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Eliphaz: Innocent Do Not Suffer
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite [a]answered,
2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But (A)who can refrain [b]from speaking?
3 “Behold (B)you have admonished many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.
4 “Your words have [c]helped the tottering to stand,
And you have strengthened [d]feeble knees.
5 “But now it has come to you, and you (C)are impatient;
It (D)touches you, and you are dismayed.
6 “Is not your [e](E)fear of God (F)your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember now, (G)who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?
8 “According to what I have seen, (H)those who plow iniquity
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
9 “By (I)the breath of God they perish,
And (J)by the [f]blast of His anger they come to an end.
10 “The (K)roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 “The (L)lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the (M)whelps of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word (N)was brought to me stealthily,
And my ear received a (O)whisper of it.
13 “Amid disquieting (P)thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14 Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made [g]all my bones shake.
15 “Then a [h]spirit passed by my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled up.
16 “It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can (Q)mankind be just [i]before God?
Can a man be pure [j]before his (R)Maker?
18 ‘(S)He puts no trust even in His servants;
And against His angels He charges error.
19 ‘How much more those who dwell in (T)houses of clay,
Whose (U)foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
20 ‘(V)Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unobserved, they (W)perish forever.
21 ‘Is not their (X)tent-cord plucked up within them?
They die, yet (Y)without wisdom.’
God Is Just
5 “Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the (Z)holy ones will you turn?
2 “For (AA)anger slays the foolish man,
And jealousy kills the simple.
3 “I have seen the (AB)foolish taking root,
And I (AC)cursed his abode immediately.
4 “His (AD)sons are far from safety,
They are even [k]oppressed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.
5 “[l]His harvest the hungry devour
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the [m](AE)schemer is eager for their wealth.
6 “For (AF)affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 For (AG)man is born for trouble,
As sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would (AH)seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;
9 Who (AI)does great and unsearchable things,
[n]Wonders without number.
10 “He (AJ)gives rain on the earth
And sends water on the fields,
11 So that (AK)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 “He (AL)frustrates the plotting of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.
13 “He (AM)captures the wise by their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
14 “By day they (AN)meet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.
15 “But He saves from (AO)the sword of their mouth,
And (AP)the poor from the hand of the mighty.
16 “So the helpless has hope,
And (AQ)unrighteousness must shut its mouth.
17 “Behold, how (AR)happy is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise the (AS)discipline of [o]the Almighty.
18 “For (AT)He inflicts pain, and [p]gives relief;
He wounds, and His hands also heal.
19 “[q]From six troubles (AU)He will deliver you,
Even in seven (AV)evil will not touch you.
20 “In (AW)famine He will redeem you from death,
And (AX)in war from the power of the sword.
21 “You will be (AY)hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
(AZ)And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.
22 “You will (BA)laugh at violence and famine,
(BB)And you will not be afraid of [r]wild beasts.
23 “For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And (BC)the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 “You will know that your (BD)tent is secure,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.
25 “You will know also that your [s](BE)descendants will be many,
And (BF)your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 “You will (BG)come to the grave in full vigor,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27 “Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
Job’s Friends Are No Help
6 Then Job [t]answered,
2 “(BH)Oh that my grief were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my calamity!
3 “For then it would be (BI)heavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.
4 “For the (BJ)arrows of the Almighty are within me,
[u]Their (BK)poison my spirit drinks;
The (BL)terrors of God are arrayed against me.
5 “Does the (BM)wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his fodder?
6 “Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the [v]white of an egg?
7 “My soul (BN)refuses to touch them;
They are like loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my longing!
9 “Would that God were (BO)willing to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and cut me off!
10 “But it is still my consolation,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I (BP)have not [w]denied the words of the Holy One.
11 “What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should [x](BQ)endure?
12 “Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 “Is it that my (BR)help is not within me,
And that [y](BS)deliverance is driven from me?
14 “For the (BT)despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not (BU)forsake the [z]fear of the Almighty.
15 “My brothers have acted (BV)deceitfully like a [aa]wadi,
Like the torrents of [ab]wadis which vanish,
16 Which are turbid because of ice
And into which the snow [ac]melts.
17 “When (BW)they become waterless, they [ad]are silent,
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 “The [ae]paths of their course wind along,
They go up into nothing and perish.
19 “The caravans of (BX)Tema looked,
The travelers of (BY)Sheba hoped for them.
