Through the Bible – Day 182

₁Job said:

₂I am desperate because

God All-Powerful refuses

to do what is right.

As surely as God lives,

₃and while he gives me breath,

₄I will tell only the truth.

₅Until the day I die,

I will refuse to do wrong

by saying you are right,

₆because each day my conscience

agrees that I am innocent.

₇I pray that my enemies

will suffer no less

than the wicked.

₈Such people are hopeless,

and God All-Powerful

will cut them down,

₉without listening

when they beg for mercy.

₁₀And that is what God should do,

because they don't like him

or ever pray.

₁₁Now I will explain in detail

what God All-Powerful does.

₁₂All of you have seen these things

for yourselves.

So you have no excuse.

₁₃Here is how God All-Powerful

treats those who are wicked

and brutal.

₁₄They may have many children,

but most of them will go hungry

or suffer a violent death.

₁₅Others will die of disease,

and their widows

won't be able to weep.

₁₆The wicked may collect riches

and clothes in abundance

as easily as clay.

₁₇But God's people will wear

clothes taken from them

and divide up their riches.

₁₈No homes built by the wicked

will outlast a cocoon

or a shack.

₁₉Those sinners may go to bed rich,

but they will wake up poor.

₂₀Terror will strike at night

like a flood or a storm.

₂₁Then a scorching wind

will sweep them away

₂₂without showing mercy,

as they try to escape.

₂₃At last, the wind will celebrate

because they are gone.

₁Gold and silver are mined,

then purified;

₂the same is done

with iron and copper.

₃Miners carry lanterns

deep into the darkness

to search for these metals.

₄They dig tunnels

in distant, unknown places,

where they dangle by ropes.

₅Far beneath the grain fields,

fires are built

to break loose those rocks

₆that have jewels or gold.

₇Miners go to places unseen

by the eyes of hawks;

₈they walk on soil unknown

to the proudest lions.

₉With their own hands

they remove sharp rocks

and uproot mountains.

₁₀They dig through the rocks

in search of jewels

and precious metals.

₁₁They also uncover

the sources of rivers

and discover secret places.

₁₂But where is wisdom found?

₁₃No human knows the way.

₁₄Nor can it be discovered

in the deepest sea.

_15-16It is worth much more

than silver or pure gold

or precious stones.

₁₇Nothing is its equal—

not gold or costly glass.

₁₈Wisdom is worth much more than

coral, jasper, or rubies.

₁₉All the topaz of Ethiopia

and the finest gold

cannot compare with it.

₂₀Where then is wisdom?

₂₁It is hidden from human eyes

and even from birds.

₂₂Death and destruction

have merely heard rumours

about where it is found.

₂₃God is the only one who knows

the way to wisdom,

₂₄because he sees everything

beneath the heavens.

₂₅When God divided out

the wind and the water,

₂₆and when he decided the path

for rain and lightning,

₂₇he also determined the truth

and defined wisdom.

₂₈God told us, “Wisdom means

that you respect me, the Lord,

and turn from sin.”

₁Job said:

₂I long for the past,

when God took care of me,

₃and the light from his lamp

showed me the way

through the dark.

₄I was in the prime of life,

God All-Powerful

was my closest friend,

₅and all my children

were nearby.

₆My herds gave enough milk

to bathe my feet,

and from my olive harvest

flowed rivers of oil.

_7-8When I sat down at the meeting

of the city council,

the young leaders stepped aside,

while the older ones stood

_9-10and remained silent.

₁₁Everyone was pleased

with what I said and did.

₁₂When poor people or orphans

cried out for help,

I came to their rescue.

₁₃And I was highly praised

for my generosity to widows

and others in poverty.

₁₄Kindness and justice

were my coat and hat;

₁₅I was good to the blind

and to the lame.

₁₆I was a father to the needy,

and I defended them in court,

even if they were strangers.

₁₇When criminals attacked,

I broke their teeth

and set their victims free.

₁₈I felt certain that I would live

a long and happy life,

then die in my own bed.

₁₉In those days I was strong

like a tree with deep roots

and with plenty of water,

₂₀or like an archer's new bow.

₂₁Everyone listened in silence

to my welcome advice,

₂₂and when I finished speaking,

nothing needed to be said.

₂₃My words were eagerly accepted

like the showers of spring,

₂₄and the smile on my face

renewed everyone's hopes.

₂₅My advice was followed

as though I were a king

leading my troops,

or someone comforting

those in sorrow.

₁Young people now insult me,

although their fathers

would have been a disgrace

to my sheep dogs.

₂And those who insult me

are helpless themselves.

₃They must claw the desert sand

in the dark for something

to satisfy their hunger.

₄They gather tasteless shrubs

for food and firewood,

₅and they are driven out of towns,

as though they were thieves.

₆Their only homes are ditches

or holes between rocks,

₇where they bray like donkeys

gathering around shrubs.

₈And like senseless donkeys

they are chased away.

₉Those worthless nobodies

make up jokes and songs

to disgrace me.

₁₀They are hateful

and keep their distance,

even while spitting

in my direction.

₁₁God has destroyed me,

and so they don't care

what they do.

₁₂Their attacks never stop,

though I am defenceless,

and my feet are trapped.

₁₃Without any help,

they prevent my escape,

destroying me completely

₁₄and leaving me crushed.

₁₅Terror has me surrounded;

my reputation and my riches

have vanished like a cloud.

₁₆I am sick at heart!

Pain has taken its toll.

₁₇Night chews on my bones,

causing endless torment,

₁₈and God has shrunk my skin,

choking me to death.

₁₉I have been thrown in the dirt

and now am dirt myself.

₂₀I beg God for help,

but there is no answer;

and when I stand up,

he simply stares.

₂₁God has turned brutal,

₂₂stirring up a storm

to toss me about.

₂₃Soon he will send me home

to the world of the dead,

where we all must go.

₂₄No one refuses help to others,

when disaster strikes.

₂₅I mourned for the poor

and those who suffered.

₂₆But when I beg for relief

and light,

all I receive are disaster

and darkness.

₂₇My stomach is tied in knots;

pain is my daily companion.

₂₈Suffering has scorched my skin,

and in the city council

I stand and cry out,

₂₉making mournful sounds

like jackals and owls.

₃₀My skin is so parched,

that it peels right off,

and my bones are burning.

₃₁My only songs are sorrow

and sadness.