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Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Easy-to-Read Version

Job 16:3

Your long speeches never end! Why do you continue arguing?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Persecution;   Speaking;   Thompson Chain Reference - Evil;   Job;   Silence-Speech;   Words;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Provocation;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Is there no end to your empty words?What provokes you that you continue testifying?
Hebrew Names Version
Shall vain words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
King James Version
Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
English Standard Version
Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
New Century Version
Will your long-winded speeches never end? What makes you keep on arguing?
New English Translation
Will there be an end to your windy words? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Amplified Bible
"Is there no end to [your futile] words of wind? Or what plagues you [so much] that you [so boldly] answer [me like this]?
New American Standard Bible
"Is there no end to windy words? Or what provokes you that you answer?
World English Bible
Shall vain words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Shall there be none ende of wordes of winde? or what maketh thee bold so to answere?
Legacy Standard Bible
Is there no end to windy words?Or what pains you that you answer?
Berean Standard Bible
Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provokes you to continue testifying?
Contemporary English Version
So why don't you keep quiet? What's bothering you?
Complete Jewish Bible
Is there no end to words of wind? What provokes you to answer this way?
Darby Translation
Shall words of wind have an end? or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
George Lamsa Translation
Do not grieve my spirit with words; even though you speak, I will not answer.
Good News Translation
Are you going to keep on talking forever? Do you always have to have the last word?
Lexham English Bible
Is there a limit to windy words? What provokes you that you answer?
Literal Translation
Is there an end to windy words? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Shall not thy vayne wordes come yet to an ende? Or, hast thou yet eny more to saye?
American Standard Version
Shall vain words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
Bible in Basic English
May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Shall windy words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
King James Version (1611)
Shall vaine words haue an ende? or what emboldeneth thee, that thou answerest?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Shall not vaine wordes come yet to an ende? Or what maketh thee bolde so to aunswere?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
What! is there any reason in vain words? or what will hinder thee from answering?
English Revised Version
Shall vain words have an end? or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?
Update Bible Version
Shall vain words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Webster's Bible Translation
Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
New King James Version
Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
New Living Translation
Won't you ever stop blowing hot air? What makes you keep on talking?
New Life Bible
Is there no end to your words that are full of wind? What is your problem that you keep on talking?
New Revised Standard
Have windy words no limit? Or what provokes you that you keep on talking?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Shall windy words have no end? or is it any trouble to thee to speak?
Revised Standard Version
Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
Young's Literal Translation
Is there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden thee that thou answerest?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Is there no limit to windy words? Or what plagues you that you answer?

Contextual Overview

1 Then Job answered: 2 "I have heard all these things before. You men give me trouble, not comfort. 3 Your long speeches never end! Why do you continue arguing? 4 I also could say the same things you say, if you had my troubles. I could say wise things against you and shake my head at you. 5 But I would say things to encourage you and give you hope.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

vain words: Heb. words of wind, Job 6:26, Job 8:2, Job 15:2

what emboldeneth: Job 20:3, Job 32:3-6, Matthew 22:46, Titus 1:11, Titus 2:8

Reciprocal: Exodus 5:9 - vain words Job 6:25 - what doth Job 11:2 - the multitude Job 13:5 - General Job 15:3 - he reason Job 18:2 - How long Job 27:12 - altogether Romans 9:20 - repliest

Cross-References

Genesis 16:1
Sarai was Abram's wife, but she did not have any children. She had an Egyptian slave named Hagar.
Genesis 16:4
Abram slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar realized this, she became very proud and began to feel that she was better than Sarai her owner.
Genesis 16:5
Then Sarai said to Abram, "My slave girl now hates me, and I blame you for this. I gave her to you, and she became pregnant. Then she began to feel that she is better than I am. I want the Lord to judge which of us is right."
Genesis 28:9
Esau already had two wives, but he went to Abraham's son Ishmael and married another woman, Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael. Mahalath was Nebaioth's sister.
Genesis 30:4
So Rachel gave Bilhah to her husband Jacob. He had sexual relations with Bilhah.
Genesis 30:9
Leah saw that she could have no more children. So she gave her slave girl Zilpah to Jacob.
Genesis 32:22
During the night, Jacob got up and began moving his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven sons across the Jabbok River at the crossing.
Genesis 35:22
Israel stayed there for a short time. While he was there, Reuben slept with Israel's slave woman Bilhah. Israel heard about this, and he was very angry. These are the names of Jacob's twelve sons:
2 Samuel 5:13
David moved from Hebron to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, he got more slave women and wives. So David had more children who were born in Jerusalem.
1 Kings 11:3
He had 700 wives who were the daughters of leaders from other nations. He also had 300 slave women who were like wives to him. His wives caused him to turn away from God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Shall vain words have an end?.... Or "words of wind" k, vain empty words, great swelling words of vanity, mere bubbles that look big, and have nothing in them; here Job retorts what Eliphaz had insinuated concerning him and his words, Job 15:2; and he intimates such worthless discourses should have an end, and a speedy one, and not be carried on to any length, they not bearing it; and wishes they were at an end, that he might hear no more of them; and suggests that it was weak and foolish in them to continue them; that if they could speak to no better purpose, it would be best to be silent:

or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? when men are engaged in a good cause, have truth on their side, and are furnished with arguments sufficient to defend it, this animates and emboldens them to stand up in the defence of it, and to answer their adversaries, and to reply when there is occasion; but Job could not imagine what should encourage and spirit up Eliphaz to answer again, when he had been sufficiently confuted; when his cause was bad, and he had no strong reasons to produce in the vindication of it; or "what has exasperated" or "provoked thee" l to make reply? here Job seems to have thought that he had said nothing that was irritating, though it is notorious he had, such were his grief and troubles; and so well assured he was of his being in the right, that the harsh and severe words and expressions he had used were not thought by him to have exceeded due bounds, such as

Job 12:2.

k לדברי רוח "verbis venti", Beza, Bolducius, Mercerus, Schmidt, Michaelis. l מה ימריצך "quid exacerbat te", Junius Tremellius so Codureus, Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall vain words? - Margin, As in Hebrew words of wind; that is, words which were devoid of thought-light, trifling. This is a retort on Eliphaz. He had charged Job Job 15:2-3 with uttering only such words. Such forms of expression are common in the East. “His promise, it is only wind.” “Breath, breath: all breath.” Roberts.

Or what emboldeneth thee? - “What provokes or irritates thee, that thou dost answer in this manner? What have I said, that has given occasion to such a speech - a speech so severe and unkind?” The Syriac reads this, “do not afflict me any more with speeches; for if you speak any more, I will not answer you.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 16:3. Vain words — Literally, words of air.

What emboldeneth thee — Thou art totally ignorant of the business; what then can induce thee to take part in this discussion?


 
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