give me more trouble.
19 I cannot defeat God.
He is too powerful!
I cannot take him to court for justice.
Who could force him to come?
20 I am innocent, but anything I say makes me seem guilty.
I am innocent, but if I speak, my mouth proves me wrong.
21 I am innocent, but I don’t know what to think.
I hate my own life.
22 So I say, ‘Does it make any difference?
God destroys the innocent as well as the guilty.’
23 Is it God who laughs when a disaster kills innocent people?
24 Is it God who keeps the leaders from seeing when an evil person takes control?
If it is not God, then who is it?
25 “My days are passing faster than a runner.
They are flying by without any joy.
26 They go by as quickly as papyrus boats,
as fast as an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 “I could say, ‘I will not complain.
I will forget my pain and put a smile on my face.’
28 But the suffering still frightens me.
I know that God will not see me as innocent.
29 I will be found guilty,
so why should I even think about it?
30 Even if I scrubbed my hands with soap
and washed myself whiter than snow,
31 God would still push me into the slime pit,[c]
and even my clothes would hate to touch me.
32 God is not a human like me, so I cannot argue with him.
I cannot take him to court.
33 I wish there were someone who could listen to both sides,[d]
someone to judge both of us in a fair way.
34 I wish someone could take away the threat of God’s punishment.
Then he would not frighten me anymore.
35 Then I could say what I want without being afraid of him.
But I cannot do that now.
10 “I hate my own life, so I will complain freely.
I am very bitter, so now I will speak.
2 I will say to God, ‘Don’t just say I am guilty!
Tell me what you have against me.
3 Do you enjoy hurting me?
Do you enjoy ignoring me while smiling at what evil people say?
4 Do you have human eyes?
Do you see things the way people do?
5 Is your life as short as ours?
Is your life as short as a man’s life?
6 You look for my wrong
and search for my sin.
7 You know I am innocent,
but no one can save me from your power!
8 Your hands made me and shaped my body.
But now they are closing around me and squeezing me to death!
9 Remember, you molded me like clay.
Will you turn me into clay again?
10 You poured me out like milk.
You spun me around and squeezed me like someone making cheese.
11 You put me together with bones and muscles,
and then you clothed me with skin and flesh.
12 You gave me life and were very kind to me.
You cared for me and watched over my spirit.
13 But this is what you hid in your heart.
Now I know what you were planning for me.
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me
so that you could punish me for doing wrong.
15 If I sin, I am guilty
and should be cursed.
But even when I am innocent,
I cannot lift up my head.
I am so ashamed
because of all the troubles I have.
16 If I have any success and feel proud,
you hunt me down like a lion
and show your power over me.
17 You bring witness after witness
to prove that I am wrong.
Again and again you show your anger
as you send army after army against me.
18 So why did you let me be born?
I wish I had died before anyone saw me.
19 I wish I had never lived.
I wish they had carried me from my mother’s womb straight to the grave.
20 My life is almost finished.
So leave me alone!
Let me enjoy the little time I have left.
21 I am going soon to the land of no return,
the place of death and darkness—
22 that land of darkest night, of shadows and confusion,
where even the light is darkness.’”
Zophar Speaks to Job
11 Then Zophar from Naamah answered Job and said,
2 “This flood of words should be answered!
Does all this talking make Job right?
3 Do you think we don’t have
an answer for you?
Do you think no one will warn you
when you laugh at God?
4 You say to God,
‘My arguments are right,
and you can see I am pure.’
5 I wish God would answer you
and tell you that you are wrong.
6 He could tell you the secret of wisdom.
He would tell you that every story has two sides.
You can be sure of this:
God is not punishing you as much as he should.
7 “Do you think you really understand God?
Do you completely understand God All-Powerful?
8 That knowledge is higher than the heavens
and deeper than the place of death.
So what can you do?
How can you learn it all?
9 It is greater than the earth
and bigger than the seas.
