Bildad Speaks: Man Cannot Be Righteous

25 Then (A)Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

“Dominion and fear are with God;[a]
    he makes peace in his high heaven.
Is there any number to his (B)armies?
    Upon whom does his (C)light not arise?
How then can man be (D)in the right before God?
    How can he who is (E)born of woman be (F)pure?
Behold, even the moon is not bright,
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes;
(G)how much less man, who is (H)a maggot,
    and (I)the son of man, who is a worm!”

Job Replies: God's Majesty Is Unsearchable

26 Then Job answered and said:

“How you have (J)helped him who has no power!
    How you have saved (K)the arm that has no strength!
How you have (L)counseled him who has no wisdom,
    and plentifully declared sound knowledge!
With whose help have you uttered words,
    and whose breath (M)has come out from you?
The (N)dead tremble
    under the waters and their inhabitants.
Sheol is (O)naked before God,[b]
    and (P)Abaddon has no covering.
He (Q)stretches out the north over (R)the void
    and hangs the earth on nothing.
He (S)binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
    and the cloud is not split open under them.
He covers the face of the full moon[c]
    and (T)spreads over it his cloud.
10 He has inscribed (U)a circle on the face of the waters
    at the boundary between light and darkness.
11 (V)The pillars of heaven tremble
    and are astounded at his (W)rebuke.
12 By his power he (X)stilled the sea;
    by his understanding he shattered (Y)Rahab.
13 (Z)By his wind the heavens were made fair;
    his hand pierced (AA)the fleeing serpent.
14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his (AB)ways,
    and how small (AC)a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Job Continues: I Will Maintain My Integrity

27 And Job again (AD)took up his discourse, and said:

“As God lives, who has (AE)taken away my right,
    and the Almighty, who has (AF)made my soul bitter,
as long as my breath is in me,
    and (AG)the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
my lips will not speak (AH)falsehood,
    and my tongue will not utter (AI)deceit.
Far be it from me to say that you are right;
    till I die I will not put away my (AJ)integrity from me.
I (AK)hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
    my heart does not (AL)reproach me for any of my days.

“Let my enemy be as the wicked,
    and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
(AM)For what is the hope of the godless (AN)when God cuts him off,
    when God takes away his life?
(AO)Will God hear his cry
    when distress comes upon him?
10 Will he (AP)take delight in the Almighty?
    Will he call upon God at all times?
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
    (AQ)what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;
    why then have you become altogether vain?

13 (AR)“This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
    and the heritage that (AS)oppressors receive from the Almighty:
14 If his (AT)children are multiplied, it is for (AU)the sword,
    and his descendants have not enough bread.
15 Those who survive him the pestilence buries,
    and his (AV)widows do not weep.
16 Though he (AW)heap up silver like dust,
    and pile up clothing like clay,
17 he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,
    and (AX)the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He builds his (AY)house like a moth's,
    like (AZ)a booth that (BA)a watchman makes.
19 He goes to bed rich, but will (BB)do so no more;
    he opens his eyes, and (BC)his wealth is gone.
20 (BD)Terrors overtake him like (BE)a flood;
    in the night a whirlwind (BF)carries him off.
21 (BG)The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;
    it (BH)sweeps him out of his place.
22 It[d] hurls at him (BI)without pity;
    he flees from its[e] power in headlong flight.
23 It (BJ)claps its hands at him
    and (BK)hisses at him from its place.

Footnotes

  1. Job 25:2 Hebrew him
  2. Job 26:6 Hebrew him
  3. Job 26:9 Or his throne
  4. Job 27:22 Or He (that is, God); also verse 23
  5. Job 27:22 Or his; also verse 23

24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, (A)“It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 (B)Knowing their thoughts, (C)he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, (D)by whom do (E)your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is (F)by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then (G)the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or (H)how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed (I)he may plunder his house. 30 (J)Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 (K)Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but (L)the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word (M)against the Son of Man (N)will be forgiven, but (O)whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in (P)this age or in the age to come.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

33 (Q)“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, (R)for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 (S)You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, (T)when you are evil? (U)For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 (V)The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, (W)on the day of judgment (X)people will give account for (Y)every careless word they speak, 37 for (Z)by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, (AA)we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, (AB)“An evil and (AC)adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For (AD)just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, (AE)so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 (AF)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and (AG)condemn it, for (AH)they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, (AI)something greater than Jonah is here. 42 (AJ)The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, (AK)something greater than Solomon is here.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

43 “When (AL)the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through (AM)waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and (AN)the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this (AO)evil generation.”

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, (AP)his mother and his (AQ)brothers[a] stood outside, asking to speak to him.[b] 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For (AR)whoever (AS)does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:46 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 48, 49
  2. Matthew 12:46 Some manuscripts insert verse 47: Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you”

Bible Gateway Recommends

ESV Economy Bible, Softcover, Case of 40
ESV Economy Bible, Softcover, Case of 40
Retail: $199.60
Our Price: $95.60
Save: $104.00 (52%)
ESV Value Compact Bible, TruTone Imitation Leather, Brown
ESV Value Compact Bible, TruTone Imitation Leather, Brown
Retail: $14.99
Our Price: $10.99
Save: $4.00 (27%)
3.5 of 5.0 stars
ESV Study Bible, Large Print , Hardcover
ESV Study Bible, Large Print , Hardcover
Retail: $74.99
Our Price: $46.49
Save: $28.50 (38%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
ESV Church Bible (Value Pew Bible) Black
ESV Church Bible (Value Pew Bible) Black
Retail: $12.99
Our Price: $6.49
Save: $6.50 (50%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars