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Job 4-14
Good News Translation
Job 4-14
Good News Translation
The First Dialogue(A)
4 1-2 Job, will you be annoyed if I speak?
I can't keep quiet any longer.
3 You have taught many people
and given strength to feeble hands.
4 When someone stumbled, weak and tired,
your words encouraged him to stand.
5 Now it's your turn to be in trouble,
and you are too stunned to face it.
6 You worshiped God, and your life was blameless;
and so you should have confidence and hope.
7 Think back now. Name a single case
where someone righteous met with disaster.
8 I have seen people plow fields of evil
and plant wickedness like seed;
now they harvest wickedness and evil.
9 Like a storm, God destroys them in his anger.
10 The wicked roar and growl like lions,
but God silences them and breaks their teeth.
11 Like lions with nothing to kill and eat,
they die, and all their children are scattered.
12 Once a message came quietly,
so quietly I could hardly hear it.
13 (B)Like a nightmare it disturbed my sleep.
14 I trembled and shuddered;
my whole body shook with fear.
15 A light breeze touched my face,
and my skin crawled with fright.
16 I could see something standing there;
I stared, but couldn't tell what it was.
Then I heard a voice out of the silence:
17 “Can anyone be righteous in the sight of[a] God
or be pure before[b] his Creator?
18 God does not trust his heavenly servants;
he finds fault even with his angels.
19 Do you think he will trust a creature of clay,
a thing of dust that can be crushed like a moth?
20 We may be alive in the morning,
but die unnoticed before evening comes.
21 All that we have is taken away;
we die, still lacking wisdom.”
5 Call out, Job. See if anyone answers.
Is there any angel to whom you can turn?
2 To worry yourself to death with resentment
would be a foolish, senseless thing to do.
3 I have seen fools who looked secure,
but I called down a sudden curse on their homes.
4 Their children can never find safety;
no one stands up to defend them in court.
5 Hungry people will eat the fool's crops—
even the grain growing among thorns[c]—
and thirsty people will envy his wealth.
6 Evil does not grow in the soil,
nor does trouble grow out of the ground.
7 No indeed! We bring trouble on ourselves,
as surely as sparks fly up from a fire.[d]
8 If I were you, I would turn to God
and present my case to him.
9 (C)We cannot understand the great things he does,
and to his miracles there is no end.
10 He sends rain on the land
and he waters the fields.
11 Yes, it is God who raises the humble
and gives joy to all who mourn.
12-13 (D)He upsets the plans of cunning people,
and traps the wise in their own schemes,
so that nothing they do succeeds;
14 even at noon they grope in darkness.
15 But God saves the poor[e] from death;
he saves the needy from oppression.
16 He gives hope to the poor and silences the wicked.
17 (E)Happy is the person whom God corrects!
Do not resent it when he rebukes you.
18 (F)God bandages the wounds he makes;
his hand hurts you, and his hand heals.
19 Time after time he will save you from harm;
20 when famine comes, he will keep you alive,
and in war protect you from death.
21 God will rescue you from slander;
he will save you when destruction comes.
22 You will laugh at violence and hunger
and not be afraid of wild animals.
23 The fields you plow will be free of rocks;
wild animals will never attack you.
24 Then you will live at peace in your tent;
when you look at your sheep, you will find them safe.
25 You will have as many children
as there are blades of grass in a pasture.
26 Like wheat that ripens till harvest time,
you will live to a ripe old age.
27 Job, we have learned this by long study.
It is true, so now accept it.
6 1-2 If my troubles and griefs were weighed on scales,
3 they would weigh more than the sands of the sea,
so my wild words should not surprise you.
4 Almighty God has shot me with arrows,
and their poison spreads through my body.
God has lined up his terrors against me.
5 A donkey is content when eating grass,
and a cow is quiet when eating hay.
6 But who can eat flat, unsalted food?
What taste is there in the white of an egg?
7 I have no appetite for food like that,
and everything I eat makes me sick.[f]
8 Why won't God give me what I ask?
Why won't he answer my prayer?
9 If only he would go ahead and kill me!
10 If I knew he would, I would leap for joy,
no matter how great my pain.
I know that God is holy;
I have never opposed what he commands.
11 What strength do I have to keep on living?
Why go on living when I have no hope?
12 Am I made of stone? Is my body bronze?
13 I have no strength left to save myself;
there is nowhere I can turn for help.
14 In trouble[g] like this I need loyal friends—
whether I've forsaken God or not.
15 But you, my friends, you deceive me like streams
that go dry when no rain comes.
16 The streams are choked with snow and ice,
17 but in the heat they disappear,
and the stream beds lie bare and dry.
18 Caravans get lost looking for water;
they wander and die in the desert.
19 Caravans from Sheba and Tema search,
20 but their hope dies beside dry streams.
21 You are like[h] those streams to me,[i]
you see my fate and draw back in fear.
