The Book of Job

The End

Lesson #1 for October 1, 2016

Scriptures: [Job 42:10-17; Genesis 4:8; Matthew 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Daniel 2:44; Job 14:14-15][1].

1.    This lesson will start with the end of Job’s story! Good stories always have great endings. That is particularly true of fiction. But, what about in real life? Unless Jesus comes again during our lifetimes, each one of us will eventually die. Is that a good ending? Even Job died at the end of a long life. But, is it God’s intention that we evaluate our existence and value only in terms of this life on earth? Never! God looks at us as His children with whom He will live forever! Should we be taking that same view? In that case, our lives will have a happy ending!

2.    Many stories in the Bible need to be understood in the context of the larger, great controversy setting in which they took place. We should never limit our focus of attention on just what happens on this earth.

3.    Read Job 42:10-17[2]. Most Christians have a general idea of the content of the book of Job. To many Christians it is a book about why the righteous suffer. But, these verses seem to suggest that Job’s ending was a good one.

4.    Read Job 42:11[3]. Did all of those relatives and even former friends really still believe that all that trouble that came upon Job was God’s fault? What did he do with all those gold rings?

5.    There is no evidence in the book of Job to suggest that Job had more than one wife. Imagine giving birth to ten children, then going through the experiences recorded in the book of Job including the loss of those first children, and then having ten more children! Did Job and his wife talk to their second batch of ten children about the first ten? Did the family ever mourn-or perhaps celebrate-the lives of those first ten children? What happened to Job’s later descendants? Couldn’t God have selected them as His “chosen” people instead of the children of Jacob?

6.    There are a lot of biblical characters who did not have such a happy ending to their lives! Think of Abel (Genesis 4:8), Uriah (2 Samuel 11:17), Eli (1 Samuel 4:18), King Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:22-24), John the Baptist (Matthew 14:10), Stephen (Acts 7:59-60), Paul, and even the disciples of Jesus! From an earthly standpoint, none of these people had happy endings.

7.    But, we must admit that, superficially at least, Job’s life ended well. He certainly had his share of wealth, and I am sure he enjoyed his second ten children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. (See Job 42:15-16[4].) Why do you think there is such an emphasis on even the names of his three daughters? What did Job say to his second batch of children about the story that we know about in the book of Job? Did he have any scars to show them as evidence for his experiences?

8.    The Bible study guide suggests that perhaps Job never learned of the reasons behind all the calamities that happened to him. But, in light of the kind of communication that Job had with God before that whole experience, (See Job 29[5].) Job must have learned the truth about the whole story after it was over. How else do we have the record? If God was willing to inform us of the issues that were involved even at the beginning of the book, why wouldn’t He have told Job after it was over?

9.    Nevertheless, we must admit that in stories like this one of Job, there were many things that remained incomplete, unanswered, even unfulfilled.

10.    Some serious Bible students have compared the trials of Job with the final events in the life of Christ and with the final experiences of the 144,000 just before the second coming. There are many obvious parallels. Can you think of some of them? These were critical points in the great controversy; in each case, the Devil loses! Do you think he was/is happy about that?

11.    Read 1 Corinthians 4:5[6]. Looking at our daily experiences, is it always obvious that everyone will receive from God the reward s/he deserves? How does that fit with 2 Timothy 3:12, GNB: “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in union with Christ Jesus will be persecuted”?

12.    But, there is something unique about biblical history. These are not just stories told to entertain or even primarily simply to inform or educate. They are stories told with an intentional purpose to teach us about God. More than that, we need to recognize that biblical stories can inform us not only about the past and the present but also about the future. The Bible can speak authoritatively about death, judgment, heaven, and even hell. Remember that the wicked will finally be destroyed here on this earth at the third coming of Christ after the millennium. Shortly thereafter, God will remake this earth into a new Garden of Eden which will be the eternal home of the saved. Thus, “hell” and what some people call “heaven” will be at the same place, just at different times!

13.    In light of all of that, what do we learn from a quick overview of the book of Job? Is there any hint that Job was aware of what might happen beyond this life? Did God tell him anything about the future life?

