Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) imposed a tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea.

²And all the accomplishments of his authority and strength, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?

³For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many fellow people, for he worked for the good of his people and spoke for the welfare and peace of his whole nation.

¹There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God [with reverence] and abstained from and turned away from evil [because he honored God].

²Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

³He also possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke (pairs) of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great number of servants, so that this man was the greatest [and wealthiest and most respected] of all the men of the east (northern Arabia).

⁴His sons used to go [in turn] and feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send word and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

⁵When the days of their feasting were over, Job would send [for them] and consecrate them, rising early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Job did this at all [such] times.

⁶Now there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan (adversary, accuser) also came among them.

⁷The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it."

⁸The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God]."

⁹Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?

¹⁰Have You not put a hedge [of protection] around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands [and conferred prosperity and happiness upon him], and his possessions have increased in the land.

¹¹But put forth Your hand now and touch (destroy) all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face."

¹²Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that Job has is in your power, only do not put your hand on the man himself." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.

¹³Now there was a day when Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,

¹⁴and a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them,

¹⁵and the Sabeans attacked and swooped down on them and took away the animals. They also killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

¹⁶While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, "The fire of God (lightning) has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

¹⁷While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and have taken them away and have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

¹⁸While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,

¹⁹and suddenly, a great wind came from across the desert, 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."

²⁰Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God].

²¹He said, "Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother's womb, And naked I will return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."

²²Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

¹Again there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan (adversary, accuser) also came among them to present himself before the LORD.

²The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it."

³The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God]. And still he maintains and holds tightly to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause."

⁴Satan answered the LORD, " Skin for skin! Yes, a man will give all he has for his life.

⁵But put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh [and severely afflict him]; and he will curse You to Your face."

⁶So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, only spare his life."

⁷So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome boils and agonizingly painful sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

⁸And Job took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself, and he sat [down] among the ashes (rubbish heaps).

⁹Then his wife said to him, "Do you still cling to your integrity [and your faith and trust in God, without blaming Him]? Curse God and die!"

¹⁰But he said to her, "You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God's will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?" In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.

¹¹Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.

¹²When they looked from a distance and did not recognize him [because of his disfigurement], they raised their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe [in grief] and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky [in sorrow].

¹³So they sat down on the ground with Job for seven days and seven nights and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

¹After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

²And Job said,

³"Let the day on which I was born perish, And the night which announced: 'There is a man-child conceived.'

⁴"May that day be darkness; Let God above not care about it, Nor light shine on it.

⁵"Let darkness and gloom claim it for their own; Let a cloud settle upon it; Let all that blackens the day terrify it (the day that I was born).

⁶"As for that night, let darkness seize it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not be counted in the number of the months.

⁷"Behold, let that night be barren [and empty]; Let no joyful voice enter it.

⁸"Let those curse it who curse the day, Who are skilled in rousing up Leviathan.

⁹"Let the stars of its early dawn be dark; Let the morning wait in vain for the light, Let it not see the eyelids of morning (the day's dawning),

¹⁰Because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, Nor hide trouble from my eyes.

¹¹"Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire?

¹²"Why did the knees receive me? And why the breasts, that I would nurse?

¹³"For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest [in death],

¹⁴With kings and counselors of the earth, Who built up [now desolate] ruins for themselves;

¹⁵Or with princes who had gold, Who filled their houses with silver.

¹⁶"Or like a miscarriage which is hidden and put away, I would not exist, Like infants who never saw light.

¹⁷"There [in death] the wicked cease from raging, And there the weary are at rest.

¹⁸"There the prisoners rest together; They do not hear the taskmaster's voice.

¹⁹"The small and the great are there, And the servant is free from his master.

²⁰"Why is the light given to him who is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,

²¹Who wait for death, but it does not come, And dig (search) for death more [diligently] than for hidden treasures,

²²Who rejoice exceedingly, And rejoice when they find the grave?

²³"Why is the light of day given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in?

²⁴"For my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And my cries [of despair] are poured out like water.

²⁵"For the thing which I greatly fear comes upon me, And that of which I am afraid has come upon me.

²⁶"I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, and yet trouble still comes [upon me]."

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

²"If we dare to converse with you, will you be impatient [or offended]? But who can restrain himself from speaking?

³"Behold, you have admonished and instructed many, And you have strengthened weak hands.

⁴"Your words have helped the one who was stumbling to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.

