Job's continues his discourse
As surely as God who has denied me justice lives,
As long as I am alive,
I will not let go of my integrity.
I will not give in and admit something that is not true.
May my enemies receive what they keep talking about.
Listen to me and I will tell you about the ways of God.
You have all seen this with your own eyes.
The wicked man has an unblessed family.
Disease, hunger, and death are the destiny of his children.
The wicked man stores up wealth but the righteous and innocent will receive it.
He lies down wealthy, and awakens to find it all gone one day.
Terror overtakes him. The wind blows and carries him away.
Try as he may, he will find no escape.
JOB SPEAKS ON THE SUBJECT OF WISDOM
Gold and silver is found in mines.
Precious metals are taken from the earth.
Men dig into the dark blackness and shine their lights far from civilization.
Under the ground precious jewels are formed from the rocks.
No bird or beast has seen this hidden realm.
Man tunnels his way through rock and finds these treasures.
He searches and brings the hidden things to light.
But where can one look for wisdom?
Where does understanding live?
It is not found here on earth!
Even the mysterious fearful places of death
testify that they do not contain wisdom!
The deepest wisdom can't be bought with the finest gold.
It can't be obtained at any price.
No amount of work can attain it.
No material thing can compare to it.
Where does it come from?
It is hidden from every creature.
Destruction and Death even admit
that they have only heard a rumor about wisdom.
Only God alone knows where this deepest wisdom is and how to find it!
In the beginning, when He created all and ordained all,
He alone tested and confirmed wisdom.
God told man that the fear of the LORD - that is wisdom.
To shun evil - that is understanding.
JOB REMEMBERS HIS PAST DAYS OF PHYSICAL BLESSING
How I long for the months gone by …
When God watched over me.
When His intimate friendship blessed my house.
When my children were all around me.
When my life was full of richness wherever I turned.
I was exceedingly respected.
Everybody wanted to hear what I had to say.
Everyone spoke well of me.
Because I rescued the poor.
I helped the orphan who was in need.
Even the dying man and his widow praised me.
I was righteous and fair in my dealings with people.
I helped the blind and lame, the needy and the stranger.
I stopped wicked men from oppressing the helpless.
I always thought I would have a long life.
I thought I would die in my own home.
I thought I would live in peace.
People used to come to me for advice.
The listened to me and highly valued my words.
They were flattered just to have me smile at them!
I was a leader to them. Like a king or a chief.
I was a source of comfort to them.
JOB SPEAKS OF HIS PRESENT CONDITION
But now they ridicule me.
I am detested even by disgraced families.
They spit in my face.
Now that God has afflicted me, they show no respect or restraint.
They attack me, destroying me and my land.
Terror overwhelms me.
I have lost my dignity.
My safety is gone.
My life is slipping away from me.
Days of suffering grip me.
Night pierces my bones.
My pains do not rest.
They continue to afflict me even at night.
God throws me into the mud and I am reduced to dust and ashes.
I cry out to You God but You do not answer.
You look at me with no reply.
You attack me and toss me about.
I know you will bring me down to death, where all will one day reside.
Didn't I weep for those in trouble and grieve for the poor?
Yet when I hoped for good, evil came.
When I looked for light, darkness came.
My suffering never stops!
My pain continues on.
I am charred from disease.
I cry out for help.
I have no friends but the jackals, the owls.
No man will befriend me.
My skin is black and peeling off.
I burn with fever.
I have no song in my heart - only sadness.
My music is the sound of wailing.
JOB SPEAKS OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
I did not look at young ladies with lust in my heart.
I respected God for I knew that He punishes the wrongdoer.
I knew that He saw my every deed, my every step.
If I have lied or cheated people,
let God judge me with true scales
and He will see that I am blameless.
If I have turned from His path,
then may others have my wealth.
If I have pursued immorality…
May my own wife work for another man.
May my own wife be unfaithful to me!
For that would have been shameful,
a sin worthy of judgement.
If I had cheated people, I would have no answer before the LORD.
If I had neglected the needs of the poor and widows,
If I had been greedy, I would not be able to stand before God.
But I raised the orphan.
I helped the widow.
I shared with those in need.
If I used my influence in the court to oppress the orphan -
If I raised my arm against him -
May it fall off!
May it become lame!
I respected God's powerful judgement too much to do anything like that.
If I had put my trust in material things.
If I had told myself that gold was my security.
If I had worshiped the sun or moon…
These sins too would deserve judgement
for I would have been unfaithful to the LORD.
If I had taken joy at my enemies suffering.
I would then deserve judgement.
But I have not cursed them.
I shared with strangers.
I lodged the traveler.
If only someone would hear me.
This is my defense case.
May God answer me.
Let my accuser put His charges on the table.
I would answer them all.
If I have used my land and wealth evil and selfishly,
If I have used it to break the spirit of its tenants,
Then may it grow briers instead of wheat, weeds instead of barley.
Bye to the 3 friends but here comes Elihu!
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