14.    Read Job 19:26-27[7]. Of course, Job did not have nearly as much information available about the future as we have. He never knew anything about the prophecies in Daniel, Revelation, or Zechariah. (Read Daniel 2:44; 7:18[8].) Unless, of course, God chose later to tell him personally. Job had no Bible, no church or synagogue, and no pastor or rabbi. Where did he get his information?

The great plan of redemption results in fully bringing back the world into God’s favor. All that was lost by sin is restored. Not only man but the earth is redeemed, to be the eternal abode of the obedient. For six thousand years Satan has struggled to maintain possession of the earth. Now God’s original purpose in its creation is accomplished. “The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.” Daniel 7:18.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets 342.1.

15.    The good news that we can read into this story is that Job’s death is not the end of Job’s story. We can happily look forward to future conversations with Job in the earth made new. What do you suppose he will have to say about his life’s experience? Will he focus on the difficult times we read about in the book? Or, about his many conversations with God? Or, about the rewards that God gave him at the end? Or, about other issues in the great controversy over God’s character and government?

16.    Read Job 14:14-15[9]. These verses suggest that Job did look forward to a future beyond his death. The Hebrew words used suggest a future hope, a renewal, a putting on of a new body.

17.    Living in our day, we have definitive proof that there will be life beyond death. The life, death, and ministry of Jesus are our guarantee of the possibility of a future life.

The NT [New Testament] teaches that Christ has defeated death, mankind’s bitterest foe, and that God will raise the dead to a final judgment. But this doctrine becomes central to biblical faith only after the resurrection of Christ, for it gains its validation in Christ’s triumph over death.—John E. Hartley, The Book of Job, New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), p. 237. [Brackets and content in brackets are added.]

18.    Review the story of Lazarus as recorded in John 11. It happened very near the end of Jesus’s ministry. Jesus certainly knew that when He traveled to Bethany to console the two sisters and then, ultimately, to raise Lazarus back to life, He was sealing His own fate. The Pharisees had opposed Jesus almost from the beginning of His ministry; but, the Sadducees had not been too concerned about Him. The Sadducees did not believe that it was possible to rise from the dead; and, thus, they believed that there would be no future life. When Jesus raised Lazarus just a few miles from Jerusalem and in the view of so many witnesses, it challenged one of their most cherished ideas. Suddenly, they were just as anxious to get rid of Jesus as the Pharisees were. Nevertheless, Jesus said to Martha:

John 11:25-26 (GNB): 25 “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; 26and all those who live and believe in me will never die.”

19.    Jesus knew that He was facing a certain death very soon. Yet, He spoke in these glorious terms about life after death. How does God look at our lives? He knows that if we are His faithful children, this life is just barely a beginning of the lives He has planned for us.

20.    Think of all the answers the New Testament gives to challenging issues and questions raised in the Old Testament. What understanding would we have of the Old Testament sacrificial system without the New Testament-especially the book of Hebrews? Does this suggest that God believes in present truth? What does present truth mean? Think how much more light we have, now that we have not only the Bible but also the writings of Ellen White. And continual study of those revelations brings new light on a regular basis. Ellen White said:

The redeemed throng will range from world to world, and much of their time will be employed in searching out the mysteries of redemption. And throughout the whole stretch of eternity, this subject will be continually opening to their minds.—Ellen G. White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 9, 1886, par. 24; 7BC 990.4; LDE 301.3; Mar 367.4; TMK 367.3; TA 298.2.

21.    What is suggested by progressive revelation? Education of almost every type is a continual building on information learned earlier. That is particularly true in the areas of mathematics and science. This concept has been traced to the 12th century and attributed to Bernard of Chartres. Its most familiar expression in English is by Isaac Newton who said in 1676: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Learning to count, to add, subtract, multiply, and divide can lead to algebra, geometry, even calculus. Could the same thing be said about divine revelation? If we are going to continue to learn for the rest of eternity, there is certainly more to learn than any of us knows now.

