Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹[Job continued:] "Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.

²"What you know I also know; I am not inferior to you.

³"But I wish to speak to the Almighty, And I desire to argue with God.

⁴"But you smear me with lies [you defame my character most untruthfully]; You are all worthless physicians and have no remedy to offer.

⁵"Oh, that you would be completely silent, And that silence would be your wisdom!

⁶"Please hear my argument And listen to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷"Will you speak what is unjust for God, And speak what is deceitful for Him?

⁸"Will you show partiality for Him [and be unjust to me so that you may gain favor with Him]? Will you contend and plead for God?

⁹"Will it be well for you when He investigates you [and your tactics against me]? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

¹⁰"He will surely reprimand you If you secretly show partiality.

¹¹"Will not His majesty terrify you, And will not the dread of Him fall upon you?

¹²"Your memorable sayings are [worthless, merely] proverbs of ashes; Your defenses are defenses of [crumbling] clay.

¹³"Be silent before me so that I may speak; And let happen to me what may.

¹⁴"Why should I take my flesh in my teeth And put my life in my hands [incurring the wrath of God]?

¹⁵"Even though He kills me; I will hope in Him. Nevertheless, I will argue my ways to His face.

¹⁶"This also will be my salvation, For a godless man may not come before Him.

¹⁷"Listen diligently to my speech, And let my declaration fill your ears.

¹⁸"Behold now, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated.

¹⁹"Who will argue and contend with me? For then I would be silent and die.

²⁰"Only [O Lord,] do not do two things to me, And then I will not hide myself from Your face:

²¹Withdraw Your hand from me and remove this bodily suffering, And let not the dread of You terrify me.

²²"Then [Lord,] call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, and then reply to me.

²³"How many are my iniquities and sins [that so much sorrow should come to me]? Make me recognize and understand my transgression and my sin.

²⁴"Why do You hide Your face [as if offended] And consider me Your enemy?

²⁵"Will You cause a windblown leaf to tremble? Will You pursue the chaff of the dry stubble?

²⁶"For You write bitter things against me [in Your indictment] And make me inherit and suffer for the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷"You also put my feet in the stocks [as punishment] And [critically] observe all my paths; You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep],

²⁸While I waste away like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

¹"Man, who is born of a woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil.

²"Like a flower he comes forth and withers; He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

³"You also open Your eyes upon him And bring him into judgment with Yourself.

⁴"Who can make a clean thing out of the unclean? No one!

⁵"Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You [in Your control], And You have made his limits so he cannot pass [his allotted time].

⁶"[O God] turn your gaze from him so that he may rest, Until he fulfills his day [on earth] like a hired man.

⁷"For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the shoots of it will not cease nor fail, [but there is no such hope for man].

⁸"Though its roots grow old in the earth And its stump dies in the dry soil,

⁹Yet at the scent of water [the stump of the tree] will flourish And bring forth sprigs and shoots like a seedling.

¹⁰"But [the brave, strong] man must die and lie face down; Man breathes his last, and where is he?

¹¹"As water evaporates from the sea, And a river drains and dries up,

¹²So man lies down and does not rise [again]. Until the heavens are no longer, The dead will not awake nor be raised from their sleep.

¹³"Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would set a definite time and then remember me [and in Your lovingkindness imprint me on your heart]!

¹⁴"If a man dies, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my struggle Until my change and release will come.

¹⁵"[Then] You will call, and I will answer You; You will long for [me] the work of Your hands.

¹⁶"But now You number [each of] my steps; You do not observe nor take note of my sin.

¹⁷"My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You cover my wickedness [from Your view].

¹⁸"But as a mountain, if it falls, crumbles into nothing, And as the rock is moved from its place,

¹⁹Water wears away the stones, Its floods and torrents wash away the soil of the earth, So You [O Lord] destroy the hope of man.

²⁰"You prevail forever against him and overpower him, and he passes on; You change his appearance and send him away [from the presence of the living].

²¹"His sons achieve honor, and he does not know it; They become insignificant, and he is not aware of it.

²²"But his body [lamenting its decay] grieves in pain over it, And his soul mourns over [the loss of] himself."

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered [Job] and said,

²"Should a wise man [such as you] utter such windy and vain knowledge [as we have just heard] And fill himself with the east wind [of withering, parching, and violent accusations]?

