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Job 23-27
New Living Translation
Job 23-27
New Living Translation
Job’s Eighth Speech: A Response to Eliphaz
23 Then Job spoke again:
2 “My complaint today is still a bitter one,
and I try hard not to groan aloud.
3 If only I knew where to find God,
I would go to his court.
4 I would lay out my case
and present my arguments.
5 Then I would listen to his reply
and understand what he says to me.
6 Would he use his great power to argue with me?
No, he would give me a fair hearing.
7 Honest people can reason with him,
so I would be forever acquitted by my judge.
8 I go east, but he is not there.
I go west, but I cannot find him.
9 I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.
I look to the south, but he is concealed.
10 “But he knows where I am going.
And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.
11 For I have stayed on God’s paths;
I have followed his ways and not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from his commands,
but have treasured his words more than daily food.
13 But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind?
Whatever he wants to do, he does.
14 So he will do to me whatever he has planned.
He controls my destiny.
15 No wonder I am so terrified in his presence.
When I think of it, terror grips me.
16 God has made me sick at heart;
the Almighty has terrified me.
17 Darkness is all around me;
thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.
Job Asks Why the Wicked Are Not Punished
24 “Why doesn’t the Almighty bring the wicked to judgment?
Why must the godly wait for him in vain?
2 Evil people steal land by moving the boundary markers.
They steal livestock and put them in their own pastures.
3 They take the orphan’s donkey
and demand the widow’s ox as security for a loan.
4 The poor are pushed off the path;
the needy must hide together for safety.
5 Like wild donkeys in the wilderness,
the poor must spend all their time looking for food,
searching even in the desert for food for their children.
6 They harvest a field they do not own,
and they glean in the vineyards of the wicked.
7 All night they lie naked in the cold,
without clothing or covering.
8 They are soaked by mountain showers,
and they huddle against the rocks for want of a home.
9 “The wicked snatch a widow’s child from her breast,
taking the baby as security for a loan.
10 The poor must go about naked, without any clothing.
They harvest food for others while they themselves are starving.
11 They press out olive oil without being allowed to taste it,
and they tread in the winepress as they suffer from thirst.
12 The groans of the dying rise from the city,
and the wounded cry for help,
yet God ignores their moaning.
13 “Wicked people rebel against the light.
They refuse to acknowledge its ways
or stay in its paths.
14 The murderer rises in the early dawn
to kill the poor and needy;
at night he is a thief.
15 The adulterer waits for the twilight,
saying, ‘No one will see me then.’
He hides his face so no one will know him.
16 Thieves break into houses at night
and sleep in the daytime.
They are not acquainted with the light.
17 The black night is their morning.
They ally themselves with the terrors of the darkness.
18 “But they disappear like foam down a river.
Everything they own is cursed,
and they are afraid to enter their own vineyards.
19 The grave[a] consumes sinners
just as drought and heat consume snow.
20 Their own mothers will forget them.
Maggots will find them sweet to eat.
No one will remember them.
Wicked people are broken like a tree in the storm.
21 They cheat the woman who has no son to help her.
They refuse to help the needy widow.
22 “God, in his power, drags away the rich.
They may rise high, but they have no assurance of life.
23 They may be allowed to live in security,
but God is always watching them.
24 And though they are great now,
in a moment they will be gone like all others,
cut off like heads of grain.
25 Can anyone claim otherwise?
Who can prove me wrong?”
Bildad’s Third Response to Job
25 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
2 “God is powerful and dreadful.
He enforces peace in the heavens.
3 Who is able to count his heavenly army?
Doesn’t his light shine on all the earth?
4 How can a mortal be innocent before God?
Can anyone born of a woman be pure?
5 God is more glorious than the moon;
he shines brighter than the stars.
6 In comparison, people are maggots;
we mortals are mere worms.”
Job’s Ninth Speech: A Response to Bildad
26 Then Job spoke again:
2 “How you have helped the powerless!
How you have saved the weak!
3 How you have enlightened my stupidity!
What wise advice you have offered!
4 Where have you gotten all these wise sayings?
Whose spirit speaks through you?
5 “The dead tremble—
those who live beneath the waters.
6 The underworld[b] is naked in God’s presence.
The place of destruction[c] is uncovered.
7 God stretches the northern sky over empty space
and hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He wraps the rain in his thick clouds,
and the clouds don’t burst with the weight.
