30 “But now they (A)laugh at me,
    men who are (B)younger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained
    to set with the dogs of my flock.
What could I gain from the strength of their hands,
    (C)men whose (D)vigor is gone?
Through want and hard hunger
    they (E)gnaw (F)the dry ground by night in (G)waste and desolation;
they pick saltwort and the leaves of bushes,
    and the roots of the broom tree for their food.[a]
(H)They are driven out from human company;
    they shout after them as after a thief.
In the gullies of the torrents they must dwell,
    in holes of the earth and of (I)the rocks.
Among the bushes they (J)bray;
    under (K)the nettles they huddle together.
A senseless, a nameless brood,
    they have been whipped out of the land.

“And now I have become their (L)song;
    I am (M)a byword to them.
10 They (N)abhor me; they keep aloof from me;
    they do not hesitate to (O)spit at the sight of me.
11 Because God has loosed my cord and humbled me,
    they have cast off restraint[b] in my presence.
12 On my (P)right hand the rabble rise;
    they push away my feet;
    they (Q)cast up against me their ways of destruction.
13 They break up my path;
    they promote my (R)calamity;
    they need no one to help them.
14 As through a wide (S)breach they come;
    amid the crash they roll on.
15 (T)Terrors are turned upon me;
    my honor is pursued as by the wind,
    and my prosperity has passed away like (U)a cloud.

16 “And now my soul is (V)poured out within me;
    days of affliction have taken hold of me.
17 (W)The night (X)racks my bones,
    and the pain that (Y)gnaws me takes no rest.
18 With great force my garment is (Z)disfigured;
    it binds me about like the collar of my tunic.
19 God[c] has cast me into the mire,
    and I have become like (AA)dust and ashes.
20 I cry to you for help and you do not answer me;
    I stand, and you only look at me.
21 You have (AB)turned cruel to me;
    with the might of your hand you (AC)persecute me.
22 (AD)You lift me up on the wind; you make me ride on it,
    and you toss me about in the roar of the storm.
23 (AE)For I know that you will bring me to death
    and to the house appointed for (AF)all living.

24 “Yet does not one in a (AG)heap of ruins stretch out his hand,
    and in his disaster cry for help?[d]
25 Did not I (AH)weep for him whose day was hard?
    Was not my soul grieved for the needy?
26 But (AI)when I hoped for good, evil came,
    and when I waited for light, (AJ)darkness came.
27 My inward parts are in turmoil and never still;
    days of affliction (AK)come to meet me.
28 I (AL)go about darkened, but not by the sun;
    I stand up in (AM)the assembly and cry for help.
29 I am a brother of (AN)jackals
    and a companion of (AO)ostriches.
30 My (AP)skin turns black and falls from me,
    and my (AQ)bones burn with heat.
31 My (AR)lyre is (AS)turned to mourning,
    and my (AT)pipe to the voice of those who weep.

Job's Final Appeal

31 “I have made a covenant with my (AU)eyes;
    how then could I gaze at a virgin?
What would be (AV)my portion from God above
    and (AW)my heritage from the Almighty on high?
Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
    and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
(AX)Does not he see my ways
    and (AY)number all my steps?

“If I have walked with falsehood
    and my foot has hastened to deceit;
(Let me be (AZ)weighed in a just balance,
    and let God know my integrity!)
if my step has turned aside from the way
    and (BA)my heart has gone after my eyes,
    and if any (BB)spot has stuck to my hands,
then let me (BC)sow, and another eat,
    and let what grows for me[e] be rooted out.

“If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
    and I have (BD)lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
10 then let my wife (BE)grind for another,
    and let others (BF)bow down on her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
    that would be an iniquity (BG)to be punished by the judges;
12 for that would be a fire (BH)that consumes as far as Abaddon,
    and it would burn to the root all my increase.

13 “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,
    when they brought a complaint against me,
14 what then shall I do when God rises up?
    When he (BI)makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?
15 Did (BJ)not he who made me in the womb make him?
    And did not one fashion us in the womb?

16 “If I have (BK)withheld anything that the poor desired,
    or have (BL)caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone,
    and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 (for from my youth the fatherless[f] grew up with me as with a father,
    and from my mother's womb I guided the widow[g]),
19 if I have seen anyone (BM)perish for (BN)lack of clothing,
    or the needy without (BO)covering,
20 if his body has not (BP)blessed me,[h]
    and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against (BQ)the fatherless,
    because I saw my help in (BR)the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
    and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I was (BS)in terror of calamity from God,
    and I could not have faced his (BT)majesty.

24 (BU)“If I have made gold my (BV)trust
    or called (BW)fine gold my confidence,
25 if I have (BX)rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
    or because (BY)my hand had found much,
26 (BZ)if I have looked at the sun[i] when it shone,
    or (CA)the moon moving in splendor,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
    and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28 this also would be (CB)an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
    for I would have been false to God above.