³"Should he rebuke and argue with useless talk? Or with words in which there is no benefit?

⁴"Indeed, you are doing away with fear, And you are diminishing meditation before God.

⁵"For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose [to speak] the language of the crafty and cunning.

⁶"Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; Yes, your own lips testify against you.

⁷"Were you the first man to be born [the original wise man], Or were you created before the hills?

⁸"Do you hear the secret counsel of God, And do you limit [the possession of] wisdom to yourself?

⁹"What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not equally clear to us?

¹⁰"Among us are both the gray-haired and the aged, Older than your father.

¹¹"Are the consolations of God [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you, [Or] were we too gentle toward you [in our first speech] to be effective?

¹²"Why does your heart carry you away [allowing you to be controlled by emotion]? And why do your eyes flash [in anger or contempt],

¹³That you should turn your spirit against God And let such words [as you have spoken] go out of your mouth?

¹⁴"What is man, that he should be pure and clean, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous and just?

¹⁵"Behold, God puts no trust in His holy ones (angels); Indeed, the heavens are not pure in His sight—

¹⁶How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt, Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!

¹⁷"I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;

¹⁸What wise men have [freely] told, And have not hidden [anything passed on to them] from their fathers,

¹⁹To whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them [corrupting the truth].

²⁰"The wicked man writhes with pain all his days, And numbered are the years stored up for him, the ruthless one.

²¹"A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears; While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].

²²"He does not believe that he will return out of the darkness [for fear of being murdered], And he is destined for the sword [of God's vengeance].

²³"He wanders about for food, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already at hand.

²⁴"Distress and anxiety terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for battle.

²⁵"Because he has stretched out his hand against God And behaves arrogantly against the Almighty,

²⁶Running and charging headlong against Him With his ornamented and massive shield;

²⁷For he has covered his face with his fat, Adding layers of fat to his thighs [giving himself up to pleasures],

²⁸And he has lived in desolate [God-forsaken] cities, In houses which no one should inhabit, Which were destined to become heaps [of ruins];

²⁹He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth.

³⁰"He will not escape from darkness [fleeing disaster]; The flame [of God's wrath] will wither his branch, And by the blast of His mouth he will go away.

³¹"Let him not trust in vanity (emptiness, futility) and be led astray; For emptiness will be his reward [for such living].

³²"It will be fulfilled while he still lives, And his branch will not be green [but shall wither away].

³³"He will fail to bring his grapes to maturity [leaving them to wither unnourished] on the vine, And will cast off blossoms [and fail to bring forth fruit] like the olive tree.

³⁴"For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).

³⁵"They conceive mischief and bring forth wickedness, And their inmost soul prepares deceit and fraud."

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"I have heard many such things; Wearisome and miserable comforters are you all.

³"Is there no end to [your futile] words of wind? Or what plagues you [so much] that you [so boldly] answer [me like this]?

⁴"I also could speak like you, If you were in my place; I could compose and join words together against you And shake my head at you.

⁵"[But instead] I could strengthen and encourage you with [the words of] my mouth, And the consolation and solace of my lips would soothe your suffering and lessen your anguish.

⁶"If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved; And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?

⁷"But now God has exhausted me. You [O Lord] have destroyed all my family and my household.

⁸"You have taken a firm hold on me and have shriveled me up, It has become a witness [against me]; And my leanness [and infirmity] rises up [as evidence] against me, It testifies to my face [about my guilt].

⁹"His wrath has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with his teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze and glares [with piercing eyes] at me.

¹⁰"They have gaped at me with their mouths, With contempt they have struck me on the cheek; They massed themselves together [and conspired] against me.

¹¹"God hands me over to criminals And tosses me [headlong] into the hands of the wicked.

¹²"I was [living] at ease, but He crushed me and broke me apart, And He has seized me by the neck and has shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target.

¹³"His arrows surround me. He pierces my kidneys (vital organs) without mercy; He pours out my gall on the ground.

¹⁴"He attacks me, making wound after wound; He runs at me like a warrior.

¹⁵"I have sewed sackcloth over my skin [as a sign of mourning] And have defiled my horn (symbol of strength) in the dust.

