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Job 5-7
New American Standard Bible
Job 5-7
New American Standard Bible
God Is Just
5 “Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the (A)holy ones will you turn?
2 For (B)irritation kills the fool,
And jealousy brings death to the simple.
3 I have seen the (C)fool taking root,
And I (D)cursed his home immediately.
4 His (E)sons are far from safety,
They are also [a]oppressed at the gate,
And there is no one to save them.
5 [b]The hungry devour his harvest
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the [c](F)schemer is eager for their wealth.
6 For (G)disaster does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 For (H)man is born for trouble,
As sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would (I)seek God,
And I would make my plea before God,
9 Who (J)does great and unsearchable things,
[d]Wonders without number.
10 He (K)gives rain on the earth,
And sends water on the fields,
11 So that (L)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He (M)frustrates the schemes of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.
13 He (N)captures the wise by their own cleverness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
14 By day they (O)meet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.
15 But He saves from (P)the sword of their mouth,
And (Q)the poor from the hand of the strong.
16 So the helpless has hope,
And (R)injustice has shut its mouth.
17 “Behold, (S)happy is the person whom God disciplines,
So do not reject the (T)discipline of [e]the Almighty.
18 For (U)He inflicts pain, and [f]gives relief;
He wounds, but His hands also heal.
19 In six troubles (V)He will save you;
Even in seven, (W)evil will not touch you.
20 In (X)famine He will redeem you from death,
And (Y)in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You will be (Z)hidden [g]from the scourge of the tongue,
(AA)And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.
22 You will (AB)laugh at violence and hunger,
(AC)And you will not be afraid of [h]wild animals.
23 For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And (AD)the animals of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your (AE)tent is secure,
For you will visit your home and [i]have nothing missing.
25 You will also know that your [j](AF)descendants will be many,
And (AG)your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 You will (AH)come to the grave at a ripe age,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27 Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
Job’s Friends Are No Help
6 Then Job responded,
2 “(AI)Oh if only my grief were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my disaster!
3 For then it would be (AJ)heavier than the sand of the seas;
For that reason my words have been rash.
4 For the (AK)arrows of the Almighty are within me,
[k]My spirit drinks their (AL)poison;
The (AM)terrors of God line up against me.
5 Does the (AN)wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his feed?
6 Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the [l]juice of an alkanet plant?
7 My soul (AO)refuses to touch them;
They are like loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh, that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my hope!
9 Oh, that God would (AP)decide to crush me,
That He would let loose His hand and cut me off!
10 But it is still my comfort,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I (AQ)have not [m]denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should [n](AR)endure?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is it that my (AS)help is not within me,
And that a (AT)good outcome is driven away from me?
14 “For the (AU)despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not (AV)abandon the [o]fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have acted (AW)deceitfully like a [p]wadi,
Like the torrents of [q]wadis which drain away,
16 Which are darkened because of ice,
And into which the snow [r]melts.
17 When (AX)they dry up, they vanish;
When it is hot, they disappear from their place.
18 The [s]paths of their course wind along,
They go up into wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of (AY)Tema looked,
The travelers of (AZ)Sheba hoped for them.
20 They (BA)were put to shame, for they had trusted,
They came there and were humiliated.
21 Indeed, you have now become such,
(BB)You see terrors and are afraid.
22 Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 Or, ‘Save me from the hand of the enemy,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?
24 “Teach me, and (BC)I will be silent;
And show me how I have done wrong.
25 How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke my words,
When the (BD)words of one in despair belong to the wind?
27 You would even (BE)cast lots for (BF)the orphans,
And (BG)barter over your friend.
28 Now please look at me,
And see if I am (BH)lying to your face.
29 Please turn away, let there be no injustice;
Turn away, (BI)my righteousness is still in it.
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Does (BJ)my palate not discern disasters?
Job’s Life Seems Futile
7 “[t]Is a person not (BK)forced to labor on earth,
And are his days not like the days of (BL)a hired worker?
2 As a slave pants for the shade,
And as a hired worker who eagerly waits for his wages,
3 So I am allotted worthless months,
And (BM)nights of trouble are apportioned to me.
