Job: My Suffering is Comfortless

7 “Is there not aa time of hard service for man on earth?

Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?

2 Like a servant who 1earnestly desires the shade,

And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,

3 So I have been allotted bmonths of futility,

And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.

4 cWhen I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,

And the night be ended?’

For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.

5 My flesh is dcaked with worms and dust,

My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.

6 “My edays are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,

And are spent without hope.

7 Oh, remember that fmy life is a breath!

My eye will never again see good.

8 gThe eye of him who sees me will see me no more;

While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.

9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,

So hhe who goes down to the grave does not come up.

10 He shall never return to his house,

iNor shall his place know him anymore.

11 “Therefore I will jnot restrain my mouth;

I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;

I will kcomplain in the bitterness of my soul.

12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,

That You set a guard over me?

13 lWhen I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,

My couch will ease my complaint,’

14 Then You scare me with dreams

And terrify me with visions,

15 So that my soul chooses strangling

And death rather than 2my body.

16 mI loathe my life;

I would not live forever.

nLet me alone,

For omy days are but 3a breath.

17 “What pis man, that You should exalt him,

That You should set Your heart on him,

18 That You should 4visit him every morning,

And test him every moment?

19 How long?

Will You not look away from me,

And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?

20 Have I sinned?

What have I done to You, qO watcher of men?

Why rhave You set me as Your target,

So that I am a burden 5to myself?

21 Why 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 diligently,

But I will no longer be.”

Bildad: Job Should Repent

8 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

2 “How long will you speak these things,

And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?

3 aDoes God subvert judgment?

Or does the Almighty pervert justice?

4 If byour sons have sinned against Him,

He has cast them away 1for their transgression.

5 cIf you would earnestly seek God

And make your supplication to the Almighty,

6 If you were pure and upright,

Surely now He would 2awake for you,

And prosper your rightful dwelling place.

7 Though your beginning was small,

Yet your latter end would dincrease abundantly.

8 “For einquire, please, of the former age,

And consider the things discovered by their fathers;

9 For fwe were born yesterday, and know 3nothing,

Because our days on earth are a shadow.

10 Will they not teach you and tell you,

And utter words from their heart?

11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?

Can the reeds flourish without water?

12 gWhile it is yet green and not cut down,

It withers before any other plant.

13 So are the paths of all who hforget God;

And the hope of the ihypocrite shall perish,

14 Whose confidence shall be cut off,

And whose trust is 4a spider’s web.

15 jHe leans on his house, but it does not stand.

He holds it fast, but it does not endure.

16 He grows green in the sun,

And his branches spread out in his garden.

17 His roots wrap around the rock heap,

And look for a place in the stones.

18 kIf he is destroyed from his place,

Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’

19 “Behold, this is the joy of His way,

And lout of the earth others will grow.

20 Behold, mGod will not 5cast away the blameless,

Nor will He uphold the evildoers.

21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughing,

And your lips with 6rejoicing.

22 Those who hate you will be nclothed with shame,

And the dwelling place of the wicked 7will come to nothing.”

Job: There is No Mediator

9 Then Job answered and said:

2 “Truly I know it is so,

But how can a aman be brighteous before God?

3 If one wished to 1contend with Him,

He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

4 cGod is wise in heart and mighty in strength.

Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know

When He overturns them in His anger;

6 He dshakes the earth out of its place,

And its epillars tremble;

7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise;

He seals off the stars;

8 fHe alone spreads out the heavens,

And 2treads on the 3waves of the sea;

9 gHe made 4the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,

And the chambers of the south;

10 hHe does great things past finding out,

Yes, wonders without number.

11 iIf He goes by me, I do not see Him;

If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;

12 jIf He takes away, 5who can hinder Him?

Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

13 God will not withdraw His anger,

kThe allies of 6the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

14 “How then can I answer Him,

And choose my words to reason with Him?

15 lFor though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;

I would beg mercy of my Judge.

16 If I called and He answered me,

I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.

17 For He crushes me with a tempest,

And multiplies my wounds mwithout cause.

18 He will not allow me to catch my breath,

But fills me with bitterness.

19 If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong;

And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?