¹⁶"My face is red and swollen with weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death [my eyes are dimmed],

¹⁷Although there is no violence or wrongdoing in my hands, And my prayer is pure.

¹⁸"O earth, do not cover my blood, And let there be no [resting] place for my cry [where it will cease being heard].

¹⁹"Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, And my Advocate [who vouches and testifies for me] is on high.

²⁰"My friends are scoffers [who ridicule]; My eye pours out tears to God.

²¹"Oh, that a man would mediate and plead with God [for me] Just as a man [mediates and pleads] with his neighbor and friend.

²²"For when a few years are past, I shall go the way of no return.

¹"My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.

²"Surely there are mockers and mockery with me, And my eye gazes on their obstinacy and provocation.

³"Give me a pledge (guarantee, promise) with Yourself [acknowledge my innocence before my death]; Who is there that will be my guarantor and give security for me?

⁴"But You [Lord] have closed their hearts to understanding, Therefore You will not exalt them [by giving a verdict against me].

⁵"He who denounces and informs against his friends for a share of the spoil, The eyes of his children will also languish and fail.

⁶"But He has made me a byword and mockery among the people, And I have become one in whose face people spit.

⁷"My eye has grown dim (unexpressive) because of grief, And all my [body's] members are [wasted away] like a shadow.

⁸"The upright will be [astonished and] appalled at this, And the innocent will stir himself up against the godless and polluted.

⁹"Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

¹⁰"But as for all of you, come back again, Even though I do not find a wise man among you.

¹¹"My days are past, my purposes and plans are frustrated and torn apart; The wishes of my heart [are broken].

¹²"These [thoughts try to] make the night into the day; 'The light is near,' they say in the presence of darkness [but they pervert the truth].

¹³"But if I look to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) as my home, If I make my bed in the darkness,

¹⁴If I call out to the pit (grave), 'You are my father'; And to the worm [that feeds on decay], 'You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you],'

¹⁵Where now is my hope? And who regards or considers or is even concerned about my hope?

¹⁶"Will my hope go down with me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead)? Shall we go down together in the dust?"

¹Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

²"How long will you hunt for words and continue these speeches? Do some clear thinking and show understanding and then we can talk.

³"Why are we regarded as beasts, As if [we are] stupid (senseless) in your eyes?

⁴"You who tear yourself apart in anger, Is the earth to be abandoned for your sake, Or the rock to be moved out of its place?

⁵"Indeed, the light of the wicked will be put out, And the flame of his fire will not shine.

⁶"The light will be dark in his tent, And his lamp beside him will be put out.

⁷"The vigorous stride will be shortened, And his own counsel and the scheme [in which he trusted] will bring his downfall.

⁸"For the wicked is thrown into a net by his own feet (wickedness), And he steps on the webbing [of the lattice-covered pit].

⁹"A snare catches him by the heel, And a trap snaps shut on him.

¹⁰"A noose is hidden for him on the ground, And a trap for him on the path.

¹¹"Terrors frighten him on every side And chase at his heels.

¹²"The strength [of the wicked] is famished and weakened, And disaster is ready at his side [if he stops].

¹³"His skin is devoured by disease; The firstborn of death [the worst of diseases] consumes his limbs.

¹⁴"He is torn from his tent which he trusted [for safety], And he is marched and brought to the king of terrors (death).

¹⁵"Nothing of his dwells in his tent; Brimstone (burning sulfur) is scattered over his dwelling [to purify it].

¹⁶"The roots [of the wicked] are dried up below, And above, his branch is cut off and withers.

¹⁷"Memory of him perishes from the earth, And he has no name on the street.

¹⁸"He is driven and propelled from light into darkness, And chased from the inhabited world.

¹⁹"He has no offspring or prosperity among his people, Nor any survivor where he sojourned.

²⁰"Those in the west are astonished and appalled at his fate, And those in the east are seized with horror.

²¹"Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked and the ungodly, And such is the place of him who does not know or recognize or honor God."

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"How long will you torment and exasperate me And crush me with words?

³"These ten times you have insulted me; You are not ashamed to wrong me [and harden your hearts against me].

⁴"And if it were true that I have erred, My error would remain with me [and I would be conscious of it].

