Category: Job

Zophar Speaks

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:

2 Should this stream of wordsgo unanswered

and such a talkerbe acquitted?

3 Should your babbling put others to silence,

so that you can keep on ridiculing

with no one to humiliate you?

4 You have said, “My teachingis sound,

and I am pure in Your sight.”

5 But if only God would speak

and declare His caseagainst you,

6 He would show you the secrets of wisdom,

for true wisdom has two sides.

Know then that God has chosen to overlook some of your sin.

7 Can you fathom the depths of God

or discover the limits of the Almighty?

8 They are higher than the heavens — what can you do?

They are deeper than Sheol — what can you know?

9 Their measure is longer than the earth

and wider than the sea.

10 If He passes by and throws someone in prison

or convenes a court, who can stop Him?

11 Surely He knows which people are worthless.

If He sees iniquity, will He not take note of it?

12 But a stupid man will gain understanding

as soon as a wild donkey is born a man!

13 As for you, if you redirect your heart

and lift up your hands to Him in prayer —

14 if there is iniquity in your hand, remove it,

and don’t allow injustice to dwell in your tents —

15 then you will hold your head high, free from fault.

You will be firmly established and unafraid.

16 For you will forget your suffering,

recalling it only as waters that have flowed by.

17 Your life will be brighter than noonday;

its darknesswill be like the morning.

18 You will be confident, because there is hope.

You will look carefully about and lie down in safety.

19 You will lie down without fear,

and many will seek your favor.

20 But the sight of the wickedwill fail.

Their way of escape will be cut off,

and their only hope is their last breath.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JOB/11-d4a994e2b158082c2f88c66a1c87be66.mp3?version_id=72—

Job’s Reply to Zophar

1 Then Job answered:

2 No doubt you are the people,

and wisdom will die with you!

3 But I also have a mind;

I am not inferior to you.

Who doesn’t know the things you are talking about?

4 I am a laughingstock to myfriends,

by calling on God, who answers me.

The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.

5 The one who is at easeholds calamity in contempt

and thinks it is prepared for those whose feet are slipping.

6 The tents of robbers are safe,

and those who provoke God are secure;

God’s power provides this.

7 But ask the animals, and they will instruct you;

ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.

8 Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you;

let the fish of the sea inform you.

9 Which of all these does not know

that the hand of theLordhas done this?

10 The life of every living thing is in His hand,

as well as the breath of all mankind.

11 Doesn’t the ear test words

as the palate tastes food?

12 Wisdom is found with the elderly,

and understanding comes with long life.

13 Wisdom and strength belong to God;

counsel and understanding are His.

14 Whatever He tears down cannot be rebuilt;

whoever He imprisons cannot be released.

15 When He withholds the waters, everything dries up,

and when He releases them, they destroy the land.

16 True wisdom and power belong to Him.

The deceived and the deceiver are His.

17 He leads counselors away barefoot

and makes judges go mad.

18 He releases the bondsput on by kings

and fastens a belt around their waists.

19 He leads priests away barefoot

and overthrows established leaders.

20 He deprives trusted advisers of speech

and takes away the elders’ good judgment.

21 He pours out contempt on nobles

and disarmsthe strong.

22 He reveals mysteries from the darkness

and brings the deepest darkness into the light.

23 He makes nations great, then destroys them;

He enlarges nations,then leads them away.

24 He deprives the world’s leaders of reason,

and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.

25 They grope around in darkness without light;

He makes them stagger like drunken men.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JOB/12-1779216c4c71367e6a13cd501b9378b9.mp3?version_id=72—

1 Look, my eyes have seen all this;

my earshave heard and understood it.

2 Everything you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you.

3 Yet I prefer to speak to the Almighty

and argue my case before God.

4 But you coat the truth with lies;

you are all worthless doctors.

5 If only you would shut up

and let that be your wisdom!

6 Hear now my argument,

and listen to my defense.

7 Would you testify unjustly on God’s behalf

or speak deceitfully for Him?

8 Would you show partialityto Him

or argue the case in His defense?

9 Would it go well if He examined you?

Could you deceive Him as you would deceive a man?

10 Surely He would rebuke you

if you secretly showed partiality.

11 Would God’s majesty not terrify you?

Would His dread not fall on you?

12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ash;

your defenses are made of clay.

13 Be quiet,and I will speak.

Let whatever comes happen to me.

14 Why do I put myself at risk

and take my life in my own hands?

15 Even if He kills me, I will hope in Him.

I will still defendmy ways before Him.

16 Yes, this will result in my deliverance,

for no godless personcan appear before Him.

17 Pay close attention to my words;

let my declaration ring in your ears.

18 Now then, I have prepared my case;

I know that I am right.