10 “If God decides to arrest you and take you to court,
no one could stop him.
11 God knows who is worthless.
When he sees evil, he remembers it.
12 A wild donkey cannot give birth to a man,
and a stupid person will never become wise.
13 Prepare your heart to serve only God.
Lift your arms and pray to him.
14 Put away the sin that you still hold on to.
Don’t keep evil in your tent.
15 If you will do that, you could look to God without shame.
You can stand strong and not be afraid.
16 Then you can forget your troubles,
like water that has already passed by.
17 Your life will be brighter than the sunshine at noon.
Life’s darkest hours will shine like the morning sun.
18 You will feel safe because there is hope.
God will protect you and give you rest.
19 You will lie down without fear of anyone.
Many people will come to you for help.
20 Evil people might look for help,
but they will not escape their troubles.
Their hope leads only to death.”
Job Answers His Friends
12 Then Job answered them:
2 “I’m sure you think you are
the only wise people left.
You think that when you die,
wisdom will be gone with you.
3 But my mind is as good as yours.
You aren’t any smarter than I am.
You haven’t said anything
that people don’t already know.
4 “My friends laugh at me now.
They say, ‘He prayed to God and got his answer.’
I am a good, innocent man,
but still they laugh at me.
5 Those who have no troubles make fun of those who do.
They hit a man when he is down.
6 But robbers’ tents are not bothered.
Those who make God angry live in peace,
even though God has them in his power.
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
Or let the fish in the sea tell you their wisdom.
9 Everyone knows
that the Lord made these things.
10 Every animal that lives and everyone who breathes—
they are all under God’s power.
11 But just as the tongue tastes food,
the ears test the words they hear.
12 People say, ‘Wisdom is to be found in those who are old.
Long life brings understanding.’
13 But wisdom and power belong to God.
Good advice and understanding are his.
14 Anything God tears down cannot be rebuilt.
Anyone he puts in prison cannot be set free.
15 If he holds back the rain, the earth will dry up.
If he lets the rain loose, it will flood the land.
16 God is strong and always wins.
He controls those who fool others and those who are fooled.
17 He strips advisors of their wisdom
and makes leaders act like fools.
18 He strips kings of their authority
and makes them slaves.
19 He strips priests of their power
and removes those who feel so secure in their position.
20 He makes trusted advisors be silent.
He takes away the wisdom of the older leaders.
21 He brings disgrace to important people.
He takes power away from rulers.
22 He exposes even the darkest secrets.
He sends light into places that are as dark as death.
23 God makes nations great,
and then he destroys them.
He makes nations grow large,
and then he scatters their people.
24 He makes their leaders foolish.
He makes them wander around in the desert.
25 They are like someone feeling their way in the dark.
They are like drunks who don’t know where they are going.
13 “I have seen all this before.
I have already heard everything you say.
I understand all these things.
2 I know as much as you do.
I am as smart as you are.
3 But I don’t want to argue with you.
I want to speak to God All-Powerful.
I want to argue with God about my troubles.
4 But you men try to cover up your ignorance with lies.
You are like worthless doctors who cannot heal anyone.
5 I wish you would just be quiet.
That would be the wisest thing you could do.
6 “Now, listen to my argument.
Listen to what I have to say.
7 Will you speak lies for God?
Do you really believe your lies are what God wants you to say?
8 Are you trying to defend God against me?
You are not being fair.
You are choosing God’s side simply because he is God.
9 If God checked you very closely,
would he see that you are right?
Do you really think you can fool God
the same as you fool people?
10 You know that God would criticize you
if you chose someone’s side simply because they were important.
11 God’s majesty frightens you.
You are afraid of him.
12 The wise sayings you quote are worthless.
Your arguments are as weak as clay.
13 “Be quiet and let me talk!
I accept whatever happens to me.
14 I will put myself in danger
and take my life in my own hands.
15 I will continue to trust God even if he kills me.[e]
But I will defend myself to his face.
