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24 Wherefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.

The borders they reach, A drove they have taken violently away, Yea, they do evil.

The ass of the fatherless they lead away, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,

They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.

Lo, wild asses in a wilderness, They have gone out about their work, Seeking early for prey, A mixture for himself -- food for young ones.

In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean.

The naked they cause to lodge Without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.

From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge -- have embraced a rock.

They take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge.

10 Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry -- have taken away a sheaf.

11 Between their walls they make oil, Wine-presses they have trodden, and thirst.

12 Because of enmity men do groan, And the soul of pierced ones doth cry, And God doth not give praise.

13 They have been among rebellious ones of light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abode in His paths.

14 At the light doth the murderer rise, He doth slay the poor and needy, And in the night he is as a thief.

15 And the eye of an adulterer Hath observed the twilight, Saying, `No eye doth behold me.' And he putteth the face in secret.

16 He hath dug in the darkness -- houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.

17 When together, morning [is] to them death shade, When he discerneth the terrors of death shade.

18 Light he [is] on the face of the waters, Vilified is their portion in the earth, He turneth not the way of vineyards.

19 Drought -- also heat -- consume snow-waters, Sheol [those who] have sinned.

20 Forget him doth the womb, Sweeten [on] him doth the worm, No more is he remembered, And broken as a tree is wickedness.

21 Treating evil the barren [who] beareth not, And [to] the widow he doth no good,

22 And hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life.

23 He giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And his eyes [are] on their ways.

24 High they were [for] a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. As all [others] they are shut up, And as the head of an ear of corn cut off.

25 And if not now, who doth prove me a liar, And doth make of nothing my word?

25 And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: --

The rule and fear [are] with Him, Making peace in His high places.

Is their [any] number to His troops? And on whom ariseth not His light?

And what? is man righteous with God? And what? is he pure -- born of a woman?

Lo -- unto the moon, and it shineth not, And stars have not been pure in His eyes.

How much less man -- a grub, And the son of man -- a worm!

26 And Job answereth and saith: --

What -- thou hast helped the powerless, Saved an arm not strong!

What -- thou hast given counsel to the unwise, And wise plans in abundance made known.

With whom hast thou declared words? And whose breath came forth from thee?

The Rephaim are formed, Beneath the waters, also their inhabitants.

Naked [is] Sheol over-against Him, And there is no covering to destruction.

Stretching out the north over desolation, Hanging the earth upon nothing,

Binding up the waters in His thick clouds, And the cloud is not rent under them.

Taking hold of the face of the throne, Spreading over it His cloud.

10 A limit He hath placed on the waters, Unto the boundary of light with darkness.

11 Pillars of the heavens do tremble, And they wonder because of His rebuke.

12 By His power He hath quieted the sea, And by His understanding smitten the proud.

13 By His Spirit the heavens He beautified, Formed hath His hand the fleeing serpent.

14 Lo, these [are] the borders of His way, And how little a matter is heard of Him, And the thunder of His might Who doth understand?

27 And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: --

God liveth! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty -- He made my soul bitter.

For all the while my breath [is] in me, And the spirit of God in my nostrils.

My lips do not speak perverseness, And my tongue doth not utter deceit.

Pollution to me -- if I justify you, Till I expire I turn not aside mine integrity from me.

On my righteousness I have laid hold, And I do not let it go, My heart doth not reproach me while I live.

As the wicked is my enemy, And my withstander as the perverse.

For what [is] the hope of the profane, When He doth cut off? When God doth cast off his soul?

His cry doth God hear, When distress cometh on him?

10 On the Mighty doth he delight himself? Call God at all times?

11 I shew you by the hand of God, That which [is] with the Mighty I hide not.

12 Lo, ye -- all of you -- have seen, And why [is] this -- ye are altogether vain?

13 This [is] the portion of wicked man with God, And the inheritance of terrible ones From the Mighty they receive.

14 If his sons multiply -- for them [is] a sword. And his offspring [are] not satisfied [with] bread.

15 His remnant in death are buried, And his widows do not weep.

16 If he heap up as dust silver, And as clay prepare clothing,

17 He prepareth -- and the righteous putteth [it] on, And the silver the innocent doth apportion.

18 He hath built as a moth his house, And as a booth a watchman hath made.

19 Rich he lieth down, and he is not gathered, His eyes he hath opened, and he is not.

20 Overtake him as waters do terrors, By night stolen him away hath a whirlwind.

21 Take him up doth an east wind, and he goeth, And it frighteneth him from his place,

22 And it casteth at him, and doth not spare, From its hand he diligently fleeth.

23 It clappeth at him its hands, And it hisseth at him from his place.

28 Surely there is for silver a source, And a place for the gold they refine;

Iron from the dust is taken, And [from] the firm stone brass.

