Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 Another day came when the sons of God came to serveAdonai, and among them came the Adversary to serveAdonai.

2 Adonaiasked the Adversary, “Where are you coming from?” The Adversary answeredAdonai, “From roaming through the earth, wandering here and there.”

3 Adonaiasked the Adversary, “Did you notice my servant Iyov, that there’s no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil, and that he still holds on to his integrity, even though you provoked me against him to destroy him for no reason?”

4 The Adversary answeredAdonai, “Skin for skin! A person will give up everything he has to save his life.

5 But if you reach out your hand and touch his flesh and bone, without doubt he’ll curse you to your face!”

6 Adonaisaid to the Adversary, “Here! He is in your hands, except that you are to spare his life.”

7 Then the Adversary went out from the presence ofAdonaiand struck Iyov down with horrible infected sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

8 He took a piece of a broken pot to scratch himself and sat down in the pile of ashes.

9 His wife asked him, “Why do you still hold on to your integrity? Curse God, and die!”

10 But he answered her, “You’re talking like a low-class woman! Are we to receive the good at God’s hands but reject the bad?” In all this Iyov did not say one sinful word.

11 Now when Iyov’s three friends heard of all the calamities that had overwhelmed him, they all came. Each came from his own home — Elifaz from Teiman, Bildad from Shuach and Tzofar from Na‘amah. They had agreed to meet together in order to come and offer him sympathy and comfort.

12 When they saw him from a distance, they couldn’t even recognize him. They wept aloud, tore their coats and threw dust over their heads toward heaven.

13 Then they sat down with him on the ground. For seven days and seven nights, no one spoke a word to him; because they saw how much he was suffering.

14 At length, Iyov broke the silence and cursed the day of his [birth].

1 Iyov said,

2 “Perish the day I was born

and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’

3 May that day be darkness,

may God on high not seek it,

may no light shine on it,

4 may gloom dark as death defile it,

may clouds settle on it,

may it be terrified by its own blackness.

5 “As for that night, may thick darkness seize it,

may it not be joined to the days of the year,

may it not be numbered among the months;

6 may that night be desolate,

may no cry of joy be heard in it;

7 may those who curse days curse it,

those who[se curses] could rouse Livyatan;

8 may the stars of its twilight be dark,

may it look for light but get none,

may it never see the shimmer of dawn —

9 because it didn’t shut the doors of the womb I was in

and shield my eyes from trouble.

10 “If I had been stillborn,

if I had died at birth,

11 had there been no knees to receive me

or breasts for me to suck.

12 Then I would be lying still and in peace,

I would have slept and been at rest,

13 along with kings and their earthly advisers,

who rebuilt ruins for themselves,

14 or with princes who had [plenty of] gold,

who filled their houses with silver.

15 Or I could have been like a hidden, miscarried

child that never saw light.

16 “There the wicked cease their raging,

there the weary are at rest,

17 prisoners live at peace together

without hearing a taskmaster’s yells.

18 Great and small alike are there,

and the slave is free of his master.

19 “So why must light be given to the miserable

and life to the bitter in spirit?

20 They long for death, but it never comes;

they search for it more than for buried treasure;

21 when at last they find the grave,

they are so happy they shout for joy.

22 [Why give light] to a man who wanders blindly,

whom God shuts in on every side?

23 “My sighing serves in place of my food,

and my groans pour out in a torrent;

24 for the thing I feared has overwhelmed me,

what I dreaded has happened to me.

25 I have no peace, no quiet, no rest;

and anguish keeps coming.”

1 Then Elifaz the Teimani spoke up:

2 “If one tries to speak to you, will you mind?

Yet who could keep from speaking?

3 You have given moral instruction to many,

you have firmed up feeble hands,

4 your words have supported those who were stumbling,

and you have strengthened the weak-kneed.

5 “But now it comes to you, and you are impatient;

at the first touch, you are in shock.

6 Isn’t your fear of God your assurance,

and the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 “Think back: what innocent person has perished?

Since when are the upright destroyed?

8 What I see is that those who plow sin

and sow trouble reap just that.

9 At a breath from God, they perish;

at a blast from his anger, they are consumed.

10 The lion may growl, the king lion may roar,

but that old lion’s teeth are broken;

11 so the lion succumbs from lack of prey,

and the lion’s cubs are scattered.

12 “For a word was stealthily brought to me,

my ear caught only a whisper of it.

13 In passing thoughts flashing through visions at night,

when sleep lies heavy on people,

14 a shiver of horror came over me;

it made all my bones tremble.

15 Then a spirit passed in front of my face;

the hair of my flesh stood on end.

16 It stood still,

but I couldn’t make out its appearance;

yet the form stayed there before my eyes.