16 And if he lets me live, it will be because I had the confidence to speak.
No guilty person would dare meet God face to face.
17 Listen carefully to what I say.
Let me explain.
18 I am ready now to defend myself.
I will carefully present my arguments.
I know I will be shown to be right.
19 If anyone can prove I am wrong,
I will shut up and wait to die.
20 “God, just give me two things,
and then I will not hide from you:
21 Stop punishing me,
and don’t frighten me with your terrors.
22 Then call to me, and I will answer you.
Or let me speak, and you answer me.
23 How many sins have I committed?
What wrongs have I done?
Show me where I went wrong or how I sinned.
24 God, why do you avoid me
and treat me like your enemy?
25 Are you trying to scare me?
I am only a leaf blowing in the wind.
You are attacking a piece of straw!
26 You have a list of terrible charges against me.
Are you making me suffer for the sins I did when I was young?
27 You have put chains on my feet.
You watch every step I take.
You see every move I make.
28 So I am becoming weaker and weaker,
like a piece of wood rotting away,
like a piece of cloth eaten by moths.
14 “We are all human beings.[f]
Our life is short and full of trouble.
2 Our life is like a flower that grows quickly and then dies away.
Our life is like a shadow that is here for a short time and then is gone.
3 God, do you need to keep an eye on something so small?
Why bother to bring charges against me?
4 “No one can make something clean from something so dirty.
5 The length of our life has been decided.
You alone know how long that is.
You have set the limits for us and nothing can change them.
6 So stop watching us; leave us alone,
and let us enjoy this hard life until we have put in our time.
7 “There is always hope for a tree.
If it is cut down, it can grow again.
It will keep sending out new branches.
8 Its roots might grow old in the ground
and its stump die in the dirt,
9 but with water, it will grow again.
It will grow branches like a new plant.
10 But when a man dies,
he becomes weak and sick, and then he is gone!
11 Like a lake that goes dry
or a river that loses its source,
12 so people lose their lives,
never to live again.
The skies will all pass away
before they rise from death.
The skies will all disappear before
anyone wakes up from that sleep!
13 “I wish you would hide me in my grave.
I wish you would hide me there, until your anger is gone.
Then you could pick a time to remember me.
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
If so, I would gladly suffer through this time waiting for my release.[g]
15 God, you would call me,
and I would answer you.
Then I, the one you made,
would be important to you.
16 You would still watch every step I take,
but you would not remember my sins.
17 It would be as if you had sealed my sins in a bag.
It would be as if you had covered my guilt with plaster.
18 “Mountains fall and crumble away.
Large rocks break loose and fall.
19 Water flowing over stones wears them down.
Floods wash away the soil on the ground.
In the same way, God, you destroy the hope people have.
20 You defeat them completely
and then they are gone.
You change the way they look
and send them away forever to the place of death.
21 If their sons are honored, they will never know it.
If their sons do wrong, they will never see it.
22 They only feel the pain in their bodies,
and they alone cry for themselves.”
Eliphaz Answers Job
15 Then Eliphaz from Teman answered Job:
2 “If you were really wise,
you would not answer with your worthless personal opinions!
A wise man would not be so full of hot air.
3 Do you think a wise man would use empty words
and meaningless speeches to win his arguments?
4 If you had your way,
no one would respect God and pray to him.
5 What you say clearly shows your sin.
Job, you are trying to hide your sin by using clever words.
6 I don’t need to prove to you that you are wrong.
The words from your own mouth show that you are wrong.
Your own lips speak against you.
7 “Do you think you were the first person ever to be born?
Were you born before the hills?
8 Did you listen to God’s secret plans?
Do you think you are the only wise person?
9 We know as much as you do!
We understand as well as you.
10 The old, gray-haired men agree with us.
People older than your father are on our side.
11 God tries to comfort you, but that is not enough for you.
We have spoken his message to you in a gentle way.