22 Have I asked you to give me a gift
or to bribe someone on my behalf
23 or to save me from some enemy or tyrant?
24 All right, teach me; tell me my faults.
I will be quiet and listen to you.
25 Honest words are convincing,
but you are talking nonsense.
26 You think I am talking nothing but wind;
then why do you answer my words of despair?
27 You would even roll dice for orphan slaves
and make yourselves rich off your closest friends!
28 Look me in the face. I won't lie.
29 You have gone far enough. Stop being unjust.
Don't condemn me. I'm in the right.
30 But you think I am lying—
you think I can't tell right from wrong.
7 Human life is like forced army service,
like a life of hard manual labor,
2 like a slave longing for cool shade;
like a worker waiting to be paid.
3 Month after month I have nothing to live for;
night after night brings me grief.
4 When I lie down to sleep, the hours drag;
I toss all night and long for dawn.
5 My body is full of worms;
it is covered with scabs;
pus runs out of my sores.
6 My days pass by without hope,
pass faster than a weaver's shuttle.[j]
7 Remember, O God, my life is only a breath;
my happiness has already ended.
8 You see me now, but never again.
If you look for me, I'll be gone.
9-10 (G)Like a cloud that fades and is gone,
we humans die and never return;
we are forgotten by all who knew us.
11 No! I can't be quiet!
I am angry and bitter.
I have to speak.
12 Why do you keep me under guard?
Do you think I am a sea monster?[k]
13 I lie down and try to rest;
I look for relief from my pain.
14 But you—you terrify me with dreams;
you send me visions and nightmares
15 until I would rather be strangled
than live in this miserable body.
16 I give up; I am tired of living.
Leave me alone. My life makes no sense.
17 (H)Why are people so important to you?
Why pay attention to what they do?
18 You inspect them every morning
and test them every minute.
19 Won't you look away long enough
for me to swallow my spit?
20 Are you harmed by my sin, you jailer?
Why use me for your target practice?
Am I so great a burden to you?
21 Can't you ever forgive my sin?
Can't you pardon the wrong I do?
Soon I will be in my grave,
and I'll be gone when you look for me.
8 1-2 Are you finally through with your windy speech?
3 God never twists justice;
he never fails to do what is right.
4 Your children must have sinned against God,
and so he punished them as they deserved.
5 But turn now and plead with Almighty God;
6 if you are so honest and pure,
then God will come and help you
and restore your household as your reward.
7 All the wealth you lost will be nothing
compared with what God will give you then.
8 (I)Look for a moment at ancient wisdom;
consider the truths our ancestors learned.
9 Our life is short, we know nothing at all;
we pass like shadows across the earth.
10 But let the ancient wise people teach you;
listen to what they had to say:
11 “Reeds can't grow where there is no water;
they are never found outside a swamp.
12 If the water dries up, they are the first to wither,
while still too small to be cut and used.
13 Godless people are like those reeds;
their hope is gone, once God is forgotten.
14 They trust a thread—a spider's web.
15 If they lean on a web, will it hold them up?
If they grab for a thread, will it help them stand?”
16 Evil people sprout like weeds in the sun,
like weeds that spread all through the garden.
17 Their roots wrap around the stones
and hold fast to[l] every rock.
18 But then pull them up—
no one will ever know they were there.
19 Yes, that's all the joy evil people have;
others now come and take their places.
20 But God will never abandon the faithful
or ever give help to evil people.
21 He will let you laugh and shout again,
22 but he will bring disgrace on those who hate you,
and the homes of the wicked will vanish.
9 (J)1-2 Yes, I've heard all that before.
But how can a human being win a case against God?
3 How can anyone argue with him?
He can ask a thousand questions
that no one could ever answer.[m]
4 God is so wise and powerful;
no one can stand up against him.
5 Without warning he moves mountains
and in anger he destroys them.
6 God sends earthquakes and shakes the ground;
he rocks the pillars that support the earth.
7 (K)He can keep the sun from rising,
and the stars from shining at night.
8 No one helped God spread out the heavens
or trample the sea monster's back.[n]
9 (L)God hung the stars in the sky—the Dipper,
Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the south.
10 We cannot understand the great things he does,
and to his miracles there is no end.
11 God passes by, but I cannot see him.
12 He takes what he wants, and no one can stop him;
no one dares ask him, “What are you doing?”
13 God's anger is constant. He crushed his enemies
who helped Rahab,[o] the sea monster, oppose him.
14 So how can I find words to answer God?
15 Though I am innocent, all I can do
is beg for mercy from God my judge.
16 Yet even then, if he lets me speak,
I can't believe he would listen to me.
17 He sends storms to batter and bruise me
without any reason at all.
18 He won't let me catch my breath;
he has filled my life with bitterness.
19 Should I try force? Try force on God?
Should I take him to court? Could anyone make him go?[p]
20 I am innocent and faithful, but my words sound guilty,
and everything I say seems to condemn me.