⁵"But now adversity comes upon you, and you are impatient and intolerant; It touches you, and you are horrified.

⁶"Is not your fear of God your confidence, And [is not] the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope?

⁷"Remember now, who, being innocent, ever perished? Or where [and in what circumstances] were those upright and in right standing with God destroyed?

⁸"As I have seen, those who plow wickedness And those who sow trouble and harm harvest it.

⁹"By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of His anger they are consumed.

¹⁰"The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken.

¹¹"The lion perishes for lack of prey, And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

¹²"Now a word was secretly brought to me, And my ear received a whisper of it.

¹³"Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men,

¹⁴Dread and trembling came upon me, Which made all my bones shake.

¹⁵"Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair on my skin stood on end!

¹⁶"The spirit stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, and then I heard a voice, saying:

¹⁷'Can [mortal] man be just before God or be more righteous than He? Can a man be pure before his Maker or be more cleansed than He?

¹⁸'God puts no trust or confidence, even in His [heavenly] servants, And He charges His angels with error.

¹⁹'How much more [will He blame and charge] those who dwell in houses (bodies) of clay, Whose foundations are in the dust, Who are crushed like a moth.

²⁰'Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces and destroyed; Unobserved and unnoticed, they perish forever.

²¹'Is not their tent-cord drawn up within them [so that the tent collapses]? Do they not die, and yet without [acquiring] wisdom?'

¹"Call now—is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones (angels) will you turn?

²"For anger slays the foolish man, And jealousy kills the simple (naive).

³"I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering], But I cursed his dwelling immediately [for his destruction was certain].

⁴"His children are far from safety [and included in their father's ruin], They are oppressed and crushed in the [court of justice in the city's] gate, And there is no one to rescue them.

⁵"The hungry devour his harvest And take it even [when it grows] among the thorns; The trap opens for [his] wealth.

⁶"For affliction does not come forth from the dust, Nor does trouble spring forth from the ground.

⁷"For man is born for trouble, [As naturally] as sparks fly upward.

⁸"As for me, I would seek God and inquire of Him, And I would commit my cause to God;

⁹Who does great and unsearchable things, Marvelous things without number.

¹⁰"He gives rain upon the earth And sends waters upon the fields,

¹¹So that He sets on high those who are lowly, And He lifts to safety those who mourn.

¹²"He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty, So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.

¹³"He catches the [so-called] wise in their own shrewdness, And the advice of the devious is quickly thwarted.

¹⁴"In the daytime they meet in darkness, And at noon they grope as in the night.

¹⁵"But God saves [the innocent] from the sword of the mouth of the devious, And the poor from the hand of the mighty.

¹⁶"So the helpless have hope, And injustice shuts its mouth.

¹⁷"Behold, how happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves, So do not despise or reject the discipline of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering].

¹⁸"For He inflicts pain, but He binds up and gives relief; He wounds, but His hands also heal.

¹⁹"He will rescue you from six troubles; Even in seven, evil will not touch you.

²⁰"In famine He will redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword.

²¹"You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you will not be afraid of destruction when it comes.

²²"You will laugh at violence and famine, And you will not be afraid of the wild beasts of the earth.

²³"For you will be in harmony with the stones of the field, And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

²⁴"You will know also that your tent is secure and at peace, And you will visit your dwelling and fear no loss [nor find anything amiss].

²⁵"You will know also that your descendants will be many, And your offspring as the grass of the earth.

²⁶"You will come to your grave in old age, Like the stacking of grain [on the threshing floor] in its season.

²⁷"Behold this; we have investigated it, and it is true. Hear and heed it, and know for yourself [for your own good]."

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"Oh, that my grief could actually be weighed And placed in the balances together with my tragedy [to see if my grief is the grief of a coward]!

³"For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; Therefore my words have been incoherent,

⁴Because the arrows of the Almighty are within me, My spirit drinks their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

⁵"Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?

⁶"Can something that has no taste to it be eaten without salt? Or is there any flavor in the white of an egg?

⁷"My soul refuses to touch them; Such things are like loathsome food to me [sickening and repugnant].

⁸"Oh that my request would come to pass, And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

⁹"I wish that it would please God to crush me, That He would let loose His hand and cut me off.

¹⁰"Then I would still have consolation, And I would jump for joy amid unsparing pain, That I have not denied or hidden the words of the Holy One.

