Job Says What Can I Say?

40 Then the Lord said to Job,

“Will the faultfinder (A)contend with the Almighty?
Let him who (B)rebukes God [a]give an answer.”

Then Job answered the Lord and said,

“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I say in response to You?
I (C)put my hand on my mouth.
I have spoken once, and (D)I will not reply;
Or twice, and I will add nothing more.”

God Questions Job

Then the (E)Lord answered Job from the whirlwind and said,

“Now [b](F)tighten the belt on your waist like a man;
I will (G)ask you, and you instruct Me.
Will you really (H)nullify My judgment?
Will you (I)condemn Me (J)so that you may be justified?
Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you (K)thunder with a voice like His?

10 (L)Adorn yourself with pride and dignity,
And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.
11 Let out your (M)outbursts of anger,
And look at everyone who is (N)arrogant, and humble him.
12 Look at everyone who is arrogant, and (O)humble him,
And (P)trample down the wicked [c]where they stand.
13 (Q)Hide them together in the dust;
Imprison [d]them in the hidden place.
14 Then I will also [e]confess to you,
That your own right hand can save you.

God’s Power Shown in Creatures

15 “Behold, [f]Behemoth, which (R)I made [g]as well as you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his waist,
And his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He hangs his tail like a cedar;
The tendons of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze;
His [h]limbs are like bars of iron.

19 “He is the (S)first of the ways of God;
Let his (T)Maker bring His sword near.
20 Indeed the [i]mountains (U)bring him food,
And all the animals of the field (V)play there.
21 He lies down under the lotus plants,
In the hiding place of the reeds and the marsh.
22 The lotus plants cover him with [j]shade;
The willows of the brook surround him.
23 If a river [k]rages, he is not alarmed;
He is confident, though the (W)Jordan rushes to his mouth.
24 Can anyone capture him [l]when he is on watch,
Can anyone pierce his nose with barbs?

God’s Power Shown in Creatures

41 [m]Can you drag out [n](X)Leviathan with a fishhook,
And press down his tongue with a rope?
Can you (Y)put a [o]rope in his nose,
And pierce his jaw with a [p]hook?
Will he make many pleas to you,
Or will he speak to you gentle words?
Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
Will you play with him as with a bird,
And tie him down for your young girls?
Will the [q]traders bargain for him?
Will they divide him among the merchants?
Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
Lay your hand on him.
Remember the battle; [r]you will not do it again!
[s]Behold, [t]your expectation is false;
Will [u]you be hurled down even at the sight of him?
10 No one is so reckless that he dares to (Z)stir him;
Who then is he who opposes Me?
11 Who has (AA)been first to give to Me, that I should repay him?
Whatever is (AB)under the entire heaven is Mine.

12 “I will not be silent about his limbs,
Or his mighty strength, or his graceful frame.
13 Who can [v]strip off his outer covering?
Who can [w]pierce his double [x]armor?
14 Who can open the doors of his face?
Around his teeth there is terror.
15 His [y]strong scales are his pride,
Locked as with a tight seal.
16 One is so close to another
That no air can come between them.
17 They are joined one to another;
They clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 His sneezes flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the (AC)eye of dawn.
19 From his mouth go burning torches;
Sparks of fire leap forth.
20 From his nostrils smoke goes out
As from a boiling pot and burning reeds.
21 His breath sets coals aglow,
And a flame goes forth from his mouth.
22 In his neck dwells strength,
And dismay leaps before him.
23 The folds of his flesh are joined together,
Firm and immovable on him.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone,
And as firm as a lower millstone.
25 When he rises up, the [z]mighty are afraid;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.
26 The sword that reaches him cannot [aa]prevail,
Nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
27 He regards iron as straw,
Bronze as rotten wood.
28 The [ab]arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones are turned into stubble for him.
29 Clubs are regarded as stubble;
He laughs at the rattling of the javelin.
30 His underparts are like sharp pieces of pottery;
He [ac]spreads out like a threshing sledge on the mud.
31 He makes the depths boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
32 Behind him he illuminates a pathway;
One would think the deep to be gray-haired.
33 (AD)Nothing on [ad]earth is like him,
One made without fear.
34 [ae]He looks on everything that is high;
He is king over all the (AE)sons of pride.”

Job’s Confession

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said,

“I know that (AF)You can do all things,
And that no plan is impossible for You.
‘Who is this who (AG)conceals advice without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things (AH)too wonderful for me, which I do not know.
‘Please listen, and I will speak;
I will (AI)ask You, and You instruct me.’
I have (AJ)heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my (AK)eye sees You;
Therefore I retract,
And I repent, sitting on dust and ashes.”

God Is Displeased with Job’s Friends

It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is trustworthy, (AL)as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves (AM)seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a (AN)burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will (AO)pray for you. (AP)For I will [af]accept him so as not to do with you as your foolishness deserves, because you have not spoken of Me what is trustworthy, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord told them; and the Lord [ag]accepted Job.