19 Can anyone indict me?

If so, I will be silent and die.

20 Only grant these two things to me, God,

so that I will not have to hide from Your presence:

21 remove Your hand from me,

and do not let Your terror frighten me.

22 Then call, and I will answer,

or I will speak, and You can respond to me.

23 How many iniquitiesand sins have I committed?

Reveal to me my transgression and sin.

24 Why do You hide Your face

and consider me Your enemy?

25 Will You frighten a wind-driven leaf?

Will You chase after dry straw?

26 For You record bitter accusations against me

and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

27 You put my feet in the stocks

and stand watch over all my paths,

setting a limit for the solesof my feet.

28 Man wears out like something rotten,

like a moth-eaten garment.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JOB/13-7271ad89438951c7bc990c0ce623d5cc.mp3?version_id=72—

1 Man born of woman

is short of days and full of trouble.

2 He blossoms like a flower, then withers;

he flees like a shadow and does not last.

3 Do You really take notice of one like this?

Will You bring me into judgment against You?

4 Who can produce something pure from what is impure?

No one!

5 Since man’s days are determined

and the number of his months depends on You,

and since You have setlimits he cannot pass,

6 look away from him and let him rest

so that he can enjoy his day like a hired hand.

7 There is hope for a tree:

If it is cut down, it will sprout again,

and its shoots will not die.

8 If its roots grow old in the ground

and its stump starts to die in the soil,

9 the smell of water makes it thrive

and produce twigs like a sapling.

10 But a man dies and fades away;

he breathes his last — where is he?

11 As water disappears from the sea

and a river becomes parched and dry,

12 so man lies down never to rise again.

They will not wake up until the heavens are no more;

they will not stir from their sleep.

13 If only You would hide me in Sheol

and conceal me until Your angerpasses.

If only You would appoint a time for me

and then remember me.

14 When a man dies, will he come back to life?

If so, I would waitall the days of my struggle

until my relief comes.

15 You would call, and I would answer You.

You would long for the work of Your hands.

16 For then You would count my steps

but would not take noteof my sin.

17 My rebellion would be sealed up in a bag,

and You would cover over my iniquity.

18 But as a mountain collapses and crumbles

and a rock is dislodged from its place,

19 as water wears away stones

and torrents wash away the soil from the land,

so You destroy a man’s hope.

20 You completely overpower him, and he passes on;

You change his appearance and send him away.

21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it;

if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it.

22 He feels only the pain of his own body

and mourns only for himself.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JOB/14-2a3a5443a24311196cd6091dbafc2332.mp3?version_id=72—

Eliphaz Speaks

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

2 Does a wise man answer with emptycounsel

or fill himselfwith the hot east wind?

3 Should he arguewith useless talk

or with words that serve no good purpose?

4 But you even undermine the fear of God

and hinder meditation before Him.

5 Your iniquityteaches you what to say,

and you choose the language of the crafty.

6 Your own mouth condemns you, not I;

your own lips testify against you.

7 Were you the first person ever born,

or were you brought forth before the hills?

8 Do you listen in on the council of God,

or have a monopoly on wisdom?

9 What do you know that we don’t?

What do you understand that is not clear to us?

10 Both the gray-haired and the elderly are with us,

men older than your father.

11 Are God’s consolations not enough for you,

even the words that deal gently with you?

12 Why has your heart misled you,

and why do your eyes flash

13 as you turn your angeragainst God

and allow such words to leave your mouth?

14 What is man, that he should be pure,

or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones

and the heavens are not pure in His sight,

16 how much less one who is revolting and corrupt,

who drinks injusticelike water?

17 Listen to me and I will inform you.

I will describe what I have seen,

18 what was declared by wise men

and was not suppressed by their ancestors,

19 the land was given to them alone

when no foreigner passed among them.

20 A wicked man writhes in pain all his days;

only a fewyears are reserved for the ruthless.

21 Dreadful sounds fill his ears;

when he is at peace, a robber attacks him.

22 He doesn’t believe he will return from darkness;

he is destined for the sword.

23 He wanders about for food, saying, “Where is it? ”

He knows the day of darkness is at hand.

24 Troubleand distress terrify him,

overwhelming him like a king prepared for battle.

25 For he has stretched out his handagainst God

and has arrogantly opposed the Almighty.

26 He rushes headlong at Him

with his thick, studded shields.

27 Though his face is covered with fat

and his waistline bulges with it,

28 he will dwell in ruined cities,

in abandoned houses destined to become piles of rubble.

29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure.

His possessionswill not increase in the land.

30 He will not escape from the darkness;

flames will wither his shoots,

and by the breath of God’s mouth, he will depart.

31 Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray,

for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless.

32 It will be accomplished before his time,

and his branch will not flourish.