¹¹"What strength do I have left, that I should wait [and hope]? And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient and endure?

¹²"Is my strength and endurance that of stones, Or is my flesh made of bronze?

¹³"Is it that I have no help within myself, And that success and wisdom have been driven from me?

¹⁴"For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not abandon (turn away from) the fear of the Almighty.

¹⁵"My brothers have acted deceitfully like a brook, Like the torrents of brooks that vanish,

¹⁶Which are dull and dirty because of ice, And into which the snow melts and hides itself;

¹⁷When it is warm, they are silent and cease to flow; When it is hot, they vanish from their place.

¹⁸"The paths of their course wind along, They go up into nothing and perish. [Your counsel is as helpful to me as a dry streambed in the heat of summer.]

¹⁹"The caravans of Tema looked [for water], The caravans of Sheba waited for them [in vain].

²⁰"They were put to shame and disappointed because they had trusted [that they would find water]; They came there and were ashamed.

²¹"Indeed, you have now become like a dried-up stream, You see a terror [believing me to be a victim of the wrath of God] and are afraid [to be compassionate].

²²"Did I ever say, 'Give me something,' Or, 'Pay a bribe for me from your wealth,'

²³Or, 'Rescue me from the adversary's hand,' Or, 'Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants'?

²⁴"Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred.

²⁵"How painful are words of honesty. But what does your argument prove?

²⁶"Do you intend to reprove my words [with a convincing argument], When the words of one in despair belong to the wind [and go ignored]?

²⁷"You would cast lots (gamble) over the fatherless And bargain away your friend.

²⁸"Now please look at me, And see if I lie to your face [for you know that I would not].

²⁹"Turn away [from your suspicion], let there be no injustice; Turn away, my righteousness and vindication is still in it.

³⁰"Is there injustice or malice on my tongue? Can my palate not discern what is destructive?

¹"Is not man forced to labor on earth? And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

²"As a slave earnestly longs for the shade, And as a hired man eagerly awaits his wages,

³So am I allotted months of futility and suffering, And [long] nights of trouble and misery are appointed to me.

⁴"When I lie down I say, 'When shall I arise [and the night be gone]?' But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until the dawning of day.

⁵"My body is clothed with worms and a crust of dust; My skin is hardened [and broken and loathsome], and [breaks out and] runs.

⁶"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And are spent without hope.

⁷"Remember that my life is but breath [a puff of wind, a sigh]; My eye will not see good again.

⁸"The eye of him who sees me [now] will see me no more; Your eyes will be upon me, but I will not be.

⁹"As a cloud vanishes and is gone, So he who goes down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) does not come up.

¹⁰"He will not return again to his house, Nor will his place know about him anymore.

¹¹"Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul [O Lord].

¹²"Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?

¹³"When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint,'

¹⁴Then You frighten me with dreams And terrify me through visions,

¹⁵So that I would choose suffocation, Death rather than my pain.

¹⁶"I waste away and loathe my life; I will not live forever. Let me alone, for my days are but a breath [futile and without substance].

¹⁷"What is man that You [should] magnify him [and think him important]? And that You are concerned about him?

¹⁸"And that You examine him every morning And try and test him every moment?

¹⁹"Will You never turn Your gaze away from me [it plagues me], Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?

²⁰"If I have sinned, what [harm] have I done to You, O Watcher of mankind? Why have You set me as a target for You, So that I am a burden to myself?

²¹"Why then do You not pardon my transgression And take away my sin and guilt? For now I will lie down in the dust; And You will seek me [diligently], but I will not be."

¹Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

²"How long will you say these things? And will the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

³"Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?

⁴"If your children have sinned against Him, Then He has handed them over to the power of their transgression and punished them.

⁵"If you would [diligently] seek God And implore the compassion and favor of the Almighty,

⁶Then, if you are pure and upright, Surely now He will awaken for you And restore your righteous place.

⁷"Though your beginning was insignificant, Yet your end will greatly increase.

⁸"Inquire, please, of past generations, And consider and apply yourself to the things searched out by their fathers.

⁹"For we are only of yesterday and know nothing, Because our days on earth are [like] a shadow [just a breath or a vapor].

¹⁰"Will they (the fathers) not teach you and tell you, And utter words from their hearts [the deepest part of their nature]?

¹¹"Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes or reed grass grow without water?

