New King James Version (NKJV)

Job Trusts in His Redeemer

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “How long will you torment my soul,

And break me in pieces with words?

3 These ten times you have reproached me;

You are not ashamedthatyou have wronged me.

4 And if indeed I have erred,

My error remains with me.

5 If indeed youexaltyourselvesagainst me,

And plead my disgrace against me,

6 Know then thatGod has wronged me,

And has surrounded me with His net.

7 “If I cry out concerning wrong, I am not heard.

If I cry aloud,thereisno justice.

8 He has fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;

And He has set darkness in my paths.

9 He has stripped me of my glory,

And taken the crownfrommy head.

10 He breaks me down on every side,

And I am gone;

# Myhope He has uprooted like a tree.

11 He has also kindled His wrath against me,

# AndHe counts me asoneofHis enemies.

12 His troops come together

And build up their road against me;

They encamp all around my tent.

13 “Hehas removed my brothers far from me,

And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

14 My relatives have failed,

And my close friends have forgotten me.

15 Those who dwell in my house, and my maidservants,

Count me as a stranger;

I am an alien in their sight.

16 I call my servant, but he gives no answer;

I beg him with my mouth.

17 My breath is offensive to my wife,

And I am repulsive to the children of my own body.

18 Evenyoung children despise me;

I arise, and they speak against me.

19 All my close friends abhor me,

And those whom I love have turned against me.

20 My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,

And I have escaped 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 struck me!

22 Why do youpersecute me as Goddoes,

And are not satisfied with my flesh?

23 “Oh, that my words were written!

Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!

24 That they were engraved on a rock

With an iron pen and lead, forever!

25 For I knowthatmy Redeemer lives,

And He shall stand at last on the earth;

26 And after my skin is destroyed, thisIknow,

# Thatin my flesh I shall see God,

27 Whom I shall see for myself,

And my eyes shall behold, and not another.

Howmy heart yearns within me!

28 If you should say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’—

Since the root of the matter is found in me,

29 Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;

For wrathbringsthe punishment of the sword,

That you may knowthereisa judgment.”

Zophar’s Sermon on the Wicked Man

1 ThenZophar the Naamathite answered and said:

2 “Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer,

Because of the turmoil within me.

3 I have heard the rebuke that reproaches me,

And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

4 “Do younotknow this ofold,

Since man was placed on earth,

5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short,

# And the joy of the hypocrite isbutfor amoment?

6 Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens,

And his head reaches to the clouds,

7 Yethe will perish forever like his own refuse;

Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

8 He will fly awaylike a dream, and not be found;

# Yes, hewill be chased away like a vision of the night.

9 The eyethatsaw him willseehimno more,

Nor will his place behold him anymore.

10 His children will seek the favor of the poor,

And his hands will restore his wealth.

11 His bones are full ofhis youthful vigor,

# But it will lie down with him in the dust.

12 “Though evil is sweet in his mouth,

Andhe hides it under his tongue,

13 Thoughhe spares it and does not forsake it,

But still keeps it in his mouth,

14 Yethis food in his stomach turns sour;

It becomes cobra venom within him.

15 He swallows down riches

And vomits them up again;

God casts them out of his belly.

16 He will suck the poison of cobras;

The viper’s tongue will slay him.

17 He will not seethe streams,

The rivers flowing with honey and cream.

18 He will restore that for which he labored,

And will not swallowitdown;

From the proceeds of business

He will get no enjoyment.

19 For he has oppressedandforsaken the poor,

He has violently seized a house which he did not build.

20 “Becausehe knows no quietness in his heart,

He will not save anything he desires.

21 Nothing is left for him to eat;

Therefore his well-being will not last.

22 In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress;

Every hand of misery will come against him.

23 Whenhe is about to fill his stomach,

Godwill cast on him the fury of His wrath,

And will rainiton him while he is eating.

24 He will flee from the iron weapon;

A bronze bow will pierce him through.

25 It is drawn, and comes out of the body;

# Yes,the glitteringpointcomesout of his gall.

# Terrorscomeupon him;

26 Total darknessisreserved for his treasures.

# An unfanned fire will consume him;

It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent.

27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity,

And the earth will rise up against him.

28 The increase of his house will depart,

# Andhisgoodswill flow away in the day of Hiswrath.

29 Thisisthe portion from God for a wicked man,

The heritage appointed to him by God.”

