Job 2:11-12:23

New International Version

³ “May the day of my birth perish,
    and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’^(M)
4 That day—may it turn to darkness;
    may God above not care about it;
    may no light shine on it.
⁵ May gloom and utter darkness^(N) claim it once more;
    may a cloud settle over it;
    may blackness overwhelm it.
⁶ That night—may thick darkness^(O) seize it;
    may it not be included among the days of the year
    nor be entered in any of the months.
⁷ May that night be barren;
    may no shout of joy^(P) be heard in it.
⁸ May those who curse days^[a] curse that day,^(Q)
    those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.^(R)
9 May its morning stars become dark;
    may it wait for daylight in vain
    and not see the first rays of dawn,^(S)
10 for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
    to hide trouble from my eyes.

¹¹ “Why did I not perish at birth,
    and die as I came from the womb?^(T)
12 Why were there knees to receive me^(U)
    and breasts that I might be nursed?
¹³ For now I would be lying down^(V) in peace;
    I would be asleep and at rest^(W)
14 with kings and rulers of the earth,^(X)
    who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,^(Y)
15 with princes^(Z) who had gold,
    who filled their houses with silver.^(AA)
16 Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,^(AB)
    like an infant who never saw the light of day?^(AC)
17 There the wicked cease from turmoil,^(AD)
    and there the weary are at rest.^(AE)
18 Captives^(AF) also enjoy their ease;
    they no longer hear the slave driver’s^(AG) shout.^(AH)
19 The small and the great are there,^(AI)
    and the slaves are freed from their owners.

²⁰ “Why is light given to those in misery,
    and life to the bitter of soul,^(AJ)
21 to those who long for death that does not come,^(AK)
    who search for it more than for hidden treasure,^(AL)
22 who are filled with gladness
    and rejoice when they reach the grave?^(AM)
23 Why is life given to a man
    whose way is hidden,^(AN)
    whom God has hedged in?^(AO)
24 For sighing^(AP) has become my daily food;^(AQ)
    my groans^(AR) pour out like water.^(AS)
25 What I feared has come upon me;
    what I dreaded^(AT) has happened to me.^(AU)
26 I have no peace,^(AV) no quietness;
    I have no rest,^(AW) but only turmoil.”^(AX)

² “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
    But who can keep from speaking?^(AZ)
3 Think how you have instructed many,^(BA)
    how you have strengthened feeble hands.^(BB)
4 Your words have supported those who stumbled;^(BC)
    you have strengthened faltering knees.^(BD)
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;^(BE)
    it strikes^(BF) you, and you are dismayed.^(BG)
6 Should not your piety be your confidence^(BH)
    and your blameless^(BI) ways your hope?

⁷ “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?^(BJ)
    Where were the upright ever destroyed?^(BK)
8 As I have observed,^(BL) those who plow evil^(BM)
    and those who sow trouble reap it.^(BN)
9 At the breath of God^(BO) they perish;
    at the blast of his anger they are no more.^(BP)
10 The lions may roar^(BQ) and growl,
    yet the teeth of the great lions^(BR) are broken.^(BS)
11 The lion perishes for lack of prey,^(BT)
    and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.^(BU)

¹² “A word^(BV) was secretly brought to me,
    my ears caught a whisper^(BW) of it.^(BX)
13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
    when deep sleep falls on people,^(BY)
14 fear and trembling^(BZ) seized me
    and made all my bones shake.^(CA)
15 A spirit glided past my face,
    and the hair on my body stood on end.^(CB)
16 It stopped,
    but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes,
    and I heard a hushed voice:^(CC)
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?^(CD)
    Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?^(CE)
18 If God places no trust in his servants,^(CF)
    if he charges his angels with error,^(CG)
19 how much more those who live in houses of clay,^(CH)
    whose foundations^(CI) are in the dust,^(CJ)
    who are crushed^(CK) more readily than a moth!^(CL)
20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;
    unnoticed, they perish forever.^(CM)
21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,^(CN)
    so that they die^(CO) without wisdom?’^(CP)