¹²"While it is still green (in flower) and not cut down, Yet it withers before any other plant [when without water].

¹³"So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish,

¹⁴For his confidence is fragile and breaks, And his trust is [like] a spider's web.

¹⁵"He trusts in his house, but it does not stand; He holds tightly to it, but it does not endure.

¹⁶"He thrives and prospers [like a green plant] before the sun, And his branches spread out over his garden.

¹⁷"His [godless] roots are wrapped around a pile of rocks, And he gazes at a house of stones.

¹⁸"If he is snatched from his place [in the garden], Then his place will forget him, saying, 'I have never seen you.'

¹⁹"Behold, this is the joy of His way; And from out of the dust others will spring up and grow [to take his place].

²⁰"Behold, God will not reject a man of integrity, Nor will He strengthen or support evildoers.

²¹"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter And your lips with joyful shouting [if you are found blameless].

²²"Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, And the tents of the wicked will be no longer."

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"Yes, I know it is true. But how can a mortal man be right before God?

³"If one should want to contend or dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

⁴"God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?

⁵"It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it, When He overturns them in His anger;

⁶Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

⁷Who commands the sun, and it does not shine; Who seals up the stars [from view];

⁸Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

⁹Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the [vast starry] spaces of the south;

¹⁰Who does great things, [beyond understanding,] unfathomable, Yes, marvelous and wondrous things without number.

¹¹"Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him; He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him.

¹²"Behold, He snatches away; who can restrain or turn Him back? Who will say to Him, 'What are You doing?'

¹³"God will not turn back His anger; The [proud] helpers of Rahab [the arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him.

¹⁴"How can I answer Him [and plead my case], Choosing my words [to reason] with Him?

¹⁵For though I were righteous, I could not answer. I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge.

¹⁶"If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

¹⁷"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause.

¹⁸"He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills and saturates me with bitterness.

¹⁹"If it is a matter of strength and power, behold, He is mighty! And if of justice, who can summon and challenge Him?

²⁰"Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty; Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty.

²¹"[Though] I am blameless, I do not care about myself; I despise my life.

²²"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.'

²³"When [His] scourge kills suddenly, He mocks at the despair of the innocent.

²⁴"The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice]. If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?

²⁵"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They vanish, they see no good.

²⁶"They pass by like the [swift] boats made of reeds, Like an eagle that swoops down on its prey.

²⁷"If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad appearance, and be cheerful and brighten up,'

²⁸I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come]; I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.

²⁹"I am accounted wicked and held guilty; Why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]?

³⁰"If I were to wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye,

³¹You would still plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would hate me [and refuse to cover my foul body].

³²"For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him, That we may go to court and judgment together.

³³"There is no arbitrator between us, Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were].

³⁴"Let Him take His rod away from me, And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.

³⁵"Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

¹"I am disgusted with my life and loathe it! I will give free expression to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

²"I will say to God, 'Do not condemn me [and declare me guilty]! Show me why You contend and argue and struggle with me.

³'Does it indeed seem right to You to oppress, To despise and reject the work of Your hands, And to look with favor on the schemes of the wicked?

⁴'Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as a man sees?

⁵'Are Your days as the days of a mortal, Are Your years as man's years,

⁶That You seek my guilt And search for my sin?

⁷'Although You know that I am not guilty or wicked, Yet there is no one who can rescue me from Your hand.

⁸'Your hands have formed and made me altogether. Would You [turn around and] destroy me?

⁹'Remember now, that You have made me as clay; So will You turn me into dust again?

¹⁰'Have You not poured me out like milk And curdled me like cheese?

¹¹'[You have] clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews.

¹²'You have granted me life and lovingkindness; And Your providence (divine care, supervision) has preserved my spirit.

¹³'Yet these [present evils] You have hidden in Your heart [since my creation]: I know that this was within You [in Your purpose and thought].

¹⁴'If I sin, then You would take note and observe me, And You would not acquit me of my guilt.

¹⁵'If I am wicked, woe to me [for judgment comes]! And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. For I am sated and filled with disgrace and the sight of my misery.

¹⁶'Should I lift my head up, You would hunt me like a lion; And again You would show Your marvelous power against me.

¹⁷'You renew Your witnesses against me And increase Your indignation and anger toward me; Hardship after hardship is with me [attacking me time after time].