12 Why will you not understand?
Why can you not see the truth?
13 You are expressing your anger against God
when you say these things.
14 “People cannot really be pure.
They[h] cannot be more right than God!
15 God does not even trust his angels.[i]
He does not even think the sky is pure.
16 People are even worse.
They are disgusting and dirty.
They drink up evil like water.
17 “Listen to me, and I will explain it to you.
Let me tell you what I have seen.
18 I will tell you what wise men would say,
things they heard from their fathers and then freely passed on.
They didn’t hide any secrets from me.
19 These are important people in our country!
Everyone knows who they are.
20 And they said that an evil man suffers all his life.
A cruel man suffers all his numbered years.
21 Every noise scares him.
His enemy will attack him when he thinks he is safe.
22 An evil man has no hope of escaping the darkness.
There is a sword somewhere waiting to kill him.
23 He wanders from place to place, looking for food.
But he knows a dark day is coming, which he brought on himself.
24 He lives in fear, with worry and suffering threatening him
like a king ready to attack.
25 That is because that evil man shook his fist at God, refusing to obey.
He dared to attack God All-Powerful,
26 like a soldier with a thick, strong shield
who runs at his enemy to strike him in the neck.
27 He might be rich and fat,
28 but his town will be ruined;
his home will be destroyed;
his house will be empty.
29 He will not be rich for long.
His wealth will not last.
His crops will not grow large.
30 He will not escape the darkness.
He will be like a tree whose leaves die from disease
and are blown away by the wind.
31 That evil man should not fool himself by trusting in worthless things,
because he will keep nothing.
32 He will die before his time,
like a tree whose top branches have already begun to die.
33 He will be like a vine that loses its grapes before they ripen.
He will be like an olive tree that loses its buds.
34 That is because people without God have nothing.
Those who take bribes will have their homes destroyed by fire.
35 They are always thinking of ways to do evil and cause trouble.
They are always planning how they might cheat others.”
Job Answers Eliphaz
16 Then Job answered:
2 “I have heard all these things before.
You men give me trouble, not comfort.
3 Your long speeches never end!
Why do you continue arguing?
4 I also could say the same things you say,
if you had my troubles.
I could say wise things against you
and shake my head at you.
5 But I would say things to encourage you
and give you hope.
6 “Nothing I say makes my pain go away.
But keeping quiet does not help either.
7 God, you surely took away my strength.
You destroyed my whole family.
8 You have made me thin and weak,
and people think that means I am guilty.
9 “God attacks me;
he is angry with me and tears my body apart.
He grinds his teeth against me.
My enemy looks at me with hate.
10 People have crowded around me.
They make fun of me and slap my face.
11 God has given me to evil people.
He let the wicked hurt me.
12 I was enjoying a quiet, peaceful life,
but then God crushed me.
Yes, he took me by the neck
and broke me into pieces.
He has made me his target.
13 With his archers all around me,
he shoots arrows into my kidneys.
He shows no mercy
and spills my gall[j] on the ground.
14 Again and again he attacks me.
He runs at me like a soldier in battle.
15 “I am very sad, so I wear this sackcloth.
I sit here in dust and ashes, feeling defeated.
16 My face is red from crying.
There are dark rings around my eyes.
17 I was never cruel to anyone,
and my prayers are pure.
18 “Earth, don’t hide the wrong things that were done to me.[k]
Don’t let my begging for fairness be stopped.
19 Even now there is someone in heaven who will speak for me.
There is someone above who will testify for me.
20 My friend speaks for me,
while my eyes pour out tears to God.
21 He speaks to God for me,
like someone[l] presenting an argument for a friend.
22 “In only a few years
I will go to that place of no return.
17 My spirit is broken;
I am ready to give up.
My life is almost gone;
the grave is waiting for me.
2 People stand around me and laugh at me.
I watch them as they tease and insult me.
3 “God, give me some support.
No one else will!
4 You have closed my friends’ minds,
and they don’t understand.
