Job 42

Job’s Reply

42Job replied to the Lord,

²“I know that you can do anything.

No one can keep you from doing what you plan to do.

³You asked me, ‘Who do you think you are to disagree with my plans?

You do not know what you are talking about.’

I spoke about things I didn’t completely understand.

I talked about things that were too wonderful for me to know.

⁴“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak.

I will ask you some questions.

Then I want you to answer me.’

⁵My ears had heard about you.

But now my own eyes have seen you.

⁶So I hate myself.

I’m really sorry for what I said about you.

That’s why I’m sitting in dust and ashes.”

The Story Ends

⁷After the Lord finished speaking to Job, he spoke to Eliphaz the Temanite. He said, “I am angry with you and your two friends. You have not said what is true about me, as my servant Job has.

⁸“So now get seven bulls and seven rams. Go to my servant Job. Then sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you. And I will accept his prayer. I will not punish you for saying the foolish things you said. You have not said what is true about me, as my servant Job has.”

⁹So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them to do. And the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

¹⁰After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him successful again. He gave him twice as much as he had before. ¹¹All of his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came to see him. They ate with him in his house. They showed their concern for him. They comforted him because of all of the troubles the Lord had brought on him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.

¹²The Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life even more than the first part. He gave Job 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels. He gave him 1,000 pairs of oxen and 1,000 donkeys.

¹³Job also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴He named the first daughter Jemimah. He named the second Keziah. And he named the third Keren-Happuch. ¹⁵Job’s daughters were more beautiful than any other women in the whole land. Their father gave them a share of property along with their brothers.

¹⁶After all of that happened, Job lived for 140 years. He saw his children, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. ¹⁷And so he died. He had lived for a very long time.