31"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.H3772H1285H5869H995H1330 2For what has God above chosen for us? What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high?H2506H433H4605H5159H7706H4791 3Isn't it calamity for the wicked and misfortune for those who do evil?H343H5767H5235H6466H205 4Doesn't he see everything I do and every step I take?H7200H1870H5608H6806 5"Have I lied to anyone or deceived anyone?H1980H7723H7272H2363H4820 6Let God weigh me on the scales of justice, for he knows my integrity.H8254H6664H3976H433H3045H8538 7If I have strayed from his pathway, or if my heart has lusted for what my eyes have seen, or if I am guilty of any other sin,H838H5186H1870H3820H1980H310H5869H3971H1692H3709 8then let someone else eat the crops I have planted. Let all that I have planted be uprooted.H2232H312H398H6631H8327 9"If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lusted for my neighbor's wife,H3820H6601H802H693H7453H6607 10then let my wife belong to another man; let other men sleep with her.H802H2912H312H312H3766 11For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished.H2154H5771H6414 12It is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own.H784H398H11H8327H8393 13"If I have been unfair to my male or female servants when they brought their complaints to me,H3988H4941H5650H519H7379 14how could I face God? What could I say when he questioned me?H6213H410H6965H6485H7725 15For God created both me and my servants. He created us both in the womb.H6213H990H6213H259H3559H7358 16"Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows?H4513H1800H2656H5869H490H3615 17Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with orphans?H398H6595H3490H398 18No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father, and all my life I have cared for widows.H5271H1431H1H5148H517H990 19Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes and the needy with nothing to wear,H7200H6H3830H34H3682 20did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm?H2504H1288H2552H1488H3532 21"If I raised my hand against an orphan, knowing the judges would take my side,H5130H3027H3490H7200H5833H8179 22then let my shoulder be wrenched out of place! Let my arm be torn from its socket!H3802H5307H7929H248H7665H7070 23That would be better than facing God's judgment. For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there?H343H410H6343H7613H3201 24"Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold?H7760H2091H3689H559H3800H4009 25Have I gloated about my wealth and all that I own?H8055H2428H7227H3027H4672H3524 26"Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies, or the moon walking down its silver pathway,H7200H216H1984H3394H1980H3368 27and been secretly enticed in my heart to throw kisses at them in worship?H3820H5643H6601H6310H5401H3027 28If so, I should be punished by the judges, for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.H5771H6416H3584H410H4605 29"Have I ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies, or become excited when harm came their way?H8055H6365H8130H5782H7451H4672 30No, I have never sinned by cursing anyone or by asking for revenge.H5414H2441H2398H7592H423H5315 31"My servants have never said, 'He let others go hungry.'H4962H168H559H5414H1320H7646 32I have never turned away a stranger but have opened my doors to everyone.H1616H3885H2351H6605H1817H734 33"Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do, concealing my guilt in my heart?H3680H6588H121H2934H5771H2243 34Have I feared the crowd or the contempt of the masses, so that I kept quiet and stayed indoors?H6206H7227H1995H937H4940H2865H1826H3318H6607 35"If only someone would listen to me! Look, I will sign my name to my defense. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write out the charges against me.H5414H8085H8420H7706H6030H376H7379H3789H5612 36I would face the accusation proudly. I would wear it like a crown.H5375H7926H6029H5850 37For I would tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before him like a prince.H5046H4557H6806H5057H7126 38"If my land accuses me and all its furrows cry out together,H127H2199H8525H3162H1058 39or if I have stolen its crops or murdered its owners,H398H3581H3701H1167H5301H5315 40then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley." Job's words are ended.H2336H3318H2406H890H8184H1697H347H8552