4 When I (BN)lie down, I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until dawn.
5 My (BO)flesh is clothed with maggots and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and [u]oozes.
6 My days are (BP)swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And they come to an end (BQ)without hope.
7 “Remember that my life (BR)is a mere breath;
My eye will (BS)not see goodness again.
8 The (BT)eye of him who sees me will no longer look at me;
Your eyes will be on me, but (BU)I will not exist.
9 When a (BV)cloud vanishes, it is gone;
In the same way (BW)one who goes down to [v](BX)Sheol does not come up.
10 He will not return to his house again,
Nor will (BY)his place know about him anymore.
11 “Therefore (BZ)I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea, or (CA)the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 If I say, ‘(CB)My couch will comfort me,
My bed will [w]ease my complaint,’
14 Then You frighten me with dreams,
And terrify me by visions,
15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my [x]pains.
16 I [y](CC)waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, (CD)for my days are only a breath.
17 (CE)What is man that You exalt him,
And that You [z]are concerned about him,
18 That (CF)You examine him every morning
And put him to the test every moment?
19 [aa](CG)Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor leave me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 (CH)Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
(CI)Watcher of mankind?
Why have You made me Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why then (CJ)do You not forgive my wrongdoing
And take away my [ab]guilt?
For now I will (CK)lie down in the dust;
And You will search for me, (CL)but I will no longer exist.”
Footnotes
- Job 5:4 Lit crushed
- Job 5:5 Lit Whose harvest the hungry devour
- Job 5:5 Ancient versions thirsty
- Job 5:9 Or Miracles
- Job 5:17 Heb Shaddai, and so throughout ch 6
- Job 5:18 Lit binds
- Job 5:21 Lit at
- Job 5:22 Lit animals of the earth
- Job 5:24 Lit not miss
- Job 5:25 Lit seed
- Job 6:4 Lit Whose poison my spirit drinks
- Job 6:6 Heb hallamuth, meaning uncertain
- Job 6:10 Lit hidden
- Job 6:11 Lit prolong my soul
- Job 6:14 Or reverence for
- Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season
- Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season
- Job 6:16 Lit hides itself
- Job 6:18 Or caravans turn from their course, they go up into the waste and perish
- Job 7:1 Lit Has not man compulsory labor
- Job 7:5 Lit melts
- Job 7:9 I.e., the netherworld
- Job 7:13 Lit bear
- Job 7:15 Lit bones
- Job 7:16 Or loathe
- Job 7:17 Lit set Your heart on
- Job 7:19 Lit How long will You not
- Job 7:21 Or unjust deed
Job 5-7
New International Version
Job 5-7
New International Version
5 “Call if you will, but who will answer you?(A)
To which of the holy ones(B) will you turn?
2 Resentment(C) kills a fool,
and envy slays the simple.(D)
3 I myself have seen(E) a fool taking root,(F)
but suddenly(G) his house was cursed.(H)
4 His children(I) are far from safety,(J)
crushed in court(K) without a defender.(L)
5 The hungry consume his harvest,(M)
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.(N)
7 Yet man is born to trouble(O)
as surely as sparks fly upward.
8 “But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
I would lay my cause before him.(P)
9 He performs wonders(Q) that cannot be fathomed,(R)
miracles that cannot be counted.(S)
10 He provides rain for the earth;(T)
he sends water on the countryside.(U)
11 The lowly he sets on high,(V)
and those who mourn(W) are lifted(X) to safety.