Job’s Discourse on the Wicked

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “Listen carefully to my speech,

And let this be your consolation.

3 Bear with me that I may speak,

# And after I have spoken, keepmocking.

4 “As for me,ismy complaint against man?

And ifitwere,why should I not be impatient?

5 Look at me and be astonished;

# Putyourhand overyourmouth.

6 Even when I remember I am terrified,

And trembling takes hold of my flesh.

7 Why do the wicked liveandbecome old,

Yes, become mighty in power?

8 Their descendants are established with them in their sight,

And their offspring before their eyes.

9 Their housesaresafe from fear,

# Neitheristhe rod of God upon them.

10 Their bull breeds without failure;

# Their cow calveswithout miscarriage.

11 They send forth their little ones like a flock,

And their children dance.

12 They sing to the tambourine and harp,

And rejoice to the sound of the flute.

13 Theyspend their days in wealth,

And in a moment go down to the grave.

14 Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,

For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

15 Whoisthe Almighty, that we should serve Him?

# Andwhat profit do we have if we pray to Him?’

16 Indeed their prosperityisnot in their hand;

# The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out?

Howoftendoes their destruction come upon them,

# The sorrowsGoddistributes in His anger?

18 They are like straw before the wind,

And like chaff that a storm carries away.

19 Theysay,‘God lays up one’s iniquityfor his children’;

Let Him recompense him, that he may knowit.

20 Let his eyes see his destruction,

# Andlet him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21 For what does he care about his household after him,

When the number of his months is cut in half?

22 “Cananyoneteach God knowledge,

Since He judges those on high?

23 One dies in his full strength,

Being wholly at ease and secure;

24 His pails are full of milk,

And the marrow of his bones is moist.

25 Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul,

Never having eaten with pleasure.

26 Theylie down alike in the dust,

And worms cover them.

27 “Look, I know your thoughts,

And the schemeswithwhichyou would wrong me.

28 For you say,

‘Whereisthe house of the prince?

And whereisthe tent,

The dwelling place of the wicked?’

29 Have you not asked those who travel the road?

And do you not know their signs?

30 For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom;

They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.

31 Who condemns his way to his face?

And who repays himforwhathe has done?

32 Yet he shall be brought to the grave,

And a vigil kept over the tomb.

33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him;

# Everyone shall follow him,

As countlesshavegonebefore him.

34 How then can you comfort me with empty words,

Since falsehood remains in your answers?”

Eliphaz Accuses Job of Wickedness

1 ThenEliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

2 “Cana man be profitable to God,

Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?

3 Isitany pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?

OrisitgaintoHimthat you make your ways blameless?

4 “Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,

And enters into judgment with you?

5 Isnot your wickedness great,

And your iniquity without end?

6 For you havetaken pledges from your brother for no reason,

And stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 You have not given the weary water to drink,

# And youhave withheld bread from the hungry.

8 But the mighty man possessed the land,

And the honorable man dwelt in it.

9 You have sent widows away empty,

And the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

10 Therefore snaresareall around you,

And sudden fear troubles you,

11 Or darknesssothatyou cannot see;

# And an abundance ofwater covers you.

12 “Is not God in the height of heaven?

And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!

13 And you say,‘What does God know?

Can He judge through the deep darkness?

14 Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see,

And He walks above the circle of heaven.’

15 Will you keep to the old way

Which wicked men have trod,

16 Whowere cut down before their time,

Whose foundations were swept away by a flood?

17 They said to God, ‘Depart from us!

What can the Almighty do to them?’

18 Yet He filled their houses with goodthings;

But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 “Therighteous seeitand are glad,

And the innocent laugh at them:

20 ‘Surely our adversaries are cut down,

And the fire consumes their remnant.’

21 “Now acquaint yourself with Him, andbe at peace;

Thereby good will come to you.

22 Receive, please,instruction from His mouth,

# Andlay up His words in your heart.

23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;

You will remove iniquity far from your tents.

24 Then you willlay your gold in the dust,

And thegoldof Ophir among the stones of the brooks.

25 Yes, the Almighty will be your gold

And your precious silver;

26 For then you will have yourdelight in the Almighty,

And lift up your face to God.

27 You will make your prayer to Him,

He will hear you,

And you will pay your vows.

28 You will also declare a thing,

And it will be established for you;

So light will shine on your ways.

