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Job 6-9
GOD’S WORD Translation
Job 6-9
GOD’S WORD Translation
Job Speaks: God Has Attacked Me Without Cause
6 Then Job replied ⌞to his friends⌟,
2 “If only my grief could be weighed,
if only my misery could be laid on the scales with it,
3 then they would be heavier than the sand of the seas.
I spoke carelessly
4 because the arrows of the Almighty ⌞have found their target⌟ in me,
and my spirit is drinking their poison.
God’s terrors line up in battle against me.
5 “Does a wild donkey bray when it’s ⌞eating⌟ grass,
or does an ox make a sound over its hay?
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
or is there any flavor in the white of an egg?
7 I refuse to touch such things.
They are disgusting to me.
8 “How I wish that my prayer would be answered—
that God would give me what I’m hoping for,
9 that God would ⌞finally⌟ be willing to crush me,
that he would reach out to cut me off.
10 Then I would still have comfort.
I would be happy despite my endless pain,
because I have not rejected the words of the Holy One.
11 What strength do I have ⌞left⌟ that I can go on hoping?
What goal do I have that I would want to prolong my life?
12 Do I have the strength of rocks?
Does my body have the strength of bronze?
13 Am I not completely helpless?
Haven’t my skills been taken away from me?
You Have Not Treated Me Like True Friends
14 “A friend should treat a troubled person kindly,
even if he abandons the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have been as deceptive as seasonal rivers,
like the seasonal riverbeds that flood.
16 They are dark with ice.
They are hidden by snow.
17 They vanish during a scorching summer.
In the heat their riverbeds dry up.
18 They change their course.
They go into a wasteland and disappear.
19 Caravans from Tema look for them.
Travelers from Sheba search for them.
20 They are ashamed because they relied on the streams.
Arriving there, they are disappointed.
21 “So you are as unreliable to me ⌞as they are⌟.
You see something terrifying, and you are afraid.
22 Did I ever say, ‘Give me a gift,’
or ‘Offer me a bribe from your wealth,’
23 or ‘Rescue me from an enemy,’
or ‘Ransom me from a tyrant’?
24 Teach me, and I’ll be silent.
Show me where I’ve been wrong.
25 How painful an honest discussion can be!
In correcting me, you correct yourselves!
26 Do you think my words need correction?
Do you think they’re what a desperate person says to the wind?
27 Would you also throw dice for an orphan?
Would you buy and sell your friend?
28 “But now, if you’re willing, look at me.
I won’t lie to your face.
29 Please change your mind.
Don’t permit any injustice.
Change your mind because I am still right about this!
30 Is there injustice on my tongue,
or is my mouth unable to tell the difference between right and wrong?
Job Speaks about the Futility of Human Existence
7 “Isn’t a mortal’s stay on earth difficult
like a hired hand’s daily ⌞work⌟?
2 Like a slave, he longs for shade.
Like a hired hand, he eagerly looks for his pay.
3 Likewise, I have been given months that are of no use,
and I have inherited nights filled with misery.
4 When I lie down, I ask,
‘When will I get up?’
But the evening is long,
and I’m exhausted from tossing about until dawn.
5 My body is covered with maggots and scabs.
My skin is crusted over with sores; then they ooze.
6 My days go swifter than a weaver’s shuttle.
They are spent without hope.
7 Remember, my life is only a breath,
and never again will my eyes see anything good.
8 The eye that watches over me will no longer see me.
Your eye will look for me, but I’ll be gone.
9 As a cloud fades away and disappears,
so a person goes into the grave and doesn’t come back again.
10 He doesn’t come back home again,
and his household doesn’t recognize him anymore.
11 So I won’t keep my mouth shut,
but I will speak from the distress that is in my spirit
and complain about the bitterness in my soul.
Job Says to God: Leave Me Alone
12 “Am I the sea or a sea monster
that you have set a guard over me?
13 When I say,
‘My couch may give me comfort.
My bed may help me bear my pain,’
14 then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify me with visions.
15 My throat would rather be choked.
My body [a] would prefer death ⌞to these dreams⌟.
16 I hate my life; I do not want to live forever.
Leave me alone because my days are so brief.
