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Job 20-22
New Living Translation
Job 20-22
New Living Translation
Zophar’s Second Response to Job
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
2 “I must reply
because I am greatly disturbed.
3 I’ve had to endure your insults,
but now my spirit prompts me to reply.
4 “Don’t you realize that from the beginning of time,
ever since people were first placed on the earth,
5 the triumph of the wicked has been short lived
and the joy of the godless has been only temporary?
6 Though the pride of the godless reaches to the heavens
and their heads touch the clouds,
7 yet they will vanish forever,
thrown away like their own dung.
Those who knew them will ask,
‘Where are they?’
8 They will fade like a dream and not be found.
They will vanish like a vision in the night.
9 Those who once saw them will see them no more.
Their families will never see them again.
10 Their children will beg from the poor,
for they must give back their stolen riches.
11 Though they are young,
their bones will lie in the dust.
12 “They enjoyed the sweet taste of wickedness,
letting it melt under their tongue.
13 They savored it,
holding it long in their mouths.
14 But suddenly the food in their bellies turns sour,
a poisonous venom in their stomach.
15 They will vomit the wealth they swallowed.
God won’t let them keep it down.
16 They will suck the poison of cobras.
The viper will kill them.
17 They will never again enjoy streams of olive oil
or rivers of milk and honey.
18 They will give back everything they worked for.
Their wealth will bring them no joy.
19 For they oppressed the poor and left them destitute.
They foreclosed on their homes.
20 They were always greedy and never satisfied.
Nothing remains of all the things they dreamed about.
21 Nothing is left after they finish gorging themselves.
Therefore, their prosperity will not endure.
22 “In the midst of plenty, they will run into trouble
and be overcome by misery.
23 May God give them a bellyful of trouble.
May God rain down his anger upon them.
24 When they try to escape an iron weapon,
a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce them.
25 The arrow is pulled from their back,
and the arrowhead glistens with blood.[a]
The terrors of death are upon them.
26 Their treasures will be thrown into deepest darkness.
A wildfire will devour their goods,
consuming all they have left.
27 The heavens will reveal their guilt,
and the earth will testify against them.
28 A flood will sweep away their house.
God’s anger will descend on them in torrents.
29 This is the reward that God gives the wicked.
It is the inheritance decreed by God.”
Job’s Seventh Speech: A Response to Zophar
21 Then Job spoke again:
2 “Listen closely to what I am saying.
That’s one consolation you can give me.
3 Bear with me, and let me speak.
After I have spoken, you may resume mocking me.
4 “My complaint is with God, not with people.
I have good reason to be so impatient.
5 Look at me and be stunned.
Put your hand over your mouth in shock.
6 When I think about what I am saying, I shudder.
My body trembles.
7 “Why do the wicked prosper,
growing old and powerful?
8 They live to see their children grow up and settle down,
and they enjoy their grandchildren.
9 Their homes are safe from every fear,
and God does not punish them.
10 Their bulls never fail to breed.
Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.
11 They let their children frisk about like lambs.
Their little ones skip and dance.
12 They sing with tambourine and harp.
They celebrate to the sound of the flute.
13 They spend their days in prosperity,
then go down to the grave[b] in peace.
14 And yet they say to God, ‘Go away.
We want no part of you and your ways.
15 Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him?
What good will it do us to pray?’
16 (They think their prosperity is of their own doing,
but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)
17 “Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished.
Do they ever have trouble?
Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger?
18 Are they driven before the wind like straw?
Are they carried away by the storm like chaff?
Not at all!
19 “‘Well,’ you say, ‘at least God will punish their children!’
But I say he should punish the ones who sin,
so that they understand his judgment.
20 Let them see their destruction with their own eyes.
Let them drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty.
21 For they will not care what happens to their family
after they are dead.
22 “But who can teach a lesson to God,
since he judges even the most powerful?
23 One person dies in prosperity,
completely comfortable and secure,
24 the picture of good health,
vigorous and fit.
25 Another person dies in bitter poverty,
never having tasted the good life.
