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Job (English-NASB)

Job 1

1: THERE was a man in the ^*land of Uz whose name was ^*Job; and that man was ^*blameless, upright, ^*fearing God and ^*turning away from evil.
2: ^*Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
3: ^*His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was ^*the greatest of all the ^[1]men of the east.
4: His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
5: When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering ^*burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, Ť^*Perhaps my sons have sinned and ^*cursed God in their hearts.ť Thus Job did continually.
6: ^*Now there was a day when the ^*sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and ^[2]Satan also came among them.
7: The LORD said to Satan, ŤFrom where do you come?ť Then Satan answered the LORD and said, Ť^*From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.ť
8: The LORD said to Satan, ŤHave you ^[3]considered ^*My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, ^*a blameless and upright man, ^[4]fearing God and turning away from evil.ť
9: Then ^*Satan answered the ^[5]LORD, ŤDoes Job fear God for nothing?
10: Ť^*Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? ^*You have blessed the work of his hands, and his ^*possessions have increased in the land.
11: Ť^*But put forth Your hand now and ^*touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.ť
12: Then the LORD said to Satan, ŤBehold, all that he has is in your ^[6]power, only do not put forth your hand on him.ť So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.
13: Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,
14: a messenger came to Job and said, ŤThe oxen were plowing and the ^[7]donkeys feeding beside them,
15: and ^[8]the ^*Sabeans ^[9]attacked and took them. They also ^[10]slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and ^[11]I alone have escaped to tell you.ť
16: While he was still speaking, another also came and said, Ť^*The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.ť
17: While he was still speaking, another also came and said, ŤThe ^*Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and ^[12]slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.ť
18: While he was still speaking, another also came and said, ŤYour sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,
19: and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.ť
20: Then Job arose and ^*tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
21: He said, Ť^*Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The ^*LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.ť
22: ^*Through all this Job did not sin nor did he ^[13]blame God.

Job 2

1: AGAIN there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.
2: The LORD said to Satan, ŤWhere have you come from?ť Then Satan answered the LORD and said, ŤFrom roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.ť
3: The LORD said to Satan, ŤHave you ^[14]considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man ^[15]fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still ^*holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ^[16]ruin him without cause.ť
4: Satan answered the LORD and said, ŤSkin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.
5: Ť^*However, put forth Your hand now, and ^*touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.ť
6: So the LORD said to Satan, ŤBehold, he is in your ^[17]power, only spare his life.ť
7: Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with ^*sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
8: And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while ^*he was sitting among the ashes.
9: Then his wife said to him, ŤDo you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!ť
10: But he said to her, ŤYou speak as one of the foolish women speaks. ^*Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?ť ^*In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
11: Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the ^*Temanite, Bildad the ^*Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to ^*sympathize with him and comfort him.
12: When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them ^*tore his robe and they ^*threw dust over their heads toward the sky.
13: ^*Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Job 3

1: AFTERWARD Job opened his mouth and cursed ^[18]the day of his birth.
2: And Job ^[19]said,
3: Ť^*Let the day perish on which I was to be born, And the night which said, "A ^[20]boy is conceived.'
4: ŤMay that day be darkness; Let not God above care for it, Nor light shine on it.
5: ŤLet ^*darkness and black gloom claim it; Let a cloud settle on it; Let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6: ŤAs for that night, let darkness seize it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months.
7: ŤBehold, let that night be barren; Let no joyful shout enter it.
8: ŤLet those curse it who curse the day, Who are ^[21]prepared to ^*rouse Leviathan.
9: ŤLet the stars of its twilight be darkened; Let it wait for light but have none, And let it not see the ^[22]breaking dawn;
10: Because it did not shut the opening of my mother's womb, Or hide trouble from my eyes.
11: Ť^*Why did I not die ^[23]at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire?
12: ŤWhy did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I should suck?
13: ŤFor now I ^*would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,
14: With ^*kings and with ^*counselors of the earth, Who rebuilt ^*ruins for themselves;
15: Or with ^*princes ^*who had gold, Who were filling their houses with silver.
16: ŤOr like a miscarriage which is ^[24]discarded, I would not be, As infants that never saw light.
17: ŤThere the wicked cease from raging, And there the ^[25]weary are at ^*rest.
18: ŤThe prisoners are at ease together; They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19: ŤThe small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master.
20: ŤWhy is ^*light given to him who suffers, And life to the bitter of soul,
21: Who ^[26]^*long for death, but there is none, And dig for it more than for ^*hidden treasures,
22: Who rejoice greatly, And exult when they find the grave?
23: ŤWhy is light given to a man ^*whose way is hidden, And whom ^*God has hedged in?
24: ŤFor ^*my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And ^*my cries pour out like water.
25: ŤFor ^[27]^*what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me.
26: ŤI ^*am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.ť

