The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Iyov continued his speech:
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And Job again took up the word and said,
2 "I swear by the living God, who is denying me justice, and by Shaddai, who deals with me so bitterly,
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By the life of God, who has taken away my right; and of the Ruler of all, who has made my soul bitter;
3 that as long my life remains in me and God's breath is in my nostrils,
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(For all my breath is still in me, and the spirit of God is my life;)
4 my lips will not speak unrighteousness, or my tongue utter deceit.
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Truly, there is no deceit in my lips, and my tongue does not say what is false.
5 Far be it from me to say you are right; I will keep my integrity till the day I die.
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Let it be far from me! I will certainly not say that you are right! I will come to death before I give up my righteousness.
6 I hold to my righteousness; I won't let it go; my heart will not shame me as long as I live.
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I will keep it safe, and will not let it go: my heart has nothing to say against any part of my life.
7 "May my enemy meet the doom of the wicked; my foe the fate of the unrighteous.
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Let my hater be like the evil man, and let him who comes against me be as the sinner.
8 For what hope does the godless have from his gain when God takes away his life?
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For what is the hope of the sinner when he is cut off, when God takes back his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?
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Will his cry come to the ears of God when he is in trouble?
10 Will he take delight in Shaddai and always call on God?
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Will he take delight in the Ruler of all, and make his prayer to God at all times?
11 "I am teaching you how God uses his power, not hiding what Shaddai is doing.
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I will give you teaching about the hand of God; I will not keep secret from you what is in the mind of the Ruler of all.
12 Look, you all can see for yourselves; so why are you talking such empty nonsense?
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Truly, you have all seen it yourselves; why then have you become completely foolish?
13 "This is God's reward for the wicked man, the heritage oppressors receive from Shaddai:
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This is the punishment of the evil-doer from God, and the heritage given to the cruel by the Ruler of all.
14 if his sons become many, they go to the sword; and his children never have enough to eat.
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If his children are increased, it is for the sword; and his offspring have not enough bread.
15 Those of his who remain are buried by plague, and their widows do not weep.
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When those of his house who are still living come to their end by disease, they are not put into the earth, and their widows are not weeping for them.
16 Even if he piles up silver like dust and stores away clothing [in mounds] like clay -
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Though he may get silver together like dust, and make ready great stores of clothing;
17 he may collect it, but the just will wear it, and the upright divide up the silver.
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He may get them ready, but the upright will put them on, and he who is free from sin will take the silver for a heritage.
18 He builds his house weak as a spider's web, as flimsy as a watchman's shack.
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His house has no more strength than a spider's thread, or a watchman's tent.
19 He may lie down rich, but his wealth yields nothing; when he opens his eyes, it isn't there.
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He goes to rest full of wealth, but does so for the last time: on opening his eyes, he sees it there no longer.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; at night a whirlwind steals him away.
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Fears overtake him like rushing waters; in the night the storm-wind takes him away.
21 The east wind carries him off, and he's gone; it sweeps him far from his place.
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The east wind takes him up and he is gone; he is forced violently out of his place.
22 Yes, it hurls itself at him, sparing nothing; he does all he can to flee from its power.
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God sends his arrows against him without mercy; he goes in flight before his hand.
23 [People] clap their hands at him in derision and hiss him out of his home.
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Men make signs of joy because of him, driving him from his place with sounds of hissing.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.