Job 10; Job 11; Job 12; Job 13

1 "I hate my life, so I will complain without holding back; I will speak because I am so unhappy. 2 I will say to God: Do not hold me guilty, but tell me what you have against me. 3 Does it make you happy to trouble me? Don't you care about me, the work of your hands? Are you happy with the plans of evil people? 4 Do you have human eyes that see as we see? 5 Are your days like the days of humans, and your years like our years? 6 You look for the evil I have done and search for my sin. 7 You know I am not guilty, but no one can save me from your power. 8 "Your hands shaped and made me. Do you now turn around and destroy me? 9 Remember that you molded me like a piece of clay. Will you now turn me back into dust? 10 You formed me inside my mother like cheese formed from milk. 11 You dressed me with skin and flesh; you sewed me together with bones and muscles. 12 You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your care you watched over my life. 13 "But in your heart you hid other plans. I know this was in your mind. 14 If I sinned, you would watch me and would not let my sin go unpunished. 15 How terrible it will be for me if I am guilty! Even if I am right, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and experience only pain. 16 If I hold up my head, you hunt me like a lion and again show your terrible power against me. 17 You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger against me. Your armies come against me. 18 "So why did you allow me to be born? I wish I had died before anyone saw me. 19 I wish I had never lived, but had been carried straight from birth to the grave. 20 The few days of my life are almost over. Leave me alone so I can have a moment of joy. 21 Soon I will leave; I will not return from the land of darkness and gloom, 22 the land of darkest night, from the land of gloom and confusion, where even the light is darkness."

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered: 2 "Should these words go unanswered? Is this talker in the right? 3 Your lies do not make people quiet; people should correct you when you make fun of God. 4 You say, 'My teachings are right, and I am clean in God's sight.' 5 I wish God would speak and open his lips against you 6 and tell you the secrets of wisdom, because wisdom has two sides. your sin. 7 "Can you understand the secrets of God? 8 His limits are higher than the heavens; you cannot reach them! They are deeper than the grave; you cannot understand them! 9 His limits are longer than the earth and wider than the sea. 10 "If God comes along and puts you in prison or calls you into court, no one can stop him. 11 God knows who is evil, and when he sees evil, he takes note of it. 12 A fool cannot become wise any more than a wild donkey can be born tame. 13 "You must give your whole heart to him and hold out your hands to him for help. 14 Put away the sin that is in your hand; let no evil remain in your tent. 15 Then you can lift up your face without shame, and you can stand strong without fear. 16 You will forget your trouble and darkness will seem like morning. 17 Your life will be as bright as the noonday sun, and darkness will seem like morning. 18 You will feel safe because there is hope; you will look around and rest in safety. 19 You will lie down, and no one will scare you. Many people will want favors from you. 20 But the wicked will not be able to see, so they will not escape. Their only hope will be to die."

1 Then Job answered: 2 "You really think you are the only wise people and that when you die, wisdom will die with you! 3 But my mind is as good as yours; you are not better than I am. Everyone knows all these things. 4 My friends all laugh at me when I call on God and expect him to answer me; they laugh at me even though I am right and innocent! 5 Those who are comfortable don't care that others have trouble; they think it right that those people should have troubles. 6 The tents of robbers are not bothered, and those who make God angry are safe. They have their god in their pocket. 7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you. 8 Speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea tell you. 9 Every one of these knows that the hand of the Lord has done this. 10 The life of every creature and the breath of all people are in God's hand. 11 The ear tests words as the tongue tastes food. 12 Older people are wise, and long life brings understanding. 13 "But only God has wisdom and power, good advice and understanding. 14 What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; anyone he puts in prison cannot be let out. 15 If God holds back the waters, there is no rain; if he lets the waters go, they flood the land. 16 He is strong and victorious; both the one who fools others and the one who is fooled belong to him. 17 God leads the wise away as captives and turns judges into fools. 18 He takes off chains that kings put on and puts a garment on their bodies. 19 He leads priests away naked and destroys the powerful. 20 He makes trusted people be silent and takes away the wisdom of older leaders. 21 He brings disgrace on important people and takes away the weapons of the strong. 22 He uncovers the deep things of darkness and brings dark shadows into the light. 23 He makes nations great and then destroys them; he makes nations large and then scatters them. 24 He takes understanding away from the leaders of the earth and makes them wander through a pathless desert. 25 They feel around in darkness with no light; he makes them stumble like drunks.

1 "Now my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard and understood it. 2 What you know, I also know. You are not better than I am. 3 But I want to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. 4 But you smear me with lies. You are worthless doctors, all of you! 5 I wish you would just stop talking; then you would really be wise! 6 Listen to my argument, and hear the pleading of my lips. 7 You should not speak evil in the name of God; you cannot speak God's truth by telling lies. 8 You should not unfairly choose his side against mine; you should not argue the case for God. 9 You will not do well if he examines you; you cannot fool God as you might fool humans. 10 God would surely scold you if you unfairly took one person's side. 11 His bright glory would scare you, and you would be very much afraid of him. 12 Your wise sayings are worth no more than ashes, and your arguments are as weak as clay. 13 "Be quiet and let me speak. Let things happen to me as they will. 14 Why should I put myself in danger and take my life in my own hands? 15 Even if God kills me, I have hope in him; I will still defend my ways to his face. 16 This is my salvation. The wicked cannot come before him. 17 Listen carefully to my words; let your ears hear what I say. 18 See, I have prepared my case, and I know I will be proved right. 19 No one can accuse me of doing wrong. If someone can, I will be quiet and die. 20 "God, please just give me these two things, and then I will not hide from you: 21 Take your punishment away from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors. 22 Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and you answer. 23 How many evil things and sins have I done? Show me my wrong and my sin. 24 Don't hide your face from me; don't think of me as your enemy. 25 Don't punish a leaf that is blown by the wind; don't chase after straw. 26 You write down cruel things against me and make me suffer for my boyhood sins. 27 You put my feet in chains and keep close watch wherever I go. You even mark the soles of my feet. 28 "Everyone wears out like something rotten, like clothing eaten by moths.