21-22 I am innocent, but I no longer care.
I am sick of living. Nothing matters;
innocent or guilty, God will destroy us.
23 When an innocent person suddenly dies,
God laughs.
24 God gave the world to the wicked.
He made all the judges blind.
And if God didn't do it, who did?
25 My days race by, not one of them good.
26 My life passes like the swiftest boat,
as fast as an eagle swooping down on a rabbit.
27-28 If I smile and try to forget my pain,
all my suffering comes back to haunt me;
I know that God does hold me guilty.
29 Since I am held guilty, why should I bother?
30 No soap can wash away my sins.
31 God throws me into a pit with filth,
and even my clothes are ashamed of me.
32 If God were human, I could answer him;
we could go to court to decide our quarrel.
33 But there is no one to step between us—
no one to judge both God and me.
34 Stop punishing me, God!
Keep your terrors away!
35 I am not afraid. I am going to talk
because I know my own heart.
10 I am tired of living.
Listen to my bitter complaint.
2 Don't condemn me, God.
Tell me! What is the charge against me?
3 Is it right for you to be so cruel?
To despise what you yourself have made?
And then to smile on the schemes of wicked people?
4 Do you see things as we do?
5 Is your life as short as ours?
6 Then why do you track down all my sins
and hunt down every fault I have?
7 (M)You know that I am not guilty,
that no one can save me from you.
8 Your hands formed and shaped me,
and now[q] those same hands destroy me.
9 Remember that you made me from clay;[r]
are you going to crush me back to dust?
10 (N)You gave my father strength to beget me;
you made me grow in my mother's womb.
11 You formed my body with bones and sinews
and covered the bones with muscles and skin.
12 You have given me life and constant love,
and your care has kept me alive.
13 But now I know that all that time
you were secretly planning to harm me.
14 You were watching to see if I would sin,
so that you could refuse to forgive me.
15 As soon as I sin, I'm in trouble with you,
but when I do right, I get no credit.
I am miserable and covered with shame.[s]
16 If I have any success at all,
you hunt me down like a lion;
to hurt me you even work miracles.
17 You always have some witness against me;
your anger toward me grows and grows;
you always plan some new attack.
18 Why, God, did you let me be born?
I should have died before anyone saw me.
19 To go from the womb straight to the grave
would have been as good as never existing.
20 Isn't my life almost over? Leave me alone!
Let me enjoy the time I have left.
21 I am going soon and will never come back—
going to a land that is dark and gloomy,
22 a land of darkness, shadows, and confusion,
where the light itself is darkness.
11 1-2 Will no one answer all this nonsense?
Does talking so much put you in the right?
3 Job, do you think we can't answer you?
That your mocking words will leave us speechless?
4 You claim that what you say is true;
you claim you are pure in the sight of God.
5 How I wish God would answer you!
6 He would tell you there are many sides to wisdom;
there are things too deep for human knowledge.
God is punishing you less than you deserve.
7 Can you discover the limits and bounds
of the greatness and power of God?
8 The sky is no limit for God,
but it lies beyond your reach.
God knows the world of the dead,
but you do not know it.
9 God's greatness is broader than the earth,
wider than the sea.
10 If God arrests you and brings you to trial,
who is there to stop him?
11 God knows which people are worthless;
he sees all their evil deeds.
12 Stupid people will start being wise
when wild donkeys are born tame.
13 Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God.
14 Put away evil and wrong from your home.
15 Then face the world again, firm and courageous.
16 Then all your troubles will fade from your memory,
like floods that are past and remembered no more.
17 Your life will be brighter than sunshine at noon,
and life's darkest hours will shine like the dawn.
18 You will live secure and full of hope;
God will protect you and give you rest.
19 You won't be afraid of your enemies;
many people will ask you for help.
20 But the wicked will look around in despair
and find that there is no way to escape.
Their one hope is that death will come.
12 1-2 Yes, you are the voice of the people.
When you die, wisdom will die with you.
3 But I have as much sense as you have;
I am in no way inferior to you;
everyone knows all that you have said.
4 Even my friends laugh at me now;
they laugh, although I am righteous and blameless;
but there was a time when God answered my prayers.
5 You have no troubles, and yet you make fun of me;
you hit someone who is about to fall.
6 But thieves and godless people live in peace,
though their only god is their own strength.
7 Even birds and animals have much they could teach you;
8 ask the creatures of earth and sea for their wisdom.
9 All of them know that the Lord's hand made them.
10 It is God who directs the lives of his creatures;
everyone's life is in his power.
11 But just as your tongue enjoys tasting food,
your ears enjoy hearing words.
12-13 Old people have wisdom,
but God has wisdom and power.
Old people have insight;
God has insight and power to act.
14 When God tears down, who can rebuild,
and who can free those God imprisons?
15 Drought comes when God withholds rain;
floods come when he turns water loose.