26 But both are buried in the same dust,
both eaten by the same maggots.
27 “Look, I know what you’re thinking.
I know the schemes you plot against me.
28 You will tell me of rich and wicked people
whose houses have vanished because of their sins.
29 But ask those who have been around,
and they will tell you the truth.
30 Evil people are spared in times of calamity
and are allowed to escape disaster.
31 No one criticizes them openly
or pays them back for what they have done.
32 When they are carried to the grave,
an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb.
33 A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery.
Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest,
and the earth gives sweet repose.
34 “How can your empty clichés comfort me?
All your explanations are lies!”
Eliphaz’s Third Response to Job
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 “Can a person do anything to help God?
Can even a wise person be helpful to him?
3 Is it any advantage to the Almighty if you are righteous?
Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect?
4 Is it because you’re so pious that he accuses you
and brings judgment against you?
5 No, it’s because of your wickedness!
There’s no limit to your sins.
6 “For example, you must have lent money to your friend
and demanded clothing as security.
Yes, you stripped him to the bone.
7 You must have refused water for the thirsty
and food for the hungry.
8 You probably think the land belongs to the powerful
and only the privileged have a right to it!
9 You must have sent widows away empty-handed
and crushed the hopes of orphans.
10 That is why you are surrounded by traps
and tremble from sudden fears.
11 That is why you cannot see in the darkness,
and waves of water cover you.
12 “God is so great—higher than the heavens,
higher than the farthest stars.
13 But you reply, ‘That’s why God can’t see what I am doing!
How can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us.
He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.’
15 “Will you continue on the old paths
where evil people have walked?
16 They were snatched away in the prime of life,
the foundations of their lives washed away.
17 For they said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 Yet he was the one who filled their homes with good things,
so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.
19 “The righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed,
and the innocent will laugh in contempt.
20 They will say, ‘See how our enemies have been destroyed.
The last of them have been consumed in the fire.’
21 “Submit to God, and you will have peace;
then things will go well for you.
22 Listen to his instructions,
and store them in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored—
so clean up your life.
24 If you give up your lust for money
and throw your precious gold into the river,
25 the Almighty himself will be your treasure.
He will be your precious silver!
26 “Then you will take delight in the Almighty
and look up to God.
27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you,
and you will fulfill your vows to him.
28 You will succeed in whatever you choose to do,
and light will shine on the road ahead of you.
29 If people are in trouble and you say, ‘Help them,’
God will save them.
30 Even sinners will be rescued;
they will be rescued because your hands are pure.”
Job 20-22
New International Version
Job 20-22
New International Version
Zophar
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite(A) replied:
2 “My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
because I am greatly disturbed.(B)
3 I hear a rebuke(C) that dishonors me,
and my understanding inspires me to reply.
4 “Surely you know how it has been from of old,(D)
ever since mankind[a] was placed on the earth,
5 that the mirth of the wicked(E) is brief,
the joy of the godless(F) lasts but a moment.(G)
6 Though the pride(H) of the godless person reaches to the heavens(I)
and his head touches the clouds,(J)
7 he will perish forever,(K) like his own dung;
those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’(L)
8 Like a dream(M) he flies away,(N) no more to be found,
banished(O) like a vision of the night.(P)
9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;
his place will look on him no more.(Q)
10 His children(R) must make amends to the poor;
his own hands must give back his wealth.(S)
11 The youthful vigor(T) that fills his bones(U)
will lie with him in the dust.(V)
12 “Though evil(W) is sweet in his mouth
and he hides it under his tongue,(X)
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
and lets it linger in his mouth,(Y)
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;(Z)
it will become the venom of serpents(AA) within him.
15 He will spit out the riches(AB) he swallowed;
God will make his stomach vomit(AC) them up.
16 He will suck the poison(AD) of serpents;
the fangs of an adder will kill him.(AE)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
the rivers(AF) flowing with honey(AG) and cream.(AH)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;(AI)
he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.(AJ)
19 For he has oppressed the poor(AK) and left them destitute;(AL)
he has seized houses(AM) he did not build.