¹⁸'Why then did You bring me out of the womb? Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

¹⁹'I should have been as though I had not existed; [I should have been] carried from the womb to the grave.'

²⁰"Would He not let my few days alone, Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer

²¹Before I go—and I shall not return— To the land of darkness and the deep shadow [of death],

²²The [sunless] land of utter gloom as darkness itself, [The land] of the shadow of death, without order, And [where] it shines as [thick] darkness."

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

²"Shall a multitude of words not be answered? And should a talkative man [making such a long-winded defense] be acquitted?

³"Should your boasts and babble silence men? And shall you scoff and no one put you to shame?

⁴"For you have said, 'My teaching (doctrine) [that God knowingly afflicts the righteous] is pure, And I am innocent in your eyes.'

⁵"But oh, that God would speak, And open His lips [to speak] against you,

⁶And [that He would] show you the secrets of wisdom! For sound wisdom has two sides. Know therefore that God forgets a part of your wickedness and guilt.

⁷"Can you discover the depths of God? Can you [by searching] discover the limits of the Almighty [ascend to His heights, extend to His widths, and comprehend His infinite perfection]?

⁸"His wisdom is as high as the heights of heaven. What can you do? It is deeper than Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead). What can you know?

⁹"It is longer in measure [and scope] than the earth, And broader than the sea.

¹⁰"If God passes by or arrests, Or calls an assembly [of judgment], who can restrain Him? [If He is against a man, who can call Him to account for it?]

¹¹"For He recognizes and knows false and worthless men, And He sees wickedness, will He not consider it?

¹²"But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise [Only] when the colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.

¹³"If you direct your heart [on the right path] And stretch out your hands to Him,

¹⁴If sin is in your hand, put it far away [from you], And do not let wrongdoing dwell in your tents;

¹⁵Then, indeed, you could lift up your face [to Him] without moral defect, And you would be firmly established and secure and not fear.

¹⁶"For you would forget your trouble; You would remember it as waters that have passed by.

¹⁷"And your life would be brighter than the noonday; Darkness [then] would be like the morning.

¹⁸"Then you would trust [with confidence], because there is hope; You would look around you and rest securely.

¹⁹"You would lie down with no one to frighten you, And many would entreat and seek your favor.

²⁰"But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And they will not escape [the justice of God]; And their hope is to breathe their last [and die]."

¹Then Job responded,

²"No doubt you are the [only wise] people [in the world], And wisdom will die with you!

³"But I have intelligence and understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these [of God's wisdom and might]?

⁴"I am a joke to my friends; I, one whom God answered when he called upon Him— A just and blameless man is a joke [and laughed to scorn].

⁵"He who is at ease has contempt for misfortune, But misfortune is ready [and anxiously waiting] for those whose feet slip.

⁶"The tents of the destroyers prosper; And those who provoke God are [apparently] secure, Whom God brings into their power.

⁷"Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character]; And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;

⁸Or speak to the earth [with its many forms of life], and it will teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare [this truth] to you.

⁹"Who among all these does not recognize [in all these things that good and evil are randomly scattered throughout nature and human life] That the hand of the LORD has done this,

¹⁰In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

¹¹"Does the ear not put words to the test, Just as the palate tastes its food [distinguishing between the desirable and the undesirable]?

¹²"With the aged [you say] is wisdom, And with long life is understanding.

¹³"But [only] with Him are [perfect] wisdom and might; He [alone] has [true] counsel and understanding.

¹⁴"Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt; He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

¹⁵"Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up; Again, He sends the waters out, and they overwhelm and devastate the earth.

¹⁶"With Him are might and sound wisdom, The misled and the misleader are His [and in His power].

¹⁷"He makes [great and scheming] counselors walk barefoot And makes fools of judges.

¹⁸"He loosens the bond of kings And binds their loins with a loincloth.

¹⁹"He makes priests walk barefoot, And He overturns men firmly seated and secure.

²⁰"He deprives the trusted ones of speech And takes away the discernment and discretion of the aged.

²¹"He pours contempt on princes and nobles And loosens the belt of the strong [disabling them].

²²"He uncovers mysteries [that are difficult to grasp and understand] out of the darkness And brings black gloom and the shadow of death into light.

²³"He makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations, and leads them away [captive].

²⁴"He removes intelligence and understanding from the leaders of the people of the earth And makes them wander and move blindly in a pathless waste.

²⁵"They grope in darkness without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man."