17 “What is a mortal that you should make so much of him,
that you should be concerned about him?
18 ⌞What is he⌟ that you should inspect him every morning
and examine him every moment?
19 Why don’t you stop looking at me
long enough to let me swallow my spit?
20 If I sin, what can I ⌞possibly⌟ do to you
since you insist on spying on people?
Why do you make me your target?
I’ve become a burden even to myself.
21 Why don’t you forgive my disobedience
and take away my sin?
Soon I’ll lie down in the dust.
Then you will search for me, but I’ll be gone!”
Bildad Speaks: You Are Unjustly Accusing God of Doing Evil, Job
8 Then Bildad from Shuah replied ⌞to Job⌟,
2 “How long will you say these things?
How long will your words be so windy?
3 Does God distort justice,
or does the Almighty distort righteousness?
4 If your children sinned against him,
he allowed them to suffer the consequences of their sinfulness.
5 If you search for God
and plead for mercy from the Almighty,
6 if you are moral and ethical,
then he will rise up on your behalf
and prove your righteousness by rebuilding your home.
7 Then what you had in the past will seem small
compared with the great prosperity you’ll have in the future.
Learn from Past Generations
8 “Ask the people of past generations.
Find out what their ancestors had learned.
9 We have only been around since yesterday, and we know nothing.
Our days on earth are only a fleeting shadow.
10 Won’t their words teach you?
Won’t they share their thoughts with you?
God Does Not Punish the Innocent Person
11 “Can papyrus grow up where there is no swamp?
Can rushes grow tall without water?
12 Even if they were fresh and not cut,
they would wither quicker than grass.
13 The same thing happens to all who forget God.
The hope of the godless dies.
14 His confidence is easily shattered.
His trust is a spider’s web.
15 If one leans on his house, it collapses.
If one holds on to it, it will not support his weight.
16 He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine.
The shoots spread over his garden.
17 Its roots weave through a pile of stones.
They cling to a stone house.
18 But when it is uprooted from its place,
⌞the ground⌟ denies it ⌞and says⌟, ‘I never saw you!’
19 That is its joy in this life,
and others sprout from the same ground to ⌞take its place⌟.
20 “Certainly, God does not reject a person of integrity
or give a helping hand to wicked people.
21 He will fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with happy shouting.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
and the tent of the wicked will cease to exist.”
Job Speaks: the Futility of Arguing with God
9 Then Job replied ⌞to his friends⌟,
2 “Yes, I know that this is true.
But how can a mortal be declared righteous to God?
3 If he wished to debate with God,
he wouldn’t be able to answer one question in a thousand.
4 “God is wise in heart and mighty in power.
Who could oppose him and win?
5 He moves mountains without their knowing it,
and he topples them in his anger.
6 He shakes the earth from its place,
and its pillars tremble.
7 He commands the sun not to rise.
He doesn’t let the stars come out.
8 He stretches out the heavens by himself
and walks on the waves of the sea.
9 He made ⌞the constellations⌟ Ursa Major, Orion, and the Pleiades,
and the clusters of stars in the south.
10 He does great things that are unsearchable
and miracles that cannot be numbered.
11 He passes alongside of me, and I don’t even see him.
He goes past me, and I don’t even notice him.
12 He takes something away, ⌞but⌟ who can stop him?
Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God does not hold back his anger.
Even Rahab’s[b] helpers bow humbly in front of him.
14 “How can I possibly answer God?
How can I find the right words ⌞to speak⌟ with him?
15 Even if I were right, I could not answer ⌞him⌟.
I would have to plead for mercy from my judge.
16 If I cried out and he answered me,
I do not believe that he would listen to me.
17 He would knock me down with a storm
and bruise me without a reason.
18 He would not let me catch my breath.
He fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of strength,
then he is the mighty one.
If it is about justice,
who will charge me with a crime?
20 If I am righteous, my own mouth would condemn me.
It would declare that I am corrupt even if I am a man of integrity.
21 If I am a man of integrity, I have no way of knowing it.
I hate my life!
22 It is all the same.
That is why I say,
‘He destroys ⌞both⌟ the man of integrity and the wicked.’
23 When a sudden disaster brings death,
he makes fun of the despair of innocent people.