33 He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes

and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.

34 For the company of the godlesswill have no children,

and fire will consume the tents of those who offer bribes.

35 They conceive troubleand give birth to evil;

their wombprepares deception.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JOB/15-823ecc9256524655691bb9c6e2dbc6a8.mp3?version_id=72—

Job’s Reply to Eliphaz

1 Then Job answered:

2 I have heard many things like these.

You are all miserable comforters.

3 Is there no end to your emptywords?

What provokes you that you continue testifying?

4 If you were in my place I could also talk like you.

I could string words together against you

and shake my head at you.

5 Instead, I would encourage you with my mouth,

and the consolation from my lips would bring relief.

6 Even if I speak, my suffering is not relieved,

and if I hold back, what have I lost?

7 Surely Hehas now exhausted me.

You have devastated my entire family.

8 You have shriveled me up— it has become a witness;

My frailty rises up against me and testifies to my face.

9 His anger tears at me, and He harassesme.

He gnashes His teeth at me.

My enemy pierces me with His eyes.

10 They open their mouths against me

and strike my cheeks with contempt;

they join themselves together against me.

11 God hands me over to unjust men;

He throws me into the hands of the wicked.

12 I was at ease, but He shattered me;

He seized me by the scruff of the neck

and smashed me to pieces.

He set me up as His target;

13 His archerssurround me.

He pierces my kidneys without mercy

and pours my bile on the ground.

14 He breaks through my defenses again and again;

He charges at me like a warrior.

15 I have sewn sackcloth over my skin;

I have buried my strengthin the dust.

16 My face has grown red with weeping,

and darknesscovers my eyes,

17 although my hands are free from violence

and my prayer is pure.

18 Earth, do not cover my blood;

may my cry for help find no resting place.

19 Even now my witness is in heaven,

and my advocate is in the heights!

20 My friends scoff at me

as I weep before God.

21 I wish that someone might arbitrate

between a man and God

just as a man pleads for his friend.

22 For only a few years will pass

before I go the way of no return.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JOB/16-401cbe3335caa167fa2586440777a806.mp3?version_id=72—

1 My spirit is broken.

My days are extinguished.

A graveyardawaits me.

2 Surely mockers surroundme

and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion.

3 Make arrangements! Put up security for me.

Who else will be my sponsor?

4 You have closed their minds to understanding,

therefore You will not honor them.

5 If a man informs on his friends for a price,

the eyes of his children will fail.

6 He has made me an object of scorn to the people;

I have become a man people spit at.

7 My eyes have grown dim from grief,

and my whole body has become but a shadow.

8 The upright are appalledat this,

and the innocent are roused against the godless.

9 Yet the righteous person will hold to his way,

and the one whose hands are cleanwill grow stronger.

10 But come back and try again, all of you.

I will not find a wise man among you.

11 My days have slipped by;

my plans have been ruined,

even the things dear to my heart.

12 They turned night into day

and made light seem near in the face of darkness.

13 If I await Sheol as my home,

spread out my bed in darkness,

14 and say to corruption: You are my father,

and to the maggot: My mother or my sister,

15 where then is my hope?

Who can see any hope for me?

16 Will it go down to the gates of Sheol,

or will we descend together to the dust?

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JOB/17-50df4ac6e28c71686e098ade05e729f2.mp3?version_id=72—

Bildad Speaks

1 Then Bildad the Shuhitereplied:

2 How long until you stop talking?

Show some sense, and then we can talk.

3 Why are we regarded as cattle,

as stupid in your sight?

4 You who tear yourself in anger—

should the earth be abandoned on your account,

or a rock be removed from its place?

5 Yes, the lightof the wickedis extinguished;

the flame of his fire does not glow.

6 The light in his tent grows dark,

and the lamp beside him is put out.

7 His powerful stride is shortened,

and his own schemes trip him up.

8 For his own feet lead him into a net,

and he strays into its mesh.

9 A trap catches him by the heel;

a noose seizes him.

10 A rope lies hidden for him on the ground,

and a snare waits for him along the path.

11 Terrors frighten him on every side

and harass him at every step.

12 His strength is depleted;

disaster lies ready for him to stumble.

13 Parts of his skin are eaten away;

death’s firstborn consumes his limbs.

14 He is ripped from the security of his tent

and marched away to the king of terrors.

15 Nothing he owned remains in his tent.

Burning sulfuris scattered over his home.

16 His roots below dry up,

and his branches above wither away.

17 All memoryof him perishes from the earth;

he has no name anywhere.

18 He is driven from light to darkness

and chased from the inhabited world.

19 He has no children or descendants among his people,

no survivor where he used to live.

20 Those in the west are appalledat his fate,

while those in the east tremble in horror.