Please don’t let them win.
5 You know what people say:
‘A man neglects his own children to help his friends.’[m]
But my friends have turned against me.
6 God has made my name a bad word to everyone.
People spit in my face.
7 My eyes are almost blind from my grief.
My whole body is as thin as a shadow.
8 Good people wonder how this could happen.
The innocent are upset with anyone who is against God.
9 But those who do right will continue to do what is right.
Those who are not guilty grow stronger and stronger.
10 “But come on, all of you, and try to prove me wrong.
I don’t find any of you to be wise.
11 My life is passing away, and my plans are destroyed.
My hope is gone.
12 Everything is confused—
night is day, and evening comes when it should be dawn.
13 “I might hope for the grave to be my new home.
I might hope to make my bed in the dark grave.
14 I might say to the grave, ‘You are my father,’
and to the worms, ‘my mother’ or ‘my sister.’
15 But you can’t really call that hope, can you?
Does anyone see any hope for me?
16 Will hope go down with me to the place of death?
Will we go down into the dirt together?”
Bildad Answers Job
18 Then Bildad from Shuah answered:
2 “When will you stop talking?
Be sensible; let us say something.
3 Why do you think we are stupid,
like dumb cows?
4 Your anger is hurting no one but you.
Do you think this world was made for you alone?
Do you think God should move mountains just to satisfy you?
5 “Yes, the light of those who are evil will go out.
Their fire will stop burning.
6 The light in their houses will become dark.
The lamps next to them will go out.
7 Their steps, once strong and fast, become weak.
Their own evil plans make them fall.
8 Their own feet lead them into a net.
They fall into its hidden pit and are caught.
9 A trap catches them by the heel,
and it holds them tight.
10 A rope is hidden on the ground to trip them.
A trap is waiting in their path.
11 On every side terrors frighten them.
Fears follow every step they take.
12 Disaster is hungry for them.
Ruin stands close by, waiting for them to fall.
13 Diseases will eat away their skin.
Death itself[n] will eat their arms and legs.
14 They will be taken away from the safety of their tents
and be led away to meet death, the king of terrors.
15 Nothing will be left in their tents,
which will be sprinkled with burning sulfur.
16 Their roots below will dry up,
and their branches above will die.
17 People on earth will not remember them.
Their names will be forgotten.
18 They will be forced from light into darkness.
They will be chased out of this world.
19 They will leave behind no children, no descendants.
None of their people will be left alive.
20 People in the west will be shocked at what happened to them.
People in the east will be numb with fear.
21 This is what will happen to the homes of those who are evil.
This is the place of those who don’t know God!”
Job Answers
19 Then Job answered:
2 “How long will you hurt me
and crush me with your words?
3 You have insulted me ten times now.
You have attacked me without shame!
4 Even if I have sinned,
it is my problem, not yours!
5 You want me to look bad to make yourselves look good.
You say my troubles are proof that I did wrong.
6 I want you to know it was God who did this.
He set this trap for me.
7 I shout, ‘He hurt me!’ but get no answer.
No one hears my cry for fairness.
8 God has blocked my way to keep me from getting through.
He has hidden my path in darkness.
9 He took away my honor.
He took the crown from my head.
10 He hits me on every side until I am worn out.
He takes away my hope.
It is like a tree pulled up by the roots.
11 His anger burns against me.
He treats me like an enemy.
12 He sends his army to attack me.
They build attack towers around me.
They camp around my tent.
13 “God has made my brothers hate me.
Those who knew me have become strangers.
14 My relatives have left me.
My friends have forgotten me.
15 My servant girls and visitors in my home
look at me as if I am a stranger and a foreigner.
16 I call for my servant, but he does not answer.
Even if I beg for help, he will not answer.
17 My wife hates the smell of my breath.
My own brothers hate me.
18 Even little children make fun of me.
When I get up, they say bad things about me.
19 All my close friends hate me.
Even my loved ones have turned against me.
