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Bildad Speaks to Job
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “How long will you [L continue to] say such things?
Your words are ·no more than [L a strong] wind [C he accuses Job of passion without substance].
3 God does not ·twist [pervert] justice;
·the Almighty [Shaddai] does not ·make wrong [twist; pervert] ·what is right [righteousness].
4 [L If] Your children sinned against God,
and he ·punished them for their sins [L sent them into the power of their transgression].
5 ·But [L If] you ·should ask God for help [L look for God]
and ·pray [plead] to ·the Almighty [Shaddai] for ·mercy [grace].
6 If you are ·good [pure] and ·honest [virtuous; 1:1, 8; 2:3],
he will ·stand up [L immediately rouse himself] for you
and ·bring you back [restore you] ·where you belong [to your right/righteous pasture/place/home].
7 ·Where you began will seem unimportant [L Though your start was small],
·because your future will be so successful [L your end will be exalted].
8 “Ask ·old people [L the previous generation];
·find out [reflect on] what their ancestors learned,
9 because we were only born yesterday and know nothing.
Our days on earth are only a shadow.
10 Those people will teach you and tell you
and speak about what they know.
11 ·Papyrus plants cannot [L Do papyrus plants…?] grow where there is no swamp,
·and reeds cannot [L or reeds…?] grow tall without water.
12 While they are still growing and not yet cut,
they will dry up quicker than grass [Ps. 37:2; 102:4, 11; 129:6].
13 That is ·what will happen to [L the path of] those who forget God;
the hope of the ·wicked [godless] will ·be gone [perish].
14 ·What they hope in is easily broken [L Their confidence is gossamer thread];
what they trust is like a spider’s web [C without substance].
15 They lean on ·the spider’s web [L its house], but it ·breaks [L does not stand].
They grab it, but it does not hold up.
16 They are like well-watered plants in the sunshine
that spread their roots all through the garden.
17 They wrap their roots around a pile of rocks
and look for a place among the stones.
18 But if a plant is torn from its place,
then that place rejects it and says, ‘I never saw you.’
19 Now ·joy has gone away [or it (the plant) dissolves on the way];
other plants grow up from the same dirt.
20 “Surely God does not reject the innocent
or ·give strength to [or grasp the hand of] those who do evil.
21 God will yet fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy.
22 ·Your enemies [L Those who hate you] will be covered with shame,
and the tents of the wicked will be gone.”
Job Answers Bildad
9 Then Job answered:
2 “·Yes [Truly], I know that this [C Zophar’s point that God punishes the wicked] is ·true [correct],
but how can anyone be ·right [righteous; vindicated] in the presence of God?
3 Someone might want to ·argue with God [take God to court],
but no one could answer God,
not one time out of a thousand.
4 ·God’s wisdom is deep [L He is wise of heart], and his power is great;
no one can ·fight [L press] him ·without getting hurt [and come out whole/unscathed].
5 He moves mountains [C an earthquake] without anyone knowing it
and turns them over when he is angry.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place
and makes its ·foundations [pillars] ·tremble [shudder].
7 He ·commands the sun not to [L speaks to the sun and it does not] shine
and ·shuts off the light of [L seals up] the stars.
8 He alone stretches out the ·skies [heavens]
and ·walks [treads] on the ·waves [L high places] of the sea.
9 It is God who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades [C well-known constellations]
and the ·groups of stars in the southern sky [L chambers of the south].
10 He does ·wonders [great things] that cannot be understood;
he does so many ·miracles [or marvelous things] they cannot be counted.
11 ·When [or If] he passes me, I cannot see him;
·when [or if] he goes by me, I do not ·recognize [perceive] him.
12 If he snatches ·something [or someone] away, no one can ·stop him [or bring them back]
or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God will not ·hold back [relent from] his anger.
Even the ·helpers [allies] of the monster Rahab [C a sea monster; Ps. 89:10] ·lie at his feet in fear [L cower under him].
14 So how can I ·argue with [L answer] God,
or even ·find words to argue [L choose words] with him?
15 Even if I were ·right [righteous], I could not answer him;
I could only ·beg God [plead], my Judge, for mercy.
16 If I ·called to [summoned] him and he answered,
I still don’t believe he would ·listen to me [L hear my voice].
17 He would crush me with a ·storm [whirlwind; 38:1]
and multiply my ·wounds [bruises] ·for no reason [without cause].
18 He would not let me ·catch [regain] my breath
but would ·overwhelm [satiate] me with ·misery [bitterness].
19 ·When [or If] it comes to ·strength [power], God is stronger than I;
·when [or if] it comes to ·justice [or judgment], no one can ·accuse [testify against] him.
