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Job 7-9
New Living Translation
Job 7-9
New Living Translation
7 “Is not all human life a struggle?
Our lives are like that of a hired hand,
2 like a worker who longs for the shade,
like a servant waiting to be paid.
3 I, too, have been assigned months of futility,
long and weary nights of misery.
4 Lying in bed, I think, ‘When will it be morning?’
But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn.
5 My body is covered with maggots and scabs.
My skin breaks open, oozing with pus.
Job Cries Out to God
6 “My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle.
They end without hope.
7 O God, remember that my life is but a breath,
and I will never again feel happiness.
8 You see me now, but not for long.
You will look for me, but I will be gone.
9 Just as a cloud dissipates and vanishes,
those who die[a] will not come back.
10 They are gone forever from their home—
never to be seen again.
11 “I cannot keep from speaking.
I must express my anguish.
My bitter soul must complain.
12 Am I a sea monster or a dragon
that you must place me under guard?
13 I think, ‘My bed will comfort me,
and sleep will ease my misery,’
14 but then you shatter me with dreams
and terrify me with visions.
15 I would rather be strangled—
rather die than suffer like this.
16 I hate my life and don’t want to go on living.
Oh, leave me alone for my few remaining days.
17 “What are people, that you should make so much of us,
that you should think of us so often?
18 For you examine us every morning
and test us every moment.
19 Why won’t you leave me alone,
at least long enough for me to swallow!
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
O watcher of all humanity?
Why make me your target?
Am I a burden to you?[b]
21 Why not just forgive my sin
and take away my guilt?
For soon I will lie down in the dust and die.
When you look for me, I will be gone.”
Bildad’s First Response to Job
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied to Job:
2 “How long will you go on like this?
You sound like a blustering wind.
3 Does God twist justice?
Does the Almighty twist what is right?
4 Your children must have sinned against him,
so their punishment was well deserved.
5 But if you pray to God
and seek the favor of the Almighty,
6 and if you are pure and live with integrity,
he will surely rise up and restore your happy home.
7 And though you started with little,
you will end with much.
8 “Just ask the previous generation.
Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors.
9 For we were born but yesterday and know nothing.
Our days on earth are as fleeting as a shadow.
10 But those who came before us will teach you.
They will teach you the wisdom of old.
11 “Can papyrus reeds grow tall without a marsh?
Can marsh grass flourish without water?
12 While they are still flowering, not ready to be cut,
they begin to wither more quickly than grass.
13 The same happens to all who forget God.
The hopes of the godless evaporate.
14 Their confidence hangs by a thread.
They are leaning on a spider’s web.
15 They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last.
They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure.
16 The godless seem like a lush plant growing in the sunshine,
its branches spreading across the garden.
17 Its roots grow down through a pile of stones;
it takes hold on a bed of rocks.
18 But when it is uprooted,
it’s as though it never existed!
19 That’s the end of its life,
and others spring up from the earth to replace it.
20 “But look, God will not reject a person of integrity,
nor will he lend a hand to the wicked.
21 He will once again fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
and the home of the wicked will be destroyed.”
Job’s Third Speech: A Response to Bildad
9 Then Job spoke again:
2 “Yes, I know all this is true in principle.
But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?
3 If someone wanted to take God to court,[c]
would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?
4 For God is so wise and so mighty.
Who has ever challenged him successfully?
5 “Without warning, he moves the mountains,
overturning them in his anger.
6 He shakes the earth from its place,
and its foundations tremble.
7 If he commands it, the sun won’t rise
and the stars won’t shine.
8 He alone has spread out the heavens
and marches on the waves of the sea.
9 He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.
10 He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.
11 “Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him.
When he moves by, I do not see him go.
12 If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him?
Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’
13 And God does not restrain his anger.
Even the monsters of the sea[d] are crushed beneath his feet.
14 “So who am I, that I should try to answer God
or even reason with him?
15 Even if I were right, I would have no defense.
I could only plead for mercy.
16 And even if I summoned him and he responded,
I’m not sure he would listen to me.
17 For he attacks me with a storm
and repeatedly wounds me without cause.
18 He will not let me catch my breath,
but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
19 If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one.
If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him[e] to court?
20 Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty.
Though I am blameless, it[f] would prove me wicked.
21 “I am innocent,
but it makes no difference to me—
I despise my life.
22 Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God.
That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 When a plague[g] sweeps through,
he laughs at the death of the innocent.
24 The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked,
and God blinds the eyes of the judges.
If he’s not the one who does it, who is?
25 “My life passes more swiftly than a runner.
It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.
26 It disappears like a swift papyrus boat,
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 If I decided to forget my complaints,
to put away my sad face and be cheerful,
28 I would still dread all the pain,
for I know you will not find me innocent, O God.
29 Whatever happens, I will be found guilty.
So what’s the use of trying?
30 Even if I were to wash myself with soap
and clean my hands with lye,
31 you would plunge me into a muddy ditch,
and my own filthy clothing would hate me.
32 “God is not a mortal like me,
so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.
33 If only there were a mediator between us,
someone who could bring us together.
34 The mediator could make God stop beating me,
and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
35 Then I could speak to him without fear,
but I cannot do that in my own strength.
Footnotes
- 7:9 Hebrew who go down to Sheol.
