Job

1So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

So the three men stopped answering Job. Job was sure he had done nothing wrong.

2Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.

Then a man named Elihu became angry. He was the son of Barachel, from the family of Buz and of Ram. He was angry at Job. Job kept saying he was right instead of saying God was right.

3Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

He was angry at Job's three friends too. They said Job was wrong, but they could not show how.

4Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.

Elihu had waited before speaking to Job. The other men were all older than he was.

5When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

Then Elihu saw the three men had nothing left to say. That made him angry.

1Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.

Elihu said, "Job, please listen to me. Listen to every word I say."

2Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

"Look, I am opening my mouth now. My words are ready to come out."

3My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.

"My words come from an honest heart. My lips will say plainly what I know."

4The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

"God's Spirit made me. The breath of God, who is stronger than anyone, gives me life."

5If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up.

"Answer me back if you can. Get your words ready and stand up."

6Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay.

"Before God, I am just like you. I was made from clay too."

7Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

"You do not need to be scared of me. I will not press down hard on you."

8Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

"I heard you say these things. I heard your own voice say them."

9I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

"You said, 'I am clean. I have done nothing wrong. There is no evil in me.'"

10Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,

"'But God keeps finding reasons to blame me. He treats me like an enemy.'"

11He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

"'He locks my feet in wooden clamps. He watches every step I take.'"

12Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.

"But you are wrong about this. Here is my answer: God is greater than any person."

13Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

"Why do you argue with him? He does not explain himself to anyone."

1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

2Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

"Who is this speaking about my plans? Your words do not know anything. They only make things darker.

3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

Stand up and get ready, like a strong man. I will ask you questions. You will answer me.

4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

Where were you when I built the earth? Tell me, if you understand.

5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

Who decided how big the earth should be? Do you know? Who measured it with a line?

6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

What holds the earth up? Who set its first corner stone in place?

7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

That was when the morning stars sang together. All the sons of God shouted with joy.

8Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

Who shut the sea behind doors? It rushed out like a baby being born.

9When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

I dressed the sea in clouds. I wrapped it in thick darkness, like a baby's blanket.

10And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

I set the line the sea could not cross. I put bars and doors in place.

11And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

I said, 'You may come this far, but no farther. Your proud waves must stop here.'

12Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

In all your life, have you ever told the morning to come? Have you shown the sunrise where to start?

13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

The morning light spreads to the far edges of the earth. It shakes bad people out of their hiding places.

14It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

In the light, the earth takes shape like soft clay pressed by a stamp. Its hills stand out like folds in a coat.

15And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

The light that bad people want is kept away from them. The arm they lift up is broken.

16Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

Have you gone to the springs deep under the sea? Have you walked in its deepest valleys?

17Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

Has anyone opened the gates of death for you? Have you seen the doors of deep darkness?

18Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

Have you seen how wide the whole earth is? Tell me, if you know all of it.

1Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,

Then the LORD spoke to Job again. He said:

2Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

"Will the man who finds fault argue with God, who is stronger than all? Let the man who blames God answer me now."

3Then Job answered the LORD, and said,

Then Job answered the LORD. He said:

4Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

"Look, I am small and not important. What can I say back to you? I will put my hand over my mouth."

5Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

"I spoke one time, but I have no answer. I spoke a second time. I will say no more."

6Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the whirlwind, a strong spinning storm. He said:

7Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

"Get ready now, like a man. I will ask you questions. You will tell me the answers."

8Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

"Will you say that my way of judging is wrong? Will you blame me so you can look right?"

9Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

"Is your arm as strong as God's arm? Can your voice boom like thunder, the way his does?"

10Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.

"Then dress yourself up like a great king. Put on honor and glory and beauty."

11Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.

"Let your anger pour out. Look at every proud person and bring him down low."

12Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.

"Look at every proud person and make him humble. Step on wicked people right where they stand."

13Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.

"Bury them all together in the dirt. Shut them away in the grave."

14Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.

"If you can do that, then even I will admit it. Your own hand can save you."

1Then Job answered the LORD, and said,

Then Job answered the LORD. He said:

2I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

"I know You can do anything. No plan of Yours can be stopped.

3Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

You asked me who talks about Your plans without knowing them. That was me. I talked about things I did not understand. They were too great for me to know.

4Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

You said, 'Listen, and I will speak. I will ask you questions, and you will answer Me.'

5I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

Before, I only heard about You with my ears. But now my own eyes have seen You.

6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

So I take back what I said. I am sorry, sitting here in dust and ashes."

7And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

After the LORD said these things to Job, He spoke to Eliphaz from Teman. He said, "I am angry with you and your two friends. You did not say true things about Me, but My servant Job did.

8Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

So bring seven bulls and seven rams. Go to My servant Job. Burn them on an altar as a gift to Me. Then My servant Job will pray for you. I will listen to his prayer. I will not punish you for your foolish words, though you did not say true things about Me, as My servant Job did."

9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.

So Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah went and did what the LORD said. And the LORD listened to Job's prayer.

10And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

After Job prayed for his friends, the LORD gave him good things again. He gave Job twice as much as he had before.

11Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

Then all his brothers and sisters came to see him. His old friends came too. They ate a meal with him in his house. They felt sad with him and comforted him for all the trouble the LORD had let come to him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.

12So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

The LORD blessed the last part of Job's life more than the first part. He had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 pairs of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.

13He had also seven sons and three daughters.

He also had seven sons and three daughters.

14And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.

He named his first daughter Jemima. He named the second one Kezia. He named the third one Kerenhappuch.

15And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

In all that land, no women were as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father gave them a share of his land and things, along with their brothers.

16After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.

After this, Job lived 140 more years. He saw his children, and their children, for four generations.

17So Job died, being old and full of days.

Then Job died. He was very old and had lived a full life.

12The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,

The LORD spoke to me again. He said:

13Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:

"Son of man, suppose a land sins against Me and is very unfaithful. Then I will reach out My hand against it. I will take away its supply of bread. I will send hunger there. I will cut off both people and animals.

14Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

Even if these three men lived there, it would not change this. Noah, Daniel, and Job did what was right. But their good lives would save only themselves, says the Lord GOD.

15If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

Or suppose I send wild animals through the land. They hurt it and leave it empty. No one can even walk through, because of the animals.

16Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if these three men lived there, they could not save their own sons or daughters. Only they would be saved. The land would still be empty.

17Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:

Or suppose I bring war on that land. I say, 'Let the sword go through the land.' So I cut off both people and animals.

18Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if these three men lived there, they could not save their own sons or daughters. Only they would be saved.

19Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:

Or suppose I send a deadly sickness into that land. I pour out My anger there, and blood is spilled. I cut off both people and animals.

20Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job lived there, they could not save their own son or daughter. Their good lives would save only themselves.