16 God is strong and always victorious;
both deceived and deceiver are in his power.
17 He takes away the wisdom of rulers
and makes leaders act like fools.
18 He dethrones kings and makes them prisoners;
19 he humbles priests and men of power.
20 He silences those who are trusted,
and takes the wisdom of old people away.
21 He disgraces those in power
and puts an end to the strength of rulers.
22 He sends light to places dark as death.
23 He makes nations strong and great,
but then he defeats and destroys them.
24 He makes their leaders foolish
and lets them wander confused and lost;
25 they grope in the dark and stagger like drunkards.
13 1-2 Everything you say, I have heard before.
I understand it all; I know as much as you do.
I'm not your inferior.
3 But my dispute is with God, not you;
I want to argue my case with him.
4 You cover up your ignorance with lies;
you are like doctors who can't heal anyone.
5 Say nothing, and someone may think you are wise!
6 Listen while I state my case.
7 Why are you lying?
Do you think your lies will benefit God?
8 Are you trying to defend him?
Are you going to argue his case in court?
9 If God looks at you closely, will he find anything good?
Do you think you can fool God the way you fool others?
10 Even though your prejudice is hidden,
he will reprimand you,
11 and his power will fill you with terror.
12 Your proverbs are as useless as ashes;
your arguments are as weak as clay.
13 Be quiet and give me a chance to speak,
and let the results be what they will.
14 I am[t] ready to risk my life.
15 I've lost all hope, so what if God kills me?
I am going to state my case to him.
16 It may even be that my boldness will save me,
since no wicked person would dare to face God.
17 Now listen to my words of explanation.
18 I am ready to state my case,
because I know I am in the right.
19 Are you coming to accuse me, God?
If you do, I am ready to be silent and die.
20 Let me ask for two things; agree to them,
and I will not try to hide from you:
21 stop punishing me, and don't crush me with terror.
22 Speak first, O God, and I will answer.
Or let me speak, and you answer me.
23 What are my sins? What wrongs have I done?
What crimes am I charged with?
24 Why do you avoid me?
Why do you treat me like an enemy?
25 Are you trying to frighten me? I'm nothing but a leaf;
you are attacking a piece of dry straw.
26 You bring bitter charges against me,
even for what I did when I was young.
27 (O)You bind chains on my feet;
you watch every step I take,
and even examine my footprints.
28 As a result, I crumble like rotten wood,
like a moth-eaten coat.
14 (P)We are all born weak and helpless.
All lead the same short, troubled life.
2 We grow and wither as quickly as flowers;
we disappear like shadows.
3 Will you even look at me, God,
or put me on trial and judge me?
4 Nothing clean can ever come
from anything as unclean as human beings.
5 The length of our lives is decided beforehand—
the number of months we will live.
You have settled it, and it can't be changed.
6 Look away from us and leave us alone;[u]
let us enjoy our hard life—if we can.[v]
7 There is hope for a tree that has been cut down;
it can come back to life and sprout.
8 Even though its roots grow old,
and its stump dies in the ground,
9 with water it will sprout like a young plant.
10 But we die, and that is the end of us;
we die, and where are we then?
11 Like rivers that stop running,
and lakes that go dry,
12 people die, never to rise.
They will never wake up while the sky endures;
they will never stir from their sleep.
13 I wish you would hide me in the world of the dead;
let me be hidden until your anger is over,
and then set a time to remember me.
14 If a man dies, can he come back to life?
But I will wait for better times,
wait till this time of trouble is ended.
15 Then you will call, and I will answer,
and you will be pleased with me, your creature.
16 Then you will watch every step I take,
but you will not keep track of my sins.
17 You will forgive them and put them away;
you will wipe out all the wrongs I have done.
18 There comes a time when mountains fall
and solid cliffs are moved away.
19 Water will wear down rocks,
and heavy rain will wash away the soil;
so you destroy our hope for life.
20 You overpower us and send us away forever;
our faces are twisted in death.
21 Our children win honor, but we never know it,
nor are we told when they are disgraced.
22 We feel only the pain of our own bodies
and the grief of our own minds.
Footnotes
- Job 4:17 righteous in the sight of; or more righteous than.
- Job 4:17 be pure before; or be more pure than.
- Job 5:5 Probable text even … thorns; Hebrew unclear.
- Job 5:7 sparks fly up from a fire; or birds fly up to the sky.
- Job 5:15 Probable text poor; Hebrew unclear.
- Job 6:7 Probable text sick; Hebrew unclear.
- Job 6:14 Probable text trouble; Hebrew unclear.
- Job 6:21 Probable text like; Hebrew because.
- Job 6:21 Some ancient translations and one; Hebrew manuscript to me; most Hebrew manuscripts have two different expressions: nothing in the text and to him in the margin.
- Job 7:6 A small device in the loom which carries threads back and forth rapidly in weaving cloth.