29 “If I have (CC)rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
    or exulted when evil overtook him
30 ((CD)I have not let my mouth sin
    by asking for his life with a curse),
31 if the men of my tent have not said,
    ‘Who is there that has not been filled with his (CE)meat?’
32 ((CF)the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
    I have opened my doors to the traveler),
33 if I (CG)have concealed my transgressions (CH)as others do[j]
    by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34 because I stood in great fear of (CI)the multitude,
    and the contempt of families terrified me,
    so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
    (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty (CJ)answer me!)
    Oh, that I had (CK)the indictment written by my adversary!
36 Surely I would carry it on my (CL)shoulder;
    I would (CM)bind it on me as (CN)a crown;
37 I would give him an account of all my steps;
    like a prince I would approach him.

38 “If my land has cried out against me
    and its furrows have wept together,
39 (CO)if I have eaten its yield without payment
    and made its owners (CP)breathe their last,
40 let (CQ)thorns grow instead of wheat,
    and foul weeds instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.

Footnotes

  1. Job 30:4 Or warmth
  2. Job 30:11 Hebrew the bridle
  3. Job 30:19 Hebrew He
  4. Job 30:24 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  5. Job 31:8 Or let my descendants
  6. Job 31:18 Hebrew he
  7. Job 31:18 Hebrew her
  8. Job 31:20 Hebrew if his loins have not blessed me
  9. Job 31:26 Hebrew the light
  10. Job 31:33 Or as Adam did

30 “But now they mock me,(A)
    men younger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained
    to put with my sheep dogs.(B)
Of what use was the strength of their hands to me,
    since their vigor had gone from them?
Haggard from want and hunger,
    they roamed[a] the parched land(C)
    in desolate wastelands(D) at night.(E)
In the brush they gathered salt herbs,(F)
    and their food[b] was the root of the broom bush.(G)
They were banished from human society,
    shouted at as if they were thieves.
They were forced to live in the dry stream beds,
    among the rocks and in holes in the ground.(H)
They brayed(I) among the bushes(J)
    and huddled in the undergrowth.
A base and nameless brood,(K)
    they were driven out of the land.(L)

“And now those young men mock me(M) in song;(N)
    I have become a byword(O) among them.
10 They detest me(P) and keep their distance;
    they do not hesitate to spit in my face.(Q)
11 Now that God has unstrung my bow(R) and afflicted me,(S)
    they throw off restraint(T) in my presence.
12 On my right(U) the tribe[c] attacks;
    they lay snares(V) for my feet,(W)
    they build their siege ramps against me.(X)
13 They break up my road;(Y)
    they succeed in destroying me.(Z)
    ‘No one can help him,’ they say.
14 They advance as through a gaping breach;(AA)
    amid the ruins they come rolling in.
15 Terrors(AB) overwhelm me;(AC)
    my dignity is driven away as by the wind,
    my safety vanishes like a cloud.(AD)

16 “And now my life ebbs away;(AE)
    days of suffering grip me.(AF)
17 Night pierces my bones;
    my gnawing pains never rest.(AG)
18 In his great power(AH) God becomes like clothing to me[d];
    he binds me like the neck of my garment.
19 He throws me into the mud,(AI)
    and I am reduced to dust and ashes.(AJ)

20 “I cry out to you,(AK) God, but you do not answer;(AL)
    I stand up, but you merely look at me.
21 You turn on me ruthlessly;(AM)
    with the might of your hand(AN) you attack me.(AO)
22 You snatch me up and drive me before the wind;(AP)
    you toss me about in the storm.(AQ)
23 I know you will bring me down to death,(AR)
    to the place appointed for all the living.(AS)

24 “Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man(AT)
    when he cries for help in his distress.(AU)
25 Have I not wept for those in trouble?(AV)
    Has not my soul grieved for the poor?(AW)
26 Yet when I hoped for good, evil came;
    when I looked for light, then came darkness.(AX)
27 The churning inside me never stops;(AY)
    days of suffering confront me.(AZ)
28 I go about blackened,(BA) but not by the sun;
    I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.(BB)
29 I have become a brother of jackals,(BC)
    a companion of owls.(BD)
30 My skin grows black(BE) and peels;(BF)
    my body burns with fever.(BG)
31 My lyre is tuned to mourning,(BH)
    and my pipe(BI) to the sound of wailing.