20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;

Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

21 “I am blameless, yet I do not know myself;

I despise my life.

22 It is all one thing;

Therefore I say, n‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’

23 If the scourge slays suddenly,

He laughs at the plight of the innocent.

24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.

He covers the faces of its judges.

If it is not He, who else could it be?

25 “Now omy days are swifter than a runner;

They flee away, they see no good.

26 They pass by like 7swift ships,

pLike an eagle swooping on its prey.

27 qIf I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,

I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’

28 rI am afraid of all my sufferings;

I know that You swill not hold me innocent.

29 If I am condemned,

Why then do I labor in vain?

30 tIf I wash myself with snow water,

And cleanse my hands with 8soap,

31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit,

And my own clothes will 9abhor me.

32 “For uHe is not a man, as I am,

That I may answer Him,

And that we should go to court together.

33 vNor is there any mediator between us,

Who may lay his hand on us both.

34 wLet Him take His rod away from me,

And do not let dread of Him terrify me.

35 Then I would speak and not fear Him,

But it is not so with me.

Job: I Would Plead with God

10 “My asoul loathes my life; I will 1give free course to my complaint,

bI will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;

Show me why You contend with me.

3 Does it seem good to You that You should oppress,

That You should despise the work of Your hands,

And smile on the counsel of the wicked?

4 Do You have eyes of flesh?

Or cdo You see as man sees?

5 Are Your days like the days of a mortal man?

Are Your years like the days of a mighty man,

6 That You should seek for my iniquity

And search out my sin,

7 Although You know that I am not wicked,

And there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?

8 ‘Your dhands have made me and fashioned me,

An intricate unity;

Yet You would edestroy me.

9 Remember, I pray, fthat You have made me like clay.

And will You turn me into dust again?

10 gDid 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 favor,

And Your care has preserved my spirit.

13 ‘And these things You have hidden in Your heart;

I know that this was with You:

14 If I sin, then hYou mark me,

And will not acquit me of my iniquity.

15 If I am wicked, iwoe to me;

jEven if I am righteous, I 2cannot lift up my head.

I am full of disgrace;

kSee my misery!

16 If my head is exalted,

lYou hunt me like a fierce lion,

And again You show Yourself awesome against me.

17 You renew Your witnesses against me,

And increase Your indignation toward me;

Changes and war are ever with me.

18 ‘Why mthen have You brought me out of the womb?

Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

19 I would have been as though I had not been.

I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 nAre not my days few?

Cease! oLeave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,

21 Before I go to the place from which I shall not return,

pTo the land of darkness qand the shadow of death,

22 A land as dark as darkness itself,

As the shadow of death, without any order,

Where even the light is like darkness.’ ”

Zophar Urges Job to Repent

11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

2 “Should not the multitude of words be answered?

And should 1a man full of talk be vindicated?

3 Should your empty talk make men 2hold their peace?

And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?

4 For you have said,

a‘My doctrine is pure,

And I am clean in your eyes.’

5 But oh, that God would speak,

And open His lips against you,

6 That He would show you the secrets of wisdom!

For they would double your prudence.

Know therefore that bGod 3exacts from you

Less than your iniquity deserves.

7 “Can cyou search out the deep things of God?

Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?

8 They are higher than heaven—what can you do?

Deeper than 4Sheol—what can you know?

9 Their measure is longer than the earth

And broader than the sea.

10 “If dHe passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment,

Then who can 5hinder Him?

11 For eHe knows deceitful men;

He sees wickedness also.

Will He not then consider it?

12 For an fempty-headed man will be wise,

When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.

13 “If you would gprepare your heart,

And hstretch out your hands toward Him;

14 If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away,

And iwould not let wickedness dwell in your tents;

15 jThen surely you could lift up your face without spot;

Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;

16 Because you would kforget your misery,

And remember it as waters that have passed away,

17 And your life lwould be brighter than noonday.

Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.

18 And you would be secure, because there is hope;

Yes, you would dig around you, and mtake your rest in safety.

19 You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid;

Yes, many would court your favor.

20 But nthe eyes of the wicked will fail,

And they shall not escape,

And otheir hope—6loss of life!”