22.    It is interesting to note that there is no obvious reference in the Old Testament to anything more than a single coming of Jesus Christ. We know that some of the references in the Old Testament in places like [Zechariah 12 and 14][10] are speaking about events that will take place not at the first or even second coming of Jesus, but rather, at the third coming; but, there is nothing to suggest that in the Old Testament itself. In the New Testament up through Revelation 19, there is nothing to suggest that there will be anything beyond the second coming of Jesus. But, if we read Revelation 20[11], we realize that at the end of his life, John was told there would be a third coming after the thousand years of the millennium. Why do you think God did not tell the people in the Old Testament about the second coming and the third coming? Why didn’t He tell the people in the New Testament about the millennium and the third coming? Are these examples of progressive revelation?

23.    But, coming back to the reality of the lives that we live in our day, how do we relate to unhappy endings? Are any of those unhappy endings God’s intentions for us? Of course not! It was God’s plan for us all to be living in the Garden of Eden! Is it ever the work of Christians to help others who are going through “unhappy endings”?

24.    As we work our way through the book of Job, we will discover that there are several very important lessons that Job learned. Did his friends learn anything? Did his friends ever come back and question why he was, all of a sudden, so prosperous? They were sure that he had done something really bad that had caused God to treat him so badly as recorded in the book. As the events at the end of the book unfolded, did they ask him what marvelous good thing he had done to receive such a reward?

25.    But, the book of Job certainly is about more than just materialistic prosperity. It is true that Job did have that at the end. But, if we are to believe what he said in the middle of the book, he was more concerned about his relationship with God than with his physical or mental suffering. (See Job 9:24.) Is that true of us today?

26.    Would you be willing to give up your car, your house, everything you possess, even your children rather than giving up your relationship with God? Would we be prepared to ask such questions?

27.    If Job were alive today and you asked him about that whole experience, what do you think he would say?

28.    If you reread Job 38-41[12], you will see that there is a discussion about God’s sovereignty. How did God speak to Job as recorded in those chapters? He certainly spoke with unquestionable authority about His power to create and control nature. Job’s response is found in Job 42:1-6[13]. What do you think led to that response? It is very important to notice that God never criticized Job for asking questions, even very provocative questions, sometimes even hinting that God was not always fair.

29.    What was Job confessing? What was his repentance about? He was certainly not admitting that his friends were right in their accusations! Was Job addressing God at that point, humbly admitting that he had raised a lot of questions earlier in the book? Did he feel that he had been too bold in his questioning of God? Compare Genesis 18:27[14] which records Abraham’s conversation with God, pleading for Sodom. Did Abraham ever visit Lot in Sodom? Did he have any idea what was happening in Sodom and Gomorrah?

30.    Some have suggested that Job 42:7-10 is a justification for retribution theology. That is a dangerous attitude. It is so easy to think that when disaster strikes, it is because there is/was something wrong between that person and God. It is so easy to think that if we are good, God will bless us and, by contrast, if we are bad, He will punish us. That was the theology of Job’s friends; unfortunately, it was still the theology of the scribes and Pharisees and most of the Jews in Jesus day. What about us? That kind of thinking turns God into a manipulable Deity, something like a divine Santa Claus.

31.    But, we are brought up short by reading God’s response in Job 42:7-8.

7 After the LORD had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you did not speak the truth about me, as my servant Job did. 8Now take seven bulls and seven rams to Job and offer them as a sacrifice for yourselves. Job will pray for you, and I will answer his prayer and not disgrace you as you deserve. You did not speak the truth about me as he did.”

32.    And while Job’s friends were probably recovering from their shock, God essentially said: “In case you did not hear Me the first time, you did not speak the truth about Me as Job did.” (See Job 42:7-8 as above.) In ancient Hebrew, things are often repeated to emphasize their importance and truth. What led to God’s statement as recorded in those verses? Was it Job’s earlier behavior? On what basis did God say that Job was blameless and upright/righteous? We will try to focus on what it was that Job said that was “right.”

33.    Try to imagine yourself there, observing as Job’s friends brought offerings to sacrifice and to ask Job for forgiveness. Can you imagine the scene? Do you think those friends ever figured out what really happened? Or, did they walk away puzzled and stunned?

