Study Desk

"If I go to the east, God is not there. If I go to the west, I still don't see him.

When he is working in the north, I don't see him. When he turns to the south, I still don't see him.

But God knows me. He is testing me and will see that I am as pure as gold.

They are soaked with rain in the mountains. They stay close to the large rocks for shelter. They have no clothes, so they work naked. They carry piles of grain for others, but they go hungry. They press out olive oil and walk on grapes in the winepress, but they have nothing to drink. In the city you can hear the sad sounds of dying people. Those who are hurt cry out for help, but God does not listen. "Some people rebel against the light. They don't know what God wants. They don't live the way he wants. A murderer gets up at dawn and kills poor, helpless people. And at night he becomes a thief. A man who commits adultery waits for the night to come. He thinks, ‘No one will see me,' but still, he covers his face. When it is dark, evil people go out and break into houses. But during the day they lock themselves in their homes to avoid the light. The darkest night is their morning. They are friends with the terrors of darkness. " You say, ‘Evil people are taken away like things carried away in a flood. The land they own is cursed, so no one goes to work in their vineyards. As hot, dry weather melts away the winter snows, so the grave takes away those who have sinned. Their own mothers will forget them. Only the worms will want them. No one will remember them. They will be broken like a rotten stick! These evil people hurt women who have no children to protect them, and they refuse to help widows. By his power God removes the powerful. Even if they have a high position, they cannot be sure of their lives. They might feel safe and secure, but God is watching how they live. They might be successful for a while, but then they will be gone. Like everyone else, they will be cut down like grain.' "I swear these things are true! Who can prove that I lied? Who can show that I am wrong?"

A man who commits adultery waits for the night to come. He thinks, ‘No one will see me,' but still, he covers his face.

But God can see clearly into that place of death. Death is not hidden from God.

They cut tunnels through the rocks and see all the treasures they hold.

Wisdom is hidden from every living thing on earth. Even birds in the sky cannot see it.

He can see to the very ends of the earth. He sees everything under the sky.

Any of us can die suddenly, in the middle of the night. Anyone can get sick and pass away. Even powerful people die for no reason we can see.

He will punish them for the evil they have done, and he will do it where everyone can see.

Show me the sins I am not able to see. If I have done wrong, I will not do it again.'

So, Job, God will not listen to you when you say that you don't see him. You say you are waiting for your chance to meet with him and prove that you are innocent.

Everyone can see what he has done, even people in faraway countries.

The morning light makes the hills and valleys easy to see. When the daylight comes to the earth, the shapes of these places stand out like the folds of a coat. They take shape like soft clay that is pressed with a stamp.

So Job lived for 140 years more. He lived to see his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren, and his great-great-grandchildren.

I look at the heavens you made with your hands. I see the moon and the stars you created.

I said this prayer: " Lord , be kind to me. See how my enemies are hurting me. Save me from the ‘gates of death.'

They say to themselves, "God has forgotten about us. He is not watching. He will never see what we are doing."

But, Lord, you do see the pain and suffering they cause. You see it, so punish them. Those who were left helpless put their trust in you. After all, you are the one who cares for orphans.