21 Indeed, such is the dwelling of the unjust man,

and this is the place of the one who does not know God.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JOB/18-b108943cd3f52e9aabeac71f7a33329e.mp3?version_id=72—

Job’s Reply to Bildad

1 Then Job answered:

2 How long will you torment me

and crush me with words?

3 You have humiliated me ten times now,

and you mistreatme without shame.

4 Even if it is true that I have sinned,

my mistake concerns onlyme.

5 If you really want to appear superiorto me

and would use my disgrace as evidence against me,

6 then understand that it is God who has wronged me

and caught me in His net.

7 I cry out: “Violence!” but get no response;

I call for help, but there is no justice.

8 He has blockedmy way so that I cannot pass through;

He has veiled my paths with darkness.

9 He has stripped me of my honor

and removed the crown from my head.

10 He tears me down on every side so that I am ruined.

He uproots my hope like a tree.

11 His angerburns against me,

and He regards me as one of His enemies.

12 His troops advance together;

they construct a rampagainst me

and camparound my tent.

13 He has removed my brothers from me;

my acquaintances have abandoned me.

14 My relatives stop coming by,

and my close friends have forgotten me.

15 My house guestsand female servants regard me as a stranger;

I am a foreigner in their sight.

16 I call for my servant, but he does not answer,

even if I beg him with my own mouth.

17 My breath is offensive to my wife,

and my own familyfinds me repulsive.

18 Even young boys scorn me.

When I stand up, they mock me.

19 All of my best friendsdespise me,

and those I love have turned against me.

20 My skin and my flesh cling to my bones;

I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

21 Have mercy on me, my friends,have mercy,

for God’s handhas struck me.

22 Why do you persecute me as God does?

Will you never get enough of my flesh?

23 I wish that my words were written down,

that they were recorded on a scroll

24 or were inscribed in stone forever

by an iron stylus and lead!

25 But I know my living Redeemer,

and He will stand on the dustat last.

26 Even after my skin has been destroyed,

yet I will see God inmy flesh.

27 I will see Him myself;

my eyes will look at Him, and not as a stranger.

My heart longswithin me.

28 If you say, “How will we pursue him,

since the root of the problem lies with him? ”

29 then be afraid of the sword,

because wrath brings punishment by the sword,

so that you may know there is a judgment.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JOB/19-035ebb78ee5b472a91b4a92ca614e692.mp3?version_id=72—

Zophar Speaks

1 Then Zophar the Naamathitereplied:

2 This is why my unsettling thoughts compel me to answer,

because I am upset!

3 I have heard a rebuke that insults me,

and my understandingmakes me reply.

4 Don’t you know that ever since antiquity,

from the time man was placed on earth,

5 the joy of the wicked has been brief

and the happiness of the godless has lasted only a moment?

6 Though his arrogance reaches heaven,

and his head touches the clouds,

7 he will vanish forever like his own dung.

Those who knowhim will ask, “Where is he? ”

8 He will fly away like a dream and never be found;

he will be chased away like a vision in the night.

9 The eye that saw him will see him no more,

and his household will no longer see him.

10 His children will beg fromthe poor,

for his own hands must give back his wealth.

11 His bones may be full of youthful vigor,

but will lie down with him in the grave.

12 Though evil tastes sweet in his mouth

and he conceals it under his tongue,

13 though he cherishes it and will not let it go

but keeps it in his mouth,

14 yet the food in his stomach turns

into cobras’ venom inside him.

15 He swallows wealth but must vomit it up;

God will force it from his stomach.

16 He will suck the poison of cobras;

a viper’s fangswill kill him.

17 He will not enjoy the streams,

the rivers flowing with honey and cream.

18 He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it;

he doesn’t enjoy the profits from his trading.

19 For he oppressed and abandoned the poor;

he seized a house he did not build.

20 Because his appetite is never satisfied,

he does not let anything he desires escape.

21 Nothing is left for him to consume;

therefore, his prosperity will not last.

22 At the height of his successdistress will come to him;

the full weight of miserywill crush him.

23 When he fills his stomach,

God will send His burning anger against him,

rainingit down on him while he is eating.

24 If he flees from an iron weapon,

an arrow from a bronze bow will pierce him.

25 He pulls it out of his back,

the flashing tip out of his liver.

Terrors come over him.

26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.

A fire unfanned by human hands will consumehim;

it will feed on what is left in his tent.

27 The heavens will expose his iniquity,

and the earth will rise up against him.

28 The possessions in his house will be removed,

flowing away on the day of God’s anger.

29 This is the wicked man’s lotfrom God,

the inheritance God ordained for him.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JOB/20-7682a908a8bc346ef99dfea2fd023c11.mp3?version_id=72—