Study Desk

¹My spirit^(a) is broken, my days are cut short,^(b) the grave awaits me.^(c)

Surely mockers^(d) surround me;^(e) my eyes must dwell on their hostility.

"Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.^(f) Who else will put up security^(g) for me?^(h)

You have closed their minds to understanding;⁽ⁱ⁾ therefore you will not let them triumph.

If anyone denounces their friends for reward,^(j) the eyes of their children will fail.^(k)

"God has made me a byword^(l) to everyone,^(m) a man in whose face people spit.⁽ⁿ⁾

My eyes have grown dim with grief;^(o) my whole frame is but a shadow.^(p)

The upright are appalled at this; the innocent are aroused^(q) against the ungodly.

Nevertheless, the righteous^(r) will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands^(s) will grow stronger.^(t)

"But come on, all of you, try again! I will not find a wise man among you.^(u)

My days have passed,^(v) my plans are shattered. Yet the desires of my heart^(w)

turn night into day;^(x) in the face of the darkness light is near.^(y)

If the only home I hope for is the grave,^(z) if I spread out my bed^(aa) in the realm of darkness,^(ab)

if I say to corruption,^(ac) ‘You are my father,' and to the worm,^(ad) ‘My mother' or ‘My sister,'

where then is my hope—^(ae) who can see any hope for me?^(af)

Will it go down to the gates of death?^(ag) Will we descend together into the dust?"^(ah)

Bildad

Then Bildad the Shuhite^(a) replied:

"When will you end these speeches?^(b) Be sensible, and then we can talk.

Why are we regarded as cattle^(c) and considered stupid in your sight?^(d)

You who tear yourself^(e) to pieces in your anger,^(f) is the earth to be abandoned for your sake? Or must the rocks be moved from their place?^(g)

"The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out;^(h) the flame of his fire stops burning.⁽ⁱ⁾

The light in his tent^(j) becomes dark;^(k) the lamp beside him goes out.^(l)

The vigor^(m) of his step is weakened;⁽ⁿ⁾ his own schemes^(o) throw him down.^(p)

His feet thrust him into a net;^(q) he wanders into its mesh.

A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare^(r) holds him fast.^(s)

A noose^(t) is hidden for him on the ground; a trap^(u) lies in his path.^(v)

Terrors^(w) startle him on every side^(x) and dog^(y) his every step.

Calamity^(z) is hungry^(aa) for him; disaster^(ab) is ready for him when he falls.^(ac)

It eats away parts of his skin;^(ad) death's firstborn devours his limbs.^(ae)

He is torn from the security of his tent^(af) and marched off to the king^(ag) of terrors.^(ah)

Fire resides^[a] in his tent;^(ai) burning sulfur^(aj) is scattered over his dwelling.

His roots dry up below^(ak) and his branches wither above.^(al)

The memory of him perishes from the earth;^(am) he has no name^(an) in the land.^(ao)

He is driven from light into the realm of darkness^(ap) and is banished^(aq) from the world.^(ar)

He has no offspring^(as) or descendants^(at) among his people, no survivor^(au) where once he lived.^(av)

People of the west are appalled^(aw) at his fate;^(ax) those of the east are seized with horror.

Surely such is the dwelling^(ay) of an evil man;^(az) such is the place^(ba) of one who does not know God."^(bb)

Job

Then Job replied:

"How long will you torment^(a) me and crush^(b) me with words?

Ten times^(c) now you have reproached^(d) me; shamelessly you attack me.

If it is true that I have gone astray, my error^(e) remains my concern alone.

If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me^(f) and use my humiliation against me,

then know that God has wronged me^(g) and drawn his net^(h) around me.⁽ⁱ⁾

"Though I cry, ‘Violence!' I get no response;^(j) though I call for help,^(k) there is no justice.^(l)

He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;^(m) he has shrouded my paths in darkness.⁽ⁿ⁾

He has stripped^(o) me of my honor^(p) and removed the crown from my head.^(q)

He tears me down^(r) on every side till I am gone; he uproots my hope^(s) like a tree.^(t)

His anger^(u) burns against me; he counts me among his enemies.^(v)

His troops advance in force;^(w) they build a siege ramp^(x) against me and encamp around my tent.^(y)

"He has alienated my family^(z) from me; my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.^(aa)

My relatives have gone away; my closest friends^(ab) have forgotten me.

My guests^(ac) and my female servants^(ad) count me a foreigner; they look on me as on a stranger.

I summon my servant, but he does not answer, though I beg him with my own mouth.

My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome^(ae) to my own family.

Even the little boys^(af) scorn me; when I appear, they ridicule me.^(ag)

All my intimate friends^(ah) detest me;^(ai) those I love have turned against me.^(aj)

I am nothing but skin and bones;^(ak) I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.^[a]

"Have pity on me, my friends,^(al) have pity, for the hand of God has struck^(am) me.

Why do you pursue^(an) me as God does?^(ao) Will you never get enough of my flesh?^(ap)

"Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll,^(aq)

that they were inscribed with an iron tool^(ar) on^[b] lead, or engraved in rock forever!^(as)

I know that my redeemer^[c](at) lives,^(au) and that in the end he will stand on the earth.^[d]

And after my skin has been destroyed, yet^[e] in^[f] my flesh I will see God;^(av)

I myself will see him with my own eyes^(aw)—I, and not another. How my heart yearns^(ax) within me!

"If you say, ‘How we will hound^(ay) him, since the root of the trouble lies in him,^[g]'

you should fear the sword yourselves; for wrath will bring punishment by the sword,^(az) and then you will know that there is judgment.^[h]"^(ba)

Zophar

Then Zophar the Naamathite^(a) replied:

"My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer because I am greatly disturbed.^(b)

I hear a rebuke^(c) that dishonors me, and my understanding inspires me to reply.

"Surely you know how it has been from of old,^(d) ever since mankind^[a] was placed on the earth,

that the mirth of the wicked^(e) is brief, the joy of the godless^(f) lasts but a moment.^(g)

Though the pride^(h) of the godless person reaches to the heavens⁽ⁱ⁾ and his head touches the clouds,^(j)

he will perish forever,^(k) like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?'^(l)

Like a dream^(m) he flies away,⁽ⁿ⁾ no more to be found, banished^(o) like a vision of the night.^(p)

The eye that saw him will not see him again; his place will look on him no more.^(q)

His children^(r) must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth.^(s)

The youthful vigor^(t) that fills his bones^(u) will lie with him in the dust.^(v)

"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)