- Job 7:12 A reference to ancient stories in which sea monsters had to be guarded so that they would not escape and do damage.
- Job 8:17 Probable text hold fast to; Hebrew see.
- Job 9:3 He can ask … answer; or Someone could ask him a thousand questions, and he would not answer.
- Job 9:8 A reference to ancient stories in which a sea monster was killed and then trampled (see also 26.13).
- Job 9:13 A legendary sea monster which represented the forces of chaos and evil.
- Job 9:19 Probable text make him go; Hebrew make me go.
- Job 10:8 Some ancient translations and now; Hebrew together.
- Job 10:9 One ancient translation from clay; Hebrew like clay.
- Job 10:15 Probable text covered with shame; Hebrew see my shame.
- Job 13:14 One ancient translation I am; Hebrew Why am I.
- Job 14:6 One Hebrew manuscript and leave us alone; most Hebrew manuscripts so that we may rest.
- Job 14:6 let us … can; or until we finish our day of hard work.
Job 4-13
New International Version
Job 4-13
New International Version
Eliphaz
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:
2 “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
But who can keep from speaking?(B)
3 Think how you have instructed many,(C)
how you have strengthened feeble hands.(D)
4 Your words have supported those who stumbled;(E)
you have strengthened faltering knees.(F)
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;(G)
it strikes(H) you, and you are dismayed.(I)
6 Should not your piety be your confidence(J)
and your blameless(K) ways your hope?
7 “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?(L)
Where were the upright ever destroyed?(M)
8 As I have observed,(N) those who plow evil(O)
and those who sow trouble reap it.(P)
9 At the breath of God(Q) they perish;
at the blast of his anger they are no more.(R)
10 The lions may roar(S) and growl,
yet the teeth of the great lions(T) are broken.(U)
11 The lion perishes for lack of prey,(V)
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.(W)
12 “A word(X) was secretly brought to me,
my ears caught a whisper(Y) of it.(Z)
13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people,(AA)
14 fear and trembling(AB) seized me
and made all my bones shake.(AC)
15 A spirit glided past my face,
and the hair on my body stood on end.(AD)
16 It stopped,
but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes,
and I heard a hushed voice:(AE)
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?(AF)
Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?(AG)
18 If God places no trust in his servants,(AH)
if he charges his angels with error,(AI)
19 how much more those who live in houses of clay,(AJ)
whose foundations(AK) are in the dust,(AL)
who are crushed(AM) more readily than a moth!(AN)
20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;
unnoticed, they perish forever.(AO)
21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,(AP)
so that they die(AQ) without wisdom?’(AR)
5 “Call if you will, but who will answer you?(AS)
To which of the holy ones(AT) will you turn?
2 Resentment(AU) kills a fool,
and envy slays the simple.(AV)
3 I myself have seen(AW) a fool taking root,(AX)
but suddenly(AY) his house was cursed.(AZ)
4 His children(BA) are far from safety,(BB)
crushed in court(BC) without a defender.(BD)
5 The hungry consume his harvest,(BE)
taking it even from among thorns,
and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
6 For hardship does not spring from the soil,
nor does trouble sprout from the ground.(BF)
7 Yet man is born to trouble(BG)
as surely as sparks fly upward.
8 “But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
I would lay my cause before him.(BH)
9 He performs wonders(BI) that cannot be fathomed,(BJ)
miracles that cannot be counted.(BK)
10 He provides rain for the earth;(BL)
he sends water on the countryside.(BM)
11 The lowly he sets on high,(BN)
and those who mourn(BO) are lifted(BP) to safety.
12 He thwarts the plans(BQ) of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.(BR)
13 He catches the wise(BS) in their craftiness,(BT)
and the schemes of the wily are swept away.(BU)
14 Darkness(BV) comes upon them in the daytime;
at noon they grope as in the night.(BW)
15 He saves the needy(BX) from the sword in their mouth;
he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.(BY)
16 So the poor(BZ) have hope,
and injustice shuts its mouth.(CA)
17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;(CB)
so do not despise the discipline(CC) of the Almighty.[a](CD)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;(CE)
he injures, but his hands also heal.(CF)
19 From six calamities he will rescue(CG) you;
in seven no harm will touch you.(CH)
20 In famine(CI) he will deliver you from death,
and in battle from the stroke of the sword.(CJ)
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,(CK)
and need not fear(CL) when destruction comes.(CM)
22 You will laugh(CN) at destruction and famine,(CO)
and need not fear the wild animals.(CP)
23 For you will have a covenant(CQ) with the stones(CR) of the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.(CS)
24 You will know that your tent is secure;(CT)
you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.(CU)
25 You will know that your children will be many,(CV)
and your descendants like the grass of the earth.(CW)
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor,(CX)
like sheaves gathered in season.(CY)
Job
6 Then Job replied:
2 “If only my anguish could be weighed
and all my misery be placed on the scales!(DB)
3 It would surely outweigh the sand(DC) of the seas—
no wonder my words have been impetuous.(DD)
4 The arrows(DE) of the Almighty(DF) are in me,(DG)
my spirit drinks(DH) in their poison;(DI)
God’s terrors(DJ) are marshaled against me.(DK)
5 Does a wild donkey(DL) bray(DM) when it has grass,
or an ox bellow when it has fodder?(DN)
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow[b]?(DO)
7 I refuse to touch it;
such food makes me ill.(DP)
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant what I hope for,(DQ)
9 that God would be willing to crush(DR) me,
to let loose his hand and cut off my life!(DS)
10 Then I would still have this consolation(DT)—
my joy in unrelenting pain(DU)—
that I had not denied the words(DV) of the Holy One.(DW)
11 “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
What prospects, that I should be patient?(DX)