Job 4

1: THEN Eliphaz the Temanite ^[28]answered,
2: ŤIf one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient? But ^*who can refrain ^[29]from speaking?
3: ŤBehold ^*you have admonished many, And you have strengthened weak hands.
4: ŤYour words have ^[30]helped the tottering to stand, And you have strengthened ^[31]feeble knees.
5: ŤBut now it has come to you, and you ^*are impatient; It ^*touches you, and you are dismayed.
6: ŤIs not your ^[32]^*fear of God ^*your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope?
7: ŤRemember now, ^*who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright destroyed?
8: ŤAccording to what I have seen, ^*those who plow iniquity And those who sow trouble harvest it.
9: ŤBy ^*the breath of God they perish, And ^*by the ^[33]blast of His anger they come to an end.
10: ŤThe ^*roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11: ŤThe ^*lion perishes for lack of prey, And the ^*whelps of the lioness are scattered.
12: ŤNow a word ^*was brought to me stealthily, And my ear received a ^*whisper of it.
13: ŤAmid disquieting ^*thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men,
14: Dread came upon me, and trembling, And made ^[34]all my bones shake.
15: ŤThen a ^[35]spirit passed by my face; The hair of my flesh bristled up.
16: ŤIt stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, then I heard a voice:
17: "Can ^*mankind be just ^[36]before God? Can a man be pure ^[36]before his ^*Maker?
18: "^*He puts no trust even in His servants; And against His angels He charges error.
19: "How much more those who dwell in ^*houses of clay, Whose ^*foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before the moth!
20: "^*Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces; Unobserved, they ^*perish forever.
21: "Is not their ^*tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, yet ^*without wisdom.'

Job 5

1: ŤCALL now, is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the ^*holy ones will you turn?
2: ŤFor ^*anger slays the foolish man, And jealousy kills the simple.
3: ŤI have seen the ^*foolish taking root, And I ^*cursed his abode immediately.
4: ŤHis ^*sons are far from safety, They are even ^[37]oppressed in the gate, And there is no deliverer.
5: Ť^[38]His harvest the hungry devour And take it to a place of thorns, And the ^[39]^*schemer is eager for their wealth.
6: ŤFor ^*affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7: For ^*man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward.
8: ŤBut as for me, I would ^*seek God, And I would place my cause before God;
9: Who ^*does great and unsearchable things, ^[40]Wonders without number.
10: ŤHe ^*gives rain on the earth And sends water on the fields,
11: So that ^*He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12: ŤHe ^*frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, So that their hands cannot attain success.
13: ŤHe ^*captures the wise by their own shrewdness, And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
14: ŤBy day they ^*meet with darkness, And grope at noon as in the night.
15: ŤBut He saves from ^*the sword of their mouth, And ^*the poor from the hand of the mighty.
16: ŤSo the helpless has hope, And ^*unrighteousness must shut its mouth.
17: ŤBehold, how ^*happy is the man whom God reproves, So do not despise the ^*discipline of ^[41]the Almighty.
18: ŤFor ^*He inflicts pain, and ^[42]gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.
19: Ť^[43]From six troubles ^*He will deliver you, Even in seven ^*evil will not touch you.
20: ŤIn ^*famine He will redeem you from death, And ^*in war from the power of the sword.
21: ŤYou will be ^*hidden from the scourge of the tongue, ^*And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.
22: ŤYou will ^*laugh at violence and famine, ^*And you will not be afraid of ^[44]wild beasts.
23: ŤFor you will be in league with the stones of the field, And ^*the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24: ŤYou will know that your ^*tent is secure, For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.
25: ŤYou will know also that your ^[45]^*descendants will be many, And ^*your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26: ŤYou will ^*come to the grave in full vigor, Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27: ŤBehold this; we have investigated it, and so it is. Hear it, and know for yourself.ť