20 ·Even if I were [or Though I am] ·right [righteous], my own mouth would ·say I was wrong [condemn me];
·if I were [or I am] innocent, ·my mouth would say I was [or he declares me] guilty.
21 “I am innocent,
but I don’t ·care about myself [or know for sure].
I ·hate [loathe] my own life.
22 It is all the same. That is why I say,
‘God destroys both the innocent and the ·guilty [wicked].’
23 If ·the whip [or disaster] brings sudden death,
God will ·laugh [ridicule] ·at the suffering [or the despair] of the innocent.
24 When the ·land [earth] ·falls [L is given] into the ·hands [power] of evil people,
he covers the judges’ faces so they can’t see it.
If it is not God who does this, then who is it?
25 “My days go by faster than a runner;
they ·fly away without my seeing any joy [L are swift but not good].
26 They ·glide past [pass by] like ·paper [L reed] boats.
They ·attack [or go fast] like eagles swooping down to feed.
27 ·Even though [or If] I say, ‘I will forget my ·complaint [sighs];
I will ·change the look on my face [L abandon my countenance] and ·smile [be cheerful],’
28 I still dread all my ·suffering [distress].
I know you will ·hold me guilty [L not find me innocent].
29 I have already been ·found guilty [declared wicked],
so why should I ·struggle [L exhaust myself] for no reason?
30 [L Even if] I might wash myself with ·soap [or snow]
and ·scrub [cleanse] my hands with ·strong soap [lye],
31 but you would ·push [plunge] me into a dirty pit,
and even my clothes would ·hate [abhor] me.
32 [“L For] God is not human like me, ·so I cannot [L that I could] answer him.
·We cannot meet each other in court [L …that we could go together into judgment].
33 ·I wish there were someone to make peace [L There is no umpire] between us,
·someone to decide our case [L who would set his hand on both of us].
34 Maybe he could remove ·God’s punishment [L his rod from me]
so his terror would no longer frighten me.
35 Then I could speak without being afraid [L of him],
but I am not able to do that.
10 “I ·hate [am disgusted with] my life,
so I will ·complain without holding back [L abandon myself to my sighs];
I will speak ·because I am so unhappy [L in my bitterness].
2 I will say to God: Do not ·hold [declare] me guilty,
but tell me ·what you have against [why you accuse] me.
3 ·Does it make you happy [or Is it right for you] to ·trouble [oppress] me?
·Don’t you care about [L Must you despise] me, the work of your hands?
·Are you happy with [or Do you favor] the plans of evil people?
4 Do you have ·human eyes [L eyes of flesh]
that see ·as we see [L with human vision]?
5 Are your days like the days of humans,
and your years like our years?
6 [L For] You ·look for the evil I have done [L investigate my transgression]
and search for my sin.
7 You know I am not guilty,
but no one can ·save [rescue] me from your ·power [L hand].
8 “Your hands shaped and made me.
Do you now turn around and ·destroy [L swallow] me?
9 Remember that you molded me like a piece of clay.
Will you now turn me back into dust [Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7]?
10 ·You formed me inside my mother
like cheese formed from milk [L Do you not pour me out like milk, curdle me like cheese?].
11 You dressed me with skin and flesh;
you ·sewed [knit] me together with bones and ·muscles [sinews].
12 You gave me life and showed me ·kindness [loyalty],
and in your care you ·watched over my life [L set a watch over me].
13 “But in your heart you hid ·other plans [L these things].
I know this was in your mind.
14 If I sinned, you would watch me
and would not ·let my sin go unpunished [L declare me innocent of my transgression].
15 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] me if I am guilty!
Even if I am ·right [righteous], I cannot lift my head.
I am full of shame
and ·experience [L look on] only ·pain [affliction].
16 ·If I hold up my head, you hunt me like a lion [or Proud like a lion you hunt me]
and again show your terrible power against me.
17 You bring new witnesses against me
and increase your anger against me.
Your armies come against me.
18 “So why did you ·allow me to be born [L bring me out of the womb]?
·I wish I had died [L Why did I not die…?] before ·anyone [L any eye] saw me.
19 I wish I had never lived,
but had been carried straight from ·birth [L womb] to the grave.
20 The few days of my life are almost over.
Leave me alone so I can have a moment of joy [Eccl. 2:24–26; 3:12–14, 22; 8:15; 5:19–20; 9:7–10].
21 Soon I will leave; I will not return
from the land of darkness and gloom,
22 the land of ·darkest night [or dimness and blackness],
from the land of gloom and ·confusion [chaos],
where even the light is darkness.”