⁸ “But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
    I would lay my cause before him.^(DF)
9 He performs wonders^(DG) that cannot be fathomed,^(DH)
    miracles that cannot be counted.^(DI)
10 He provides rain for the earth;^(DJ)
    he sends water on the countryside.^(DK)
11 The lowly he sets on high,^(DL)
    and those who mourn^(DM) are lifted^(DN) to safety.
¹² He thwarts the plans^(DO) of the crafty,
    so that their hands achieve no success.^(DP)
13 He catches the wise^(DQ) in their craftiness,^(DR)
    and the schemes of the wily are swept away.^(DS)
14 Darkness^(DT) comes upon them in the daytime;
    at noon they grope as in the night.^(DU)
15 He saves the needy^(DV) from the sword in their mouth;
    he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.^(DW)
16 So the poor^(DX) have hope,
    and injustice shuts its mouth.^(DY)

¹⁷ “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;^(DZ)
    so do not despise the discipline^(EA) of the Almighty.^[b](EB)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;^(EC)
    he injures, but his hands also heal.^(ED)
19 From six calamities he will rescue^(EE) you;
    in seven no harm will touch you.^(EF)
20 In famine^(EG) he will deliver you from death,
    and in battle from the stroke of the sword.^(EH)
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,^(EI)
    and need not fear^(EJ) when destruction comes.^(EK)
22 You will laugh^(EL) at destruction and famine,^(EM)
    and need not fear the wild animals.^(EN)
23 For you will have a covenant^(EO) with the stones^(EP) of the field,
    and the wild animals will be at peace with you.^(EQ)
24 You will know that your tent is secure;^(ER)
    you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.^(ES)
25 You will know that your children will be many,^(ET)
    and your descendants like the grass of the earth.^(EU)
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor,^(EV)
    like sheaves gathered in season.^(EW)

²⁷ “We have examined this, and it is true.
    So hear it^(EX) and apply it to yourself.”^(EY)

² “If only my anguish could be weighed
    and all my misery be placed on the scales!^(EZ)
3 It would surely outweigh the sand^(FA) of the seas—
    no wonder my words have been impetuous.^(FB)
4 The arrows^(FC) of the Almighty^(FD) are in me,^(FE)
    my spirit drinks^(FF) in their poison;^(FG)
    God’s terrors^(FH) are marshaled against me.^(FI)
5 Does a wild donkey^(FJ) bray^(FK) when it has grass,
    or an ox bellow when it has fodder?^(FL)
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
    or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow^[c]?^(FM)
7 I refuse to touch it;
    such food makes me ill.^(FN)

⁸ “Oh, that I might have my request,
    that God would grant what I hope for,^(FO)
9 that God would be willing to crush^(FP) me,
    to let loose his hand and cut off my life!^(FQ)
10 Then I would still have this consolation^(FR)—
    my joy in unrelenting pain^(FS)—
    that I had not denied the words^(FT) of the Holy One.^(FU)

¹¹ “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
    What prospects, that I should be patient?^(FV)
12 Do I have the strength of stone?
    Is my flesh bronze?^(FW)
13 Do I have any power to help myself,^(FX)
    now that success has been driven from me?

¹⁴ “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend^(FY)
    forsakes the fear of the Almighty.^(FZ)
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,^(GA)
    as the streams that overflow
¹⁶ when darkened by thawing ice
    and swollen with melting snow,^(GB)
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
    and in the heat^(GC) vanish from their channels.
¹⁸ Caravans turn aside from their routes;
    they go off into the wasteland and perish.
¹⁹ The caravans of Tema^(GD) look for water,
    the traveling merchants of Sheba^(GE) look in hope.
²⁰ They are distressed, because they had been confident;
    they arrive there, only to be disappointed.^(GF)
21 Now you too have proved to be of no help;
    you see something dreadful and are afraid.^(GG)
22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf,
    pay a ransom^(GH) for me from your wealth,^(GI)
23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy,
    rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’?^(GJ)

²⁴ “Teach me, and I will be quiet;^(GK)
    show me where I have been wrong.^(GL)
25 How painful are honest words!^(GM)
    But what do your arguments prove?
²⁶ Do you mean to correct what I say,
    and treat my desperate words as wind?^(GN)
27 You would even cast lots^(GO) for the fatherless^(GP)
    and barter away your friend.