Job 6

1: THEN Job ^[46]answered,
2: Ť^*Oh that my grief were actually weighed And laid in the balances together with my calamity!
3: ŤFor then it would be ^*heavier than the sand of the seas; Therefore my words have been rash.
4: ŤFor the ^*arrows of the Almighty are within me, ^[47]Their ^*poison my spirit drinks; The ^*terrors of God are arrayed against me.
5: ŤDoes the ^*wild donkey bray over his grass, Or does the ox low over his fodder?
6: ŤCan something tasteless be eaten without salt, Or is there any taste in the ^[48]white of an egg?
7: ŤMy soul ^*refuses to touch them; They are like loathsome food to me.
8: ŤOh that my request might come to pass, And that God would grant my longing!
9: ŤWould that God were ^*willing to crush me, That He would loose His hand and cut me off!
10: ŤBut it is still my consolation, And I rejoice in unsparing pain, That I ^*have not ^[49]denied the words of the Holy One.
11: ŤWhat is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should ^[50]^*endure?
12: ŤIs my strength the strength of stones, Or is my flesh bronze?
13: ŤIs it that my ^*help is not within me, And that ^[51]^*deliverance is driven from me?
14: ŤFor the ^*despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not ^*forsake the ^[52]fear of the Almighty.
15: ŤMy brothers have acted ^*deceitfully like a ^[53]wadi, Like the torrents of ^[53]wadis which vanish,
16: Which are turbid because of ice And into which the snow ^[54]melts.
17: ŤWhen ^*they become waterless, they ^[55]are silent, When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18: ŤThe ^[56]paths of their course wind along, They go up into nothing and perish.
19: ŤThe caravans of ^*Tema looked, The travelers of ^*Sheba hoped for them.
20: ŤThey ^*were ^[57]disappointed for they had trusted, They came there and were confounded.
21: ŤIndeed, you have now become such, ^*You see a terror and are afraid.
22: ŤHave I said, "Give me something,' Or, "Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,'
23: Or, "Deliver me from the hand of the adversary,' Or, "Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants'?
24: ŤTeach me, and ^*I will be silent; And show me how I have erred.
25: ŤHow painful are honest words! But what does your argument prove?
26: ŤDo you intend to reprove my words, When the ^*words of one in despair belong to the wind?
27: ŤYou would even ^*cast lots for ^*the orphans And ^*barter over your friend. 28ŤNow please look at me, And see if I ^*lie to your face.
29: ŤDesist now, let there be no injustice; Even desist, ^*my righteousness is yet in it.
30: ŤIs there injustice on my tongue? Cannot ^*my palate discern ^[58]calamities?

Job 7

1: ŤIS not man ^*forced to labor on earth, And are not his days like the days of ^*a hired man?
2: ŤAs a slave who pants for the shade, And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages,
3: So am I allotted months of vanity, And ^*nights of trouble are appointed me.
4: ŤWhen I ^*lie down I say, "When shall I arise?' But the night continues, And I am ^[59]continually tossing until dawn.
5: ŤMy ^*flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt, My skin hardens and runs.
6: ŤMy days are ^*swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And come to an end ^*without hope.
7: ŤRemember that my life ^*is but breath; My eye will ^*not again see good.
8: ŤThe ^*eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer; Your eyes will be on me, but ^*I will not be.
9: ŤWhen a ^*cloud vanishes, it is gone, So ^*he who goes down to ^*Sheol does not come up.
10: ŤHe will not return again to his house, Nor will ^*his place know him anymore.
11: ŤTherefore ^*I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12: ŤAm I the sea, or ^*the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?
13: ŤIf I say, "^*My bed will comfort me, My couch will ^[60]ease my complaint,'
14: Then You frighten me with dreams And terrify me by visions;
15: So that my soul would choose suffocation, Death rather than my ^[61]pains.
16: ŤI ^[62]^*waste away; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, ^*for my days are but a breath.
17: Ť^*What is man that You magnify him, And that You ^[63]are concerned about him,
18: That ^*You examine him every morning And try him every moment?
19: Ť^[64]^*Will You never turn Your gaze away from me, Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20: Ť^*Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O ^*watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself?
21: ŤWhy then ^*do You not pardon my transgression And take away my iniquity? For now I will ^*lie down in the dust; And You will seek me, ^*but I will not be.ť