32Job's three friends refused to reply further to him because he kept insisting on his innocence.H7969H582H7673H6030H347H6662H5869 2Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the clan of Ram, became angry. He was angry because Job refused to admit that he had sinned and that God was right in punishing him.H2734H639H453H1121H1292H940H4940H7410H347H639H2734H6663H5315H430 3He was also angry with Job's three friends, for they made God appear to be wrong by their inability to answer Job's arguments.H7969H7453H639H2734H4672H4617H7561H347 4Elihu had waited for the others to speak to Job because they were older than he.H453H2442H347H1697H2205H3117 5But when he saw that they had no further reply, he spoke out angrily.H453H7200H4617H6310H7969H582H639H2734 6Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said, "I am young and you are old, so I held back from telling you what I think.H453H1121H1292H940H6030H559H6810H3117H3453H2119H3372H2331H1843 7I thought, 'Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.'H559H3117H1696H7230H8141H3045H2451 8But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent.H403H7307H582H5397H7706H995 9Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice.H7227H2449H2205H995H4941 10So listen to me, and let me tell you what I think.H559H8085H2331H1843 11"I have waited all this time, listening very carefully to your arguments, listening to you grope for words.H3176H1697H238H8394H2713H4405 12I have listened, but not one of you has refuted Job or answered his arguments.H995H3198H347H6030H561 13And don't tell me, 'He is too wise for us. Only God can convince him.'H559H4672H2451H410H5086H376 14If Job had been arguing with me, I would not answer with your kind of logic!H6186H4405H7725H561 15You sit there baffled, with nothing more to say.H2865H6030H6275H4405 16Should I continue to wait, now that you are silent? Must I also remain silent?H3176H1696H5975H6030 17No, I will say my piece. I will speak my mind.H6030H2506H2331H1843 18For I am full of pent-up words, and the spirit within me urges me on.H4390H4405H7307H990H6693 19I am like a cask of wine without a vent, like a new wineskin ready to burst!H990H3196H6605H1234H2319H178 20I must speak to find relief, so let me give my answers.H1696H7304H6605H8193H6030 21I won't play favorites or try to flatter anyone.H5375H376H6440H3655H120 22For if I tried flattery, my Creator would soon destroy me.H3045H3655H6213H4592H5375
33"Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say.H199H347H8085H4405H238H1697 2Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue.H6605H6310H3956H1696H2441 3I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth.H561H3476H3820H8193H4448H1847H1305 4For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.H7307H410H6213H5397H7706H2421 5Answer me, if you can; make your case and take your stand.H3201H7725H6186H6440H3320 6Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay.H6310H410H7169H2563 7So you don't need to be afraid of me. I won't come down hard on you.H367H1204H405H3513 8"You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words.H559H241H8085H6963H4405 9You said, 'I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt.H2134H6588H2643H5771 10God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy.H4672H8569H2803H341 11He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.'H7760H7272H5465H8104H734 12"But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being.H6663H6030H433H7235H582 13So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people's complaints?H7378H6030H1697 14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.H410H1696H259H8147H7789 15He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds.H2472H2384H3915H8639H5307H582H8572H4904 16He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings.H1540H241H582H2856H4561 17He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride.H5493H120H4639H3680H1466H1397 18He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death.H2820H5315H7845H2416H5674H7973 19"Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones.H3198H4341H4904H7230H7379H6106H386 20They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food.H2416H2092H3899H5315H8378H3978 21Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out.H1320H3615H7210H6106H7200H8192H8205 22They are at death's door; the angels of death wait for them.H5315H7126H7845H2416H4191 23But if an angel from heaven appears—a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright—H3426H4397H3887H259H505H5046H120H3476 24he will be gracious and say,'Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.'H2603H559H6308H3381H7845H4672H3724 25Then his body will become as healthy as a child's, firm and youthful again.H1320H7375H5290H7725H3117H5934 26When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing.H6279H433H7521H7200H6440H8643H7725H582H6666 27He will declare to his friends,'I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it.H7789H582H559H2398H5753H3477H7737 28God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.'H6299H5315H5674H7845H2416H7200H216 29"Yes, God does these things again and again for people.H6466H410H6471H7969H1397 30He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life.H7725H5315H7845H215H216H2416 31Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say.H7181H347H8085H2790H1696 32But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified.H3426H4405H7725H1696H2654H6663 33But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!"H8085H2790H502H2451