24 The earth is handed over to the wicked.
He covers the faces of its judges.
If he isn’t the one ⌞doing this⌟, who is?
25 “My days go by more quickly than a runner.
They sprint away.
They don’t see anything good.
26 They pass by quickly like boats made from reeds,
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 ⌞Even⌟ if I say, ‘I will forget my complaining;
I will change my expression and smile,’
28 I ⌞still⌟ dread everything I must suffer.
I know that you won’t declare me innocent.
29 I’ve already been found guilty.
Why should I work so hard for nothing?
30 If I wash myself with lye soap[c]
and cleanse my hands with bleach,
31 then you would plunge me into a muddy pit,
and my own clothes would find me disgusting.
32 A human like me cannot answer God,
‘Let’s take our case to court.’
33 There is no mediator between us
to put his hand on both of us.
34 God should take his rod away from me,
and he should not terrify me.[d]
35 Then I would speak and not be afraid of him.
But I know that I am not like that.
Job 6-9
New International Version
Job 6-9
New International Version
Job
6 Then Job replied:
2 “If only my anguish could be weighed
and all my misery be placed on the scales!(A)
3 It would surely outweigh the sand(B) of the seas—
no wonder my words have been impetuous.(C)
4 The arrows(D) of the Almighty(E) are in me,(F)
my spirit drinks(G) in their poison;(H)
God’s terrors(I) are marshaled against me.(J)
5 Does a wild donkey(K) bray(L) when it has grass,
or an ox bellow when it has fodder?(M)
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow[a]?(N)
7 I refuse to touch it;
such food makes me ill.(O)
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant what I hope for,(P)
9 that God would be willing to crush(Q) me,
to let loose his hand and cut off my life!(R)
10 Then I would still have this consolation(S)—
my joy in unrelenting pain(T)—
that I had not denied the words(U) of the Holy One.(V)
11 “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
What prospects, that I should be patient?(W)
12 Do I have the strength of stone?
Is my flesh bronze?(X)
13 Do I have any power to help myself,(Y)
now that success has been driven from me?
14 “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend(Z)
forsakes the fear of the Almighty.(AA)
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,(AB)
as the streams that overflow
16 when darkened by thawing ice
and swollen with melting snow,(AC)
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
and in the heat(AD) vanish from their channels.
18 Caravans turn aside from their routes;
they go off into the wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema(AE) look for water,
the traveling merchants of Sheba(AF) look in hope.
20 They are distressed, because they had been confident;
they arrive there, only to be disappointed.(AG)
21 Now you too have proved to be of no help;
you see something dreadful and are afraid.(AH)
22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf,
pay a ransom(AI) for me from your wealth,(AJ)
23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy,
rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’?(AK)
24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet;(AL)
show me where I have been wrong.(AM)
25 How painful are honest words!(AN)
But what do your arguments prove?
26 Do you mean to correct what I say,
and treat my desperate words as wind?(AO)
27 You would even cast lots(AP) for the fatherless(AQ)
and barter away your friend.
28 “But now be so kind as to look at me.
Would I lie to your face?(AR)
29 Relent, do not be unjust;(AS)
reconsider, for my integrity(AT) is at stake.[b](AU)
30 Is there any wickedness on my lips?(AV)
Can my mouth not discern(AW) malice?