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes(BJ)
    not to look lustfully at a young woman.(BK)
For what is our lot(BL) from God above,
    our heritage from the Almighty on high?(BM)
Is it not ruin(BN) for the wicked,
    disaster(BO) for those who do wrong?(BP)
Does he not see my ways(BQ)
    and count my every step?(BR)

“If I have walked with falsehood
    or my foot has hurried after deceit(BS)
let God weigh me(BT) in honest scales(BU)
    and he will know that I am blameless(BV)
if my steps have turned from the path,(BW)
    if my heart has been led by my eyes,
    or if my hands(BX) have been defiled,(BY)
then may others eat what I have sown,(BZ)
    and may my crops be uprooted.(CA)

“If my heart has been enticed(CB) by a woman,(CC)
    or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind(CD) another man’s grain,
    and may other men sleep with her.(CE)
11 For that would have been wicked,(CF)
    a sin to be judged.(CG)
12 It is a fire(CH) that burns to Destruction[e];(CI)
    it would have uprooted my harvest.(CJ)

13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,(CK)
    whether male or female,
    when they had a grievance against me,(CL)
14 what will I do when God confronts me?(CM)
    What will I answer when called to account?(CN)
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?(CO)
    Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?(CP)

16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor(CQ)
    or let the eyes of the widow(CR) grow weary,(CS)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless(CT)
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow(CU)
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,(CV)
    or the needy(CW) without garments,
20 and their hearts did not bless me(CX)
    for warming them with the fleece(CY) from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,(CZ)
    knowing that I had influence in court,(DA)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.(DB)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,(DC)
    and for fear of his splendor(DD) I could not do such things.(DE)

24 “If I have put my trust in gold(DF)
    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’(DG)
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,(DH)
    the fortune my hands had gained,(DI)
26 if I have regarded the sun(DJ) in its radiance
    or the moon(DK) moving in splendor,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed(DL)
    and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,(DM)
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,(DN)
    for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.(DO)

29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune(DP)
    or gloated over the trouble that came to him(DQ)
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin
    by invoking a curse against their life(DR)
31 if those of my household have never said,
    ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’(DS)
32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
    for my door was always open to the traveler(DT)
33 if I have concealed(DU) my sin as people do,[f]
    by hiding(DV) my guilt in my heart
34 because I so feared the crowd(DW)
    and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
    that I kept silent(DX) and would not go outside—

35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!(DY)
    I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
    let my accuser(DZ) put his indictment in writing.
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,(EA)
    I would put it on like a crown.(EB)
37 I would give him an account of my every step;(EC)
    I would present it to him as to a ruler.(ED))—

38 “if my land cries out against me(EE)
    and all its furrows are wet(EF) with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment(EG)
    or broken the spirit of its tenants,(EH)
40 then let briers(EI) come up instead of wheat
    and stinkweed(EJ) instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.(EK)

Footnotes

  1. Job 30:3 Or gnawed
  2. Job 30:4 Or fuel
  3. Job 30:12 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  4. Job 30:18 Hebrew; Septuagint power he grasps my clothing
  5. Job 31:12 Hebrew Abaddon
  6. Job 31:33 Or as Adam did

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

31 He put another parable before them, saying, (A)“The kingdom of heaven is like (B)a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

33 He told them another parable. (C)“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in (D)three measures of flour, till it was (E)all leavened.”

Prophecy and Parables

34 (F)All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:[a]

(G)“I will open my mouth in parables;
    (H)I will utter what has been hidden (I)since the foundation of the world.”

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36 Then he left the crowds and went into (J)the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, (K)“Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is (L)the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are (M)the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. (N)The harvest is (O)the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds (P)are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at (Q)the end of the age. 41 (R)The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all (S)causes of sin and (T)all law-breakers, 42 (U)and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place (V)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then (W)the righteous will shine like the sun (X)in the kingdom of their Father. (Y)He who has ears, let him hear.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

44 “The kingdom of heaven (Z)is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy (AA)he goes and sells all that he has and (AB)buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding (AC)one pearl of great value, (AD)went and sold all that he had and (AE)bought it.

The Parable of the Net

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is (AF)like a net that was thrown into the sea and (AG)gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, (AH)men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at (AI)the end of the age. The angels will come out and (AJ)separate the evil from the righteous 50 (AK)and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place (AL)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

New and Old Treasures

51 (AM)“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every (AN)scribe (AO)who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who (AP)brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 (AQ)and coming to (AR)his hometown (AS)he taught them in their synagogue, so that (AT)they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 (AU)Is not this (AV)the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not (AW)his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And (AX)they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, (AY)“A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, (AZ)because of their unbelief.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:35 Some manuscripts Isaiah the prophet

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast(A)(B)

31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(C) a mustard seed,(D) which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”(E)

33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(F) yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour(G) until it worked all through the dough.”(H)

34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.(I) 35 So was fulfilled(J) what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables,
    I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”[b](K)

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable(L) of the weeds in the field.”

37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.(M) 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,(N) 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest(O) is the end of the age,(P) and the harvesters are angels.(Q)

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man(R) will send out his angels,(S) and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(T) 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun(U) in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.(V)

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like(W) treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.(X)

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like(Y) a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like(Z) a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds(AA) of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous(AB) 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(AC)

51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

A Prophet Without Honor(AD)

53 When Jesus had finished these parables,(AE) he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue,(AF) and they were amazed.(AG) “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?(AH) Isn’t his mother’s(AI) name Mary, and aren’t his brothers(AJ) James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense(AK) at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”(AL)

58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:33 Or about 27 kilograms
  2. Matthew 13:35 Psalm 78:2