20 “I am so thin, my skin hangs loose on my bones.
I have little life left in me.
21 “Pity me, my friends, pity me,
because God is against me.
22 Why do you persecute me as God does?
Don’t you get tired of hurting me?
23 “I wish someone would write down everything I say.
I wish my words were written on a scroll.
24 I wish they were carved with an iron tool into lead
or scratched on a rock so that they would last forever.
25 I know that there is someone to defend me and that he lives!
And in the end, he will stand here on earth and defend me.
26 After I leave my body and my skin has been destroyed,
I know I will still see God.
27 I will see him with my own eyes.
I myself, not someone else, will see God.
And I cannot tell you how excited that makes me feel![o]
28 “Maybe you will say, ‘How can we push Job a little harder
and make him realize that he is the source of his problems?’
29 But you need to worry about your own punishment.
God might use the sword against you!
Then you will know there is a time for judgment.”
Zophar Answers Job
20 Then Zophar from Naamah answered:
2 “You upset me, so I must answer you.
I must tell you what I am thinking.
3 You insulted me with your answers!
But I am wise and know how to answer you.
4-5 “You know that the joy of the wicked does not last long.
That has been true a long time, ever since Adam was[p] put on earth.
Those who don’t know God are happy for only a short time.
6 Maybe an evil man’s pride will reach up to the sky,
and his head will touch the clouds.
7 But he will be gone forever like his own body waste.
People who knew him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 Like a dream, he will fly away, never to be found.
He will be chased away like a bad dream.[q]
9 Those who knew him before will not see him again.
His family will never again get to see him.
10 His children will have to give back what he took from the poor.
His own hands will give up his wealth.
11 When he was young, his bones were strong,
but, like the rest of his body, they will soon lie in the dirt.
12 “Evil tastes sweet in his mouth.
He keeps it under his tongue to enjoy it fully.
13 He hates to let it go
and holds it in his mouth.
14 But that evil will turn sour in his stomach.
It will be like a snake’s bitter poison inside him.
15 The evil man will spit out the riches he has swallowed.
God will make him vomit them up.
16 What he drank will be like a snake’s poison;
it will kill him like the bite of a deadly snake.
17 He will never again enjoy so much wealth—
rivers flowing with honey and cream.[r]
18 He will be forced to give back his profits.
He will not be allowed to enjoy what he worked for,
19 because he hurt the poor and left them with nothing.
He took houses he did not build.
20 “The evil man is never satisfied.
But the things he wants cannot save him.
21 After filling himself, there is nothing left.
His success will not continue.
22 Even while he has plenty, he will be pressed down with trouble.
His problems will come down on him!
23 If he does get all he wants,
God will throw his burning anger against him.
God will attack him and rain down punishment on him.
24 Maybe he will run away from an iron sword,
but then a bronze arrow[s] will strike him down.
25 It will go through his body
and stick out of his back.
Its shining point will pierce his liver,
and he will be shocked with terror.
26 All his treasures will be lost in darkness.
He will be destroyed by a fire, a fire that no human started.
It will destroy everything left in his house.
27 Heaven will prove that he is guilty.
The earth will be a witness against him.
28 His house and everything in it will be carried away
in the flood of God’s anger.
29 That is what God will do to those who are evil.
That is what he plans to give them.”
Job Answers
21 Then Job answered:
2 “Listen to what I say.
Let this be your way of comforting me.
3 Be patient while I speak.
Then after I have finished speaking, you may make fun of me.
4 “My complaint is not against people.
There is a good reason why I am not patient.
5 Look at me and be shocked.
Put your hand over your mouth, and stare at me in shock!
6 When I think about what happened to me,
I feel afraid and my body shakes!
7 Why do evil people live long lives?
Why do they grow old and successful?
8 They watch their children grow up
and live to see their grandchildren.
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear.
God does not punish them.
10 Their bulls never fail to mate.
Their cows have healthy calves.