God Restores Job’s Fortunes

10 The Lord also (AQ)restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased double all that Job had. 11 Then all his (AR)brothers, all his sisters, and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they (AS)sympathized with him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him a [ah]piece of money, and each a ring of gold. 12 (AT)The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; (AU)and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. 13 (AV)He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land no women were found as beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritances among their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. 17 (AW)And Job died, an old man and full of days.

Footnotes

  1. Job 40:2 Lit answer it
  2. Job 40:7 I.e., as if for battle
  3. Job 40:12 Lit under them
  4. Job 40:13 Lit their faces
  5. Job 40:14 Or praise you
  6. Job 40:15 I.e., a powerful animal, possibly a hippopotamus
  7. Job 40:15 Lit with you
  8. Job 40:18 Lit bones
  9. Job 40:20 I.e., the mountain streams
  10. Job 40:22 Lit his shade
  11. Job 40:23 Or oppresses
  12. Job 40:24 Lit in his eyes
  13. Job 41:1 Ch 40:25 in Heb
  14. Job 41:1 I.e., a sea monster or crocodile
  15. Job 41:2 Lit rope of rushes
  16. Job 41:2 Or thorn; or ring
  17. Job 41:6 Lit partners
  18. Job 41:8 Lit do not add
  19. Job 41:9 Ch 41:1 in Heb
  20. Job 41:9 Lit his
  21. Job 41:9 Lit he
  22. Job 41:13 Lit uncover the face of his garment
  23. Job 41:13 Lit come into
  24. Job 41:13 As in LXX; Heb bridle
  25. Job 41:15 Lit rows of shields
  26. Job 41:25 Or gods
  27. Job 41:26 Lit rise
  28. Job 41:28 Lit son of the bow
  29. Job 41:30 Or moves across
  30. Job 41:33 Lit dust
  31. Job 41:34 Ch 41:26 in Heb
  32. Job 42:8 Lit lift up his face
  33. Job 42:9 Lit lifted up the face of
  34. Job 42:11 Heb qesitah

11 Therefore, knowing the (A)fear of the Lord, we persuade people, but we are well known to God; and I hope that we are also (B)well known in your consciences. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you (C)again, but are giving you an (D)opportunity to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we have (E)lost our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ (F)controls us, having concluded this, that (G)one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer (H)live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.

16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one [a](I)by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is (J)in Christ, this person is (K)a new [b]creation; (L)the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now (M)all these things are from God, (N)who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the (O)ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that (P)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, (Q)not counting their wrongdoings against them, and [c]He has [d]committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are (R)ambassadors for Christ, (S)as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be (T)reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who (U)knew no sin to be [e](V)sin in our behalf, so that we might become the (W)righteousness of God in Him.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 5:16 I.e., by what one is in the flesh
  2. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or creature
  3. 2 Corinthians 5:19 Lit having
  4. 2 Corinthians 5:19 Lit placed in us
  5. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Or a sin offering

A Song Celebrating the King’s Marriage.

For the music director; according to the [a]Shoshannim. A [b]Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

45 My heart is moved with a good theme;
I [c]address my [d]verses to the [e]King;
My tongue is the pen of (A)a ready writer.
You are the most handsome of the sons of mankind;
(B)Grace is poured [f]upon Your lips;
Therefore God has (C)blessed You forever.

Strap (D)Your sword on Your thigh, [g](E)Mighty One,
In Your splendor and majesty!
And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,
For the cause of truth, (F)humility, and righteousness;
Let Your (G)right hand teach You [h]awesome things.
Your (H)arrows are sharp;
The (I)peoples fall under You;
Your arrows are (J)in the heart of the King’s enemies.

(K)Your throne, God, is forever and ever;
(L)The scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
You have (M)loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has (N)anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your companions.
All Your garments are fragrant with (O)myrrh, aloes, and cassia;
From ivory palaces (P)stringed instruments have made You joyful.
Kings’ daughters are among (Q)Your noble women;
At Your (R)right hand stands the queen in (S)gold from Ophir.

10 Listen, daughter, look and incline your ear:
(T)Forget your people and your father’s house;
11 Then the King will crave your beauty.
Because He is your (U)Lord, (V)bow down to Him.
12 The daughter of (W)Tyre will come with a gift;
The (X)wealthy among the people will seek your favor.

13 The King’s daughter is all glorious within;
Her clothing is (Y)interwoven with gold.
14 She will be (Z)brought to the King (AA)in colorful garments;
The (AB)virgins, her companions who follow her,
Will be brought to You.
15 They will be brought with joy and rejoicing;
They will enter into the King’s palace.

16 In place of your fathers will be your sons;
You shall make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will make (AC)Your name known among all generations;
Therefore the peoples (AD)will praise You forever and ever.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 45 Title Or possibly Lilies
  2. Psalm 45 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Wisdom Psalm
  3. Psalm 45:1 Lit am saying
  4. Psalm 45:1 Lit works
  5. Psalm 45:1 Prob. refers to a Davidic king as a type of Christ
  6. Psalm 45:2 Or through
  7. Psalm 45:3 Or Warrior
  8. Psalm 45:4 Or fearful

14 The mouth of [a](A)an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is (B)cursed of the Lord will fall [b]into it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:14 Lit strange woman
  2. Proverbs 22:14 Lit there

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