Zophar Speaks to Job
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:
2 “Should ·these [L such a large number of] words go unanswered?
·Is this talker in the right [or Should a talkative man be declared righteous]?
3 Your ·lies [L empty words] do not make people quiet;
people should ·correct [L shame] you when you ·make fun of God [L mock].
4 You ·say [claim], ‘My teachings are ·right [L pure],
and I am clean in ·God’s sight [L your eyes].’
5 I wish God would speak
and open his ·lips [L mouth] against you
6 and tell you the secrets of wisdom,
because ·wisdom [resourcefulness] has ·two [or many] sides.
Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin [C he has been tolerant of Job’s sin].
7 “Can you ·understand [L discover] the ·secrets [L deep things] of God?
Can you ·search [L discover] the limits of ·the Almighty [Shaddai]?
8 His limits are higher than the heavens; ·you cannot reach them [L what can you do]!
They are deeper than ·the grave [L Sheol]; you cannot understand them!
9 His limits are longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.
10 “If God ·comes along [L passes by] and puts you in prison
or ·calls you into court [L assembles for judgment], ·no one can stop him [L who can turn him back?].
11 God knows who is ·evil [worthless],
and when he sees ·evil [or an evil person], ·he takes [L does he not take…?] note of it.
12 A ·fool [L empty-headed person] cannot ·become wise [get understanding]
any more than a wild donkey can ·be born tame [or give birth to a human; C Zophar insults Job’s wisdom].
13 “You must ·give your whole heart to him [focus your heart]
and ·hold [spread] out your hands to him for help.
14 ·Put away [Remove] the sin that is in your hand;
let no ·evil [iniquity] ·remain [L take up residence] in your tent [C Zophar urges Job to repent].
15 Then you can lift up your face without ·shame [L blemish],
and you can ·stand strong [L be secure] without fear.
16 You will forget your trouble
and remember it only as water ·gone by [running away].
17 Your life will be ·as bright as [brighter than] the noonday sun,
and darkness will seem like morning.
18 You will ·feel safe [be secure] because there is hope;
you will ·look around [explore] and ·rest [L lie down] in safety.
19 You will lie down, and ·no one will scare you [L not tremble with fear].
Many people will want favors from you.
20 But the ·wicked will not be able to see [L eyes of the wicked will fail],
so ·they will not escape [L their escape route will be lost to them].
Their only ·hope [expectation] will be to die.”
The Good News About Christ
15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to ·remember [or be clear about] the ·Good News [Gospel] I brought to you. You received this ·Good News [Gospel] ·and continue strong in it [or and have based your faith on it; L in which you stand]. 2 And you are being saved by it if you ·continue believing [L hold firm to] ·what I told you [L the Gospel message I proclaimed to you], unless you believed ·for nothing [in vain; or superficially; or in something of no value].
3 [L For] I passed on to you what I received, which is ·of greatest importance [or the first thing I told you]: that Christ died for our sins, ·as the Scriptures say [L according to the Scripture; Is. 53:5–6]; 4 that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day ·as the Scriptures say [L according to the Scripture; Ps. 16:8–11]; 5 and that he was seen by ·Peter [L Cephas; C Peter’s name in Aramaic; see 1:12] and then by ·the twelve apostles [L the Twelve; Luke 24:33–36]. 6 After that, Jesus was seen by more than five hundred of the ·believers [L brothers (and sisters)] at the same time. Most of them ·are still living today [L remain until now], but some have ·died [L fallen asleep; C a euphemism for death]. 7 Then he was seen by ·James [Jesus’ brother; Mark 6:3; Acts 15:13; Gal. 1:19] and later by all the apostles [Acts 1:6–11]. 8 Last of all he was seen by me [Acts 9]—as by a person ·not born at the normal time [prematurely/abnormally born; C Christ’s appearance to Paul was unique, occurring after Jesus’ ascension]. 9 For I am the least of the apostles. I am not even ·good enough [worthy] to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But God’s grace has made me what I am, and his grace to me was not ·wasted [in vain; without effect]. [L On the contrary; Indeed] I worked harder than all ·the other apostles [of them]. (But it was not I really; it was God’s grace that was with me.) 11 So whether I preached to you or ·the other apostles [L they] preached to you, ·we all preach the same thing [this is what we preach; C the message of Christ’s death and resurrection; vv. 3–8], and this is what you believed.