29 When they castyoudown, and you say, ‘Exaltationwillcome!’

# ThenHe will save the humbleperson.

30 He willevendeliver one who is not innocent;

Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

Job Proclaims God’s Righteous Judgments

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “Even today mycomplaint is bitter;

My hand is listless because of my groaning.

3 Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,

ThatI might come to His seat!

4 I would presentmycase before Him,

And fill my mouth with arguments.

5 I would know the wordswhichHe would answer me,

And understand what He would say to me.

6 Would He contend with me in His great power?

No! But He would takenoteof me.

7 There the upright could reason with Him,

And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

8 “Look,I go forward, but He is notthere,

And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

9 When He works on the left hand, I cannot beholdHim;

When He turns to the right hand, I cannot seeHim.

10 ButHe knows the way that I take;

# WhenHe has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

11 My foot has held fast to His steps;

I have kept His way and not turned aside.

12 I have not departed from thecommandment of His lips;

# I have treasured the words of His mouth

More than my necessaryfood.

13 “But Heisunique, and who can make Him change?

# AndwhateverHis soul desires,thatHe does.

14 For He performswhatisappointed for me,

And many suchthingsarewith Him.

15 Therefore I am terrified at His presence;

When I considerthis,I am afraid of Him.

16 For Godmade my heart weak,

And the Almighty terrifies me;

17 Because I was notcut off from the presence of darkness,

And He didnothide deep darkness from my face.

Job Complains of Violence on the Earth

1 “Sincetimes are not hidden from the Almighty,

# Why do those who know Him see not Hisdays?

2 “Someremovelandmarks;

They seize flocks violently and feedonthem;

3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;

# Theytake the widow’s ox as a pledge.

4 They push the needy off the road;

# All thepoor of the land are forced to hide.

5 Indeed,likewild donkeys in the desert,

They go out to their work, searching for food.

The wildernessyieldsfood for themandfortheirchildren.

6 They gather their fodder in the field

And glean in the vineyard of the wicked.

7 Theyspend the night naked, without clothing,

And have no covering in the cold.

8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains,

# Andhuddle around the rock for want of shelter.

9 “Somesnatch the fatherless from the breast,

And take a pledge from the poor.

10 They causethepoorto go naked, withoutclothing;

And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

11 They press out oil within their walls,

And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst.

12 The dying groan in the city,

And the souls of the wounded cry out;

Yet God does not chargethemwith wrong.

13 “There are those who rebel against the light;

They do not know its ways

Nor abide in its paths.

14 The murderer rises with the light;

He kills the poor and needy;

And in the night he is like a thief.

15 The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,

# Saying, ‘No eye will see me’;

And he disguiseshisface.

16 In the dark they break into houses

Which they marked for themselves in the daytime;

# They do not know the light.

17 For the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death;

Ifsomeonerecognizesthem,

Theyareinthe terrors of the shadow of death.

18 “Theyshouldbeswift on the face of the waters,

Their portionshouldbecursed in the earth,

Sothatnoonewouldturn into the way of their vineyards.

19 As drought and heat consume the snow waters,

Sothe graveconsumesthosewhohave sinned.

20 The wombshouldforget him,

The wormshouldfeed sweetly on him;

# Heshouldbe remembered no more,

And wickednessshouldbe broken like a tree.

21 For he preys on the barrenwhodo not bear,

And does no good for the widow.

22 “ButGoddraws the mighty away with His power;

He rises up, but nomanis sure of life.

23 He gives them security, and they relyonit;

# YetHis eyesareon their ways.

24 They are exalted for a little while,

Then they are gone.

They are brought low;

They are taken out of the way like allothers;

They dry out like the heads of grain.

25 “Now ifitisnotso,who will prove me a liar,

And make my speech worth nothing?”

Bildad: How Can Man Be Righteous?

1 ThenBildad the Shuhite answered and said:

2 “Dominion and fearbelongto Him;

He makes peace in His high places.

3 Is there any number to His armies?

# Upon whom doesHis light not rise?

4 How then can man be righteous before God?

# Or how can he bepurewhoisborn of a woman?

5 If even the moon does not shine,

# And the stars are not pure in Hissight,

6 How much less man,whoisa maggot,

And a son of man,whoisa worm?”

Job: Man’s Frailty and God’s Majesty

1 But Job answered and said:

2 “How have you helpedhimwhoiswithout power?