⁵"If indeed you [braggarts] vaunt and magnify yourselves over me And prove my disgrace (humiliation) to me,

⁶Know then that God has wronged me and overthrown me And has closed His net around me.

⁷"Behold, I cry out, 'Violence!' but I am not heard; I shout for help, but there is no justice.

⁸"He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, And He has set darkness upon my paths.

⁹"He has stripped me of my honor And removed the crown from my head.

¹⁰"He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; He has uprooted my hope like a tree.

¹¹"He has also kindled His wrath [like a fire] against me And He considers and counts me as one of His adversaries.

¹²"His troops come together And build up their way and siege works against me And camp around my tent.

¹³"He has put my brothers far from me, And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

¹⁴"My relatives have failed [me], And my intimate friends have forgotten me.

¹⁵"Those who live [temporarily] in my house and my maids consider me a stranger; I am a foreigner in their sight.

¹⁶"I call to my servant, but he does not answer; I have to implore him with words.

¹⁷"My breath is repulsive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers.

¹⁸"Even young children despise me; When I get up, they speak against me.

¹⁹"All the men of my council hate me; Those I love have turned against me.

²⁰"My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh, And I have escaped [death] by the skin of my teeth.

²¹"Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has touched me.

²²"Why do you persecute me as God does? Why are you not satisfied with my flesh (anguish)?

²³"Oh, that the words I now speak were written! Oh, that they were recorded in a scroll!

²⁴"That with an iron stylus and [molten] lead They were engraved in the rock forever!

²⁵"For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, And at the last He will take His stand upon the earth.

²⁶"Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death], Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God,

²⁷Whom I, even I, will see for myself, And my eyes will see Him and not another! My heart faints within me.

²⁸"If you say, 'How shall we [continue to] persecute him?' And 'What pretext for a case against him can we find [since we claim the root of these afflictions is found in him]?'

²⁹"Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance] for yourselves, For wrathful are the punishments of that sword, So that you may know there is judgment."

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

²"Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me answer, Because of the uneasiness that is within me.

³"I have heard the reproof which insults me, But the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.

⁴"Do you not know this from the old days, Since the time that man was placed on the earth,

⁵That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless is only for a moment?

⁶"Though his pride reaches the heavens And his head touches the clouds,

⁷Yet he perishes forever like his own refuse; Those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?'

⁸"He flies away like a dream and cannot be found; Yes, he is chased away like a vision of the night.

⁹"The eye which saw him sees him no longer, Neither does his [accustomed] place behold him any longer.

¹⁰"His sons favor the poor [and pay his obligations], And his hands give back his [ill-gotten] wealth.

¹¹"His bones are full of youthful strength But it lies down with him in the dust.

¹²"Though evil and wickedness are sweet in his mouth And he hides it under his tongue,

¹³Though he desires it and will not let it go But holds it in his mouth,

¹⁴Yet his food turns [to poison] in his stomach; It is the venom of vipers within him.

¹⁵"He swallows [his ill-gotten] riches, But will vomit them up; God will drive them out of his belly.

¹⁶"He sucks the poison of vipers [which ill-gotten wealth contains]; The viper's tongue slays him.

¹⁷"He does not look at the rivers, The flowing streams of honey and butter [to enjoy his wealth].

¹⁸"He gives back what he has labored for and attained And cannot swallow it [down to enjoy it]; As to the riches of his labor, He cannot even enjoy them.

¹⁹"For he has oppressed and neglected the poor; He has violently taken away houses which he did not build.

²⁰"Because he knew no quietness or calm within him [because of his greed], He does not retain anything he desires.

²¹"There is nothing left of what he devoured; Therefore his prosperity does not endure.

²²"In the fullness of his excess (great abundance) he will be in trouble; The hand of everyone who suffers will come against him [he is miserable on every side].

²³"When he fills his belly, God will send His fierce anger on him And will rain it upon him while he is eating.

²⁴"He may flee from the iron weapon, But the bow of bronze will pierce him through.

²⁵"The arrow is drawn forth and it comes out of his back [after passing through his body]; Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall. Terrors march in upon him;

²⁶Complete darkness (misfortune) is held in reserve for his treasures. An unfanned fire will devour him; It will consume the survivor in his tent.

