Study Desk

"Though evil^(w) is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue,^(x)

though he cannot bear to let it go and lets it linger in his mouth,^(y)

yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;^(z) it will become the venom of serpents^(aa) within him.

He will spit out the riches^(ab) he swallowed; God will make his stomach vomit^(ac) them up.

He will suck the poison^(ad) of serpents; the fangs of an adder will kill him.^(ae)

He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers^(af) flowing with honey^(ag) and cream.^(ah)

What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;^(ai) he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.^(aj)

For he has oppressed the poor^(ak) and left them destitute;^(al) he has seized houses^(am) he did not build.

"Surely he will have no respite from his craving;^(an) he cannot save himself by his treasure.^(ao)

Nothing is left for him to devour; his prosperity will not endure.^(ap)

In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;^(aq) the full force of misery will come upon him.^(ar)

When he has filled his belly,^(as) God will vent his burning anger^(at) against him and rain down his blows on him.^(au)

Though he flees^(av) from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.^(aw)

He pulls it out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver. Terrors^(ax) will come over him;^(ay)

total darkness^(az) lies in wait for his treasures. A fire^(ba) unfanned will consume him^(bb) and devour what is left in his tent.^(bc)

The heavens will expose his guilt; the earth will rise up against him.^(bd)

A flood will carry off his house,^(be) rushing waters^[b] on the day of God's wrath.^(bf)

Such is the fate God allots the wicked, the heritage appointed for them by God."^(bg)

Job

Then Job replied:

"Listen carefully to my words;^(a) let this be the consolation you give me.^(b)

Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on.^(c)

"Is my complaint^(d) directed to a human being? Why should I not be impatient?^(e)

Look at me and be appalled; clap your hand over your mouth.^(f)

When I think about this, I am terrified;^(g) trembling seizes my body.^(h)

Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?⁽ⁱ⁾

They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes.^(j)

Their homes are safe and free from fear;^(k) the rod of God is not on them.^(l)

Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry.^(m)

They send forth their children as a flock;⁽ⁿ⁾ their little ones dance about.

They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;^(o) they make merry to the sound of the pipe.^(p)

They spend their years in prosperity^(q) and go down to the grave^(r) in peace.^[a](s)

Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!^(t) We have no desire to know your ways.^(u)

Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?'^(v)

But their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.^(w)

"Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?^(x) How often does calamity^(y) come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger?^(z)

How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff^(aa) swept away^(ab) by a gale?^(ac)

It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.'^(ad) Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!^(ae)

Let their own eyes see their destruction;^(af) let them drink^(ag) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.^(ah)

For what do they care about the families they leave behind^(ai) when their allotted months^(aj) come to an end?^(ak)

"Can anyone teach knowledge to God,^(al) since he judges even the highest?^(am)

One person dies in full vigor,^(an) completely secure and at ease,^(ao)

well nourished^(ap) in body,^[b] bones^(aq) rich with marrow.^(ar)

Another dies in bitterness of soul,^(as) never having enjoyed anything good.

Side by side they lie in the dust,^(at) and worms^(au) cover them both.^(av)

"I know full well what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me.

You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,^(aw) the tents where the wicked lived?'^(ax)

Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts—

that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,^(ay) that they are delivered from^[c] the day of wrath?^(az)

Who denounces their conduct to their face? Who repays them for what they have done?^(ba)

They are carried to the grave, and watch is kept over their tombs.^(bb)

The soil in the valley is sweet to them;^(bc) everyone follows after them, and a countless throng goes^[d] before them.^(bd)

"So how can you console me^(be) with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!"^(bf)

Eliphaz

Then Eliphaz the Temanite^(a) replied:

"Can a man be of benefit to God?^(b) Can even a wise person benefit him?^(c)

What pleasure^(d) would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?^(e) What would he gain if your ways were blameless?^(f)

"Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you?^(g)

Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins^(h) endless?⁽ⁱ⁾

You demanded security^(j) from your relatives for no reason;^(k) you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.^(l)

You gave no water^(m) to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry,⁽ⁿ⁾

though you were a powerful man, owning land^(o)— an honored man,^(p) living on it.^(q)

And you sent widows^(r) away empty-handed^(s) and broke the strength of the fatherless.^(t)

That is why snares^(u) are all around you,^(v) why sudden peril terrifies you,^(w)

why it is so dark^(x) you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you.^(y)

"Is not God in the heights of heaven?^(z) And see how lofty are the highest stars!

Yet you say, ‘What does God know?^(aa) Does he judge through such darkness?^(ab)

Thick clouds^(ac) veil him, so he does not see us^(ad) as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.'^(ae)

Will you keep to the old path that the wicked^(af) have trod?^(ag)

They were carried off before their time,^(ah) their foundations^(ai) washed away by a flood.^(aj)

They said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?'^(ak)

Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,^(al) so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.^(am)

The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;^(an) the innocent mock^(ao) them, saying,

‘Surely our foes are destroyed,^(ap) and fire^(aq) devours their wealth.'

"Submit to God and be at peace^(ar) with him;^(as) in this way prosperity will come to you.^(at)

Accept instruction from his mouth^(au) and lay up his words^(av) in your heart.^(aw)

If you return^(ax) to the Almighty, you will be restored:^(ay) If you remove wickedness far from your tent^(az)

and assign your nuggets^(ba) to the dust, your gold^(bb) of Ophir^(bc) to the rocks in the ravines,^(bd)

then the Almighty will be your gold,^(be) the choicest silver for you.^(bf)

Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty^(bg) and will lift up your face^(bh) to God.^(bi)

You will pray to him,^(bj) and he will hear you,^(bk) and you will fulfill your vows.^(bl)

What you decide on will be done,^(bm) and light^(bn) will shine on your ways.^(bo)

When people are brought low^(bp) and you say, ‘Lift them up!' then he will save the downcast.^(bq)

He will deliver even one who is not innocent,^(br) who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."^(bs)

Job

Then Job replied:

"Even today my complaint^(a) is bitter;^(b) his hand^[a] is heavy in spite of^[b] my groaning.^(c)

If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!^(d)

I would state my case^(e) before him and fill my mouth with arguments.^(f)

I would find out what he would answer me,^(g) and consider what he would say to me.

Would he vigorously oppose me?^(h) No, he would not press charges against me.⁽ⁱ⁾

There the upright^(j) can establish their innocence before him,^(k) and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.^(l)

"But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him.

When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.^(m)

But he knows the way that I take;⁽ⁿ⁾ when he has tested me,^(o) I will come forth as gold.^(p)

My feet have closely followed his steps;^(q) I have kept to his way without turning aside.^(r)

I have not departed from the commands of his lips;^(s) I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.^(t)

"But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?^(u) He does whatever he pleases.^(v)

He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store.^(w)

That is why I am terrified before him;^(x) when I think of all this, I fear him.^(y)

God has made my heart faint;^(z) the Almighty^(aa) has terrified me.^(ab)

Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,^(ac) by the thick darkness that covers my face.

"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)

Lacking clothes, they go about naked;^(x) they carry the sheaves,^(y) but still go hungry.

They crush olives among the terraces^[a]; they tread the winepresses,^(z) yet suffer thirst.^(aa)

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)