34Then Elihu said.H453H6030H559 2"Listen to me, you wise men. Pay attention, you who have knowledge.H8085H4405H2450H238H3045 3Job said, 'The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.'H241H974H4405H2441H2938H398 4So let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.H977H4941H3045H2896 5For Job also said, 'I am innocent, but God has taken away my rights.H347H559H6663H410H5493H4941 6I am innocent, but they call me a liar. My suffering is incurable, though I have not sinned.'H3576H4941H2671H605H6588 7"Tell me, has there ever been a man like Job, with his thirst for irreverent talk?H1397H347H8354H3933H4325 8He chooses evil people as companions. He spends his time with wicked men.H732H2274H6466H205H3212H7562H582 9He has even said, 'Why waste time trying to please God?'H559H5532H1397H7521H430 10"Listen to me, you who have understanding. Everyone knows that God doesn't sin! The Almighty can do no wrong.H8085H582H3824H2486H410H7562H7706H5766 11He repays people according to their deeds. He treats people as they deserve.H6467H120H7999H376H4672H734 12Truly, God will not do wrong. The Almighty will not twist justice.H551H410H7561H7706H5791H4941 13Did someone else put the world in his care? Who set the whole world in place?H6485H776H7760H8398 14If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath,H7760H3820H622H7307H5397 15all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust.H1320H1478H3162H120H7725H6083 16"Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say.H998H8085H238H6963H4405 17Could God govern if he hated justice? Are you going to condemn the almighty judge?H8130H4941H2280H7561H3524H6662 18For he says to kings, 'You are wicked,' and to nobles, 'You are unjust.'H559H4428H1100H5081H7563 19He doesn't care how great a person may be, and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor. He made them all.H5375H6440H8269H5234H7771H6440H1800H4639H3027 20In a moment they die. In the middle of the night they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.H7281H4191H5971H1607H2676H3915H5674H47H5493H3027 21"For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do.H5869H1870H376H7200H6806 22No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes.H2822H6757H6466H205H5641 23We don't set the time when we will come before God in judgment.H7760H376H1980H4941H410 24He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone, and he sets up others in their place.H7489H3524H2714H5975H312 25He knows what they do, and in the night he overturns and destroys them.H5234H4566H2015H3915H1792 26He strikes them down because they are wicked, doing it openly for all to see.H5606H8478H7563H4725H7200 27For they turned away from following him. They have no respect for any of his ways.H5493H310H7919H1870 28They cause the poor to cry out, catching God's attention. He hears the cries of the needy.H6818H1800H935H8085H6818H6041 29But if he chooses to remain quiet, who can criticize him? When he hides his face, no one can find him, whether an individual or a nation.H8252H7561H5641H6440H7789H1471H120H3162 30He prevents the godless from ruling so they cannot be a snare to the people.H120H2611H4427H5971H4170 31"Why don't people say to God, 'I have sinned, but I will sin no more'?H559H410H5375H2254 32Or 'I don't know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once'?H2372H1107H3384H6466H5766H3254 33"Must God tailor his justice to your demands? But you have rejected him! The choice is yours, not mine. Go ahead, share your wisdom with us.H7999H3588H3988H977H1696H3045 34After all, bright people will tell me, and wise people will hear me say,H582H3824H559H2450H1397H8085 35'Job speaks out of ignorance; his words lack insight.'H347H1696H1847H1697H7919 36Job, you deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you have talked.H15H1H347H974H5331H8666H205H582 37For you have added rebellion to your sin; you show no respect, and you speak many angry words against God."H3254H6588H2403H5606H7235H561H410
Dublin, OH
another man; let other men sleep with her.H802