12 He thwarts the plans(Y) of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.(Z)
13 He catches the wise(AA) in their craftiness,(AB)
and the schemes of the wily are swept away.(AC)
14 Darkness(AD) comes upon them in the daytime;
at noon they grope as in the night.(AE)
15 He saves the needy(AF) from the sword in their mouth;
he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.(AG)
16 So the poor(AH) have hope,
and injustice shuts its mouth.(AI)
17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;(AJ)
so do not despise the discipline(AK) of the Almighty.[a](AL)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;(AM)
he injures, but his hands also heal.(AN)
19 From six calamities he will rescue(AO) you;
in seven no harm will touch you.(AP)
20 In famine(AQ) he will deliver you from death,
and in battle from the stroke of the sword.(AR)
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,(AS)
and need not fear(AT) when destruction comes.(AU)
22 You will laugh(AV) at destruction and famine,(AW)
and need not fear the wild animals.(AX)
23 For you will have a covenant(AY) with the stones(AZ) of the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.(BA)
24 You will know that your tent is secure;(BB)
you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.(BC)
25 You will know that your children will be many,(BD)
and your descendants like the grass of the earth.(BE)
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor,(BF)
like sheaves gathered in season.(BG)
Job
6 Then Job replied:
2 “If only my anguish could be weighed
and all my misery be placed on the scales!(BJ)
3 It would surely outweigh the sand(BK) of the seas—
no wonder my words have been impetuous.(BL)
4 The arrows(BM) of the Almighty(BN) are in me,(BO)
my spirit drinks(BP) in their poison;(BQ)
God’s terrors(BR) are marshaled against me.(BS)
5 Does a wild donkey(BT) bray(BU) when it has grass,
or an ox bellow when it has fodder?(BV)
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow[b]?(BW)
7 I refuse to touch it;
such food makes me ill.(BX)
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant what I hope for,(BY)
9 that God would be willing to crush(BZ) me,
to let loose his hand and cut off my life!(CA)
10 Then I would still have this consolation(CB)—
my joy in unrelenting pain(CC)—
that I had not denied the words(CD) of the Holy One.(CE)
11 “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
What prospects, that I should be patient?(CF)
12 Do I have the strength of stone?
Is my flesh bronze?(CG)
13 Do I have any power to help myself,(CH)
now that success has been driven from me?
14 “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend(CI)
forsakes the fear of the Almighty.(CJ)
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,(CK)
as the streams that overflow
16 when darkened by thawing ice
and swollen with melting snow,(CL)
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
and in the heat(CM) vanish from their channels.
18 Caravans turn aside from their routes;
they go off into the wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema(CN) look for water,
the traveling merchants of Sheba(CO) look in hope.
20 They are distressed, because they had been confident;
they arrive there, only to be disappointed.(CP)
21 Now you too have proved to be of no help;
you see something dreadful and are afraid.(CQ)
22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf,
pay a ransom(CR) for me from your wealth,(CS)
23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy,
rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’?(CT)
24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet;(CU)
show me where I have been wrong.(CV)
25 How painful are honest words!(CW)
But what do your arguments prove?
26 Do you mean to correct what I say,
and treat my desperate words as wind?(CX)
27 You would even cast lots(CY) for the fatherless(CZ)
and barter away your friend.
28 “But now be so kind as to look at me.
Would I lie to your face?(DA)
29 Relent, do not be unjust;(DB)
reconsider, for my integrity(DC) is at stake.[c](DD)
30 Is there any wickedness on my lips?(DE)
Can my mouth not discern(DF) malice?
7 “Do not mortals have hard service(DG) on earth?(DH)
Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(DI)
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(DJ)
or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(DK)
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(DL)
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’(DM)
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.(DN)
5 My body is clothed with worms(DO) and scabs,
my skin is broken and festering.(DP)
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(DQ)
and they come to an end without hope.(DR)
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(DS)
my eyes will never see happiness again.(DT)
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
you will look for me, but I will be no more.(DU)
9 As a cloud vanishes(DV) and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave(DW) does not return.(DX)
10 He will never come to his house again;
his place(DY) will know him no more.(DZ)
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent;(EA)
I will speak out in the anguish(EB) of my spirit,
I will complain(EC) in the bitterness of my soul.(ED)
12 Am I the sea,(EE) or the monster of the deep,(EF)
that you put me under guard?(EG)
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
and my couch will ease my complaint,(EH)
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify(EI) me with visions,(EJ)
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,(EK)
rather than this body of mine.(EL)
16 I despise my life;(EM) I would not live forever.(EN)
Let me alone;(EO) my days have no meaning.(EP)
17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
that you give them so much attention,(EQ)
18 that you examine them every morning(ER)
and test them(ES) every moment?(ET)
19 Will you never look away from me,(EU)
or let me alone even for an instant?(EV)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,(EW)
you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?(EX)
Have I become a burden to you?[d](EY)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
and forgive my sins?(EZ)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;(FA)
you will search for me, but I will be no more.”(FB)
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.
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