Then I heard a subdued voice:

17 ‘Can a human be seen by God as righteous?

Can a mortal be pure before his maker?

18 [God] doesn’t trust his own servants,

he finds fault even with his angels;

19 much more those living in houses of clay,

whose foundation is in the dust.

They are crushed more easily than a worm;

20 shattered between morning and evening;

they perish forever, and no one takes notice.

21 Their cord within them is pulled up;

then they die, without ever gaining wisdom.’

1 “Call if you like, but will anyone answer?

To which of the holy ones will you turn?

2 For anger kills the fool,

and envy slays the silly.

3 I watch as a fool establishes roots,

but I curse his home with sudden [destruction] —

4 his children are far from help,

publicly humiliated, with no one to rescue;

5 the hungry eat up his harvest,

taking it even from among thorns,

while the thirsty are panting,

eager to swallow his wealth.

6 For misery does not come from the dust

or trouble spring from the ground.

7 No, people are born for trouble

as surely as sparks fly upward.

8 “If I were you, I would seek God;

I would make my plea to him.

9 For God does great deeds beyond investigation,

wonders beyond all reckoning.

10 He gives rain to the earth,

pours water down on the fields.

11 He raises the lowly on high

and lifts mourners to safety.

12 He frustrates the schemes of the cunning,

so that they achieve no success;

13 trapping the crafty in their own tricks

and foiling quickly the plans of the false.

14 They meet with darkness during the day,

groping at noon like at night.

15 But he saves the poor from the sword, their mouth,

and from the clutches of the strong;

16 so the poor can hope again;

and injustice shuts its mouth.

17 “How happy the person whom God corrects!

So don’t despiseShaddai’s discipline.

18 For he wounds, but he bandages the sore;

his hands may strike, but they also heal.

19 He will rescue you from six disasters;

yes, in seven no harm will touch you.

20 In famine, he will save you from death,

and in war, from the power of the sword.

21 You will be shielded from the lash of the tongue,

and you won’t have to fear destruction when it comes —

22 you’ll be able to laugh at destruction and famine.

Also you won’t have to fear wild animals,

23 for you will be in league with the stones in the field,

and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

24 You will know that your tent is safe;

you will look round your home and miss nothing.

25 You will know that your descendants are many,

your offspring like grass [growing thick] in the fields.

26 You will come to your grave at a ripe old age,

like a pile of grain that arrives in season.

27 “We’ve looked into this, and that’s how it is;

listen, and know that it’s for your own good.”

1 Iyov responded:

2 “I wish my frustration could be weighed,

all my calamities laid on the scales!

3 They would outweigh the sands of the seas!

No wonder, then, that my words come out stammered!

4 For the arrows ofShaddaifind their mark in me,

and my spirit is drinking in their poison;

the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

5 “Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass?

Does an ox low when it has fodder?

6 Can food without flavor be eaten without salt?

Do egg whites have any taste?

7 I refuse to touch them;

such food makes me sick.

8 “If only I could have my wish granted,

and God would give me what I’m hoping for —

9 that God would decide to crush me,

that he would let his hand loose and cut me off!

10 Then I would feel consoled;

so that even in the face of unending pain,

I would be able to rejoice;

for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

11 “Have I enough strength to go on waiting?

What end can I expect, that I should be patient?

12 Is my strength the strength of stones?

Is my flesh made of bronze?

13 Clearly, I have no help in myself;

common sense has been driven from me.

14 “A friend should be kind to an unhappy man,

even to one who abandonsShaddai.

15 But my brothers are as deceptive asvadis,

asvadistreams that soon run dry;

16 they may turn dark with ice

and be hidden by piled-up snow;

17 but as the weather warms up, they vanish;

when it’s hot, they disappear.

18 Their courses turn this way and that;

they go up into the confusing waste and are lost.

19 The caravans from Tema look for them,

the travelers from Sh’va hope to find them;

20 but they are disappointed, because they were confident;

on arrival there, they are frustrated.

21 “For now, you have become like that —

just seeing my calamity makes you afraid.

22 Did I say to you, ‘Give me something,’

or, ‘From your wealth, offer a bribe on my behalf,’

23 or, ‘Save me from the enemy’s grip,’

or, ‘Redeem me from the clutches of oppressors’?

24 “Teach me, and I will be silent.

Make me understand how I am at fault.

25 Honest words are forceful indeed,

but what do your arguments prove?

26 Do you think [your own] words constitute argument,

while the speech of a desperate man is merely wind?

27 I suppose you would even throw dice for an orphan

or barter away your friend!

28 “So now, I beg you, look at me!

Would I lie to your face?

29 Think it over, please; don’t let wrong be done.

Think it over again: my cause is just.