9 He covers the face of the moon,[d]
shrouding it with his clouds.
10 He created the horizon when he separated the waters;
he set the boundary between day and night.
11 The foundations of heaven tremble;
they shudder at his rebuke.
12 By his power the sea grew calm.
By his skill he crushed the great sea monster.[e]
13 His Spirit made the heavens beautiful,
and his power pierced the gliding serpent.
14 These are just the beginning of all that he does,
merely a whisper of his power.
Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?”
Job’s Final Speech
27 Job continued speaking:
2 “I vow by the living God, who has taken away my rights,
by the Almighty who has embittered my soul—
3 As long as I live,
while I have breath from God,
4 my lips will speak no evil,
and my tongue will speak no lies.
5 I will never concede that you are right;
I will defend my integrity until I die.
6 I will maintain my innocence without wavering.
My conscience is clear for as long as I live.
7 “May my enemy be punished like the wicked,
my adversary like those who do evil.
8 For what hope do the godless have when God cuts them off
and takes away their life?
9 Will God listen to their cry
when trouble comes upon them?
10 Can they take delight in the Almighty?
Can they call to God at any time?
11 I will teach you about God’s power.
I will not conceal anything concerning the Almighty.
12 But you have seen all this,
yet you say all these useless things to me.
13 “This is what the wicked will receive from God;
this is their inheritance from the Almighty.
14 They may have many children,
but the children will die in war or starve to death.
15 Those who survive will die of a plague,
and not even their widows will mourn them.
16 “Evil people may have piles of money
and may store away mounds of clothing.
17 But the righteous will wear that clothing,
and the innocent will divide that money.
18 The wicked build houses as fragile as a spider’s web,[f]
as flimsy as a shelter made of branches.
19 The wicked go to bed rich
but wake to find that all their wealth is gone.
20 Terror overwhelms them like a flood,
and they are blown away in the storms of the night.
21 The east wind carries them away, and they are gone.
It sweeps them away.
22 It whirls down on them without mercy.
They struggle to flee from its power.
23 But everyone jeers at them
and mocks them.
Job 23-27
New International Version
Job 23-27
New International Version
Job
23 Then Job replied:
2 “Even today my complaint(A) is bitter;(B)
his hand[a] is heavy in spite of[b] my groaning.(C)
3 If only I knew where to find him;
if only I could go to his dwelling!(D)
4 I would state my case(E) before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.(F)
5 I would find out what he would answer me,(G)
and consider what he would say to me.
6 Would he vigorously oppose me?(H)
No, he would not press charges against me.(I)
7 There the upright(J) can establish their innocence before him,(K)
and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.(L)
8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find him.
9 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)
10 But he knows the way that I take;(N)
when he has tested me,(O) I will come forth as gold.(P)
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;(Q)
I have kept to his way without turning aside.(R)
12 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)
13 “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?(U)
He does whatever he pleases.(V)
14 He carries out his decree against me,
and many such plans he still has in store.(W)
15 That is why I am terrified before him;(X)
when I think of all this, I fear him.(Y)
16 God has made my heart faint;(Z)
the Almighty(AA) has terrified me.(AB)
17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,(AC)
by the thick darkness that covers my face.
24 “Why does the Almighty not set times(AD) for judgment?(AE)
Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?(AF)
2 There are those who move boundary stones;(AG)
they pasture flocks they have stolen.(AH)
3 They drive away the orphan’s donkey
and take the widow’s ox in pledge.(AI)
4 They thrust the needy(AJ) from the path
and force all the poor(AK) of the land into hiding.(AL)
5 Like wild donkeys(AM) in the desert,
the poor go about their labor(AN) of foraging food;
the wasteland(AO) provides food for their children.
6 They gather fodder(AP) in the fields
and glean in the vineyards(AQ) of the wicked.(AR)
7 Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked;
they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.(AS)
8 They are drenched(AT) by mountain rains
and hug(AU) the rocks for lack of shelter.(AV)
9 The fatherless(AW) child is snatched(AX) from the breast;
the infant of the poor is seized(AY) for a debt.(AZ)
10 Lacking clothes, they go about naked;(BA)
they carry the sheaves,(BB) but still go hungry.