- 7:20 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads target, so that I am a burden to myself?
- 9:3 Or If God wanted to take someone to court.
- 9:13 Hebrew the helpers of Rahab, the name of a mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature.
- 9:19 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads me.
- 9:20 Or he.
- 9:23 Or disaster.
Job 7-9
New International Version
Job 7-9
New International Version
7 “Do not mortals have hard service(A) on earth?(B)
Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(C)
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(D)
or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(E)
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(F)
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’(G)
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.(H)
5 My body is clothed with worms(I) and scabs,
my skin is broken and festering.(J)
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(K)
and they come to an end without hope.(L)
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(M)
my eyes will never see happiness again.(N)
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
you will look for me, but I will be no more.(O)
9 As a cloud vanishes(P) and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave(Q) does not return.(R)
10 He will never come to his house again;
his place(S) will know him no more.(T)
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent;(U)
I will speak out in the anguish(V) of my spirit,
I will complain(W) in the bitterness of my soul.(X)
12 Am I the sea,(Y) or the monster of the deep,(Z)
that you put me under guard?(AA)
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
and my couch will ease my complaint,(AB)
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify(AC) me with visions,(AD)
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,(AE)
rather than this body of mine.(AF)
16 I despise my life;(AG) I would not live forever.(AH)
Let me alone;(AI) my days have no meaning.(AJ)
17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
that you give them so much attention,(AK)
18 that you examine them every morning(AL)
and test them(AM) every moment?(AN)
19 Will you never look away from me,(AO)
or let me alone even for an instant?(AP)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,(AQ)
you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?(AR)
Have I become a burden to you?[a](AS)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
and forgive my sins?(AT)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;(AU)
you will search for me, but I will be no more.”(AV)
Bildad
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite(AW) replied:
2 “How long will you say such things?(AX)
Your words are a blustering wind.(AY)
3 Does God pervert justice?(AZ)
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(BA)
4 When your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.(BB)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
and plead(BC) with the Almighty,(BD)
6 if you are pure and upright,
even now he will rouse himself on your behalf(BE)
and restore you to your prosperous state.(BF)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
so prosperous(BG) will your future be.(BH)
8 “Ask the former generation(BI)
and find out what their ancestors learned,
9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,(BJ)
and our days on earth are but a shadow.(BK)
10 Will they not instruct(BL) you and tell you?
Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?(BM)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?(BN)
Can reeds(BO) thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
they wither more quickly than grass.(BP)
13 Such is the destiny(BQ) of all who forget God;(BR)
so perishes the hope of the godless.(BS)
14 What they trust in is fragile[b];
what they rely on is a spider’s web.(BT)
15 They lean on the web,(BU) but it gives way;
they cling to it, but it does not hold.(BV)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
spreading its shoots(BW) over the garden;(BX)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
and looks for a place among the stones.
18 But when it is torn from its spot,
that place disowns(BY) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’(BZ)
19 Surely its life withers(CA) away,
and[c] from the soil other plants grow.(CB)
20 “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless(CC)
or strengthen the hands of evildoers.(CD)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter(CE)
and your lips with shouts of joy.(CF)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,(CG)
and the tents(CH) of the wicked will be no more.”(CI)
Job
9 Then Job replied:
2 “Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(CJ)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,(CK)
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(CL)
4 His wisdom(CM) is profound, his power is vast.(CN)
Who has resisted(CO) him and come out unscathed?(CP)
5 He moves mountains(CQ) without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.(CR)
6 He shakes the earth(CS) from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.(CT)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(CU)
he seals off the light of the stars.(CV)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(CW)
and treads on the waves of the sea.(CX)
9 He is the Maker(CY) of the Bear[d] and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(CZ)
10 He performs wonders(DA) that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.(DB)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(DC)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(DD)
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’(DE)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(DF)
even the cohorts of Rahab(DG) cowered at his feet.
14 “How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?(DH)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(DI)
I could only plead(DJ) with my Judge(DK) for mercy.(DL)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(DM)
17 He would crush me(DN) with a storm(DO)
and multiply(DP) my wounds for no reason.(DQ)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.(DR)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(DS)
And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[e]?(DT)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(DU)
21 “Although I am blameless,(DV)
I have no concern for myself;(DW)
I despise my own life.(DX)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(DY)
23 When a scourge(DZ) brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.(EA)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(EB)
he blindfolds its judges.(EC)
If it is not he, then who is it?(ED)
25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(EE)
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(EF)
26 They skim past(EG) like boats of papyrus,(EH)
like eagles swooping down on their prey.(EI)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(EJ)
I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(EK) all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.(EL)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?(EM)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(EN)
and my hands(EO) with cleansing powder,(EP)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(EQ)
so that even my clothes would detest me.(ER)
32 “He is not a mere mortal(ES) like me that I might answer him,(ET)
that we might confront each other in court.(EU)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(EV)
someone to bring us together,(EW)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(EX)
so that his terror would frighten me no more.(EY)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(EZ)
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(FA)
Footnotes
- Job 7:20 A few manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition and Septuagint; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text I have become a burden to myself.
- Job 8:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Job 8:19 Or Surely all the joy it has / is that
- Job 9:9 Or of Leo
- Job 9:19 See Septuagint; Hebrew me.
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.