20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;(AN)
he cannot save himself by his treasure.(AO)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
his prosperity will not endure.(AP)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;(AQ)
the full force of misery will come upon him.(AR)
23 When he has filled his belly,(AS)
God will vent his burning anger(AT) against him
and rain down his blows on him.(AU)
24 Though he flees(AV) from an iron weapon,
a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.(AW)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors(AX) will come over him;(AY)
26 total darkness(AZ) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire(BA) unfanned will consume him(BB)
and devour what is left in his tent.(BC)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
the earth will rise up against him.(BD)
28 A flood will carry off his house,(BE)
rushing waters[b] on the day of God’s wrath.(BF)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
the heritage appointed for them by God.”(BG)
Job
21 Then Job replied:
2 “Listen carefully to my words;(BH)
let this be the consolation you give me.(BI)
3 Bear with me while I speak,
and after I have spoken, mock on.(BJ)
4 “Is my complaint(BK) directed to a human being?
Why should I not be impatient?(BL)
5 Look at me and be appalled;
clap your hand over your mouth.(BM)
6 When I think about this, I am terrified;(BN)
trembling seizes my body.(BO)
7 Why do the wicked live on,
growing old and increasing in power?(BP)
8 They see their children established around them,
their offspring before their eyes.(BQ)
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;(BR)
the rod of God is not on them.(BS)
10 Their bulls never fail to breed;
their cows calve and do not miscarry.(BT)
11 They send forth their children as a flock;(BU)
their little ones dance about.
12 They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;(BV)
they make merry to the sound of the pipe.(BW)
13 They spend their years in prosperity(BX)
and go down to the grave(BY) in peace.[c](BZ)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!(CA)
We have no desire to know your ways.(CB)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
What would we gain by praying to him?’(CC)
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(CD)
17 “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?(CE)
How often does calamity(CF) come upon them,
the fate God allots in his anger?(CG)
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
like chaff(CH) swept away(CI) by a gale?(CJ)
19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’(CK)
Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!(CL)
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;(CM)
let them drink(CN) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.(CO)
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind(CP)
when their allotted months(CQ) come to an end?(CR)
22 “Can anyone teach knowledge to God,(CS)
since he judges even the highest?(CT)
23 One person dies in full vigor,(CU)
completely secure and at ease,(CV)
24 well nourished(CW) in body,[d]
bones(CX) rich with marrow.(CY)
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,(CZ)
never having enjoyed anything good.
26 Side by side they lie in the dust,(DA)
and worms(DB) cover them both.(DC)
27 “I know full well what you are thinking,
the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,(DD)
the tents where the wicked lived?’(DE)
29 Have you never questioned those who travel?
Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
30 that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,(DF)
that they are delivered from[e] the day of wrath?(DG)
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?
Who repays them for what they have done?(DH)
32 They are carried to the grave,
and watch is kept over their tombs.(DI)
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;(DJ)
everyone follows after them,
and a countless throng goes[f] before them.(DK)
34 “So how can you console me(DL) with your nonsense?
Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”(DM)
Eliphaz
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(DN) replied:
2 “Can a man be of benefit to God?(DO)
Can even a wise person benefit him?(DP)
3 What pleasure(DQ) would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?(DR)
What would he gain if your ways were blameless?(DS)
4 “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
and brings charges against you?(DT)
5 Is not your wickedness great?
Are not your sins(DU) endless?(DV)
6 You demanded security(DW) from your relatives for no reason;(DX)
you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.(DY)
7 You gave no water(DZ) to the weary
and you withheld food from the hungry,(EA)
8 though you were a powerful man, owning land(EB)—
an honored man,(EC) living on it.(ED)
9 And you sent widows(EE) away empty-handed(EF)
and broke the strength of the fatherless.(EG)
10 That is why snares(EH) are all around you,(EI)
why sudden peril terrifies you,(EJ)
11 why it is so dark(EK) you cannot see,
and why a flood of water covers you.(EL)
12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven?(EM)
And see how lofty are the highest stars!
