Job 6-12
Skip Heitzig
Job 6 (NKJV™) | |
1 | Then Job answered and said: |
2 | "Oh, that my grief were fully weighed, And my calamity laid with it on the scales! |
3 | For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea--Therefore my words have been rash. |
4 | For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; My spirit drinks in their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me. |
5 | Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass, Or does the ox low over its fodder? |
6 | Can flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg? |
7 | My soul refuses to touch them; They are as loathsome food to me. |
8 | "Oh, that I might have my request, That God would grant me the thing that I long for! |
9 | That it would please God to crush me, That He would loose His hand and cut me off! |
10 | Then I would still have comfort; Though in anguish, I would exult, He will not spare; For I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. |
11 | "What strength do I have, that I should hope? And what is my end, that I should prolong my life? |
12 | Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh bronze? |
13 | Is my help not within me? And is success driven from me? |
14 | "To him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend, Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. |
15 | My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook, Like the streams of the brooks that pass away, |
16 | Which are dark because of the ice, And into which the snow vanishes. |
17 | When it is warm, they cease to flow; When it is hot, they vanish from their place. |
18 | The paths of their way turn aside, They go nowhere and perish. |
19 | The caravans of Tema look, The travelers of Sheba hope for them. |
20 | They are disappointed because they were confident; They come there and are confused. |
21 | For now you are nothing, You see terror and are afraid. |
22 | Did I ever say, 'Bring something to me'? Or, 'Offer a bribe for me from your wealth'? |
23 | Or, 'Deliver me from the enemy's hand'? Or, 'Redeem me from the hand of oppressors'? |
24 | "Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause me to understand wherein I have erred. |
25 | How forceful are right words! But what does your arguing prove? |
26 | Do you intend to rebuke my words, And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind? |
27 | Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless, And you undermine your friend. |
28 | Now therefore, be pleased to look at me; For I would never lie to your face. |
29 | Yield now, let there be no injustice! Yes, concede, my righteousness still stands! |
30 | Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern the unsavory? |
Job 7 (NKJV™) | |
1 | "Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hired man? |
2 | Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade, And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages, |
3 | So I have been allotted months of futility, And wearisome nights have been appointed to me. |
4 | When I lie down, I say, 'When shall I arise, And the night be ended?' For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn. |
5 | My flesh is caked with worms and dust, My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh. |
6 | "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And are spent without hope. |
7 | Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good. |
8 | The eye of him who sees me will see me no more; While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be. |
9 | As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave does not come up. |
10 | He shall never return to his house, Nor shall his place know him anymore. |
11 | "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. |
12 | Am I a sea, or a sea serpent, That You set a guard over me? |
13 | When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint,' |
14 | Then You scare me with dreams And terrify me with visions, |
15 | So that my soul chooses strangling And death rather than my body. |
16 | I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, For my days are but a breath. |
17 | "What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him, |
18 | That You should visit him every morning, And test him every moment? |
19 | How long? Will You not look away from me, And let me alone till I swallow my saliva? |
20 | Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself? |
21 | Why then do You not pardon my transgression, And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust, And You will seek me diligently, But I will no longer be." |
Job 8 (NKJV™) | |
1 | Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: |
2 | "How long will you speak these things, And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? |
3 | Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice? |
4 | If your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their transgression. |
5 | If you would earnestly seek God And make your supplication to the Almighty, |
6 | If you were pure and upright, Surely now He would awake for you, And prosper your rightful dwelling place. |
7 | Though your beginning was small, Yet your latter end would increase abundantly. |
8 | "For inquire, please, of the former age, And consider the things discovered by their fathers; |
9 | For we were born yesterday, and know nothing, Because our days on earth are a shadow. |
10 | Will they not teach you and tell you, And utter words from their heart? |
11 | "Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water? |
12 | While it is yet green and not cut down, It withers before any other plant. |
13 | So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, |
14 | Whose confidence shall be cut off, And whose trust is a spider's web. |
15 | He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure. |
16 | He grows green in the sun, And his branches spread out in his garden. |
17 | His roots wrap around the rock heap, And look for a place in the stones. |
18 | If he is destroyed from his place, Then it will deny him, saying, 'I have not seen you.' |
19 | "Behold, this is the joy of His way, And out of the earth others will grow. |
20 | Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, Nor will He uphold the evildoers. |
21 | He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, And your lips with rejoicing. |
22 | Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, And the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing." |
Job 9 (NKJV™) | |
1 | Then Job answered and said: |
2 | "Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God? |
3 | If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. |
4 | God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? |
5 | He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger; |
6 | He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; |
7 | He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; |
8 | He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea; |
9 | He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; |
10 | He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number. |
11 | If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him; |
12 | If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, 'What are You doing?' |
13 | God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him. |
14 | "How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him? |
15 | For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. |
16 | If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. |
