Job 17-20

New International Version

³ “Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.^(F)
    Who else will put up security^(G) for me?^(H)
4 You have closed their minds to understanding;^(I)
    therefore you will not let them triumph.
⁵ If anyone denounces their friends for reward,^(J)
    the eyes of their children will fail.^(K)

⁶ “God has made me a byword^(L) to everyone,^(M)
    a man in whose face people spit.^(N)
7 My eyes have grown dim with grief;^(O)
    my whole frame is but a shadow.^(P)
8 The upright are appalled at this;
    the innocent are aroused^(Q) against the ungodly.
⁹ Nevertheless, the righteous^(R) will hold to their ways,
    and those with clean hands^(S) will grow stronger.^(T)

¹⁰ “But come on, all of you, try again!
    I will not find a wise man among you.^(U)
11 My days have passed,^(V) my plans are shattered.
    Yet the desires of my heart^(W)
12 turn night into day;^(X)
    in the face of the darkness light is near.^(Y)
13 If the only home I hope for is the grave,^(Z)
    if I spread out my bed^(AA) in the realm of darkness,^(AB)
14 if I say to corruption,^(AC) ‘You are my father,’
    and to the worm,^(AD) ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’
¹⁵ where then is my hope—^(AE)
    who can see any hope for me?^(AF)
16 Will it go down to the gates of death?^(AG)
    Will we descend together into the dust?”^(AH)

² “When will you end these speeches?^(AJ)
    Be sensible, and then we can talk.
³ Why are we regarded as cattle^(AK)
    and considered stupid in your sight?^(AL)
4 You who tear yourself^(AM) to pieces in your anger,^(AN)
    is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?
    Or must the rocks be moved from their place?^(AO)

⁵ “The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out;^(AP)
    the flame of his fire stops burning.^(AQ)
6 The light in his tent^(AR) becomes dark;^(AS)
    the lamp beside him goes out.^(AT)
7 The vigor^(AU) of his step is weakened;^(AV)
    his own schemes^(AW) throw him down.^(AX)
8 His feet thrust him into a net;^(AY)
    he wanders into its mesh.
⁹ A trap seizes him by the heel;
    a snare^(AZ) holds him fast.^(BA)
10 A noose^(BB) is hidden for him on the ground;
    a trap^(BC) lies in his path.^(BD)
11 Terrors^(BE) startle him on every side^(BF)
    and dog^(BG) his every step.
¹² Calamity^(BH) is hungry^(BI) for him;
    disaster^(BJ) is ready for him when he falls.^(BK)
13 It eats away parts of his skin;^(BL)
    death’s firstborn devours his limbs.^(BM)
14 He is torn from the security of his tent^(BN)
    and marched off to the king^(BO) of terrors.^(BP)
15 Fire resides^[a] in his tent;^(BQ)
    burning sulfur^(BR) is scattered over his dwelling.
¹⁶ His roots dry up below^(BS)
    and his branches wither above.^(BT)
17 The memory of him perishes from the earth;^(BU)
    he has no name^(BV) in the land.^(BW)
18 He is driven from light into the realm of darkness^(BX)
    and is banished^(BY) from the world.^(BZ)
19 He has no offspring^(CA) or descendants^(CB) among his people,
    no survivor^(CC) where once he lived.^(CD)
20 People of the west are appalled^(CE) at his fate;^(CF)
    those of the east are seized with horror.
²¹ Surely such is the dwelling^(CG) of an evil man;^(CH)
    such is the place^(CI) of one who does not know God.”^(CJ)

² “How long will you torment^(CK) me
    and crush^(CL) me with words?
³ Ten times^(CM) now you have reproached^(CN) me;
    shamelessly you attack me.
⁴ If it is true that I have gone astray,
    my error^(CO) remains my concern alone.
⁵ If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me^(CP)
    and use my humiliation against me,
⁶ then know that God has wronged me^(CQ)
    and drawn his net^(CR) around me.^(CS)

⁷ “Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response;^(CT)
    though I call for help,^(CU) there is no justice.^(CV)
8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;^(CW)
    he has shrouded my paths in darkness.^(CX)
9 He has stripped^(CY) me of my honor^(CZ)
    and removed the crown from my head.^(DA)
10 He tears me down^(DB) on every side till I am gone;
    he uproots my hope^(DC) like a tree.^(DD)
11 His anger^(DE) burns against me;
    he counts me among his enemies.^(DF)
12 His troops advance in force;^(DG)
    they build a siege ramp^(DH) against me
    and encamp around my tent.^(DI)