20 “They (BZ)were [af]disappointed for they had trusted,
They came there and were confounded.
21 “Indeed, you have now become such,
(CA)You see a terror and are afraid.
22 “Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the hand of the adversary,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?
24 “Teach me, and (CB)I will be silent;
And show me how I have erred.
25 “How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
26 “Do you intend to reprove my words,
When the (CC)words of one in despair belong to the wind?
27 “You would even (CD)cast lots for (CE)the orphans
And (CF)barter over your friend.
28 “Now please look at me,
And see if I (CG)lie to your face.
29 “Desist now, let there be no injustice;
Even desist, (CH)my righteousness is yet in it.
30 “Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot (CI)my palate discern [ag]calamities?
Job’s Life Seems Futile
7 “[ah]Is not man (CJ)forced to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of (CK)a hired man?
2 “As a slave who pants for the shade,
And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages,
3 So am I allotted months of vanity,
And (CL)nights of trouble are appointed me.
4 “When I (CM)lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am [ai]continually tossing until dawn.
5 “My (CN)flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and runs.
6 “My days are (CO)swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And come to an end (CP)without hope.
7 “Remember that my life (CQ)is but breath;
My eye will (CR)not again see good.
8 “The (CS)eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but (CT)I will not be.
9 “When a (CU)cloud vanishes, it is gone,
So (CV)he who goes down to (CW)Sheol does not come up.
10 “He will not return again to his house,
Nor will (CX)his place know him anymore.
11 “Therefore (CY)I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 “Am I the sea, or (CZ)the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 “If I say, ‘(DA)My bed will comfort me,
My couch will [aj]ease my complaint,’
14 Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me by visions;
15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my [ak]pains.
16 “I [al](DB)waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, (DC)for my days are but a breath.
17 “(DD)What is man that You magnify him,
And that You [am]are concerned about him,
18 That (DE)You examine him every morning
And try him every moment?
19 “[an](DF)Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 “(DG)Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O (DH)watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 “Why then (DI)do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will (DJ)lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, (DK)but I will not be.”
18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; 19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Instruction for the Church
20 (A)Brethren, (B)do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil (C)be infants, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In (D)the Law it is written, “(E)By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the Lord. 22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but (F)prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. 23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and [a]ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that (G)you are mad? 24 But if all (H)prophesy, and an unbeliever or an [b]ungifted man enters, he is (I)convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25 (J)the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will (K)fall on his face and worship God, (L)declaring that God is certainly among you.
26 (M)What is the outcome then, (N)brethren? When you assemble, (O)each one has a (P)psalm, has a (Q)teaching, has a (R)revelation, has a (S)tongue, has an (T)interpretation. Let (U)all things be done for edification. 27 If anyone speaks in a (V)tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must (W)interpret; 28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three (X)prophets speak, and let the others (Y)pass judgment. 30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; 33 for God is not a God of (Z)confusion but of [c]peace, as in (AA)all the churches of the (AB)saints.
34 The women are to (AC)keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but (AD)are to subject themselves, just as (AE)the Law also says. 35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is [d]improper for a woman to speak in church. 36 [e]Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only?
37 (AF)If anyone thinks he is a prophet or (AG)spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you (AH)are the Lord’s commandment. 38 But if anyone does not recognize this, he [f]is not recognized.
39 Therefore, my brethren, (AI)desire earnestly to (AJ)prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. 40 But (AK)all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.
30 The mouth of the righteous (A)utters wisdom,
And his tongue (B)speaks justice.
31 The (C)law of his God is in his heart;
His (D)steps do not slip.
32 The (E)wicked spies upon the righteous
And (F)seeks to kill him.
33 The Lord will (G)not leave him in his hand
Or (H)let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 (I)Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the (J)wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35 I have (K)seen a wicked, violent man
Spreading himself like a (L)luxuriant [a]tree in its native soil.
36 Then [b]he passed away, and lo, he (M)was no more;
I sought for him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the [c](N)blameless man, and behold the (O)upright;
For the man of peace will have a [d](P)posterity.
38 But transgressors will be altogether (Q)destroyed;
The [e]posterity of the wicked will be (R)cut off.
39 But the (S)salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength (T)in time of trouble.
40 (U)The Lord helps them and delivers them;
He (V)delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they (W)take refuge in Him.
27 The (A)sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,
How much more when he brings it with evil intent!
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.