11 They send their children out to play like lambs.
Their children dance around.
12 They sing and dance to the sound of harps and flutes.
13 Evil people enjoy success during their lives
and then go to the grave without suffering.
14 They say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
We don’t care what you want us to do!’
15 And they say, ‘Who is God All-Powerful?
We don’t need to serve him!
It will not help to pray to him!’
16 “Of course, evil people don’t make their own success.
I would never follow their advice.
17 But how often does God blow out their light?
How often does trouble come to them?
How often does God get angry with them and punish them?
18 Does God blow them away, as the wind blows straw
or as strong winds blow the grain husks?
19 But you say, ‘God is saving their punishment for their children.’
No! Let God punish the evil people themselves so that they will know what they have done!
20 Let them see their own punishment.
Let them feel the anger of God All-Powerful.
21 When their life is finished and they are dead,
they will not care about the family they leave behind.
22 “No one can teach God anything he doesn’t already know.
God judges even those in high places.
23 One person dies after living a full and successful life,
a life completely safe and comfortable,
24 with a body that was well fed
and bones that were still strong.
25 But another person dies after a hard life that has made them bitter,
never having enjoyed anything good.
26 In the end, both of these people will lie together in the dirt.
The worms will cover them both.
27 “But I know what you are thinking,
and I know you want to hurt me.
28 You might say, ‘Show me a good man’s house.
Now, show me where evil people live.’[t]
29 “Surely you have talked with travelers.
Surely you will accept their stories.
30 Evil people are spared when disaster comes.
They survive when God shows his anger.
31 No one criticizes them to their faces for how they lived.
No one punishes them for the evil they have done.
32 When they are carried to the grave,
they will have someone to watch over the place they are buried.
33 So even the soil in the valley will be pleasant for them,
and thousands of people will join their funeral procession.
34 “So your empty words are no comfort to me.
There is no truth at all in your answers!”
Eliphaz Answers Job
22 Then Eliphaz from Teman answered:
2 “Does God need our help?
Even the wisest of us is not really useful to him.
3 Does your living right benefit him?
Does God All-Powerful gain anything if you follow him?
4 Why does God blame and punish you?
Is it because you worship him?
5 No, it is because you sin so much.
You never stop sinning.
6 Maybe to guarantee loans you took things from people for no reason.
Maybe you took a poor man’s clothes to make sure he paid you back.[u]
7 Maybe you failed to give water or food
to people who were tired or hungry.
8 You have a lot of farmland,
and people respect you.
9 But maybe you sent widows away without giving them anything.
And maybe you took advantage of orphans.
10 That is why traps are all around you,
and sudden trouble makes you afraid.
11 That is why it is so dark you cannot see,
and why a flood of water covers you.
12 “God lives in the highest part of heaven
and looks down on the highest stars.
13 But you might say, ‘What does God know?
Can he see through the dark clouds to judge us?
14 Thick clouds hide us from his eyes,
so he cannot see us as he walks around the edge of the sky.’
15 “Job, you are walking on the old path
that evil people walked on long ago.
16 They were destroyed before it was their time to die.
They were washed away by the flood.
17 They told God, ‘Leave us alone!’
and said, ‘God All-Powerful cannot do anything to us!’
18 And it was God who filled their houses with good things.
No, I would never follow the advice of evil people.
19 Those who do what is right are happy to see them destroyed.
The innocent laugh at them and say,
20 ‘Surely our enemies are destroyed!
Their wealth burned up in the fire!’
21 “Now, Job, give yourself to God and make peace with him.
Do this, and you will get many good things.
22 Accept his teaching.
Pay attention to what he says.
23 If you return to God All-Powerful, you will be restored.
But remove the evil from your house.
24 Think of your gold as nothing but dirt.
Think of your finest gold as rocks from a stream.
25 And let God All-Powerful be your gold.
Let him be your pile of silver.