7 “Do not mortals have hard service(AX) on earth?(AY)
Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(AZ)
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(BA)
or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(BB)
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(BC)
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’(BD)
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.(BE)
5 My body is clothed with worms(BF) and scabs,
my skin is broken and festering.(BG)
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(BH)
and they come to an end without hope.(BI)
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(BJ)
my eyes will never see happiness again.(BK)
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
you will look for me, but I will be no more.(BL)
9 As a cloud vanishes(BM) and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave(BN) does not return.(BO)
10 He will never come to his house again;
his place(BP) will know him no more.(BQ)
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent;(BR)
I will speak out in the anguish(BS) of my spirit,
I will complain(BT) in the bitterness of my soul.(BU)
12 Am I the sea,(BV) or the monster of the deep,(BW)
that you put me under guard?(BX)
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
and my couch will ease my complaint,(BY)
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify(BZ) me with visions,(CA)
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,(CB)
rather than this body of mine.(CC)
16 I despise my life;(CD) I would not live forever.(CE)
Let me alone;(CF) my days have no meaning.(CG)
17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
that you give them so much attention,(CH)
18 that you examine them every morning(CI)
and test them(CJ) every moment?(CK)
19 Will you never look away from me,(CL)
or let me alone even for an instant?(CM)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,(CN)
you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?(CO)
Have I become a burden to you?[c](CP)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
and forgive my sins?(CQ)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;(CR)
you will search for me, but I will be no more.”(CS)
Bildad
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite(CT) replied:
2 “How long will you say such things?(CU)
Your words are a blustering wind.(CV)
3 Does God pervert justice?(CW)
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(CX)
4 When your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.(CY)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
and plead(CZ) with the Almighty,(DA)
6 if you are pure and upright,
even now he will rouse himself on your behalf(DB)
and restore you to your prosperous state.(DC)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
so prosperous(DD) will your future be.(DE)
8 “Ask the former generation(DF)
and find out what their ancestors learned,
9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,(DG)
and our days on earth are but a shadow.(DH)
10 Will they not instruct(DI) you and tell you?
Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?(DJ)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?(DK)
Can reeds(DL) thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
they wither more quickly than grass.(DM)
13 Such is the destiny(DN) of all who forget God;(DO)
so perishes the hope of the godless.(DP)
14 What they trust in is fragile[d];
what they rely on is a spider’s web.(DQ)
15 They lean on the web,(DR) but it gives way;
they cling to it, but it does not hold.(DS)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
spreading its shoots(DT) over the garden;(DU)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
and looks for a place among the stones.
18 But when it is torn from its spot,
that place disowns(DV) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’(DW)
19 Surely its life withers(DX) away,
and[e] from the soil other plants grow.(DY)
20 “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless(DZ)
or strengthen the hands of evildoers.(EA)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter(EB)
and your lips with shouts of joy.(EC)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,(ED)
and the tents(EE) of the wicked will be no more.”(EF)
Job
9 Then Job replied:
2 “Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(EG)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,(EH)
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(EI)
4 His wisdom(EJ) is profound, his power is vast.(EK)
Who has resisted(EL) him and come out unscathed?(EM)
5 He moves mountains(EN) without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.(EO)
6 He shakes the earth(EP) from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.(EQ)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(ER)
he seals off the light of the stars.(ES)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(ET)
and treads on the waves of the sea.(EU)
9 He is the Maker(EV) of the Bear[f] and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(EW)
10 He performs wonders(EX) that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.(EY)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(EZ)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(FA)
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’(FB)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(FC)
even the cohorts of Rahab(FD) cowered at his feet.
14 “How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?(FE)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(FF)
I could only plead(FG) with my Judge(FH) for mercy.(FI)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(FJ)
17 He would crush me(FK) with a storm(FL)
and multiply(FM) my wounds for no reason.(FN)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.(FO)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(FP)
And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[g]?(FQ)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(FR)
21 “Although I am blameless,(FS)
I have no concern for myself;(FT)
I despise my own life.(FU)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(FV)
23 When a scourge(FW) brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.(FX)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(FY)
he blindfolds its judges.(FZ)
If it is not he, then who is it?(GA)
25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(GB)
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(GC)
26 They skim past(GD) like boats of papyrus,(GE)
like eagles swooping down on their prey.(GF)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(GG)
I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(GH) all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.(GI)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?(GJ)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(GK)
and my hands(GL) with cleansing powder,(GM)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(GN)
so that even my clothes would detest me.(GO)
32 “He is not a mere mortal(GP) like me that I might answer him,(GQ)
that we might confront each other in court.(GR)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(GS)
someone to bring us together,(GT)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(GU)
so that his terror would frighten me no more.(GV)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(GW)
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(GX)
Footnotes
- Job 6:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Job 6:29 Or my righteousness still stands
- Job 7:20 A few manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition and Septuagint; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text I have become a burden to myself.
- Job 8:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Job 8:19 Or Surely all the joy it has / is that
- Job 9:9 Or of Leo
- Job 9:19 See Septuagint; Hebrew me.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
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