An end hath he set to darkness, And to all perfection he is searching, A stone of darkness and death-shade.

A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered.

The earth! from it cometh forth bread, And its under-part is turned like fire.

A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it hath dust of gold.

A path -- not known it hath a ravenous fowl, Nor scorched it hath an eye of the kite,

Nor trodden it have the sons of pride, Not passed over it hath the fierce lion.

Against the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains.

10 Among rocks, brooks he hath cleaved, And every precious thing hath his eye seen.

11 From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out [to] light.

12 And the wisdom -- whence is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?

13 Man hath not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.

14 The deep hath said, `It [is] not in me,' And the sea hath said, `It is not with me.'

15 Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed -- its price.

16 It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,

17 Not equal it do gold and crystal, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.

18 Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.

19 Not equal it doth the topaz of Cush, With pure gold it is not valued.

20 And the wisdom -- whence doth it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?

21 It hath been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the fowl of the heavens It hath been hidden.

22 Destruction and death have said: `With our ears we have heard its fame.'

23 God hath understood its way, And He hath known its place.

24 For He to the ends of the earth doth look, Under the whole heavens He doth see,

25 To make for the wind a weight, And the waters He meted out in measure.

26 In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,

27 Then He hath seen and declareth it, He hath prepared it, and also searched it out,

28 And He saith to man: -- `Lo, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.'

24 “Why does the Almighty not set times(A) for judgment?(B)
    Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?(C)
There are those who move boundary stones;(D)
    they pasture flocks they have stolen.(E)
They drive away the orphan’s donkey
    and take the widow’s ox in pledge.(F)
They thrust the needy(G) from the path
    and force all the poor(H) of the land into hiding.(I)
Like wild donkeys(J) in the desert,
    the poor go about their labor(K) of foraging food;
    the wasteland(L) provides food for their children.
They gather fodder(M) in the fields
    and glean in the vineyards(N) of the wicked.(O)
Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked;
    they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.(P)
They are drenched(Q) by mountain rains
    and hug(R) the rocks for lack of shelter.(S)
The fatherless(T) child is snatched(U) from the breast;
    the infant of the poor is seized(V) for a debt.(W)
10 Lacking clothes, they go about naked;(X)
    they carry the sheaves,(Y) but still go hungry.
11 They crush olives among the terraces[a];
    they tread the winepresses,(Z) yet suffer thirst.(AA)
12 The groans of the dying rise from the city,
    and the souls of the wounded cry out for help.(AB)
    But God charges no one with wrongdoing.(AC)

13 “There are those who rebel against the light,(AD)
    who do not know its ways
    or stay in its paths.(AE)
14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up,
    kills(AF) the poor and needy,(AG)
    and in the night steals forth like a thief.(AH)
15 The eye of the adulterer(AI) watches for dusk;(AJ)
    he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’(AK)
    and he keeps his face concealed.
16 In the dark, thieves break into houses,(AL)
    but by day they shut themselves in;
    they want nothing to do with the light.(AM)
17 For all of them, midnight is their morning;
    they make friends with the terrors(AN) of darkness.(AO)

18 “Yet they are foam(AP) on the surface of the water;(AQ)
    their portion of the land is cursed,(AR)
    so that no one goes to the vineyards.(AS)
19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,(AT)
    so the grave(AU) snatches away those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets them,
    the worm(AV) feasts on them;(AW)
the wicked are no longer remembered(AX)
    but are broken like a tree.(AY)
21 They prey on the barren and childless woman,
    and to the widow they show no kindness.(AZ)
22 But God drags away the mighty by his power;(BA)
    though they become established,(BB) they have no assurance of life.(BC)
23 He may let them rest in a feeling of security,(BD)
    but his eyes(BE) are on their ways.(BF)
24 For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone;(BG)
    they are brought low and gathered up like all others;(BH)
    they are cut off like heads of grain.(BI)

25 “If this is not so, who can prove me false
    and reduce my words to nothing?”(BJ)

Bildad

25 Then Bildad the Shuhite(BK) replied:

“Dominion and awe belong to God;(BL)
    he establishes order in the heights of heaven.(BM)
Can his forces be numbered?
    On whom does his light not rise?(BN)
How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
    How can one born of woman be pure?(BO)
If even the moon(BP) is not bright
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes,(BQ)
how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—
    a human being,(BR) who is only a worm!”(BS)

Job

26 Then Job replied:

“How you have helped the powerless!(BT)
    How you have saved the arm that is feeble!(BU)
What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
    And what great insight(BV) you have displayed!
Who has helped you utter these words?
    And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?(BW)

