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Job Talks

21 Then Job answered, “Be careful to listen to my words. Let this be the comfort you give me. Listen to me while I speak. Then after I have spoken, you may keep on making fun of me. As for me, am I complaining against man? Why should my spirit not be troubled? Look at me, and be surprised; and put your hand over your mouth. When I think, I am troubled; and fear takes hold of my body. Why do the sinful live, become old, and become very powerful? They watch their children’s children become strong in front of their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear. And the punishment of God does not come upon them. 10 Their bull mates without trouble. Their cow gives birth to live calves. 11 They send out their little ones like a flock, and their children jump around. 12 They sing to the timbrel and the harp. They show their joy at the sound of the horn. 13 They spend their days with much more than they need. And all at once they go down to the place of the dead. 14 They say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We do not want to know Your ways. 15 Who is the All-powerful, that we should serve Him? What would we have more than we have if we prayed to Him?’ 16 See, their well-being is not in their own hands. The wisdom of the sinful is far from me.

17 “How many times is the lamp of the sinful put out, that their trouble comes upon them? How often does God send trouble to them in His anger? 18 Are they like straw blown by the wind? Are they like straw that the storm carries away? 19 You say, ‘God stores up a man’s punishment for his sons.’ Let God punish him so that he may know it. 20 Let his own eyes see himself being destroyed. Let him drink the anger of the All-powerful. 21 For what does he care for his house and family after he is dead, when the number of his months is over? 22 Can anyone teach God anything, when He judges those on high? 23 One man dies while still very strong, having everything he needs and time to enjoy it. 24 His body has good food and his bones are strong. 25 Another dies with bitter feelings in his soul, never having enjoyed anything good. 26 Together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them.

27 “See, I know your thoughts and your plans to wrong me. 28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of the leader? Where are the tents where the sinful men live?’ 29 Have you not asked those who travel this way? Do you listen to what they say? 30 For the sinful are kept for the day of trouble. They will be brought out on the day of anger. 31 Who will talk to him about his way to his face? And who will punish him for what he has done? 32 When he is carried to the grave, men will keep watch over his grave. 33 The earth of the valley will be sweet to him. All men will follow after him, and those who go before him are too many to number. 34 How then can you comfort me with foolish words? Your answers are full of lies.”

Eliphaz Talks

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, “Can a man be of use to God? Can a wise man be of use to himself? Is the All-powerful pleased if you are right and good? Is it of any use to Him if your ways were perfect? Is it because of how you honor God that He speaks strong words to you and punishes you? Have you not done much wrong and your sins have no end? For you have taken things from your brothers when they did not owe you anything. You have taken all their clothing and they have had nothing to wear. To those who were tired, you have given no water to drink. And you have kept bread from the hungry. But you were a powerful and respected man owning land and living on it. You have sent women away with nothing, whose husbands have died. And you have crushed the strength of children who have no parents. 10 So traps are all around you, and much fear comes upon you all at once. 11 This is why it is dark and you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

12 “Is not God high up in heaven? See the highest stars, how high they are! 13 So you say, ‘What does God know? Can He judge through the darkness? 14 Clouds cover Him so that He cannot see. He walks on the roof of heaven.’ 15 Will you keep to the old way which sinful men have walked? 16 They were taken away before their time. The ground they stood on was washed away by a river. 17 They said to God, ‘Leave us!’ and ‘What can the All-powerful do to us?’ 18 Yet He filled their houses with good things. But the wisdom of the sinful is far from me. 19 Those who are right and good see it and are glad. Those who are without guilt make fun of them, 20 saying, ‘For sure those who hate us are destroyed, and fire has destroyed what they owned.’

21 “Agree with God, and be at peace with Him. Then good will come to you. 22 Receive the teaching from His mouth, and keep His words in your heart. 23 If you return to the All-powerful, things will be well with you again. Put sin far from your tent. 24 Put your gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the river. 25 Then the All-powerful will be your gold and silver of much worth. 26 Then you will have joy in the All-powerful, and lift up your face to God. 27 You will pray to Him, and He will hear you. And you will keep your promises to Him. 28 You will decide something, and it will be done for you. Light will shine on your path. 29 For God puts down the man who is filled with pride. But He saves the one who is not proud. 30 He will save the man who is even guilty because he will be helped by your hands that are clean.”

Job Talks

23 Then Job answered, “Even today my complaining is bitter. His hand is heavy even when I cry inside myself. If only I knew where to find Him, that I might go where He is! I would tell Him how things are with me, and my mouth would be ready to argue. I would know His answer, and could think about what He would say to me. Would He go against me using His great power? No, He would listen to me. There a man who is right could reason with Him. And I would be set free by my Judge.

“See, I go east, but He is not there. I go west, but I cannot see Him. When He works to the left, I cannot see Him. When He turns to the right, I cannot see Him. 10 But He knows the way that I take. When He has tried me, I will come out as gold. 11 My foot has kept close to His steps. I have kept His way and have not turned aside. 12 I have not turned away from the words of His lips. I have stored up the words of His mouth. They are worth more to me than the food I need. 13 But He cannot be changed. Who can go against Him? He does whatever He wants. 14 For He does what He has planned for me, and many such things are in His mind. 15 So I am afraid to be with Him. When I think about it, I am very afraid of Him. 16 God has made my heart weak. The All-powerful has filled me with fear. 17 But I am not made quiet by the darkness or the deep shadow which covers my face.

Job Keeps On Talking

24 “Why are times for judging not set up by the All-powerful? And why do those who know Him not see these days? Some take away the land-marks and take fields and animals. They drive away the donkeys that belong to those who have no parents. They take the bull that belongs to a woman whose husband has died, as a promise that she will pay what she owes. They push poor people off the road. All the poor of the land are made to hide themselves. See, they go out like wild donkeys in the desert to look for food for their children. They gather food in the fields, and gather what they can that is left from the grape-fields owned by the sinful. They lie all night without clothing, and have no covering in the cold. They are wet with the mountain rains and stay close to the rocks for cover. Others take from the breast the child who has no father. They take the child from the poor as a promise that they will pay what they owe. 10 They make the poor go about without clothing, making them carry loads of cut grain while they are hungry. 11 Among the olive trees they make oil. They crush grapes but they are thirsty. 12 Men from the city cry inside themselves. The souls of those who are hurt cry out. Yet God does not listen to their prayer.

13 “Then there are those who turn against the light. They do not want to know its ways or stay in its paths. 14 The one who kills people gets up early in the morning. He kills the poor and those in need. And during the night he is like a robber. 15 The eye of the one who is not faithful in marriage waits for the evening, saying, ‘No one will see me.’ And he covers his face. 16 In the dark they dig into houses. They shut themselves up during the day and do not know the light. 17 For midnight is morning to them. They are not afraid of the fears of darkness.

18 “They are taken away on the top of the waters. Their part of the earth is cursed. They do not go to their grape-fields. 19 Dry weather and heat take away the water from the snow, just as the place of the dead takes away those who have sinned. 20 A mother will forget him. The worm is pleased to eat him until he is remembered no more. Sin will be broken like a tree. 21 He does wrong to the woman who cannot give birth. And he does no good for the woman whose husband has died. 22 But God by His power gives long life to the strong. They rise again, even when they had no hope of life. 23 He makes them safe and gives them strength, and His eyes are on their ways. 24 They are given honor for a little while, and then they are gone. They are brought low and gathered up as all others are. They are cut off like the heads of grain. 25 If it is not so, who can prove me a liar, and show that what I say means nothing?”