Job 8

1: THEN Bildad the Shuhite ^[65]answered,
2: ŤHow long will you say these things, And the ^*words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3: ŤDoes ^*God pervert justice? Or does ^[66]the Almighty pervert what is right?
4: Ť^*If your sons sinned against Him, Then He delivered them into the ^[67]power of their transgression.
5: ŤIf you would ^*seek God And implore the compassion of ^[68]the Almighty,
6: If you are pure and upright, Surely now ^*He would rouse Himself for you And restore your righteous ^[69]^*estate.
7: ŤThough your beginning was insignificant, Yet your ^*end will increase greatly.
8: ŤPlease ^*inquire of past generations, And consider the things searched out by their fathers.
9: ŤFor we are only of yesterday and know nothing, Because ^*our days on earth are as a shadow.
10: ŤWill they not teach you and tell you, And bring forth words from their minds?
11: ŤCan the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water?
12: ŤWhile it is still green and not cut down, Yet it withers before any other ^[70]plant.
13: ŤSo are the paths of ^*all who forget God; And the ^*hope of the godless will perish,
14: Whose confidence is fragile, And whose trust a ^*spider's ^[71]web.
15: ŤHe ^[72]trusts in his ^*house, but it does not stand; He holds fast to it, but it does not endure.
16: ŤHe ^[73]^*thrives before the sun, And his ^*shoots spread out over his garden.
17: ŤHis roots wrap around a rock pile, He ^[74]grasps a house of stones.
18: ŤIf he is ^[75]removed from ^*his place, Then it will deny him, saying, "^*I never saw you.'
19: ŤBehold, ^*this is the joy of His way; And out of the dust others will spring.
20: ŤLo, ^*God will not reject a man of integrity, Nor ^*will He ^[76]support the evildoers.
21: ŤHe will yet fill ^*your mouth with laughter And your lips with shouting.
22: ŤThose who hate you will be ^*clothed with shame, And the ^*tent of the wicked will be no longer.ť

Job 9

1: THEN Job ^[77]answered,
2: ŤIn truth I know that this is so; But how can a ^*man be in the right ^[78]before God?
3: ŤIf one wished to ^*dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4: Ť^*Wise in heart and ^*mighty in strength, Who has ^[79]^*defied Him ^[80]without harm?
5: Ť^*It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger;
6: Who ^*shakes the earth out of its place, And its ^*pillars tremble;
7: Who commands the ^*sun ^[81]not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars;
8: Who alone ^*stretches out the heavens And ^[82]^*tramples down the waves of the sea;
9: Who makes the ^*Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the ^*chambers of the south;
10: Who ^*does great things, ^[83]unfathomable, And wondrous works without number.
11: ŤWere He to pass by me, ^*I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
12: ŤWere He to snatch away, who could ^*restrain Him? Who could say to Him, "^*What are You doing?'
13: ŤGod will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of ^*Rahab.
14: ŤHow then can ^*I ^[84]answer Him, And choose my words ^[85]before Him?
15: ŤFor ^*though I were right, I could not ^[86]answer; I would have to ^*implore the mercy of my judge.
16: ŤIf I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17: ŤFor He ^*bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18: ŤHe will ^*not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with ^*bitterness.
19: ŤIf it is a matter of power, ^*behold, He is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon ^[87]Him?
20: Ť^*Though I am righteous, my mouth will ^*condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
21: ŤI am ^*guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I ^*despise my life.
22: ŤIt is all one; therefore I say, "He ^*destroys the guiltless and the wicked.'
23: ŤIf the scourge kills suddenly, He ^*mocks the despair of the innocent.
24: ŤThe earth ^*is given into the hand of the wicked; He ^*covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
25: ŤNow ^*my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, ^*they see no good.
26: ŤThey slip by like ^*reed boats, Like an ^*eagle that swoops on ^[88]its prey.
27: ŤThough I say, "I will forget ^*my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,'
28: I am ^*afraid of all my pains, I know that ^*You will not acquit me.
29: ŤI am accounted ^*wicked, Why then should I toil in vain?
30: ŤIf I should ^*wash myself with snow And cleanse ^*my hands with lye,
31: Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me.
32: ŤFor ^*He is not a man as I am that ^*I may answer Him, That we may go to ^[89]court together.
33: ŤThere is no ^*umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.
34: ŤLet Him ^*remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me.
35: ŤThen I ^*would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

Job 10

1: ŤILOATHE my own life; I will give full vent to ^*my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2: ŤI will say to God, "^*Do not condemn me; Let me know why You contend with me.
3: "Is it ^[90]right for You indeed to ^*oppress, To reject ^*the labor of Your hands, And ^[91]to look favorably on ^*the schemes of the wicked?
4: "Have You eyes of flesh? Or do You ^*see as a man sees?
5: "Are Your days as the days of a mortal, Or ^*Your years as man's years,
6: That ^*You should seek for my guilt And search after my sin?
7: "According to Your knowledge ^*I am indeed not guilty, Yet there is ^*no deliverance from Your hand.
8: "^*Your hands fashioned and made me ^[92]altogether, ^*And would You destroy me?
9: "Remember now, that You have made me as ^*clay; And would You ^*turn me into dust again?
10: "Did You not pour me out like milk And curdle me like cheese;
11: Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews?
12: "You have ^*granted me life and lovingkindness; And Your care has preserved my spirit.
13: "Yet ^*these things You have concealed in Your heart; I know that this is within You:
14: If I sin, then You would ^*take note of me, And ^*would not acquit me of my guilt.
15: "If ^*I am wicked, woe to me! And ^*if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. I am sated with disgrace and ^[93]conscious of my misery.
16: "Should my head be lifted up, ^*You would hunt me like a lion; And again You would show Your ^*power against me.
17: "You renew ^*Your witnesses against me And increase Your anger toward me; ^[94]^*Hardship after hardship is with me.
18: "^*Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Would that I had died and no eye had seen me!
19: "I should have been as though I had not been, Carried from womb to tomb.'
20: ŤWould He not let ^*my few days alone? ^[95]^*Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer
21: Before I go -- ^*and I shall not return -- ^*To the land of darkness and ^*deep shadow,
22: The land of utter gloom as darkness itself, Of deep shadow without order, And which shines as the darkness.ť

Job 11

1: THEN Zophar the Naamathite ^[96]answered,
2: ŤShall a multitude of words go unanswered, And a ^*talkative man be acquitted?
3: ŤShall your boasts silence men? And shall you ^*scoff and none rebuke?
4: ŤFor ^*you have said, "My teaching is pure, And ^*I am innocent in your eyes.'
5: ŤBut would that God might speak, And open His lips against you,
6: And show you the secrets of wisdom! For sound wisdom ^[97]^*has two sides. Know then that God ^[98]forgets a part of ^*your iniquity.
7: Ť^*Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
8: ŤThey are ^*high as ^[99]the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than ^[100]^*Sheol, what can you know?
9: ŤIts measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea.
10: ŤIf He passes by or shuts up, Or calls an assembly, ^*who can restrain Him?
11: ŤFor ^*He knows false men, And He ^*sees iniquity ^[101]without investigating.
12: Ť^[102]^*An idiot will become intelligent When the ^[103]foal of a ^*wild donkey is born a man.
13: Ť^*If you would ^*direct your heart right And ^*spread out your hand to Him,
14: If iniquity is in your hand, ^*put it far away, And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
15: ŤThen, indeed, you could ^*lift up your face without moral defect, And you would be steadfast and ^*not fear.
16: ŤFor you would ^*forget your trouble, As ^*waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
17: ŤYour ^[104]life would be ^[105]^*brighter than noonday; Darkness would be like the morning.
18: ŤThen you would trust, because there is hope; And you would look around and rest securely.
19: ŤYou would ^*lie down and none would disturb you, And many would ^*entreat your ^[106]favor.
20: ŤBut the ^*eyes of the wicked will fail, And ^[107]there will ^*be no escape for them; And their ^*hope is ^[108]^*to breathe their last.ť

Job 12

1: THEN Job ^[109]responded,
2: ŤTruly then ^*you are the people, And with you wisdom will die!
3: ŤBut ^*I have intelligence as well as you; I am not inferior to you. And ^[110]who does not know such things as these?
4: ŤI am a ^*joke to ^[111]my friends, The one who called on God and He answered him; The just and ^*blameless man is a joke.
5: Ť^[112]He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt, As prepared for those whose feet slip.
6: ŤThe ^*tents of the destroyers prosper, And those who provoke God ^*are secure, ^[113]Whom God brings ^*into their power.
7: ŤBut now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.
8: ŤOr speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you.
9: ŤWho among all these does not know That ^*the hand of the LORD has done this,
10: ^*In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And ^*the breath of all mankind?
11: ŤDoes not ^*the ear test words, As the palate ^[114]tastes its food?
12: ŤWisdom is with ^*aged men, With ^[115]long life is understanding.
13: ŤWith Him are ^*wisdom and ^*might; To Him belong counsel and ^*understanding.
14: ŤBehold, He ^*tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt; He ^[116]^*imprisons a man, and ^[117]there can be no release.
15: ŤBehold, He ^*restrains the waters, and they dry up; And He ^*sends them out, and they ^[118]inundate the earth.
16: ŤWith Him are strength and sound wisdom, The ^*misled and the misleader belong to Him.
17: ŤHe makes ^*counselors walk ^[119]barefoot And makes fools of ^*judges.
18: ŤHe ^*loosens the ^[120]bond of kings And binds their loins with a girdle.
19: ŤHe makes priests walk ^[121]barefoot And overthrows ^*the secure ones.
20: ŤHe deprives the trusted ones of speech And ^*takes away the discernment of the elders.
21: ŤHe ^*pours contempt on nobles And ^*loosens the belt of the strong.
22: ŤHe reveals mysteries from the darkness And brings the deep darkness into light. 23ŤHe makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24: ŤHe deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth's people And makes them wander in a pathless waste.
25: ŤThey grope in darkness with no light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Job 13