¹³ “He has alienated my family^(DJ) from me;
    my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.^(DK)
14 My relatives have gone away;
    my closest friends^(DL) have forgotten me.
¹⁵ My guests^(DM) and my female servants^(DN) count me a foreigner;
    they look on me as on a stranger.
¹⁶ I summon my servant, but he does not answer,
    though I beg him with my own mouth.
¹⁷ My breath is offensive to my wife;
    I am loathsome^(DO) to my own family.
¹⁸ Even the little boys^(DP) scorn me;
    when I appear, they ridicule me.^(DQ)
19 All my intimate friends^(DR) detest me;^(DS)
    those I love have turned against me.^(DT)
20 I am nothing but skin and bones;^(DU)
    I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.^[b]

²¹ “Have pity on me, my friends,^(DV) have pity,
    for the hand of God has struck^(DW) me.
²² Why do you pursue^(DX) me as God does?^(DY)
    Will you never get enough of my flesh?^(DZ)

²³ “Oh, that my words were recorded,
    that they were written on a scroll,^(EA)
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool^(EB) on^[c] lead,
    or engraved in rock forever!^(EC)
25 I know that my redeemer^[d](ED) lives,^(EE)
    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.^[e]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
    yet^[f] in^[g] my flesh I will see God;^(EF)
27 I myself will see him
    with my own eyes^(EG)—I, and not another.
    How my heart yearns^(EH) within me!

²⁸ “If you say, ‘How we will hound^(EI) him,
    since the root of the trouble lies in him,^[h]’
²⁹ you should fear the sword yourselves;
    for wrath will bring punishment by the sword,^(EJ)
    and then you will know that there is judgment.^[i]”^(EK)

² “My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
    because I am greatly disturbed.^(EM)
3 I hear a rebuke^(EN) that dishonors me,
    and my understanding inspires me to reply.

⁴ “Surely you know how it has been from of old,^(EO)
    ever since mankind^[j] was placed on the earth,
⁵ that the mirth of the wicked^(EP) is brief,
    the joy of the godless^(EQ) lasts but a moment.^(ER)
6 Though the pride^(ES) of the godless person reaches to the heavens^(ET)
    and his head touches the clouds,^(EU)
7 he will perish forever,^(EV) like his own dung;
    those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’^(EW)
8 Like a dream^(EX) he flies away,^(EY) no more to be found,
    banished^(EZ) like a vision of the night.^(FA)
9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;
    his place will look on him no more.^(FB)
10 His children^(FC) must make amends to the poor;
    his own hands must give back his wealth.^(FD)
11 The youthful vigor^(FE) that fills his bones^(FF)
    will lie with him in the dust.^(FG)

¹² “Though evil^(FH) is sweet in his mouth
    and he hides it under his tongue,^(FI)
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
    and lets it linger in his mouth,^(FJ)
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;^(FK)
    it will become the venom of serpents^(FL) within him.
¹⁵ He will spit out the riches^(FM) he swallowed;
    God will make his stomach vomit^(FN) them up.
¹⁶ He will suck the poison^(FO) of serpents;
    the fangs of an adder will kill him.^(FP)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
    the rivers^(FQ) flowing with honey^(FR) and cream.^(FS)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;^(FT)
    he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.^(FU)
19 For he has oppressed the poor^(FV) and left them destitute;^(FW)
    he has seized houses^(FX) he did not build.

²⁰ “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;^(FY)
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.^(FZ)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.^(GA)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;^(GB)
    the full force of misery will come upon him.^(GC)
23 When he has filled his belly,^(GD)
    God will vent his burning anger^(GE) against him
    and rain down his blows on him.^(GF)
24 Though he flees^(GG) from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.^(GH)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors^(GI) will come over him;^(GJ)
26     total darkness^(GK) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire^(GL) unfanned will consume him^(GM)
    and devour what is left in his tent.^(GN)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.^(GO)
28 A flood will carry off his house,^(GP)
    rushing waters^[k] on the day of God’s wrath.^(GQ)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”^(GR)