34.    Job’s three daughters who are mentioned in the final chapter have beautiful names. Biblical names often have significant meanings. The facts that they are named while their brothers are not named and that they received a portion of inheritance from their father are so different from the norms of their day.

35.    How do you feel about starting out our study of the book of Job with the final chapter? Is that a good idea? What does it teach us about God? How many Bible students tend to stop reading the book of Job at 42:6? Are you looking forward to talking to Job? To his wife? Even to his twenty children?

1-Job 42:10 Then, after Job had prayed for his three friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had had before. 11 All Job's brothers and sisters and former friends came to visit him and feasted with him in his house. They expressed their sympathy and comforted him for all the troubles the LORD had brought on him. Each of them gave him some money and a gold ring.

12 The LORD blessed the last part of Job's life even more than he had blessed the first. Job owned fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, two thousand head of cattle, and one thousand donkeys. 13 He was the father of seven sons and three daughters. 14 He called the oldest daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the youngest Keren Happuch.[a] 15 There were no other women in the whole world as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father gave them a share of the inheritance along with their brothers.

16 Job lived a hundred and forty years after this, long enough to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 17 And then he died at a very great age.

Genesis 4:8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out in the fields.”[a] When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him.

Matthew 14:10 So he had John beheaded in prison.

1 Corinthians 4:5 So you should not pass judgment on anyone before the right time comes. Final judgment must wait until the Lord comes; he will bring to light the dark secrets and expose the hidden purposes of people's minds. And then all will receive from God the praise they deserve.

Daniel 2:44 At the time of those rulers the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. It will never be conquered, but will completely destroy all those empires and then last forever.

Job 14:14 If a man dies, can he come back to life?

But I will wait for better times,

wait till this time of trouble is ended.

15 Then you will call, and I will answer,

2-Job 42:10 Then, after Job had prayed for his three friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had had before. 11 All Job's brothers and sisters and former friends came to visit him and feasted with him in his house. They expressed their sympathy and comforted him for all the troubles the LORD had brought on him. Each of them gave him some money and a gold ring.

12 The LORD blessed the last part of Job's life even more than he had blessed the first. Job owned fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, two thousand head of cattle, and one thousand donkeys. 13 He was the father of seven sons and three daughters. 14 He called the oldest daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the youngest Keren Happuch.[a] 15 There were no other women in the whole world as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father gave them a share of the inheritance along with their brothers.

16 Job lived a hundred and forty years after this, long enough to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 17 And then he died at a very great age.

3-Job 42:11 All Job's brothers and sisters and former friends came to visit him and feasted with him in his house. They expressed their sympathy and comforted him for all the troubles the LORD had brought on him. Each of them gave him some money and a gold ring.

4-Job 42:15 There were no other women in the whole world as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father gave them a share of the inheritance along with their brothers.

16 Job lived a hundred and forty years after this, long enough to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

5-Job 29:29 Job began speaking again.

Job

2 If only my life could once again

be as it was when God watched over me.

3 God was always with me then

and gave me light as I walked through the darkness.

4 Those were the days when I was prosperous,

and the friendship of God protected my home.

5 Almighty God was with me then,

and I was surrounded by all my children.

6 My cows and goats gave plenty of milk,

and my olive trees grew in the rockiest soil.

7 Whenever the city elders met

and I took my place among them,

8     young men stepped aside as soon as they saw me,

and old men stood up to show me respect.

9 The leaders of the people would stop talking;

10     even the most important men kept silent.

11 Everyone who saw me or heard of me

had good things to say about what I had done.

12 When the poor cried out, I helped them;

I gave help to orphans who had nowhere to turn.

13 People who were in deepest misery praised me,

and I helped widows find security.

14 I have always acted justly and fairly.

15 I was eyes for the blind,

and feet for the lame.

16 I was like a father to the poor

and took the side of strangers in trouble.

17 I destroyed the power of cruel men

and rescued their victims.

18 I always expected to live a long life

and to die at home in comfort.

19 I was like a tree whose roots always have water

and whose branches are wet with dew.

20 Everyone was always praising me,

and my strength never failed me.