“The dead are in deep anguish,(BX)
    those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
The realm of the dead(BY) is naked before God;
    Destruction[b](BZ) lies uncovered.(CA)
He spreads out the northern skies(CB) over empty space;
    he suspends the earth over nothing.(CC)
He wraps up the waters(CD) in his clouds,(CE)
    yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
He covers the face of the full moon,
    spreading his clouds(CF) over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters(CG)
    for a boundary between light and darkness.(CH)
11 The pillars of the heavens quake,(CI)
    aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea;(CJ)
    by his wisdom(CK) he cut Rahab(CL) to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies(CM) became fair;
    his hand pierced the gliding serpent.(CN)
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
    how faint the whisper(CO) we hear of him!(CP)
    Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”(CQ)

Job’s Final Word to His Friends

27 And Job continued his discourse:(CR)

“As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,(CS)
    the Almighty,(CT) who has made my life bitter,(CU)
as long as I have life within me,
    the breath of God(CV) in my nostrils,
my lips will not say anything wicked,
    and my tongue will not utter lies.(CW)
I will never admit you are in the right;
    till I die, I will not deny my integrity.(CX)
I will maintain my innocence(CY) and never let go of it;
    my conscience(CZ) will not reproach me as long as I live.(DA)

“May my enemy be like the wicked,(DB)
    my adversary(DC) like the unjust!
For what hope have the godless(DD) when they are cut off,
    when God takes away their life?(DE)
Does God listen to their cry
    when distress comes upon them?(DF)
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?(DG)
    Will they call on God at all times?

11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
    the ways(DH) of the Almighty I will not conceal.(DI)
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
    Why then this meaningless talk?

13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
    the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:(DJ)
14 However many his children,(DK) their fate is the sword;(DL)
    his offspring will never have enough to eat.(DM)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
    and their widows will not weep for them.(DN)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust(DO)
    and clothes like piles of clay,(DP)
17 what he lays up(DQ) the righteous will wear,(DR)
    and the innocent will divide his silver.(DS)
18 The house(DT) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,(DU)
    like a hut(DV) made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;(DW)
    when he opens his eyes, all is gone.(DX)
20 Terrors(DY) overtake him like a flood;(DZ)
    a tempest snatches him away in the night.(EA)
21 The east wind(EB) carries him off, and he is gone;(EC)
    it sweeps him out of his place.(ED)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy(EE)
    as he flees headlong(EF) from its power.(EG)
23 It claps its hands(EH) in derision
    and hisses him out of his place.”(EI)

Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

28 There is a mine for silver
    and a place where gold is refined.(EJ)
Iron is taken from the earth,
    and copper is smelted from ore.(EK)
Mortals put an end to the darkness;(EL)
    they search out the farthest recesses
    for ore in the blackest darkness.(EM)
Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,(EN)
    in places untouched by human feet;
    far from other people they dangle and sway.
The earth, from which food comes,(EO)
    is transformed below as by fire;
lapis lazuli(EP) comes from its rocks,
    and its dust contains nuggets of gold.(EQ)
No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
    no falcon’s eye has seen it.(ER)
Proud beasts(ES) do not set foot on it,
    and no lion prowls there.(ET)
People assault the flinty rock(EU) with their hands
    and lay bare the roots of the mountains.(EV)
10 They tunnel through the rock;(EW)
    their eyes see all its treasures.(EX)
11 They search[c] the sources of the rivers(EY)
    and bring hidden things(EZ) to light.

12 But where can wisdom be found?(FA)
    Where does understanding dwell?(FB)
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;(FC)
    it cannot be found in the land of the living.(FD)
14 The deep(FE) says, “It is not in me”;
    the sea(FF) says, “It is not with me.”
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
    nor can its price be weighed out in silver.(FG)
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,(FH)
    with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.(FI)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,(FJ)
    nor can it be had for jewels of gold.(FK)
18 Coral(FL) and jasper(FM) are not worthy of mention;
    the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.(FN)
19 The topaz(FO) of Cush(FP) cannot compare with it;
    it cannot be bought with pure gold.(FQ)

20 Where then does wisdom come from?
    Where does understanding dwell?(FR)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    concealed even from the birds in the sky.(FS)
22 Destruction[d](FT) and Death(FU) say,
    “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it
    and he alone(FV) knows where it dwells,(FW)
24 for he views the ends of the earth(FX)
    and sees everything under the heavens.(FY)
25 When he established the force of the wind
    and measured out the waters,(FZ)
26 when he made a decree for the rain(GA)
    and a path for the thunderstorm,(GB)
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
    he confirmed it and tested it.(GC)
28 And he said to the human race,
    “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
    and to shun evil(GD) is understanding.”(GE)

Footnotes

  1. Job 24:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. Job 26:6 Hebrew Abaddon
  3. Job 28:11 Septuagint, Aquila and Vulgate; Hebrew They dam up
  4. Job 28:22 Hebrew Abaddon