New Revised Standard NRS
The Message Bible MSG
1 Then Job answered the Lord:
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Job answered God:
2 "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
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"I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans.
3 "Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
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You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?' I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head.
4 "Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.'
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You told me, 'Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.'
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;
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I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand - from my own eyes and ears!
6 therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
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I'm sorry - forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor."
7 After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.
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After God had finished addressing Job, he turned to Eliphaz the Temanite and said, "I've had it with you and your two friends. I'm fed up! You haven't been honest either with me or about me - not the way my friend Job has.
8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has done."
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So here's what you must do. Take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my friend Job. Sacrifice a burnt offering on your own behalf. My friend Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer. He will ask me not to treat you as you deserve for talking nonsense about me, and for not being honest with me, as he has."
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them; and the Lord accepted Job's prayer.
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They did it. Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what God commanded. And God accepted Job's prayer.
10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
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After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune - and then doubled it!
11 Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring.
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All his brothers and sisters and friends came to his house and celebrated. They told him how sorry they were, and consoled him for all the trouble God had brought him. Each of them brought generous housewarming gifts.
12 The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.
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God blessed Job's later life even more than his earlier life. He ended up with fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand teams of oxen, and one thousand donkeys.
13 He also had seven sons and three daughters.
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He also had seven sons and three daughters.
14 He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.
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He named the first daughter Dove, the second, Cinnamon, and the third, Darkeyes.
15 In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers.
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There was not a woman in that country as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father treated them as equals with their brothers, providing the same inheritance.
16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children's children, four generations.
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Job lived on another hundred and forty years, living to see his children and grandchildren - four generations of them!
17 And Job died, old and full of days.
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Then he died - an old man, a full life.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.