²⁷"The heavens will reveal his wickedness and guilt, And the earth will rise up against him.

²⁸"The produce and increase of his house will depart [with the victors]; His possessions will be dragged away in the day of God's wrath.

²⁹"This is the wicked man's portion from God, And the heritage decreed and appointed to him by God."

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"Listen carefully to my speech, And let this be the consolation.

³"Bear with me, and I also will speak; And after I have spoken, you may [continue to] mock [me].

⁴"As for me, is my complaint to man or about him? And why should I not be impatient and my spirit troubled?

⁵"Look at me and be astonished and appalled; And put your hand over your mouth.

⁶"Even when I remember, I am troubled and afraid; Horror and trembling take hold of my flesh.

⁷"Why do the wicked still live, Become old, and become mighty in power?

⁸"Their children and 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"His bull breeds and does not fail; His cow calves and does not miscarry.

¹¹"They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children skip about.

¹²"They lift up their voices and sing to the tambourine and the lyre And rejoice to the sound of the flute.

¹³"They fully enjoy their days in prosperity, And so go down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) in a [peaceful] moment.

¹⁴"Yet they say to God, 'Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

¹⁵'Who [and what] is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what would we gain if we plead with Him?'

¹⁶"But notice, the prosperity of the wicked is not in their hand (in their power); The counsel of the wicked [and the mystery of God's dealings with the ungodly] is far from my comprehension.

¹⁷"How often [then] is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, And that their disaster falls on them? Does God distribute pain and destruction and sorrow [to them] in His anger?

¹⁸"Are they like straw before the wind, And like chaff that the storm steals and carries away?

¹⁹"You say, 'God stores away [the punishment of] man's wickedness for his children.' Let God repay him so that he may know and experience it.

²⁰"Let his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹"For what pleasure does he have in his house and family after he is dead, When the number of his months [of life] is cut off?

²²"Can anyone teach God knowledge, Seeing that He judges those on high?

²³"One dies in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and quiet and satisfied;

²⁴His pails are full of milk [his sides are filled out with fat], And the marrow of his bones is moist,

²⁵Whereas another dies with a bitter soul, Never even tasting pleasure or good fortune.

²⁶"Together they lie down in the dust, And the worms cover them.

²⁷"Behold, I know your thoughts, And the plots by which you would wrong me.

²⁸"For you say, 'Where is the house of the noble man? And where is the tent, the dwelling place of the wicked?'

²⁹"Have you not asked those who travel this way, And do you not recognize their witness?

³⁰"That evil men are [now] reserved for the day of disaster and destruction, They will be led away on the day of [God's] wrath?

³¹"But who will confront him with his actions and rebuke him face to face, And who will repay him for what he has done?

³²"When he is carried to his grave, A guard will keep watch over his tomb.

³³"The [dirt] clods of the valley are sweet to him [and gently cover him], Moreover, all men will follow after him [to a grave], While countless ones go before him.

³⁴"How then can you vainly comfort me with empty words, Since your answers remain untrue?"

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

²"Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself?

³"Is it any pleasure or joy to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect?

⁴"Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you, That He enters into judgment against you?

⁵"Is not your wickedness great, And your sins without end?

⁶"For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked.

⁷"You have not given water to the weary to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry.

⁸"But the land is possessed by the man with power, And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.

⁹"You have sent widows away empty-handed, And the arms (strength) of the fatherless have been broken.

¹⁰"Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies and overwhelms you;

¹¹Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And a flood of water covers you.

¹²"Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the distant stars, how high they are!

¹³"You say, 'What does God know [about me]? Can He judge through the thick darkness?

¹⁴'Thick clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see, And He walks on the vault (circle) of the heavens.'

¹⁵"Will you keep to the ancient path That wicked men walked [in the time of Noah],

¹⁶Men who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were poured out like a river?

¹⁷"They said to God, 'Depart from us! What can the Almighty do for us or to us?'

¹⁸"Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked and ungodly is far from me.

¹⁹"The righteous see it and are glad; And the innocent mock and laugh at them, saying,

²⁰'Surely our adversaries are cut off and destroyed, And fire has consumed their abundance.'

²¹"Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace; In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you.

²²"Please receive the law and instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart and keep them.