12 Do I have the strength of stone?
Is my flesh bronze?(DY)
13 Do I have any power to help myself,(DZ)
now that success has been driven from me?
14 “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend(EA)
forsakes the fear of the Almighty.(EB)
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,(EC)
as the streams that overflow
16 when darkened by thawing ice
and swollen with melting snow,(ED)
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
and in the heat(EE) vanish from their channels.
18 Caravans turn aside from their routes;
they go off into the wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema(EF) look for water,
the traveling merchants of Sheba(EG) look in hope.
20 They are distressed, because they had been confident;
they arrive there, only to be disappointed.(EH)
21 Now you too have proved to be of no help;
you see something dreadful and are afraid.(EI)
22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf,
pay a ransom(EJ) for me from your wealth,(EK)
23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy,
rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’?(EL)
24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet;(EM)
show me where I have been wrong.(EN)
25 How painful are honest words!(EO)
But what do your arguments prove?
26 Do you mean to correct what I say,
and treat my desperate words as wind?(EP)
27 You would even cast lots(EQ) for the fatherless(ER)
and barter away your friend.
28 “But now be so kind as to look at me.
Would I lie to your face?(ES)
29 Relent, do not be unjust;(ET)
reconsider, for my integrity(EU) is at stake.[c](EV)
30 Is there any wickedness on my lips?(EW)
Can my mouth not discern(EX) malice?
7 “Do not mortals have hard service(EY) on earth?(EZ)
Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(FA)
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(FB)
or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(FC)
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(FD)
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’(FE)
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.(FF)
5 My body is clothed with worms(FG) and scabs,
my skin is broken and festering.(FH)
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(FI)
and they come to an end without hope.(FJ)
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(FK)
my eyes will never see happiness again.(FL)
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
you will look for me, but I will be no more.(FM)
9 As a cloud vanishes(FN) and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave(FO) does not return.(FP)
10 He will never come to his house again;
his place(FQ) will know him no more.(FR)
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent;(FS)
I will speak out in the anguish(FT) of my spirit,
I will complain(FU) in the bitterness of my soul.(FV)
12 Am I the sea,(FW) or the monster of the deep,(FX)
that you put me under guard?(FY)
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
and my couch will ease my complaint,(FZ)
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify(GA) me with visions,(GB)
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,(GC)
rather than this body of mine.(GD)
16 I despise my life;(GE) I would not live forever.(GF)
Let me alone;(GG) my days have no meaning.(GH)
17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
that you give them so much attention,(GI)
18 that you examine them every morning(GJ)
and test them(GK) every moment?(GL)
19 Will you never look away from me,(GM)
or let me alone even for an instant?(GN)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,(GO)
you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?(GP)
Have I become a burden to you?[d](GQ)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
and forgive my sins?(GR)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;(GS)
you will search for me, but I will be no more.”(GT)
Bildad
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite(GU) replied:
2 “How long will you say such things?(GV)
Your words are a blustering wind.(GW)
3 Does God pervert justice?(GX)
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(GY)
4 When your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.(GZ)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
and plead(HA) with the Almighty,(HB)
6 if you are pure and upright,
even now he will rouse himself on your behalf(HC)
and restore you to your prosperous state.(HD)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
so prosperous(HE) will your future be.(HF)
8 “Ask the former generation(HG)
and find out what their ancestors learned,
9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,(HH)
and our days on earth are but a shadow.(HI)
10 Will they not instruct(HJ) you and tell you?
Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?(HK)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?(HL)
Can reeds(HM) thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
they wither more quickly than grass.(HN)
13 Such is the destiny(HO) of all who forget God;(HP)
so perishes the hope of the godless.(HQ)
14 What they trust in is fragile[e];
what they rely on is a spider’s web.(HR)
15 They lean on the web,(HS) but it gives way;
they cling to it, but it does not hold.(HT)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
spreading its shoots(HU) over the garden;(HV)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
and looks for a place among the stones.