1: ŤBEHOLD, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.
2: ŤWhat you know I also know; I am not inferior to you.
3: ŤBut I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to argue with God.
4: ŤBut you smear with lies; You are all worthless physicians.
5: ŤO that you would be completely silent, And that it would become your wisdom!
6: ŤPlease hear my argument And listen to the contentions of my lips.
7: ŤWill you speak what is unjust for God, And speak what is deceitful for Him?
8: ŤWill you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God?
9: ŤWill it be well when He examines you? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10: ŤHe will surely reprove you If you secretly show partiality.
11: ŤWill not His majesty terrify you, And the dread of Him fall on you?
12: ŤYour memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13: ŤBe silent before me so that I may speak; Then let come on me what may.
14: ŤWhy should I take my flesh in my teeth And put my life in my hands?
15: ŤThough He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.
16: ŤThis also will be my salvation, For a godless man may not come before His presence.
17: ŤListen carefully to my speech, And let my declaration fill your ears.
18: ŤBehold now, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated.
19: ŤWho will contend with me? For then I would be silent and die.
20: ŤOnly two things do not do to me, Then I will not hide from Your face:
21: Remove Your hand from me, And let not the dread of You terrify me.
22: ŤThen call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, then reply to me.
23: ŤHow many are my iniquities and sins? Make known to me my rebellion and my sin.
24: ŤWhy do You hide Your face And consider me Your enemy?
25: ŤWill You cause a driven leaf to tremble? Or will You pursue the dry chaff?
26: ŤFor You write bitter things against me And make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27: ŤYou put my feet in the stocks And watch all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet,
28: While I am decaying like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Job 14

1: ŤMAN, who is born of woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
2: ŤLike a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
3: ŤYou also open Your eyes on him And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
4: ŤWho can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!
5: ŤSince his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.
6: ŤTurn Your gaze from him that he may rest, Until he fulfills his day like a hired man.
7: ŤFor there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail.
8: ŤThough its roots grow old in the ground And its stump dies in the dry soil,
9: At the scent of water it will flourish And put forth sprigs like a plant.
10: ŤBut man dies and lies prostrate. Man expires, and where is he?
11: ŤAs water evaporates from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dried up,
12: So man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no longer, He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.
13: ŤOh that You would hide me in Sheol, That You would conceal me until Your wrath returns to You, That You would set a limit for me and remember me!
14: ŤIf a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait Until my change comes.
15: ŤYou will call, and I will answer You; You will long for the work of Your hands.
16: ŤFor now You number my steps, You do not observe my sin.
17: ŤMy transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You wrap up my iniquity.
18: ŤBut the falling mountain crumbles away, And the rock moves from its place;
19: Water wears away stones, Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth; So You destroy man's hope.
20: ŤYou forever overpower him and he departs; You change his appearance and send him away.
21: ŤHis sons achieve honor, but he does not know it; Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.
22: ŤBut his body pains him, And he mourns only for himself.ť

Job 15

1: THEN Eliphaz the Temanite responded,
2: ŤShould a wise man answer with windy knowledge And fill himself with the east wind?
3: ŤShould he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable?
4: ŤIndeed, you do away with reverence And hinder meditation before God.
5: ŤFor your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose the language of the crafty.
6: ŤYour own mouth condemns you, and not I; And your own lips testify against you.
7: ŤWere you the first man to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills?
8: ŤDo you hear the secret counsel of God, And limit wisdom to yourself?
9: ŤWhat do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that we do not?
10: ŤBoth the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Older than your father.
11: ŤAre the consolations of God too small for you, Even the word spoken gently with you?
12: ŤWhy does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes flash,
13: That you should turn your spirit against God And allow such words to go out of your mouth?
14: ŤWhat is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15: ŤBehold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight;
16: How much less one who is detestable and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity like water!
17: ŤI will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;
18: What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers,
19: To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them.
20: ŤThe wicked man writhes in pain all his days, And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless.
21: ŤSounds of terror are in his ears; While at peace the destroyer comes upon him.
22: ŤHe does not believe that he will return from darkness, And he is destined for the sword.
23: ŤHe wanders about for food, saying, "Where is it?' He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.
24: ŤDistress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,
25: Because he has stretched out his hand against God And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.
26: ŤHe rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield.
27: ŤFor he has covered his face with his fat And made his thighs heavy with flesh.
28: ŤHe has lived in desolate cities, In houses no one would inhabit, Which are destined to become ruins.
29: ŤHe will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend down to the ground.
30: ŤHe will not escape from darkness; The flame will wither his shoots, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.
31: ŤLet him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward.
32: ŤIt will be accomplished before his time, And his palm branch will not be green.
33: ŤHe will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off his flower like the olive tree.
34: ŤFor the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt.
35: ŤThey conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, And their mind prepares deception.ť