²³"If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up [and restored]; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,

²⁴And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks [considering it of little value],

²⁵And make the Almighty your gold And your precious silver,

²⁶Then you will have delight in the Almighty, And you will lift up your face to God.

²⁷"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, And you will pay your vows.

²⁸"You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And the light [of God's favor] will shine upon your ways.

²⁹"When you are cast down and humbled, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will lift up and save.

³⁰"He will even rescue the one [for whom you intercede] who is not innocent; And he will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands."

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"Even today my complaint is contentious; His hand is heavy despite my groaning.

³"Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, That I might [even] come to His seat!

⁴"I would present my cause before Him And fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵"I would learn the words which He would answer, And understand what He would say to me.

⁶"Would He contend against me with His great power? No, surely He would give attention to me.

⁷"There the righteous and upright could reason with Him; So I would be acquitted forever by my Judge.

⁸"Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there; I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him;

⁹To the left (north) He turns, but I cannot behold Him; He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him.

¹⁰"But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous].

¹¹"My feet have carefully followed His steps; I have kept His ways and not turned aside.

¹²"I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

¹³"But He is unique and unchangeable, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does.

¹⁴"For He performs what is planned (appointed) for me, And He is mindful of many such things.

¹⁵"Therefore I would be terrified at His presence; When I consider [all of this], I tremble in dread of Him.

¹⁶"For God has made my heart faint, And the Almighty has terrified me,

¹⁷But I am not silenced by the darkness [of these woes that fell on me], Nor by the thick darkness which covers my face.

¹"Why does the Almighty not set seasons for judgment? Why do those who know Him not see His days [for punishment of the wicked]?

²"Some remove the landmarks; They [violently] seize and pasture flocks [appropriating land and flocks openly].

³"They drive away the donkeys of the orphans; They take the widow's ox for a pledge.

⁴"They crowd the needy off the road; The poor of the land all hide themselves.

⁵"Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, The poor go to their work, diligently seeking food; As bread for their children in the desert.

⁶"They harvest their fodder in a field [that is not their own], And glean the vineyard of the wicked.

⁷"They spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering against the cold.

⁸"They are wet from the rain of the mountains And cling to the rock for lack of shelter.

⁹"Others snatch the fatherless [infants] from the breast [to sell or make them slaves], And against the poor they take a pledge [of clothing].

¹⁰"They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing, And they take away the sheaves [of grain] from the hungry.

¹¹"Within the walls [of the wicked] the poor make [olive] oil; They tread [the grapes in] the wine presses, but thirst.

¹²"From the [populous and crowded] city men groan, And the souls of the wounded cry out for help; Yet God [seemingly] does not pay attention to the wrong [done to them].

¹³"Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways Nor stay in its paths.

¹⁴"The murderer rises at dawn; He kills the poor and the needy, And at night he becomes a thief.

¹⁵"The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, 'No eye will see me,' And he covers his face.

¹⁶"In the dark they dig into [the penetrable walls of] houses; They shut themselves up by day; They do not know the light [of day].

¹⁷"For the morning is the same to him as the thick darkness [of midnight]; For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.

¹⁸"They are insignificant on the surface of the water; Their portion is cursed on the earth; They do not turn toward the vineyards.

¹⁹"Drought and heat consume the snow waters; So does Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) [consume] those who have sinned.

²⁰"A mother will forget him; The worm feeds on him until he is no longer remembered. And wickedness will be broken like a tree [which cannot be restored].

²¹"He preys on the barren (childless) woman And does no good for the widow.

²²"Yet God draws away the mighty by His power; He rises, but no one has assurance of life.

²³"God gives them security, and they are supported; And His eyes are on their ways.

²⁴"They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone; Moreover, they are brought low and like everything [they are] gathered up and taken out of the way; Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.

²⁵"And if this is not so, who can prove me a liar And make my speech worthless?"

¹Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

²"Dominion and awe belong to God; He establishes peace and order in His high places.

³"Is there any number to His [vast celestial] armies? And upon whom does His light not rise?

⁴"How then can man be justified and righteous with God? Or how can he who is born of a woman be pure and clean?

⁵"Behold, even the moon has no brightness [compared to God's majesty and glory] And the stars are not pure in His sight,

⁶How much less man, that maggot, And the son of man, that worm!"