30 Am I saying something wrong?

Can’t I recognize trouble when I taste it?

1 “Human life on earth is like serving in the army;

yes, we drudge through our days like a hired worker,

2 like a slave longing for shade,

like a worker thinking only of his wages.

3 So I am assigned months of meaninglessness;

troubled nights are my lot.

4 When I lie down, I ask,

‘When can I get up?’

But the night is long, and I keep tossing

to and fro until daybreak.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt,

my skin forms scabs that ooze pus.

6 My days pass more swiftly than a weaver’s shuttle

and come to their end without hope.

7 “Remember that my life is but a breath;

my eyes will never again see good times.

8 The eye that now sees me will see me no more;

while your eyes are on me, I will be gone.

9 Like a cloud dissolving and disappearing,

so he who descends to Sh’ol won’t come back up.

10 He will not return again to his house,

and his home will know him no more.

11 “Therefore I will not restrain my mouth

but will speak in my anguish of spirit

and complain in my bitterness of soul.

12 Am I the sea, or some sea monster,

that you put a guard over me?

13 When I think that my bed will comfort me,

that my couch will relieve my complaint,

14 then you terrify me with dreams

and frighten me with visions.

15 I would rather be strangled;

death would be better than these bones of mine.

16 I hate it! I won’t live forever,

so leave me alone, for my life means nothing.

17 “What are mere mortals, that you make so much of them?

Why do you keep them on your mind?

18 Why examine them every morning

and test them every moment?

19 Won’t you ever take your eyes off of me,

at least long enough for me to swallow my spit?

20 “Suppose I do sin — how do I harm you,

you scrutinizer of humanity?

Why have you made me your target,

so that I am a burden to you?

21 Why don’t you pardon my offense

and take away my guilt?

For soon I will lie down in the dust;

you will seek me, but I will be gone.”

1 Bildad the Shuchi spoke next:

2 “How long will you go on talking like this?

What you are saying is raging wind!

3 Does God distort judgment?

DoesShaddaipervert justice?

4 If your children sinned against him,

he left them to be victims of their own offense.

5 “If you will earnestly seek God

and plead forShaddai’s favor,

6 if you are pure and upright;

then he will rouse himself for you

and fulfill your needs.

7 Then, although your beginnings were small,

your future will be very great indeed.

8 “Ask the older generation,

and consider what their ancestors found out;

9 for we who were born yesterday know nothing,

our days on earth are but a shadow.

10 They will teach you, they will tell you,

they will say what is in their hearts:

11 ‘Can papyrus grow except in a marsh?

Can swamp grass flourish without water?

12 While still green, before being cut down,

it dries up faster than any other plant.

13 Such are the paths of all who forget God;

the hope of a hypocrite will perish —

14 his confidence is mere gossamer,

his trust a spider’s web.

15 He can lean on his house, but it won’t stand;

he can hold on to it, but it won’t last;

16 [for its destruction will come] like the lush growth

of a plant in the sun,

its shoots may spread out all over its garden,

17 but meanwhile its roots cause the stone house

to collapse, as it seizes hold of the rocks;

18 someone who tears it away from its place

denies he has ever seen it.

19 Yes, this is the “joy” of the way [of the godless],

and out of the dust will spring up others [like him].’

20 “Look, God will not reject a blameless man;

nor will he uphold wrongdoers.

21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter

and your lips with shouts of joy.

22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,

and the tent of the wicked will cease to exist.”

1 Then Iyov responded:

2 “Indeed, I know that this is so;

but how can a human win a case against God?

3 Whoever might want to argue with him

could not answer him one [question] in a thousand.

4 His heart is so wise, his strength so great —

who can resist him and succeed?

5 “He moves the mountains, although they don’t know it,

when he overturns them in his anger.

6 He shakes the earth from its place;

its supporting pillars tremble.

7 He commands the sun, and it fails to rise;

he shuts up the stars under his seal.

8 He alone spreads out the sky

and walks on the waves in the sea.

9 He made the Great Bear, Orion, the Pleiades

and the hidden constellations of the south.

10 He does great, unsearchable things,

wonders beyond counting.

11 He can go right by me, and I don’t see him;

he moves past without my being aware of him.

12 If he kills [people], who will ask why?

Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

13 God will not withdraw his anger —

even Rahav’s supporters submit to him.

14 “How much less can I answer him

and select my arguments against him!

15 Even if I were right, I wouldn’t answer;

I could only ask for mercy from my judge.

16 If I summoned him, and he answered me,

I still can’t believe he would listen to my plea.

17 He could break me with a storm;

he could multiply my wounds for no reason,

18 to the point where I couldn’t even breathe —

with such bitterness he could fill me!

19 If it’s a matter of force, look how mighty he is;

if justice, who can summon him to court?