²⁸ “But now be so kind as to look at me.
    Would I lie to your face?^(GQ)
29 Relent, do not be unjust;^(GR)
    reconsider, for my integrity^(GS) is at stake.^[d](GT)
30 Is there any wickedness on my lips?^(GU)
    Can my mouth not discern^(GV) malice?

7 “Do not mortals have hard service^(GW) on earth?^(GX)
    Are not their days like those of hired laborers?^(GY)
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,^(GZ)
    or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,^(HA)
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
    and nights of misery have been assigned to me.^(HB)
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’^(HC)
    The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.^(HD)
5 My body is clothed with worms^(HE) and scabs,
    my skin is broken and festering.^(HF)

⁶ “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,^(HG)
    and they come to an end without hope.^(HH)
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;^(HI)
    my eyes will never see happiness again.^(HJ)
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
    you will look for me, but I will be no more.^(HK)
9 As a cloud vanishes^(HL) and is gone,
    so one who goes down to the grave^(HM) does not return.^(HN)
10 He will never come to his house again;
    his place^(HO) will know him no more.^(HP)

¹¹ “Therefore I will not keep silent;^(HQ)
    I will speak out in the anguish^(HR) of my spirit,
    I will complain^(HS) in the bitterness of my soul.^(HT)
12 Am I the sea,^(HU) or the monster of the deep,^(HV)
    that you put me under guard?^(HW)
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
    and my couch will ease my complaint,^(HX)
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
    and terrify^(HY) me with visions,^(HZ)
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,^(IA)
    rather than this body of mine.^(IB)
16 I despise my life;^(IC) I would not live forever.^(ID)
    Let me alone;^(IE) my days have no meaning.^(IF)

¹⁷ “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
    that you give them so much attention,^(IG)
18 that you examine them every morning^(IH)
    and test them^(II) every moment?^(IJ)
19 Will you never look away from me,^(IK)
    or let me alone even for an instant?^(IL)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,^(IM)
    you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?^(IN)
    Have I become a burden to you?^[e](IO)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
    and forgive my sins?^(IP)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;^(IQ)
    you will search for me, but I will be no more.”^(IR)

² “How long will you say such things?^(IT)
    Your words are a blustering wind.^(IU)
3 Does God pervert justice?^(IV)
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?^(IW)
4 When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.^(IX)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead^(IY) with the Almighty,^(IZ)
6 if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf^(JA)
    and restore you to your prosperous state.^(JB)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous^(JC) will your future be.^(JD)

⁸ “Ask the former generation^(JE)
    and find out what their ancestors learned,
⁹ for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,^(JF)
    and our days on earth are but a shadow.^(JG)
10 Will they not instruct^(JH) you and tell you?
    Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?^(JI)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?^(JJ)
    Can reeds^(JK) thrive without water?
¹² While still growing and uncut,
    they wither more quickly than grass.^(JL)
13 Such is the destiny^(JM) of all who forget God;^(JN)
    so perishes the hope of the godless.^(JO)
14 What they trust in is fragile^[f];
    what they rely on is a spider’s web.^(JP)
15 They lean on the web,^(JQ) but it gives way;
    they cling to it, but it does not hold.^(JR)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
    spreading its shoots^(JS) over the garden;^(JT)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
    and looks for a place among the stones.
¹⁸ But when it is torn from its spot,
    that place disowns^(JU) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’^(JV)
19 Surely its life withers^(JW) away,
    and^[g] from the soil other plants grow.^(JX)