21 When I gave advice, people were silent

and listened carefully to what I said;

22     they had nothing to add when I had finished.

My words sank in like drops of rain;

23     everyone welcomed them

just as farmers welcome rain in spring.

24 I smiled on them when they had lost confidence;

my cheerful face encouraged them.

25 I took charge and made the decisions;

I led them as a king leads his troops,

and gave them comfort in their despair.

6-1 Corinthians 4:5 So you should not pass judgment on anyone before the right time comes. Final judgment must wait until the Lord comes; he will bring to light the dark secrets and expose the hidden purposes of people's minds. And then all will receive from God the praise they deserve.

7-Job 19:26 Even after my skin is eaten by disease,

while still in this body[a] I will see God.[b]

27 I will see him with my own eyes,

and he will not be a stranger.

My courage failed because you said,

8-Daniel 2:44 At the time of those rulers the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. It will never be conquered, but will completely destroy all those empires and then last forever.

7:18 And the people of the Supreme God will receive royal power and keep it forever and ever.”

9-Job 14:14 If a man dies, can he come back to life?

But I will wait for better times,

wait till this time of trouble is ended.

15 Then you will call, and I will answer,

and you will be pleased with me, your creature.

10-Zechariah 12:12 This is a message about Israel from the LORD, the LORD who spread out the skies, created the earth, and gave life to man. He says, 2 “I will make Jerusalem like a cup of wine; the nations around her will drink and stagger like drunks. And when they besiege Jerusalem, the cities of the rest of Judah will also be besieged. 3 But when that time comes, I will make Jerusalem like a heavy stone—any nation that tries to lift it will be hurt. All the nations of the world will join forces to attack her. 4 At that time I will terrify all their horses and make all their riders go crazy. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will make the horses of their enemies blind. 5 Then the clans of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The LORD God Almighty gives strength to his people who live in Jerusalem.’

6 “At that time I will make the clans of Judah like a fire in a forest or in a field of ripe grain—they will destroy all the surrounding nations. The people of Jerusalem will remain safe in the city.

7 “I, the LORD, will give victory to the armies of Judah first, so that the honor which the descendants of David and the people of Jerusalem will receive will be no greater than that of the rest of Judah. 8 At that time the LORD will protect those who live in Jerusalem, and even the weakest among them will become as strong as David was. The descendants of David will lead them like the angel of the LORD, like God himself. 9 At that time I will destroy every nation that tries to attack Jerusalem.

10 “I will fill the descendants of David and the other people of Jerusalem with the spirit of mercy and the spirit of prayer. They will look at the one whom they stabbed to death, and they will mourn for him like those who mourn for an only child. They will mourn bitterly, like those who have lost their first-born son. 11 At that time the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad Rimmon[a] in the plain of Megiddo. 12-14 Each family in the land will mourn by itself: the family descended from David, the family descended from Nathan, the family descended from Levi, the family descended from Shimei, and all the other families. Each family will mourn by itself, and the men of each family will mourn separately from the women.

14:14 The day when the LORD will sit in judgment is near. Then Jerusalem will be looted, and the loot will be divided up before your eyes. 2 The LORD will bring all the nations together to make war on Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half of the people will go into exile, but the rest of them will not be taken away from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. 4 At that time he will stand on the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem. Then the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west by a large valley. Half of the mountain will move northward, and half of it southward. 5 You will escape through this valley that divides the mountain in two.[a] You will flee as your ancestors did when the earthquake struck in the time of King Uzziah of Judah. The LORD my God will come, bringing all the angels with him.

6 When that time comes, there will no longer be cold or frost,[b] 7 nor any darkness. There will always be daylight, even at nighttime. When this will happen is known only to the LORD.

8 When that day comes, fresh water will flow from Jerusalem, half of it to the Dead Sea and the other half to the Mediterranean. It will flow all year long, in the dry season as well as the wet. 9 Then the LORD will be king over all the earth; everyone will worship him as God and know him by the same name.

