Job 10-13

New Life Version

Job Keeps On Talking

10 “I hate my life. I will be free in my complaining. I will show how bitter I am in my soul when I speak. ² I will say to God, ‘Do not say that I am guilty and punish me. Let me know why You work against me. ³ Do You think it is right for You to make it hard for me, to turn away from the work of Your hands and favor the plans of the sinful? ⁴ Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as a man sees? ⁵ Are Your days as the days of man, or Your years as man’s years, ⁶ that You should look for my wrong-doing and my sin? ⁷ You know that I am not guilty, yet there is no one who can take me away from Your hand.

⁸ ‘Your hands put me together and made me, and now would You destroy me? ⁹ Remember that You have made me as clay. Would You turn me into dust again? ¹⁰ Did You not pour me out like milk and make me become hard like cheese? ¹¹ You have given me clothing of skin and flesh, and have tied me together with bones and cord. ¹² You have given me life and loving-kindness. Your care has kept my spirit alive. ¹³ Yet You have hidden these things in Your heart. I know that this is in Your thoughts. ¹⁴ If I sin, You would see me, and would not free me from my guilt. ¹⁵ If I am sinful, it would be bad for me! If I am right and good, I cannot lift my head for I am filled with shame and see all my trouble. ¹⁶ If I would lift up my head, You would hunt me like a lion. Again You would show Your power against me. ¹⁷ You would send new ones who would speak against me, and become more angry with me. You would send me more and more trouble.

¹⁸ ‘Why then did You let me be born? If only I had died and no one had seen me! ¹⁹ I should have been as if I had never lived, carried from my mother to the grave.’ ²⁰ Are not my days few? Leave me alone, that I may find a little comfort ²¹ before I go to a place from which I will not return. I will go to the land of darkness and shadow. ²² It is the land of complete darkness and shadow and trouble, where the light is darkness.”

Zophar Talks

11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered, ² “Should many words go without an answer? Should a man full of talk be said to be without blame? ³ Should your words of pride make men quiet? Should you make fun of truth and no one speak sharp words to you? ⁴ For you say, ‘What I believe is pure. I am without fault in Your eyes.’ ⁵ If only God would speak, and open His lips against you. ⁶ He would show you the secrets of wisdom because there are two sides. Then you would know that God is punishing you less than you should get.

⁷ “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out how far the All-powerful can go? ⁸ They are higher than the heavens. What can you do? They are deeper than the place of the dead. What can you know? ⁹ They are longer than the earth and wider than the sea. ¹⁰ If He passes by, puts a man in prison, or calls him to trial, who can stop Him? ¹¹ For He knows men who are no good. When He sees wrong-doing, will He not look into it? ¹² A fool cannot become wise anymore than a wild donkey can give birth to a man.

¹³ “If you set your heart right, and put out your hands to Him, ¹⁴ and if you put away the sin that is in your hand, do not let wrong-doing be in your tents. ¹⁵ Then you will be able to lift up your face without sin. You would be strong and not afraid. ¹⁶ For you would forget your trouble, remembering it as waters that have passed by. ¹⁷ Your life would be brighter than noon. Darkness would be like the morning. ¹⁸ Then you would trust, because there is hope. You would look around and rest and be safe. ¹⁹ You would lie down and no one would make you afraid. Many would ask for your favor. ²⁰ But the eyes of the sinful will waste away. There will be no way for them to get away. And their hope is to breathe their last.”

Job Talks

12 Then Job answered, ² “No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you. ³ But I have understanding as well as you. I am not less than you. Who does not know such things as these? ⁴ Even my friends laugh at me. The man who called on God, and God answered him, the man who is right and without blame is laughed at. ⁵ He who lives in comfort laughs at one who has trouble and whose feet are slipping. ⁶ The tents of those who destroy have much. Those who make God angry are safe and have their god in their own hands.

⁷ “But ask the wild animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. ⁸ Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you. Let the fish of the sea make it known to you. ⁹ Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? ¹⁰ In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all men. ¹¹ Does not the ear test words as the mouth tastes food? ¹² Wisdom is with old men, and understanding with long life.

¹³ “With God are wisdom and strength. Wise words and understanding belong to Him. ¹⁴ See, He tears down, and it cannot be built again. He puts a man in prison, and no one can free him. ¹⁵ See, He stops the waters and they dry up. He sends them out, and they cover the earth. ¹⁶ Strength and wisdom are with Him. Both the fool and the one who fools him belong to God. ¹⁷ He takes wisdom away from leaders and makes fools of judges. ¹⁸ He takes off chains put on by kings, and holds back the power of kings. ¹⁹ He makes religious leaders walk without pride, and takes the power away from those who think they are safe. ²⁰ He stops the trusted ones from speaking and takes away the wisdom of the leaders. ²¹ He pours anger on rulers, and takes away the strength of the strong. ²² He makes known hidden truth from the darkness, and brings deep darkness to light. ²³ He makes the nations great, and then destroys them. He helps nations to become large, then leads them away. ²⁴ He takes away understanding from the leaders of the people of the earth, and makes them travel in a waste-land with no path. ²⁵ They feel their way in darkness with no light. And He makes them walk from side to side like a drunk man.

Job Talks

13 “See, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it. ² What you know I also know. I am not less than you.

³ “But I wish to speak to the All-powerful. I want to argue with God. ⁴ But you cover things with lies. You are doctors of no worth. ⁵ If only you would be quiet, and that would show your wisdom! ⁶ Hear what I think. Listen to the arguing of my lips. ⁷ Will you say what is not true for God? Will you lie for Him? ⁸ Will you show favor for Him? Will you argue for God? ⁹ Will it be well when He tests you? Or do you lie to Him as one lies to a man? ¹⁰ For sure He will speak strong words to you if you show favor in secret. ¹¹ Will not His great power make you afraid? Will not the fear of Him come upon you? ¹² Your wise sayings are sayings of ashes. Your strength is the strength of clay.

¹³ “Be quiet so that I may speak. Then let come on me what will. ¹⁴ Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hands? ¹⁵ Even though He would kill me, yet I will trust in Him. I will argue my ways to His face. ¹⁶ This will save me, for a sinful man may not come to Him. ¹⁷ Be careful to listen to my words. Let what I say fill your ears. ¹⁸ See, I am ready to tell everything, and all will know I am right. ¹⁹ Who will talk against me? For then I would be quiet and die.

²⁰ “Only two things I ask of You, and then I will not hide from Your face. ²¹ Take Your hand from me, and do not let the fear of You make me so afraid. ²² Then call, and I will answer. Or let me speak, and You answer me. ²³ How many are my sins and wrong-doings? Help me to know my wrong-doing and sin. ²⁴ Why do You hide Your face, and think of me as one who hates You? ²⁵ Will You make a wind-blown leaf afraid? Will You go after the dry parts of a grain-field that have no worth? ²⁶ For You write bitter things against me. You punish me for the sins I did when I was young. ²⁷ You put chains on my feet, and watch everything I do. You let me walk only so far. ²⁸ I am wasting away like a piece of dead wood, like clothing eaten by the moth.