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Job 31:1–33:33
31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I 1look upon a ayoung woman?
2 For what is the ballotment of God from above,
And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the workers of iniquity?
4 cDoes He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,
6 2Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my dintegrity.
7 If my step has turned from the way,
Or emy heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,
8 Then flet me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be 3rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 Then let my wife grind for ganother,
And let others bow down over her.
11 For that would be wickedness;
Yes, hit would be iniquity deserving of judgment.
12 For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.
13 “If I have idespised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,
14 What then shall I do when jGod rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
15 kDid not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to lfail,
17 Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it
18 (But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided 4the widow);
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;
20 If his 5heart has not mblessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have raised my hand nagainst the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;
22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.
23 For odestruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.
24 “If pI have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
25 qIf I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;
26 rIf I have observed the 6sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,
27 So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;
28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.
29 “If sI have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
30 t(Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his 7soul);
31 If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’
32 u(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the 8traveler);
33 If I have covered my transgressions vas 9Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great wmultitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—
35 xOh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, ythat the Almighty would answer me,
That my 1Prosecutor had written a book!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.
38 “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If zI have eaten its 2fruit without money,
Or acaused its owners to lose their lives;
40 Then let bthistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Elihu Contradicts Job’s Friends
32 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was arighteous in his own eyes. 2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the bBuzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he cjustified himself rather than God. 3 Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
4 Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited 1to speak to Job. 5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused.
6 So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said:
“I am dyoung in years, and you are very old;
Therefore I was afraid,
And dared not declare my opinion to you.
7 I said, 2‘Age should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
8 But there is a spirit in man,
And ethe breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
9 fGreat 3men are not always wise,
Nor do the aged always understand justice.
10 “Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,
I also will declare my opinion.’
11 Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.
12 I paid close attention to you;
And surely not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered his words—
13 gLest you say,
‘We have found wisdom’;
God will vanquish him, not man.
14 Now he has not 4directed his words against me;
So I will not answer him with your words.
15 “They are dismayed and answer no more;
Words escape them.
16 And I have waited, because they did not speak,
Because they stood still and answered no more.
17 I also will answer my part,
I too will declare my opinion.
The spirit within me compels me.
19 Indeed my 5belly is like wine that has no 6vent;
It is ready to burst like new wineskins.
20 I will speak, that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and answer.
21 Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;
Nor let me flatter any man.
22 For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me haway.
33 “But please, Job, hear my speech, And listen to all my words.
My tongue speaks in my mouth.
3 My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure knowledge.
4 aThe Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Set your words in order before me;
Take your stand.
6 bTruly I am 1as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
7 cSurely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.
8 “Surely you have spoken 2in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
9 ‘I dam pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Yet He finds occasions against me,
eHe counts me as His enemy;
11 fHe puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.’
12 “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
13 Why do you gcontend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
14 hFor God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
15 iIn a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
16 jThen He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
17 In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from 3perishing by the sword.
19 “Man is also chastened with pain on his kbed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
20 lSo that his life abhors mbread,
And his soul 4succulent food.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the executioners.
23 “If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one among a thousand,
To show man His uprightness,
24 Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found 5a ransom’;
25 His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
26 He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.
27 Then he looks at men and nsays,
‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it odid not profit me.’
28 He will predeem 6his soul from going down to the Pit,
And 6his life shall see the light.
29 “Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
30 qTo bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 “Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, rlisten to me;
7Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”
1 | look intently or gaze |
a | |
b | |
c | |
2 | Lit. Let Him weigh me |
d | |
e | |
f | |
3 | uprooted |
g | |
h | |
i | |
j | |
k | |
l | |
4 | Lit. her |
5 | Lit. loins |
m | |
n | |
o | |
p | |
q | |
r | |
6 | Lit. light |
s | |
t | |
7 | Or life |
u | |
8 | So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT road |
v | |
9 | Or as men do |
w | |
x | |
y | |
1 | Lit. Accuser |
z | |
2 | Lit. strength |
a | |
b | |
a | |
b | |
c | |
1 | Vg. till Job had spoken |
d | |
2 | Lit. Days, i.e., years |
e | |
f | |
3 | Or Men of many years |
g | |
4 | ordered |
5 | bosom |
6 | opening |
h | |
a | |
b | |
1 | Lit. as your mouth |
c | |
2 | Lit. in my ears |
d | |
e | |
f | |
g | |
h | |
i | |
j | |
3 | Lit. passing |
k | |
l | |
m | |
4 | desirable |
5 | an atonement |
n | |
o | |
p | |
6 | Kt. my |
q | |
r | |
7 | Keep silent |
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