10 The whole region, from Geba in the north to Rimmon in the south, will be made level. Jerusalem will tower above the land around it; the city will reach from the Benjamin Gate to the Corner Gate, where there had been an earlier gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal wine presses. 11 The people will live there in safety, no longer threatened by destruction.

12 The LORD will bring a terrible disease on all the nations that make war on Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot away while they are still alive; their eyes and their tongues will rot away.

13 At that time the LORD will make them so confused and afraid that everyone will seize the man next to him and attack him. 14 The men of Judah will fight to defend Jerusalem. They will take as loot the wealth of all the nations—gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance.

15 A terrible disease will also fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, and the donkeys—on all the animals in the camps of the enemy.

16 Then all of the survivors from the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go there each year to worship the LORD Almighty as king and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. 17 If any nation refuses to go and worship the LORD Almighty as king, then rain will not fall on their land. 18 If the Egyptians refuse to celebrate the Festival of Shelters, then they will be struck by the same disease that the LORD will send on every nation that refuses to go. 19 This will be the punishment that will fall on Egypt and on all the other nations if they do not celebrate the Festival of Shelters.

20 At that time even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with the words “Dedicated to the LORD.” The cooking pots in the Temple will be as sacred as the bowls before the altar. 21 Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in all Judah will be set apart for use in the worship of the LORD Almighty. The people who offer sacrifices will use them for boiling the meat of the sacrifices. When that time comes, there will no longer be any merchant in the Temple of the LORD Almighty.

11-Revelation 20:20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the abyss and a heavy chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent—that is, the Devil, or Satan—and chained him up for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the abyss, locked it, and sealed it, so that he could not deceive the nations any more until the thousand years were over. After that he must be set loose for a little while.

4 Then I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given the power to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been executed because they had proclaimed the truth that Jesus revealed and the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image, nor had they received the mark of the beast on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and ruled as kings with Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over.) This is the first raising of the dead. 6 Happy and greatly blessed are those who are included in this first raising of the dead. The second death has no power over them; they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they will rule with him for a thousand years.

The Defeat of Satan

7 After the thousand years are over, Satan will be set loose from his prison, 8 and he will go out to deceive the nations scattered over the whole world, that is, Gog and Magog. Satan will bring them all together for battle, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. 9 They spread out over the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people and the city that he loves. But fire came down from heaven and destroyed them. 10 Then the Devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Final Judgment

11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sits on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence and were seen no more. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up its dead. Death and the world of the dead also gave up the dead they held. And all were judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and the world of the dead were thrown into the lake of fire. (This lake of fire is the second death.) 15 Those who did not have their name written in the book of the living were thrown into the lake of fire.

12-Job 38:38 Then out of the storm the LORD spoke to Job.

The LORD

2 Who are you to question my wisdom

with your ignorant, empty words?

3 Now stand up straight

and answer the questions I ask you.

4 Were you there when I made the world?

If you know so much, tell me about it.

5 Who decided how large it would be?

Who stretched the measuring line over it?

Do you know all the answers?

6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth?

Who laid the cornerstone of the world?

7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together,

and the heavenly beings[a] shouted for joy.

8 Who closed the gates to hold back the sea[b]

when it burst from the womb of the earth?

9 It was I who covered the sea with clouds

and wrapped it in darkness.

10 I marked a boundary for the sea

and kept it behind bolted gates.

11 I told it, “So far and no farther!

Here your powerful waves must stop.”

12 Job, have you ever in all your life

commanded a day to dawn?

13 Have you ordered the dawn to seize the earth

and shake the wicked from their hiding places?

14 Daylight makes the hills and valleys stand out

like the folds of a garment,

clear as the imprint of a seal on clay.

15 The light of day is too bright for the wicked

and restrains them from doing violence.

16 Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea?

Have you walked on the floor of the ocean?

17 Has anyone ever shown you the gates

that guard the dark world of the dead?

18 Have you any idea how big the world is?

Answer me if you know.

19 Do you know where the light comes from

or what the source of darkness is?

20 Can you show them how far to go,

or send them back again?

21 I am sure you can, because you're so old

and were there when the world was made!

22 Have you ever visited the storerooms,

where I keep the snow and the hail?