18 But when it is torn from its spot,
that place disowns(HW) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’(HX)
19 Surely its life withers(HY) away,
and[f] from the soil other plants grow.(HZ)
20 “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless(IA)
or strengthen the hands of evildoers.(IB)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter(IC)
and your lips with shouts of joy.(ID)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,(IE)
and the tents(IF) of the wicked will be no more.”(IG)
Job
9 Then Job replied:
2 “Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(IH)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,(II)
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(IJ)
4 His wisdom(IK) is profound, his power is vast.(IL)
Who has resisted(IM) him and come out unscathed?(IN)
5 He moves mountains(IO) without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.(IP)
6 He shakes the earth(IQ) from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.(IR)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(IS)
he seals off the light of the stars.(IT)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(IU)
and treads on the waves of the sea.(IV)
9 He is the Maker(IW) of the Bear[g] and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(IX)
10 He performs wonders(IY) that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.(IZ)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(JA)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(JB)
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’(JC)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(JD)
even the cohorts of Rahab(JE) cowered at his feet.
14 “How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?(JF)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(JG)
I could only plead(JH) with my Judge(JI) for mercy.(JJ)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(JK)
17 He would crush me(JL) with a storm(JM)
and multiply(JN) my wounds for no reason.(JO)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.(JP)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(JQ)
And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[h]?(JR)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(JS)
21 “Although I am blameless,(JT)
I have no concern for myself;(JU)
I despise my own life.(JV)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(JW)
23 When a scourge(JX) brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.(JY)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(JZ)
he blindfolds its judges.(KA)
If it is not he, then who is it?(KB)
25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(KC)
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(KD)
26 They skim past(KE) like boats of papyrus,(KF)
like eagles swooping down on their prey.(KG)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(KH)
I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(KI) all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.(KJ)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?(KK)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(KL)
and my hands(KM) with cleansing powder,(KN)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(KO)
so that even my clothes would detest me.(KP)
32 “He is not a mere mortal(KQ) like me that I might answer him,(KR)
that we might confront each other in court.(KS)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(KT)
someone to bring us together,(KU)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(KV)
so that his terror would frighten me no more.(KW)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(KX)
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(KY)
10 “I loathe my very life;(KZ)
therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(LA)
2 I say to God:(LB) Do not declare me guilty,
but tell me what charges(LC) you have against me.(LD)
3 Does it please you to oppress me,(LE)
to spurn the work of your hands,(LF)
while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(LG)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
Do you see as a mortal sees?(LH)
5 Are your days like those of a mortal
or your years like those of a strong man,(LI)
6 that you must search out my faults
and probe after my sin(LJ)—
7 though you know that I am not guilty(LK)
and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(LL)
8 “Your hands shaped(LM) me and made me.
Will you now turn and destroy me?(LN)
9 Remember that you molded me like clay.(LO)
Will you now turn me to dust again?(LP)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
and knit me together(LQ) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(LR) and showed me kindness,(LS)
and in your providence(LT) watched over(LU) my spirit.
13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
and I know that this was in your mind:(LV)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(LW)
and would not let my offense go unpunished.(LX)
15 If I am guilty(LY)—woe to me!(LZ)
Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(MA)
for I am full of shame
and drowned in[i] my affliction.(MB)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(MC)
and again display your awesome power against me.(MD)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(ME)
and increase your anger toward me;(MF)
your forces come against me wave upon wave.(MG)
18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(MH)
I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(MI)
19 If only I had never come into being,
or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(MJ)
20 Are not my few days(MK) almost over?(ML)
Turn away from me(MM) so I can have a moment’s joy(MN)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(MO)
to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(MP)
22 to the land of deepest night,
of utter darkness(MQ) and disorder,
where even the light is like darkness.”(MR)
Zophar
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite(MS) replied:
2 “Are all these words to go unanswered?(MT)
Is this talker to be vindicated?(MU)
3 Will your idle talk(MV) reduce others to silence?
Will no one rebuke you when you mock?(MW)
4 You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawless(MX)
and I am pure(MY) in your sight.’
5 Oh, how I wish that God would speak,(MZ)
that he would open his lips against you
6 and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom,(NA)
for true wisdom has two sides.
Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.(NB)
7 “Can you fathom(NC) the mysteries of God?
Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are higher(ND) than the heavens(NE) above—what can you do?