²⁰ “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless^(JY)
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.^(JZ)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter^(KA)
    and your lips with shouts of joy.^(KB)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,^(KC)
    and the tents^(KD) of the wicked will be no more.”^(KE)

² “Indeed, I know that this is true.
    But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?^(KF)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,^(KG)
    they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.^(KH)
4 His wisdom^(KI) is profound, his power is vast.^(KJ)
    Who has resisted^(KK) him and come out unscathed?^(KL)
5 He moves mountains^(KM) without their knowing it
    and overturns them in his anger.^(KN)
6 He shakes the earth^(KO) from its place
    and makes its pillars tremble.^(KP)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;^(KQ)
    he seals off the light of the stars.^(KR)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens^(KS)
    and treads on the waves of the sea.^(KT)
9 He is the Maker^(KU) of the Bear^[h] and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.^(KV)
10 He performs wonders^(KW) that cannot be fathomed,
    miracles that cannot be counted.^(KX)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
    when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.^(KY)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?^(KZ)
    Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’^(LA)
13 God does not restrain his anger;^(LB)
    even the cohorts of Rahab^(LC) cowered at his feet.

¹⁴ “How then can I dispute with him?
    How can I find words to argue with him?^(LD)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;^(LE)
    I could only plead^(LF) with my Judge^(LG) for mercy.^(LH)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
    I do not believe he would give me a hearing.^(LI)
17 He would crush me^(LJ) with a storm^(LK)
    and multiply^(LL) my wounds for no reason.^(LM)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
    but would overwhelm me with misery.^(LN)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!^(LO)
    And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him^[i]?^(LP)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
    if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.^(LQ)

²¹ “Although I am blameless,^(LR)
    I have no concern for myself;^(LS)
    I despise my own life.^(LT)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
    ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’^(LU)
23 When a scourge^(LV) brings sudden death,
    he mocks the despair of the innocent.^(LW)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,^(LX)
    he blindfolds its judges.^(LY)
    If it is not he, then who is it?^(LZ)

²⁵ “My days are swifter than a runner;^(MA)
    they fly away without a glimpse of joy.^(MB)
26 They skim past^(MC) like boats of papyrus,^(MD)
    like eagles swooping down on their prey.^(ME)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,^(MF)
    I will change my expression, and smile,’
²⁸ I still dread^(MG) all my sufferings,
    for I know you will not hold me innocent.^(MH)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
    why should I struggle in vain?^(MI)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap^(MJ)
    and my hands^(MK) with cleansing powder,^(ML)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit^(MM)
    so that even my clothes would detest me.^(MN)

³² “He is not a mere mortal^(MO) like me that I might answer him,^(MP)
    that we might confront each other in court.^(MQ)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,^(MR)
    someone to bring us together,^(MS)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,^(MT)
    so that his terror would frighten me no more.^(MU)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,^(MV)
    but as it now stands with me, I cannot.^(MW)

10 “I loathe my very life;^(MX)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.^(MY)
2 I say to God:^(MZ) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges^(NA) you have against me.^(NB)
3 Does it please you to oppress me,^(NC)
    to spurn the work of your hands,^(ND)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?^(NE)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?^(NF)
5 Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,^(NG)
6 that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin^(NH)—
⁷ though you know that I am not guilty^(NI)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?^(NJ)

⁸ “Your hands shaped^(NK) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?^(NL)
9 Remember that you molded me like clay.^(NM)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?^(NN)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
¹¹ clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together^(NO) with bones and sinews?
¹² You gave me life^(NP) and showed me kindness,^(NQ)
    and in your providence^(NR) watched over^(NS) my spirit.