11 They crush olives among the terraces[c];
they tread the winepresses,(BC) yet suffer thirst.(BD)
12 The groans of the dying rise from the city,
and the souls of the wounded cry out for help.(BE)
But God charges no one with wrongdoing.(BF)
13 “There are those who rebel against the light,(BG)
who do not know its ways
or stay in its paths.(BH)
14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up,
kills(BI) the poor and needy,(BJ)
and in the night steals forth like a thief.(BK)
15 The eye of the adulterer(BL) watches for dusk;(BM)
he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’(BN)
and he keeps his face concealed.
16 In the dark, thieves break into houses,(BO)
but by day they shut themselves in;
they want nothing to do with the light.(BP)
17 For all of them, midnight is their morning;
they make friends with the terrors(BQ) of darkness.(BR)
18 “Yet they are foam(BS) on the surface of the water;(BT)
their portion of the land is cursed,(BU)
so that no one goes to the vineyards.(BV)
19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,(BW)
so the grave(BX) snatches away those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets them,
the worm(BY) feasts on them;(BZ)
the wicked are no longer remembered(CA)
but are broken like a tree.(CB)
21 They prey on the barren and childless woman,
and to the widow they show no kindness.(CC)
22 But God drags away the mighty by his power;(CD)
though they become established,(CE) they have no assurance of life.(CF)
23 He may let them rest in a feeling of security,(CG)
but his eyes(CH) are on their ways.(CI)
24 For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone;(CJ)
they are brought low and gathered up like all others;(CK)
they are cut off like heads of grain.(CL)
25 “If this is not so, who can prove me false
and reduce my words to nothing?”(CM)
Bildad
25 Then Bildad the Shuhite(CN) replied:
2 “Dominion and awe belong to God;(CO)
he establishes order in the heights of heaven.(CP)
3 Can his forces be numbered?
On whom does his light not rise?(CQ)
4 How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
How can one born of woman be pure?(CR)
5 If even the moon(CS) is not bright
and the stars are not pure in his eyes,(CT)
6 how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—
a human being,(CU) who is only a worm!”(CV)
Job
26 Then Job replied:
2 “How you have helped the powerless!(CW)
How you have saved the arm that is feeble!(CX)
3 What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
And what great insight(CY) you have displayed!
4 Who has helped you utter these words?
And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?(CZ)
5 “The dead are in deep anguish,(DA)
those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
6 The realm of the dead(DB) is naked before God;
Destruction[d](DC) lies uncovered.(DD)
7 He spreads out the northern skies(DE) over empty space;
he suspends the earth over nothing.(DF)
8 He wraps up the waters(DG) in his clouds,(DH)
yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
9 He covers the face of the full moon,
spreading his clouds(DI) over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters(DJ)
for a boundary between light and darkness.(DK)
11 The pillars of the heavens quake,(DL)
aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea;(DM)
by his wisdom(DN) he cut Rahab(DO) to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies(DP) became fair;
his hand pierced the gliding serpent.(DQ)
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper(DR) we hear of him!(DS)
Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”(DT)
Job’s Final Word to His Friends
27 And Job continued his discourse:(DU)
2 “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,(DV)
the Almighty,(DW) who has made my life bitter,(DX)
3 as long as I have life within me,
the breath of God(DY) in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not say anything wicked,
and my tongue will not utter lies.(DZ)
5 I will never admit you are in the right;
till I die, I will not deny my integrity.(EA)
6 I will maintain my innocence(EB) and never let go of it;
my conscience(EC) will not reproach me as long as I live.(ED)
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,(EE)
my adversary(EF) like the unjust!
8 For what hope have the godless(EG) when they are cut off,
when God takes away their life?(EH)
9 Does God listen to their cry
when distress comes upon them?(EI)
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?(EJ)
Will they call on God at all times?
11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
the ways(EK) of the Almighty I will not conceal.(EL)
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
Why then this meaningless talk?