23 I keep them ready for times of trouble,

for days of battle and war.

24 Have you been to the place where the sun comes up,

or the place from which the east wind blows?

25 Who dug a channel for the pouring rain

and cleared the way for the thunderstorm?

26 Who makes rain fall where no one lives?

27 Who waters the dry and thirsty land,

so that grass springs up?

28 Does either the rain or the dew have a father?

29 Who is the mother of the ice and the frost,

30     which turn the waters to stone

and freeze the face of the sea?

31 Can you tie the Pleiades together

or loosen the bonds that hold Orion?

32 Can you guide the stars season by season

and direct the Big and the Little Dipper?

33 Do you know the laws that govern the skies,

and can you make them apply to the earth?

34 Can you shout orders to the clouds

and make them drench you with rain?

35 And if you command the lightning to flash,

will it come to you and say, “At your service”?

36 Who tells the ibis[c] when the Nile will flood,

or who tells the rooster that rain will fall?[d]

37 Who is wise enough to count the clouds

and tilt them over to pour out the rain,

38     rain that hardens the dust into lumps?

39 Do you find food for lions to eat,

and satisfy hungry young lions

40     when they hide in their caves,

or lie in wait in their dens?

41 Who is it that feeds the ravens

when they wander about hungry,

when their young cry to me for food?

39 Do you know when mountain goats are born?

Have you watched wild deer give birth?

2 Do you know how long they carry their young?

Do you know the time for their birth?

3 Do you know when they will crouch down

and bring their young into the world?

4 In the wilds their young grow strong;

they go away and don't come back.

5 Who gave the wild donkeys their freedom?

Who turned them loose and let them roam?

6 I gave them the desert to be their home,

and let them live on the salt plains.

7 They keep far away from the noisy cities,

and no one can tame them and make them work.

8 The mountains are the pastures where they feed,

where they search for anything green to eat.

9 Will a wild ox work for you?

Is he willing to spend the night in your stable?

10 Can you hold one with a rope and make him plow?

Or make him pull a harrow in your fields?

11 Can you rely on his great strength

and expect him to do your heavy work?

12 Do you expect him to bring in your harvest

and gather the grain from your threshing place?

13 How fast the wings of an ostrich beat!

But no ostrich can fly like a stork.[e]

14 The ostrich leaves her eggs on the ground

for the heat in the soil to warm them.

15 She is unaware that a foot may crush them

or a wild animal break them.

16 She acts as if the eggs were not hers,

and is unconcerned that her efforts were wasted.

17 It was I who made her foolish

and did not give her wisdom.

18 But when she begins to run,[f]

she can laugh at any horse and rider.

19 Was it you, Job, who made horses so strong

and gave them their flowing manes?

20 Did you make them leap like locusts

and frighten people with their snorting?

21 They eagerly paw the ground in the valley;

they rush into battle with all their strength.

22 They do not know the meaning of fear,

and no sword can turn them back.

23 The weapons which their riders carry

rattle and flash in the sun.

24 Trembling with excitement, the horses race ahead;

when the trumpet blows, they can't stand still.

25 At each blast of the trumpet they snort;

they can smell a battle before they get near,

and they hear the officers shouting commands.

26 Does a hawk learn from you how to fly

when it spreads its wings toward the south?

27 Does an eagle wait for your command

to build its nest high in the mountains?

28 It makes its home on the highest rocks

and makes the sharp peaks its fortress.

29 From there it watches near and far

for something to kill and eat.

30 Around dead bodies the eagles gather,

and the young eagles drink the blood.

40 1-2 Job, you challenged Almighty God;

will you give up now, or will you answer?

Job

3-4 I spoke foolishly, LORD. What can I answer?

I will not try to say anything else.

5 I have already said more than I should.

6 Then out of the storm the LORD spoke to Job once again.

The LORD

7 Now stand up straight

and answer my questions.

8 Are you trying to prove that I am unjust—

to put me in the wrong and yourself in the right?

9 Are you as strong as I am?

Can your voice thunder as loud as mine?

10 If so, stand up in your honor and pride;

clothe yourself with majesty and glory.