They are deeper than the depths below(NF)—what can you know?(NG)
9 Their measure(NH) is longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.(NI)
10 “If he comes along and confines you in prison
and convenes a court, who can oppose him?(NJ)
11 Surely he recognizes deceivers;
and when he sees evil, does he not take note?(NK)
12 But the witless can no more become wise
than a wild donkey’s colt(NL) can be born human.[j](NM)
13 “Yet if you devote your heart(NN) to him
and stretch out your hands(NO) to him,(NP)
14 if you put away(NQ) the sin that is in your hand
and allow no evil(NR) to dwell in your tent,(NS)
15 then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;(NT)
you will stand firm(NU) and without fear.(NV)
16 You will surely forget your trouble,(NW)
recalling it only as waters gone by.(NX)
17 Life will be brighter than noonday,(NY)
and darkness will become like morning.(NZ)
18 You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest(OA) in safety.(OB)
19 You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,(OC)
and many will court your favor.(OD)
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,(OE)
and escape will elude them;(OF)
their hope will become a dying gasp.”(OG)
Job
12 Then Job replied:
2 “Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you!(OH)
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?(OI)
4 “I have become a laughingstock(OJ) to my friends,(OK)
though I called on God and he answered(OL)—
a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!(OM)
5 Those who are at ease have contempt(ON) for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.(OO)
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed,(OP)
and those who provoke God are secure(OQ)—
those God has in his hand.[k]
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,(OR)
or the birds in the sky,(OS) and they will tell you;(OT)
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know(OU)
that the hand of the Lord has done this?(OV)
10 In his hand is the life(OW) of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.(OX)
11 Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?(OY)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?(OZ)
Does not long life bring understanding?(PA)
13 “To God belong wisdom(PB) and power;(PC)
counsel and understanding are his.(PD)
14 What he tears down(PE) cannot be rebuilt;(PF)
those he imprisons cannot be released.(PG)
15 If he holds back the waters,(PH) there is drought;(PI)
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.(PJ)
16 To him belong strength and insight;(PK)
both deceived and deceiver are his.(PL)
17 He leads rulers away stripped(PM)
and makes fools of judges.(PN)
18 He takes off the shackles(PO) put on by kings
and ties a loincloth[l] around their waist.(PP)
19 He leads priests away stripped(PQ)
and overthrows officials long established.(PR)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
and takes away the discernment of elders.(PS)
21 He pours contempt on nobles(PT)
and disarms the mighty.(PU)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness(PV)
and brings utter darkness(PW) into the light.(PX)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;(PY)
he enlarges nations,(PZ) and disperses them.(QA)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;(QB)
he makes them wander in a trackless waste.(QC)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;(QD)
he makes them stagger like drunkards.(QE)
13 “My eyes have seen all this,(QF)
my ears have heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.(QG)
3 But I desire to speak to the Almighty(QH)
and to argue my case with God.(QI)
4 You, however, smear me with lies;(QJ)
you are worthless physicians,(QK) all of you!(QL)
5 If only you would be altogether silent!(QM)
For you, that would be wisdom.(QN)
6 Hear now my argument;
listen to the pleas of my lips.(QO)
7 Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?
Will you speak deceitfully for him?(QP)
8 Will you show him partiality?(QQ)
Will you argue the case for God?
9 Would it turn out well if he examined you?(QR)
Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?(QS)
10 He would surely call you to account
if you secretly showed partiality.(QT)
11 Would not his splendor(QU) terrify you?
Would not the dread of him fall on you?(QV)
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
your defenses are defenses of clay.(QW)
13 “Keep silent(QX) and let me speak;(QY)
then let come to me what may.(QZ)
14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy
and take my life in my hands?(RA)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope(RB) in him;(RC)
I will surely[m] defend my ways to his face.(RD)
16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,(RE)
for no godless(RF) person would dare come before him!(RG)
17 Listen carefully to what I say;(RH)
let my words ring in your ears.
18 Now that I have prepared my case,(RI)
I know I will be vindicated.(RJ)
19 Can anyone bring charges against me?(RK)
If so, I will be silent(RL) and die.(RM)
20 “Only grant me these two things, God,
and then I will not hide from you:
21 Withdraw your hand(RN) far from me,
and stop frightening me with your terrors.(RO)
22 Then summon me and I will answer,(RP)
or let me speak, and you reply to me.(RQ)
23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?(RR)
Show me my offense and my sin.(RS)
24 Why do you hide your face(RT)
and consider me your enemy?(RU)
25 Will you torment(RV) a windblown leaf?(RW)
Will you chase(RX) after dry chaff?(RY)
26 For you write down bitter things against me
and make me reap the sins of my youth.(RZ)
27 You fasten my feet in shackles;(SA)
you keep close watch on all my paths(SB)
by putting marks on the soles of my feet.
Footnotes
- Job 5:17 Hebrew Shaddai; here and throughout Job
- Job 6:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Job 6:29 Or my righteousness still stands
- Job 7:20 A few manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition and Septuagint; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text I have become a burden to myself.
- Job 8:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Job 8:19 Or Surely all the joy it has / is that
- Job 9:9 Or of Leo
- Job 9:19 See Septuagint; Hebrew me.
- Job 10:15 Or and aware of
- Job 11:12 Or wild donkey can be born tame
- Job 12:6 Or those whose god is in their own hand
- Job 12:18 Or shackles of kings / and ties a belt
- Job 13:15 Or He will surely slay me; I have no hope — / yet I will
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.