Job 16

1: THEN Job answered,
2: ŤI have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are you all.
3: ŤIs there no limit to windy words? Or what plagues you that you answer?
4: ŤI too could speak like you, If I were in your place. I could compose words against you And shake my head at you.
5: ŤI could strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.
6: ŤIf I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I hold back, what has left me?
7: ŤBut now He has exhausted me; You have laid waste all my company.
8: ŤYou have shriveled me up, It has become a witness; And my leanness rises up against me, It testifies to my face.
9: ŤHis anger has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth; My adversary glares at me.
10: ŤThey have gaped at me with their mouth, They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt; They have massed themselves against me.
11: ŤGod hands me over to ruffians And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.
12: ŤI was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target.
13: ŤHis arrows surround me. Without mercy He splits my kidneys open; He pours out my gall on the ground.
14: ŤHe breaks through me with breach after breach; He runs at me like a warrior.
15: ŤI have sewed sackcloth over my skin And thrust my horn in the dust.
16: ŤMy face is flushed from weeping, And deep darkness is on my eyelids,
17: Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure.
18: ŤO earth, do not cover my blood, And let there be no resting place for my cry.
19: ŤEven now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high.
20: ŤMy friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God.
21: ŤO that a man might plead with God As a man with his neighbor!
22: ŤFor when a few years are past, I shall go the way of no return.

Job 17

1: ŤMY spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.
2: ŤSurely mockers are with me, And my eye gazes on their provocation.
3: ŤLay down, now, a pledge for me with Yourself; Who is there that will be my guarantor?
4: ŤFor You have kept their heart from understanding, Therefore You will not exalt them.
5: ŤHe who informs against friends for a share of the spoil, The eyes of his children also will languish.
6: ŤBut He has made me a byword of the people, And I am one at whom men spit.
7: ŤMy eye has also grown dim because of grief, And all my members are as a shadow.
8: ŤThe upright will be appalled at this, And the innocent will stir up himself against the godless.
9: ŤNevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
10: ŤBut come again all of you now, For I do not find a wise man among you.
11: ŤMy days are past, my plans are torn apart, Even the wishes of my heart.
12: ŤThey make night into day, saying, "The light is near,' in the presence of darkness.
13: ŤIf I look for Sheol as my home, I make my bed in the darkness;
14: If I call to the pit, "You are my father'; To the worm, "my mother and my sister';
15: Where now is my hope? And who regards my hope?
16: ŤWill it go down with me to Sheol? Shall we together go down into the dust?ť

Job 18

1: THEN Bildad the Shuhite responded,
2: ŤHow long will you hunt for words? Show understanding and then we can talk.
3: ŤWhy are we regarded as beasts, As stupid in your eyes?
4: ŤO you who tear yourself in your anger -- For your sake is the earth to be abandoned, Or the rock to be moved from its place?
5: ŤIndeed, the light of the wicked goes out, And the flame of his fire gives no light.
6: ŤThe light in his tent is darkened, And his lamp goes out above him.
7: ŤHis vigorous stride is shortened, And his own scheme brings him down.
8: ŤFor he is thrown into the net by his own feet, And he steps on the webbing.
9: ŤA snare seizes him by the heel, And a trap snaps shut on him.
10: ŤA noose for him is hidden in the ground, And a trap for him on the path.
11: ŤAll around terrors frighten him, And harry him at every step.
12: ŤHis strength is famished, And calamity is ready at his side.
13: ŤHis skin is devoured by disease, The firstborn of death devours his limbs.
14: ŤHe is torn from the security of his tent, And they march him before the king of terrors.
15: ŤThere dwells in his tent nothing of his; Brimstone is scattered on his habitation.
16: ŤHis roots are dried below, And his branch is cut off above.
17: ŤMemory of him perishes from the earth, And he has no name abroad.
18: ŤHe is driven from light into darkness, And chased from the inhabited world.
19: ŤHe has no offspring or posterity among his people, Nor any survivor where he sojourned.
20: ŤThose in the west are appalled at his fate, And those in the east are seized with horror.
21: ŤSurely such are the dwellings of the wicked, And this is the place of him who does not know God.ť