20 Even if I’m right, my own mouth will condemn me;

if I’m innocent, it would pronounce me guilty.

21 “I am innocent. Don’t I know myself?

But I’ve had enough of this life of mine!

22 So I say it’s all the same —

he destroys innocent and wicked alike.

23 When disaster brings sudden death,

he laughs at the plight of the innocent.

24 The earth has been given to the power of the wicked;

he covers the faces of its judges —

if it isn’t he, then who is it?

25 My days pass on more swiftly than a runner;

they flee without seeing anything good.

26 They skim by like skiffs built of reeds,

like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

27 “If I say, ‘I’ll forget my complaining,

I’ll put off my sad face and be cheerful,’

28 then I’m still afraid of all my pain,

and I know you will not hold me innocent.

29 I will be condemned,

so why waste my efforts?

30 Even if I washed myself in melted snow

and cleansed my hands with lye,

31 you would plunge me into the muddy pit,

till my own clothes would detest me.

32 “For he is not merely human like me;

there is no answer that I could give him

if we were to come together in court.

33 There is no arbitrator between us

who could lay his hand on us both.

34 If he would remove his rod from me

and not let his terrors frighten me,

35 then I would speak without fear of him;

for when I’m alone, I’m not afraid.

1 “I am just worn out.

“By my life [I swear],

I will never abandon my complaint;

I will speak out in my soul’s bitterness.

2 I will say to God, ‘Don’t condemn me!

Tell me why you are contending with me.

3 Do you gain some advantage from oppressing,

from spurning what your own hands made,

from shining on the schemes of the wicked?

4 Do you have eyes of flesh?

Do you see as humans see?

5 Are your days like the days of mortals?

Are your years like human years,

6 that you have to seek my guilt

and search out my sin?

7 You know that I won’t be condemned,

yet no one can rescue me from your power.

8 Your own hands shaped me, they made me;

so why do you turn and destroy me?

9 Please remember that you made me, like clay;

will you return me to dust?

10 Didn’t you pour me out like milk,

then let me thicken like cheese?

11 You clothed me with skin and flesh

you knit me together with bones and sinews.

12 You granted me life and grace;

your careful attention preserved my spirit.

13 “‘Yet you hid these things in your heart;

I know what your secret purpose was —

14 to watch until I would sin

and then not absolve me of my guilt.

15 If I am wicked, woe to me! —

but if righteous, I still don’t dare raise my head,

because I am so filled with shame,

so soaked in my misery.

16 You rise up to hunt me like a lion,

and you keep treating me in such peculiar ways.

17 You keep producing fresh witnesses against me,

your anger against me keeps growing,

your troops assail me, wave after wave.

18 “‘Why did you bring me out of the womb?

I wish I had died there where no eye could see me.

19 I would have been as if I had never existed,

I would have been carried from womb to grave.

20 Aren’t my days few? So stop!

Leave me alone, so I can cheer up a little

21 before I go to the place of no return,

to the land of darkness and death-dark gloom,

22 a land of gloom like darkness itself,

of dense darkness and utter disorder,

where even the light is dark.’”

1 Next Tzofar the Na‘amati spoke up:

2 “Shouldn’t this torrent of words be answered?

Does talking a lot make a person right?

3 Is your babble supposed to put others to silence?

When you mock, is no one to make you ashamed?

4 “You claim that your teaching is pure;

you tell [God], ‘I am clean in your sight.’

5 I wish that God would speak,

would open his mouth to answer you,

6 would tell you the secrets of wisdom,

which is worth twice as much as common sense.

Understand that God is demanding of you

less than your guilt deserves.

7 “Can you penetrate God’s depths?

Can you find outShaddai’s limits?

8 They’re as high as heaven; what can you do?

They’re deeper than Sh’ol; what can you know?

9 Their extent is longer than the earth

and broader than the sea.

10 If he passes through, puts in prison

and assembles [for judgment], who can prevent him?

11 For he knows when people are worthless;

so if he sees iniquity, won’t he look into it?

12 “An empty man can gain understanding,

even if he was born like a wild donkey.

13 If you will set your heart right,

if you will spread out your hands toward him,

14 if you will put your iniquity at a distance

and not let unrighteousness remain in your tents,

15 then when you lift up your face, there will be no defect;

you will be firm and free from fear.

16 “For you will forget your misery;

you’ll remember it like a flood that passed through long ago;

17 your life will be brighter than noon;

even its darkness will be like morning.

18 You will be confident, because there is hope;

you will look around you and lie down secure;

19 you will rest, and no one will make you afraid.

Many will seek your favor;

20 but the eyes of the wicked will fail [to find comfort].

They will find no way to escape,

and their hope will turn to complete disappointment.”