Job Affirms His Integrity 1 UDB Job continued speaking to his three friends: BSB BSB: Job continued his discourse:
2 UDB "Almighty God has refused to treat me justly. He has caused me to feel bitter. But just as surely as he lives, BSB BSB: “As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice—the Almighty, who has embittered my soul—
3 UDB I will say this as long as God's Spirit enables me to breathe! BSB BSB: as long as my breath is still within me and the breath of God remains in my nostrils,
4 UDB I will not lie! I will not say anything to deceive anyone. BSB BSB: my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will not utter deceit.
5 UDB I will never admit that what you three have said is true; until the day that I die, I will insist that I have not done things that are wrong. BSB BSB: I will never say that you are right; I will maintain my integrity until I die.
6 UDB I will say that I am innocent, and I will never say anything different; my inner being will never reproach me as long as I live. BSB BSB: I will cling to my righteousness and never let go. As long as I live, my conscience will not accuse me.
The Wicked Man’s Portion 7 UDB I want God to punish my enemies like he will punish all wicked people; I want him to punish those who oppose me like he punishes all unrighteous people. BSB BSB: May my enemy be like the wicked and my opponent like the unjust.
8 UDB When it is time for God to get rid of godless people and to cause them to die, there is absolutely nothing good that they can confidently expect to happen to them. BSB BSB: For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?
9 UDB When they experience troubles, God will not hear them call out to him for help, will he? BSB BSB: Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?
10 UDB Will they be happy about what Almighty God does? Will they begin to pray to him frequently? Certainly not! BSB BSB: Will he delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?
11 UDB I will teach you three something about God's power; I will reveal to you what he is thinking. BSB BSB: I will instruct you in the power of God. I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty.
12 UDB You three have seen for yourselves powerful things that God has done; so I do not understand why you have been saying such nonsense to me. BSB BSB: Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves. Why then do you keep up this empty talk?
13 UDB I will tell you what Almighty God does to wicked people, what he does to people who mistreat others. BSB BSB: This is the wicked man’s portion from God—the heritage the ruthless receive from the Almighty.
14 UDB Even if they have many children, those children will die in wars, or they will die because they do not have enough food to eat. BSB BSB: Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; and his offspring will never have enough food.
15 UDB Their children who are still alive after they themselves die will perish from diseases, and the wives they leave behind will not even mourn for them. BSB BSB: His survivors will be buried by the plague, and their widows will not weep for them.
16 UDB Sometimes wicked people accumulate a huge amount of silver and pile up clothes as potters pile up clay, BSB BSB: Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,
17 UDB but those wicked people will die, and then righteous people will wear those clothes, and honest people will get their silver and divide it among themselves. BSB BSB: what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent.
18 UDB The houses that they build are as weak as spider webs; they are like flimsy huts that watchmen live in while they guard people's fields. BSB BSB: The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman.
19 UDB The wicked people are rich when they lie down at night, but when they wake up in the morning, they find out that their money has disappeared. BSB BSB: He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
20 UDB Things that terrify them come to them like a flood that they do not expect; during the night a whirlwind carries them away. BSB BSB: Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night.
21 UDB It is as though the wind from the east had picked them up and carried them away from their homes, and they disappear forever. BSB BSB: The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.
22 UDB That wind strikes them without pitying them while they are running away, trying to escape from its force. BSB BSB: It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.
23 UDB That wind is like someone clapping his hands at them to mock them, howling at them and forcing them to run away." BSB BSB: It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.