13 Yet you say, ‘What does God know?(EN)
Does he judge through such darkness?(EO)
14 Thick clouds(EP) veil him, so he does not see us(EQ)
as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’(ER)
15 Will you keep to the old path
that the wicked(ES) have trod?(ET)
16 They were carried off before their time,(EU)
their foundations(EV) washed away by a flood.(EW)
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
What can the Almighty do to us?’(EX)
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,(EY)
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(EZ)
19 The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;(FA)
the innocent mock(FB) them, saying,
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,(FC)
and fire(FD) devours their wealth.’
21 “Submit to God and be at peace(FE) with him;(FF)
in this way prosperity will come to you.(FG)
22 Accept instruction from his mouth(FH)
and lay up his words(FI) in your heart.(FJ)
23 If you return(FK) to the Almighty, you will be restored:(FL)
If you remove wickedness far from your tent(FM)
24 and assign your nuggets(FN) to the dust,
your gold(FO) of Ophir(FP) to the rocks in the ravines,(FQ)
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,(FR)
the choicest silver for you.(FS)
26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty(FT)
and will lift up your face(FU) to God.(FV)
27 You will pray to him,(FW) and he will hear you,(FX)
and you will fulfill your vows.(FY)
28 What you decide on will be done,(FZ)
and light(GA) will shine on your ways.(GB)
29 When people are brought low(GC) and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
then he will save the downcast.(GD)
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,(GE)
who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”(GF)
Footnotes
- Job 20:4 Or Adam
- Job 20:28 Or The possessions in his house will be carried off, / washed away
- Job 21:13 Or in an instant
- Job 21:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Job 21:30 Or wicked are reserved for the day of calamity, / that they are brought forth to
- Job 21:33 Or them, / as a countless throng went
2 Corinthians 1:1-11
New Living Translation
2 Corinthians 1:1-11
New Living Translation
Greetings from Paul
1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.
I am writing to God’s church in Corinth and to all of his holy people throughout Greece.[a]
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
God Offers Comfort to All
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.
8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters,[b] about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. 11 And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.
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2 Corinthians 1:1-11
New International Version
2 Corinthians 1:1-11
New International Version
1 Paul, an apostle(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,(B) and Timothy(C) our brother,
To the church of God(D) in Corinth,(E) together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:(F)
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(G)
Praise to the God of All Comfort
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(H) the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us(I) in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,(J) so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation;(K) if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings,(L) so also you share in our comfort.
8 We do not want you to be uninformed,(M) brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced(N) in the province of Asia.(O) We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God,(P) who raises the dead.(Q) 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril,(R) and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope(S) that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers.(T) Then many will give thanks(U) on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 1:8 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 8:1; 13:11.
Psalm 40:11-17
New Living Translation
Psalm 40:11-17
New Living Translation
11 Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles surround me—
too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost all courage.
13 Please, Lord, rescue me!
Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
14 May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
16 But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
17 As for me, since I am poor and needy,
let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
O my God, do not delay.
Psalm 40:11-17
New International Version
Psalm 40:11-17
New International Version
11 Do not withhold your mercy(A) from me, Lord;
may your love(B) and faithfulness(C) always protect(D) me.
12 For troubles(E) without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.(F)
They are more than the hairs of my head,(G)
and my heart fails(H) within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
come quickly, Lord, to help me.(I)
14 May all who want to take my life(J)
be put to shame and confusion;(K)
may all who desire my ruin(L)
be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(M)
be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you(N)
rejoice and be glad(O) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The Lord is great!”(P)
Proverbs 22:2-4
New Living Translation
Proverbs 22:2-4
New Living Translation
2 The rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord made them both.
3 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
4 True humility and fear of the Lord
lead to riches, honor, and long life.
Proverbs 22:2-4
New International Version
Proverbs 22:2-4
New International Version
New Living Translation (NLT)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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