Through the Bible – Day 178

₁Job said:

₂What you say is true.

No human is innocent

in the sight of God.

₃Not once in a thousand times

could we win our case

if we took him to court.

₄God is wise and powerful—

who could possibly

oppose him and win?

₅When God becomes angry,

he can move mountains

before they even know it.

₆God can shake the earth loose

from its foundations

₇or command the sun and stars

to hold back their light.

₈God alone stretched out the sky,

stepped on the sea,

₉and set the stars in place—

the Great Bear and Orion,

the Pleiades and the stars

in the southern sky.

₁₀Of all the miracles God works,

we cannot understand a single one.

₁₁God walks right past me,

without making a sound.

₁₂And if he grabs something,

who can stop him

or raise a question?

₁₃When God showed his anger,

the servants of the sea monster

fell at his feet.

₁₄How, then, could I possibly

argue my case with God?

₁₅Even though I am innocent,

I can only beg for mercy.

₁₆And if God came into court

when I called him,

he would not hear my case.

₁₇He would strike me with a storm

and increase my injuries

for no reason at all.

₁₈Before I could get my breath,

my miseries would multiply.

₁₉God is much stronger than I am,

and who would call me into court

to give me justice?

₂₀Even if I were innocent,

God would prove me wrong.

₂₁I am not guilty,

but I no longer care

what happens to me.

₂₂What difference does it make?

God destroys the innocent

along with the guilty.

₂₃When a good person dies

a sudden death,

God sits back and laughs.

₂₄And who else but God

blindfolds the judges,

then lets the wicked

take over the earth?

₂₅My life is speeding by,

without a hope of happiness.

₂₆Each day passes swifter

than a sailing ship

or an eagle swooping down.

₂₇Sometimes I try to be cheerful

and to stop complaining,

₂₈but my sufferings frighten me,

because I know that God

still considers me guilty.

₂₉So what's the use of trying

to prove my innocence?

₃₀Even if I washed myself

with the strongest soap,

₃₁God would throw me into a pit

of stinking slime, leaving me

disgusting to my clothes.

₃₂God isn't a mere human like me.

I can't put him on trial.

₃₃Who could possibly judge

between the two of us?

₃₄Can someone snatch away

the stick God carries

to frighten me?

₃₅Then I could speak up

without fear of him,

but for now, I cannot speak.

₁I am sick of life!

And from my deep despair,

I complain to you, my God.

₂Don't just condemn me!

Point out my sin.

₃Why do you take such delight

in destroying those you created

and in smiling on sinners?

₄Do you look at things

the way we humans do?

₅Is your life as short as ours?

₆Is that why you are so quick

to find fault with me?

₇You know I am innocent,

but who can defend me

against you?

₈Will you now destroy

someone you created?

₉Remember that you moulded me

like a piece of clay.

So don't turn me back

into dust once again.

₁₀As cheese is made from milk,

you created my body

from a tiny drop.

₁₁Then you tied my bones together

with muscles and covered them

with flesh and skin.

₁₂You, the source of my life,

showered me with kindness

and watched over me.

₁₃You have not explained

all your mysteries,

₁₄but you catch and punish me

each time I sin.

₁₅Guilty or innocent,

I am condemned and ashamed

because of my troubles.

₁₆No matter how hard I try,

you keep hunting me down

like a powerful lion.

₁₇You never stop accusing me;

you become furious and attack

over and over again.

₁₈Why did you let me be born?

I would rather have died

before birth

₁₉and been carried to the grave

without ever breathing.

₂₀I have only a few days left.

Why don't you leave me alone?

Let me find some relief,

_21-22before I travel to the land

of darkness and despair,

the place of no return.

₁Zophar from Naamah said:

₂So much foolish talk

cannot go unanswered.

₃Your words have silenced others

and made them ashamed;

now it is only right for you

to be put to shame.

₄You claim to be innocent

and argue that your beliefs

are acceptable to God.

₅But I wish he would speak

₆and let you know that wisdom

has many different sides.

You would then discover

that God has punished you

less than you deserve.

₇Can you understand the mysteries

surrounding God All-Powerful?

₈They are higher than the heavens

and deeper than the grave.

So what can you do

when you know so little,

₉and these mysteries outreach

the earth and the sea?

₁₀If God puts you in prison

or drags you to court,

what can you do?

₁₁God has the wisdom to know

when someone is worthless

and sinful,

₁₂but it's easier to tame

a wild donkey

than to make a fool wise.

₁₃Surrender your heart to God,

turn to him in prayer,

₁₄and give up your sins—

even those you do in secret.

₁₅Then you won't be ashamed;

you will be confident

and fearless.

₁₆Your troubles will go away

like water beneath a bridge,

₁₇and your darkest night

will be brighter than midday.

₁₈You will rest safe and secure,

filled with hope

and emptied of worry.

₁₉You will sleep without fear

and be greatly respected.

₂₀But those who are evil

will go blind and lose their way.

Their only escape is death!

_1-2Job said to his friends:

You think you are so great,

with all the answers.

₃But I know as much as you do,

and so does everyone else.

₄I have always lived right,

and God answered my prayers;

now friends make fun of me.

₅It's easy to condemn

those who are suffering,

when you have no troubles.

₆Robbers and other godless people

live safely at home and say,

“God is in our hands!”

₇If you want to learn,

then go and ask

the wild animals and the birds,

₈the flowers and the fish.

₉Any of them can tell you

what the LORD has done.

₁₀Every living creature

is in the hands of God.

₁₁We hear with our ears,

taste with our tongues,

₁₂and gain some wisdom from those

who have lived a long time.

₁₃But God is the real source

of wisdom and strength.

₁₄No one can rebuild

what he destroys, or release

those he has imprisoned.

₁₅God can hold back the rain

or send a flood,

₁₆just as he rules over liars

and those they lie to.

₁₇God destroys counsellors,

turns judges into fools,

₁₈and makes slaves of kings.

₁₉God removes priests and others

who have great power—

₂₀he confuses wise,

experienced advisers,

₂₁puts mighty kings to shame,

and takes away their power.

₂₂God turns darkness to light;

₂₃he makes nations strong,

then shatters their strength.

₂₄God strikes their rulers senseless,

then leaves them to roam

through barren deserts,

₂₅lost in the dark, staggering

like someone drunk.