26 Then you will enjoy God All-Powerful,
and you will look up to him.
27 When you pray, he will hear you.
And you will be able to do all that you promised him.
28 If you decide to do something, it will be successful.
And your future will be very bright!
29 When people are brought down and you ask God to help them,
he will rescue those who have been humbled.
30 Even those who are guilty will be forgiven.
They will be saved because you did what was right.”
Job Answers
23 Then Job answered:
2 “I am still complaining today.
I groan because God is still making me suffer.
3 I wish I knew where to find him.
I wish I knew how to go to where he lives.
4 I would present my case to him.
I would make my arguments to show that I am innocent.
5 He could give his response, and I would understand.
I would listen closely to what he says.
6 Would God use his power against me?
No, he would listen to me!
7 Since I am an honest man, he would let me tell my story.
Then my Judge would set me free!
8 “If I go to the east, God is not there.
If I go to the west, I still don’t see him.
9 When he is working in the north, I don’t see him.
When he turns to the south, I still don’t see him.
10 But God knows me.
He is testing me and will see that I am as pure as gold.
11 I have always lived the way God wants.
I have never stopped following him.
12 I always obey his commands.
I love the words from his mouth more than I love my food.
13 “But God never changes,
and who can stand against him?
He does anything he wants.
14 He will do to me what he planned,
and he has many other plans for me.
15 That is why I am terrified to stand before him.
Just thinking about it makes me afraid.
16 The fear of God has made me lose my courage.
God All-Powerful makes me afraid.
17 What has happened to me is like a dark cloud over my face.
But the darkness will not keep me quiet.
24 “Why doesn’t God All-Powerful set times for judgment?
And why can’t his followers know when those times will be?
2 “People move property markers to get more of their neighbor’s land.
People steal flocks and lead them to other grasslands.
3 They steal a donkey that belongs to an orphan.
They take a widow’s cow until she pays what she owes them.
9 [v] They take a nursing baby from its mother.
They take a poor person’s child to guarantee a loan.
4 They force the poor to move out of their way
and to get off the road.
5 “The poor are like wild donkeys that go out to the desert to find food.
From morning to night they work to gather food for their children.
6 They have to work in the fields, harvesting grain.
They work for the rich,[w] gathering grapes in their vineyards.
7 They must sleep all night without clothes.
They have no covers to protect them from the cold.
8 They are soaked with rain in the mountains.
They stay close to the large rocks for shelter.
10 They have no clothes, so they work naked.
They carry piles of grain for others, but they go hungry.
11 They press out olive oil
and walk on grapes in the winepress, but they have nothing to drink.
12 In the city you can hear the sad sounds of dying people.
Those who are hurt cry out for help, but God does not listen.
13 “Some people rebel against the light.
They don’t know what God wants.
They don’t live the way he wants.
14 A murderer gets up at dawn and kills poor, helpless people.
And at night he becomes a thief.
15 A man who commits adultery waits for the night to come.
He thinks, ‘No one will see me,’ but still, he covers his face.
16 When it is dark, evil people go out and break into houses.
But during the day they lock themselves in their homes to avoid the light.
17 The darkest night is their morning.
They are friends with the terrors of darkness.
18 “You say, ‘Evil people are taken away like things carried away in a flood.
The land they own is cursed, so no one goes to work in their vineyards.
19 As hot, dry weather melts away the winter snows,
so the grave takes away those who have sinned.
20 Their own mothers will forget them.
Only the worms will want them.
No one will remember them.
They will be broken like a rotten stick!
21 These evil people hurt women who have no children to protect them,
and they refuse to help widows.
22 By his power God removes the powerful.
Even if they have a high position, they cannot be sure of their lives.
23 They might feel safe and secure,
but God is watching how they live.
24 They might be successful for a while, but then they will be gone.
Like everyone else, they will be cut down like grain.’
25 “I swear these things are true!
Who can prove that I lied?
Who can show that I am wrong?”
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International