¹³ “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:^(NT)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me^(NU)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.^(NV)
15 If I am guilty^(NW)—woe to me!^(NX)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,^(NY)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in^[j] my affliction.^(NZ)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion^(OA)
    and again display your awesome power against me.^(OB)
17 You bring new witnesses against me^(OC)
    and increase your anger toward me;^(OD)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.^(OE)

¹⁸ “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?^(OF)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.^(OG)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!^(OH)
20 Are not my few days^(OI) almost over?^(OJ)
    Turn away from me^(OK) so I can have a moment’s joy^(OL)
21 before I go to the place of no return,^(OM)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,^(ON)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness^(OO) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”^(OP)

² “Are all these words to go unanswered?^(OR)
    Is this talker to be vindicated?^(OS)
3 Will your idle talk^(OT) reduce others to silence?
    Will no one rebuke you when you mock?^(OU)
4 You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawless^(OV)
    and I am pure^(OW) in your sight.’
⁵ Oh, how I wish that God would speak,^(OX)
    that he would open his lips against you
⁶ and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom,^(OY)
    for true wisdom has two sides.
    Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.^(OZ)

⁷ “Can you fathom^(PA) the mysteries of God?
    Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
⁸ They are higher^(PB) than the heavens^(PC) above—what can you do?
    They are deeper than the depths below^(PD)—what can you know?^(PE)
9 Their measure^(PF) is longer than the earth
    and wider than the sea.^(PG)

¹⁰ “If he comes along and confines you in prison
    and convenes a court, who can oppose him?^(PH)
11 Surely he recognizes deceivers;
    and when he sees evil, does he not take note?^(PI)
12 But the witless can no more become wise
    than a wild donkey’s colt^(PJ) can be born human.^[k](PK)

¹³ “Yet if you devote your heart^(PL) to him
    and stretch out your hands^(PM) to him,^(PN)
14 if you put away^(PO) the sin that is in your hand
    and allow no evil^(PP) to dwell in your tent,^(PQ)
15 then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;^(PR)
    you will stand firm^(PS) and without fear.^(PT)
16 You will surely forget your trouble,^(PU)
    recalling it only as waters gone by.^(PV)
17 Life will be brighter than noonday,^(PW)
    and darkness will become like morning.^(PX)
18 You will be secure, because there is hope;
    you will look about you and take your rest^(PY) in safety.^(PZ)
19 You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,^(QA)
    and many will court your favor.^(QB)
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,^(QC)
    and escape will elude them;^(QD)
    their hope will become a dying gasp.”^(QE)

² “Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
    and wisdom will die with you!^(QF)
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know all these things?^(QG)

⁴ “I have become a laughingstock^(QH) to my friends,^(QI)
    though I called on God and he answered^(QJ)—
    a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!^(QK)
5 Those who are at ease have contempt^(QL) for misfortune
    as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.^(QM)
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed,^(QN)
    and those who provoke God are secure^(QO)—
    those God has in his hand.^[l]

⁷ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,^(QP)
    or the birds in the sky,^(QQ) and they will tell you;^(QR)
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish in the sea inform you.
⁹ Which of all these does not know^(QS)
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?^(QT)
10 In his hand is the life^(QU) of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.^(QV)
11 Does not the ear test words
    as the tongue tastes food?^(QW)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?^(QX)
    Does not long life bring understanding?^(QY)

¹³ “To God belong wisdom^(QZ) and power;^(RA)
    counsel and understanding are his.^(RB)
14 What he tears down^(RC) cannot be rebuilt;^(RD)
    those he imprisons cannot be released.^(RE)
15 If he holds back the waters,^(RF) there is drought;^(RG)
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.^(RH)
16 To him belong strength and insight;^(RI)
    both deceived and deceiver are his.^(RJ)
17 He leads rulers away stripped^(RK)
    and makes fools of judges.^(RL)
18 He takes off the shackles^(RM) put on by kings
    and ties a loincloth^[m] around their waist.^(RN)
19 He leads priests away stripped^(RO)
    and overthrows officials long established.^(RP)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
    and takes away the discernment of elders.^(RQ)
21 He pours contempt on nobles^(RR)
    and disarms the mighty.^(RS)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness^(RT)
    and brings utter darkness^(RU) into the light.^(RV)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;^(RW)
    he enlarges nations,^(RX) and disperses them.^(RY)