11 Look at those who are proud;

pour out your anger and humble them.

12 Yes, look at them and bring them down;

crush the wicked where they stand.

13 Bury them all in the ground;

bind them in the world of the dead.

14 Then I will be the first to praise you

and admit that you won the victory yourself.

15 Look at the monster Behemoth;[g]

I created him and I created you.

He eats grass like a cow,

16     but what strength there is in his body,

and what power there is in his muscles!

17 His tail stands up like a cedar,

and the muscles in his legs are strong.

18 His bones are as strong as bronze,

and his legs are like iron bars.

19 The most amazing of all my creatures!

Only his Creator can defeat him.

20 Grass to feed him grows

on the hills where wild beasts play.[h]

21 He lies down under the thorn bushes,

and hides among the reeds in the swamp.

22 The thorn bushes and the willows by the stream

give him shelter in their shade.

23 He is not afraid of a rushing river;

he is calm when the Jordan dashes in his face.

24 Who can blind his eyes and capture him?

Or who can catch his snout in a trap?

41 Can you catch Leviathan[i] with a fishhook

or tie his tongue down with a rope?

2 Can you put a rope through his snout

or put a hook through his jaws?

3 Will he beg you to let him go?

Will he plead with you for mercy?

4 Will he make an agreement with you

and promise to serve you forever?

5 Will you tie him like a pet bird,

like something to amuse your servant women?

6 Will fishermen bargain over him?

Will merchants cut him up to sell?

7 Can you fill his hide with fishing spears

or pierce his head with a harpoon?

8 Touch him once and you'll never try it again;

you'll never forget the fight!

9 Anyone who sees Leviathan

loses courage and falls to the ground.

10 When he is aroused, he is fierce;

no one would dare to stand before him.

11 Who can attack him and still be safe?

No one in all the world can do it.[j]

12 Let me tell you about Leviathan's legs

and describe how great and strong he is.

13 No one can tear off his outer coat

or pierce the armor[k] he wears.

14 Who can make him open his jaws,

ringed with those terrifying teeth?

15 His back[l] is made of rows of shields,

fastened together and hard as stone.

16 Each one is joined so tight to the next,

not even a breath can come between.

17 They all are fastened so firmly together

that nothing can ever pull them apart.

18 Light flashes when he sneezes,

and his eyes glow like the rising sun.

19 Flames blaze from his mouth,

and streams of sparks fly out.

20 Smoke comes pouring out of his nose,

like smoke from weeds burning under a pot.

21 His breath starts fires burning;

flames leap out of his mouth.

22 His neck is so powerful

that all who meet him are terrified.

23 There is not a weak spot in his skin;

it is as hard and unyielding as iron.

24 His stony heart is without fear,

as unyielding and hard as a millstone.

25 When he rises up, even the strongest[m] are frightened;

they are helpless with fear.

26 There is no sword that can wound him;

no spear or arrow or lance that can harm him.

27 For him iron is as flimsy as straw,

and bronze as soft as rotten wood.

28 There is no arrow that can make him run;

rocks thrown at him are like bits of straw.

29 To him a club is a piece of straw,

and he laughs when men throw spears.

30 The scales on his belly are like jagged pieces of pottery;

they tear up the muddy ground like a threshing sledge.[n]

31 He churns up the sea like boiling water

and makes it bubble like a pot of oil.

32 He leaves a shining path behind him

and turns the sea to white foam.

33 There is nothing on earth to compare with him;

he is a creature that has no fear.

34 He looks down on even the proudest animals;

he is king of all wild beasts.

13-Job 42:42 Then Job answered the LORD.

Job

2 I know, LORD, that you are all-powerful;

that you can do everything you want.

3 You ask how I dare question your wisdom

when I am so very ignorant.

I talked about things I did not understand,

about marvels too great for me to know.

4 You told me to listen while you spoke

and to try to answer your questions.

5 In the past I knew only what others had told me,

but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

6 So I am ashamed of all I have said

and repent in dust and ashes.

14-Genesis 18:27 Abraham spoke again: “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. I am only a man and have no right to say anything.

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