Job 19

1: THEN Job responded,
2: ŤHow long will you torment me And crush me with words?
3: ŤThese ten times you have insulted me; You are not ashamed to wrong me.
4: ŤEven if I have truly erred, My error lodges with me.
5: ŤIf indeed you vaunt yourselves against me And prove my disgrace to me,
6: Know then that God has wronged me And has closed His net around me.
7: ŤBehold, I cry, "Violence!' but I get no answer; I shout for help, but there is no justice.
8: ŤHe has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, And He has put darkness on my paths.
9: ŤHe has stripped my honor from me And removed the crown from my head.
10: ŤHe breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; And He has uprooted my hope like a tree.
11: ŤHe has also kindled His anger against me And considered me as His enemy.
12: ŤHis troops come together, And build up their way against me And camp around my tent.
13: ŤHe has removed my brothers far from me, And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14: ŤMy relatives have failed, And my intimate friends have forgotten me.
15: ŤThose who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger. I am a foreigner in their sight.
16: ŤI call to my servant, but he does not answer; I have to implore him with my mouth.
17: ŤMy breath is offensive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18: ŤEven young children despise me; I rise up and they speak against me.
19: ŤAll my associates abhor me, And those I love have turned against me.
20: ŤMy bone clings to my skin and my flesh, And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.
21: ŤPity me, pity me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has struck me.
22: ŤWhy do you persecute me as God does, And are not satisfied with my flesh?
23: ŤOh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
24: ŤThat with an iron stylus and lead They were engraved in the rock forever!
25: ŤAs for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
26: ŤEven after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
27: Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!
28: ŤIf you say, "How shall we persecute him?' And "What pretext for a case against him can we find?'
29: ŤThen be afraid of the sword for yourselves, For wrath brings the punishment of the sword, So that you may know there is judgment.ť

Job 20

1: THEN Zophar the Naamathite answered,
2: ŤTherefore my disquieting thoughts make me respond, Even because of my inward agitation.
3: ŤI listened to the reproof which insults me, And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4: ŤDo you know this from of old, From the establishment of man on earth,
5: That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless momentary?
6: ŤThough his loftiness reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds,
7: He perishes forever like his refuse; Those who have seen him will say, "Where is he?'
8: ŤHe flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him; Even like a vision of the night he is chased away.
9: ŤThe eye which saw him sees him no longer, And his place no longer beholds him.
10: ŤHis sons favor the poor, And his hands give back his wealth.
11: ŤHis bones are full of his youthful vigor, But it lies down with him in the dust.
12: ŤThough evil is sweet in his mouth And he hides it under his tongue,
13: Though he desires it and will not let it go, But holds it in his mouth,
14: Yet his food in his stomach is changed To the venom of cobras within him.
15: ŤHe swallows riches, But will vomit them up; God will expel them from his belly.
16: ŤHe sucks the poison of cobras; The viper's tongue slays him.
17: ŤHe does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18: ŤHe returns what he has attained And cannot swallow it; As to the riches of his trading, He cannot even enjoy them.
19: ŤFor he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; He has seized a house which he has not built.
20: ŤBecause he knew no quiet within him, He does not retain anything he desires.
21: ŤNothing remains for him to devour, Therefore his prosperity does not endure.
22: ŤIn the fullness of his plenty he will be cramped; The hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.
23: ŤWhen he fills his belly, God will send His fierce anger on him And will rain it on him while he is eating.
24: ŤHe may flee from the iron weapon, But the bronze bow will pierce him.
25: ŤIt is drawn forth and comes out of his back, Even the glittering point from his gall. Terrors come upon him,
26: Complete darkness is held in reserve for his treasures, And unfanned fire will devour him; It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27: ŤThe heavens will reveal his iniquity, And the earth will rise up against him.
28: ŤThe increase of his house will depart; His possessions will flow away in the day of His anger.
29: ŤThis is the wicked man's portion from God, Even the heritage decreed to him by God.ť

Job 21

1: THEN Job answered,
2: ŤListen carefully to my speech, And let this be your way of consolation.
3: ŤBear with me that I may speak; Then after I have spoken, you may mock.
4: ŤAs for me, is my complaint to man? And why should I not be impatient?
5: ŤLook at me, and be astonished, And put your hand over your mouth.
6: ŤEven when I remember, I am disturbed, And horror takes hold of my flesh.
7: ŤWhy do the wicked still live, Continue on, also become very powerful?
8: ŤTheir descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes,
9: Their houses are safe from fear, And the rod of God is not on them.
10: ŤHis ox mates without fail; His cow calves and does not abort.
11: ŤThey send forth their little ones like the flock, And their children skip about.
12: ŤThey sing to the timbrel and harp And rejoice at the sound of the flute.
13: ŤThey spend their days in prosperity, And suddenly they go down to Sheol.
14: ŤThey say to God, "Depart from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15: "Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we gain if we entreat Him?'