17 | For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause. |
18 | He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness. |
19 | If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court? |
20 | Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. |
21 | "I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life. |
22 | It is all one thing; Therefore I say, 'He destroys the blameless and the wicked.' |
23 | If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent. |
24 | The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be? |
25 | "Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. |
26 | They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey. |
27 | If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,' |
28 | I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent. |
29 | If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain? |
30 | If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap, |
31 | Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me. |
32 | "For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together. |
33 | Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both. |
34 | Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me. |
35 | Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me. |
Job 10 (NKJV™) | |
1 | "My soul loathes my life; I will give free course to my complaint, I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. |
2 | I will say to God, 'Do not condemn me; Show me why You contend with me. |
3 | Does it seem good to You that You should oppress, That You should despise the work of Your hands, And smile on the counsel of the wicked? |
4 | Do You have eyes of flesh? Or do You see as man sees? |
5 | Are Your days like the days of a mortal man? Are Your years like the days of a mighty man, |
6 | That You should seek for my iniquity And search out my sin, |
7 | Although You know that I am not wicked, And there is no one who can deliver from Your hand? |
8 | 'Your hands have made me and fashioned me, An intricate unity; Yet You would destroy me. |
9 | Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again? |
10 | Did you not pour me out like milk, And curdle me like cheese, |
11 | Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews? |
12 | You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit. |
13 | 'And these things You have hidden in Your heart; I know that this was with You: |
14 | If I sin, then You mark me, And will not acquit me of my iniquity. |
15 | If I am wicked, woe to me; Even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head. I am full of disgrace; See my misery! |
16 | If my head is exalted, You hunt me like a fierce lion, And again You show Yourself awesome against me. |
17 | You renew Your witnesses against me, And increase Your indignation toward me; Changes and war are ever with me. |
18 | 'Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me! |
19 | I would have been as though I had not been. I would have been carried from the womb to the grave. |
20 | Are not my days few? Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort, |
21 | Before I go to the place from which I shall not return, To the land of darkness and the shadow of death, |
22 | A land as dark as darkness itself, As the shadow of death, without any order, Where even the light is like darkness.'" |
Job 11 (NKJV™) | |
1 | Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: |
2 | "Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be vindicated? |
3 | Should your empty talk make men hold their peace? And when you mock, should no one rebuke you? |
4 | For you have said, 'My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in your eyes.' |
5 | But oh, that God would speak, And open His lips against you, |
6 | That He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For they would double your prudence. Know therefore that God exacts from you Less than your iniquity deserves. |
7 | "Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? |
8 | They are higher than heaven--what can you do? Deeper than Sheol--what can you know? |
9 | Their measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea. |
10 | "If He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment, Then who can hinder Him? |
11 | For He knows deceitful men; He sees wickedness also. Will He not then consider it? |
12 | For an empty-headed man will be wise, When a wild donkey's colt is born a man. |
13 | "If you would prepare your heart, And stretch out your hands toward Him; |
14 | If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away, And would not let wickedness dwell in your tents; |
15 | Then surely you could lift up your face without spot; Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear; |
16 | Because you would forget your misery, And remember it as waters that have passed away, |
17 | And your life would be brighter than noonday. Though you were dark, you would be like the morning. |
18 | And you would be secure, because there is hope; Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety. |
19 | You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid; Yes, many would court your favor. |
20 | But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And they shall not escape, And their hope--loss of life!" |
Job 12 (NKJV™) | |
1 | Then Job answered and said: |
2 | "No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you! |
3 | But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Indeed, who does not know such things as these? |
4 | "I am one mocked by his friends, Who called on God, and He answered him, The just and blameless who is ridiculed. |
5 | A lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease; It is made ready for those whose feet slip. |
6 | The tents of robbers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure--In what God provides by His hand. |
7 | "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; |
8 | Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. |
9 | Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this, |
10 | In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? |
11 | Does not the ear test words And the mouth taste its food? |
12 | Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding. |
13 | "With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding. |
14 | If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt; If He imprisons a man, there can be no release. |
15 | If He withholds the waters, they dry up; If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth. |
16 | With Him are strength and prudence. The deceived and the deceiver are His. |
17 | He leads counselors away plundered, And makes fools of the judges. |
18 | He loosens the bonds of kings, And binds their waist with a belt. |
19 | He leads princes away plundered, And overthrows the mighty. |
20 | He deprives the trusted ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders. |
21 | He pours contempt on princes, And disarms the mighty. |
22 | He uncovers deep things out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light. |
23 | He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them. |
24 | He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness. |
25 | They grope in the dark without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man. |
New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.
The book of Job asks the great questions of life: What is the reason for suffering? Where is God when I suffer? Skip Heitzig takes us through this timeless book on God's sovereignty.
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