We Will Be Raised from the Dead
12 Now ·since we preached that Christ was [L if Christ is preached as] raised from the dead, why do some of you say that people will not be raised from the dead [C some Corinthians denied the resurrection of the body]? 13 If ·no one is ever raised [L there is no resurrection] from the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is ·worth nothing [futile; useless; empty], and your faith is ·worth nothing [futile; useless; empty]. 15 And also, we are ·guilty of lying [L found to be false witnesses] about God, because we testified ·of him [L against God] that he raised Christ from the dead. But if people are not raised from the dead, then God never raised Christ. 16 If the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith ·has nothing to it [is futile/useless/empty]; you are still ·guilty of [or a slave to; L in] your sins. 18 ·And [Consequently; Therefore] those in Christ who have ·already died [L fallen asleep; v. 6] ·are lost [have perished]. 19 If our hope in Christ is for this life only, we should be pitied more than ·anyone else in the world [L all people].
20 But Christ has truly been raised from the dead—the ·first one and proof that those who sleep in death will also be raised [L firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep; C unlike others who had been raised to mortal life, Christ was the first to be raised to everlasting life]. 21 Death has come ·because of what one man did [through a man/human being], but the rising from death also comes ·because of one man [through a man/human being]. 22 In Adam all of us die. In the same way, in Christ all of us will be made alive again [Rom. 5:12–21]. 23 But ·everyone [each] will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was ·first to be raised [L the firstfruits]. When Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life, 24 and then the end will come. At that time Christ will ·destroy [abolish] all rulers, authorities, and powers, and he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father. 25 [L For] Christ must ·rule [reign] until he puts all enemies under his ·control [L feet; Ps. 110:1]. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. 27 ·The Scripture says that God put [L For he has subjected] all things under his ·control [L feet; Ps. 8:6]. When it says “all things” are ·under [subjected to] him, it is clear this does not include the One [C God the father] who put everything under his control. 28 After everything has been ·put under [subjected to] the Son, then he will ·put himself under [be subjected to] ·God [L the One…], who had put all things under him. ·Then [or …so that] God will be ·the complete ruler over everything [or supreme in every place and in every way; L all in all].
A Prayer in Time of Sickness
A psalm of David ·to remember [or for the memorial offering].
38 Lord, don’t ·correct [rebuke; reprove] me when you are angry.
Don’t ·punish [discipline] me when you are ·furious [enraged; 6:1].
2 Your arrows have ·wounded [pierced] me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 My ·body [flesh] is ·sick [L not sound] from your ·punishment [L indignation].
Even my bones are not healthy because of my sin.
4 My guilt has ·overwhelmed me [L passed over my head];
like a ·load [burden] it ·weighs me down [is too heavy for me].
5 My sores stink and become infected
because I was foolish.
6 I am bent over and bowed down;
I ·am sad [L walk around mourning] all day long.
7 ·I am burning with fever [L My loins are burned with fever],
and my ·whole body [flesh] is ·sore [L not sound].
8 I am weak and ·faint [L completely crushed].
I ·moan [groan] from the ·pain I feel [L anguish of my heart].
9 Lord, you know everything I ·want [desire; long for];
my ·cries [sighs] are not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, and my strength ·is gone [abandons/forsakes me].
·I am losing my sight [L The light of my eyes is not with me].
11 Because of my wounds, ·my friends [L those who love me] and neighbors ·avoid [L stand away from] me,
and my relatives ·stay [L stand] far away.
12 ·Some people set traps to kill me [L Those who seek my life set traps for me].
Those who ·want [seek] to ·hurt [harm; trouble] me plan trouble;
all day long they ·think up [meditate on] ·lies [deception].
13 I am like the deaf; I cannot hear.
Like the mute, I cannot ·speak [open my mouth].
14 I am like those who do not hear,
who have no ·answer [reproof] ·to give [L in their mouth].
15 I ·trust [hope in; wait for] you, Lord.
You will answer, my Lord and God.
16 I said, “Don’t let them ·laugh at [rejoice in] me
or ·brag [boast] when ·I am defeated [L my foot totters/slips].”
17 I am ·about to die [L ready to stumble],
and ·I cannot forget my pain [L my pain is constantly with me].
18 I confess my guilt;
I am troubled by my sin.
19 My ·enemies are strong and [L living enemies are] healthy,
and many hate me for no reason.
20 They repay me with evil for the good I did.
They ·lie about me [L are my accusers/adversaries] because I ·try to do [L pursued] good.
21 Lord, don’t ·leave [abandon; forsake] me;
my God, don’t ·go away [be far from me].
22 Quickly come and help me,
my Lord and Savior.
28 A lying witness will ·be forgotten [perish],
but a truthful witness will speak on.
29 Wicked people ·are stubborn [L put on a bold/impudent face],
but ·good people think carefully about what they do [L the virtuous establish their path].
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