13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:(EM)
14 However many his children,(EN) their fate is the sword;(EO)
his offspring will never have enough to eat.(EP)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
and their widows will not weep for them.(EQ)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust(ER)
and clothes like piles of clay,(ES)
17 what he lays up(ET) the righteous will wear,(EU)
and the innocent will divide his silver.(EV)
18 The house(EW) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,(EX)
like a hut(EY) made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;(EZ)
when he opens his eyes, all is gone.(FA)
20 Terrors(FB) overtake him like a flood;(FC)
a tempest snatches him away in the night.(FD)
21 The east wind(FE) carries him off, and he is gone;(FF)
it sweeps him out of his place.(FG)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy(FH)
as he flees headlong(FI) from its power.(FJ)
23 It claps its hands(FK) in derision
and hisses him out of his place.”(FL)
2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11
New Living Translation
2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11
New Living Translation
Paul’s Change of Plans
12 We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness[a] and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. 13 Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, 14 even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus[b] returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.
15 Since I was so sure of your understanding and trust, I wanted to give you a double blessing by visiting you twice— 16 first on my way to Macedonia and again when I returned from Macedonia.[c] Then you could send me on my way to Judea.
17 You may be asking why I changed my plan. Do you think I make my plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say “Yes” when they really mean “No”? 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” 19 For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas,[d] Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. 20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.
21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
23 Now I call upon God as my witness that I am telling the truth. The reason I didn’t return to Corinth was to spare you from a severe rebuke. 24 But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.
2 So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit. 2 For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved. 3 That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. 4 I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.
Forgiveness for the Sinner
5 I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.
9 I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. 10 When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, 11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11
New International Version
2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11
New International Version
Paul’s Change of Plans
12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience(A) testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity[a](B) and godly sincerity.(C) We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom(D) but on God’s grace. 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, 14 as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.(E)
15 Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you(F) first so that you might benefit twice.(G) 16 I wanted to visit you on my way(H) to Macedonia(I) and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way(J) to Judea.(K) 17 Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner(L) so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?
18 But as surely as God is faithful,(M) our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God,(N) Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas[b](O) and Timothy(P)—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always(Q) been “Yes.” 20 For no matter how many promises(R) God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen”(S) is spoken by us to the glory of God.(T) 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm(U) in Christ. He anointed(V) us, 22 set his seal(W) of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.(X)
23 I call God as my witness(Y)—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you(Z) that I did not return to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over(AA) your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.(AB) 2 1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.(AC) 2 For if I grieve you,(AD) who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote as I did,(AE) so that when I came I would not be distressed(AF) by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence(AG) in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 4 For I wrote you(AH) out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.
Forgiveness for the Offender
5 If anyone has caused grief,(AI) he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6 The punishment(AJ) inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,(AK) so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9 Another reason I wrote you(AL) was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.(AM) 10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan(AN) might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.(AO)
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 1:12 Many manuscripts holiness
- 2 Corinthians 1:19 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas
Psalm 41
New Living Translation
Psalm 41
New Living Translation
Psalm 41
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor!
The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.
2 The Lord protects them
and keeps them alive.
He gives them prosperity in the land
and rescues them from their enemies.
3 The Lord nurses them when they are sick
and restores them to health.
4 “O Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me.
Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5 But my enemies say nothing but evil about me.
“How soon will he die and be forgotten?” they ask.
6 They visit me as if they were my friends,
but all the while they gather gossip,
and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.
7 All who hate me whisper about me,
imagining the worst.
8 “He has some fatal disease,” they say.
“He will never get out of that bed!”
9 Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely,
the one who shared my food, has turned against me.
10 Lord, have mercy on me.
Make me well again, so I can pay them back!
11 I know you are pleased with me,
for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.
12 You have preserved my life because I am innocent;
you have brought me into your presence forever.
13 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who lives from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and amen!
Psalm 41
New International Version
Psalm 41
New International Version
Psalm 41[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Blessed(A) are those who have regard for the weak;(B)
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(C)
2 The Lord protects(D) and preserves them—(E)
they are counted among the blessed in the land—(F)
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(G)
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(H)
and restores them from their bed of illness.(I)
4 I said, “Have mercy(J) on me, Lord;
heal(K) me, for I have sinned(L) against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?(M)”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely,(N) while his heart gathers slander;(O)
then he goes out and spreads(P) it around.
7 All my enemies whisper together(Q) against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up(R) from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend,(S)
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned[b] against me.(T)
Footnotes
- Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
- Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel
Proverbs 22:5-6
New Living Translation
Proverbs 22:5-6
New Living Translation
5 Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road;
whoever values life will avoid it.
6 Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.
Proverbs 22:5-6
New International Version
Proverbs 22:5-6
New International Version
5 In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,(A)
but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.