Howhave you saved the armthathasno strength?

3 How have you counseledonewhohasno wisdom?

Andhowhave you declared sound advice to many?

4 To whom have you uttered words?

And whose spirit came from you?

5 “The dead tremble,

Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.

6 Sheolisnaked before Him,

And Destruction has no covering.

7 He stretches out the north over empty space;

Hehangs the earth on nothing.

8 He binds up the water in His thick clouds,

Yet the clouds are not broken under it.

9 He covers the face ofHisthrone,

Andspreads His cloud over it.

10 He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters,

At the boundary of light and darkness.

11 The pillars of heaven tremble,

And are astonished at His rebuke.

12 He stirs up the sea with His power,

And by His understanding He breaks up the storm.

13 By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;

# His hand piercedthe fleeing serpent.

14 Indeed thesearethe mere edges of His ways,

And how small a whisper we hear of Him!

But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

Job Maintains His Integrity

1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:

2 “AsGod lives,whohas taken away my justice,

And the Almighty,whohas made my soul bitter,

3 As long as my breathisin me,

And the breath of God in my nostrils,

4 My lips will not speak wickedness,

Nor my tongue utter deceit.

5 Far be it from me

That I should say you are right;

# Till I dieI will not put away my integrity from me.

6 My righteousness Ihold fast, and will not let it go;

# My heart shall not reproachmeas long as I live.

7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,

And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous.

8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite,

Though he may gainmuch,

If God takes away his life?

9 Will God hear his cry

When trouble comes upon him?

10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty?

Will he always call on God?

11 “I will teach you about the hand of God;

Whatiswith the Almighty I will not conceal.

12 Surely all of you have seenit;

Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?

13 “Thisis the portion of a wicked man with God,

And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:

14 If his children are multiplied,itisfor the sword;

And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

15 Those who survive him shall be buried in death,

# Andtheir widows shall not weep,

16 Though he heaps up silver like dust,

And piles up clothing like clay—

17 He may pileitup, butthe just will wearit,

And the innocent will divide the silver.

18 He builds his house like a moth,

# Like a boothwhicha watchman makes.

19 The rich man will lie down,

But not be gatheredup;

He opens his eyes,

# And heisno more.

20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;

A tempest steals him away in the night.

21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;

It sweeps him out of his place.

22 It hurls against him and does notspare;

He flees desperately from its power.

23 Menshall clap their hands at him,

And shall hiss him out of his place.

Job’s Discourse on Wisdom

1 “Surely there is a mine for silver,

And a placewheregold is refined.

2 Iron is taken from the earth,

And copperissmeltedfromore.

3 Manputs an end to darkness,

And searches every recess

For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.

4 He breaks open a shaft away from people;

Inplacesforgotten by feet

They hang far away from men;

They swing to and fro.

5 Asforthe earth, from it comes bread,

But underneath it is turned up as by fire;

6 Its stonesarethe source of sapphires,

And it contains gold dust.

7 Thatpath no bird knows,

Nor has the falcon’s eye seen it.

8 The proud lions have not trodden it,

Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

9 He puts his hand on the flint;

He overturns the mountains at the roots.

10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,

And his eye sees every precious thing.

11 He dams up the streams from trickling;

Whatishidden he brings forth to light.

12 “Butwhere can wisdom be found?

And whereisthe place of understanding?

13 Man does not know itsvalue,

Nor is it found in the land of the living.

14 The deep says,‘It isnot in me’;

And the sea says,‘It isnot with me.’

15 Itcannot be purchased for gold,

Nor can silver be weighedforits price.

16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,

In precious onyx or sapphire.

17 Neithergold nor crystal can equal it,

Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.

18 No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,

# For the price of wisdomisaboverubies.

19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,

# Nor can it be valued in puregold.

20 “Fromwhere then does wisdom come?

And whereisthe place of understanding?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living,

And concealed from the birds of the air.

22 Destruction and Death say,

‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’

23 God understands its way,

And He knows its place.

24 For He looks to the ends of the earth,

# Andsees under the whole heavens,

25 To establish a weight for the wind,

And apportion the waters by measure.

26 When Hemade a law for the rain,

And a path for the thunderbolt,

27 Then He sawwisdomand declared it;

He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.

28 And to man He said,

# ‘Behold,the fear of the Lord, thatiswisdom,

And to depart from evilisunderstanding.’ ”