Verse excerpts from the book of Job
Chapters 4-13
1“Call now is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones (angels) will you turn?
9“As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
So he who goes down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) does not come up.
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul .
12“Am I the sea, or the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
17“What is man that You [should] magnify him [and think him important]?
And that You are concerned about him?
20“If I have sinned, what [harm] have I done to You, O Watcher of mankind?
Why have You set me as a target for You,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my sin and guilt?
Job chapters 14-18
1“Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and full of trouble.
2He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a shadow and does not continue.
3“You also open Your eyes upon him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
4“Who can make a clean thing out of the unclean? No one!
5“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You [in Your control],
And You have made his limits so he cannot pass [his allotted time].
6“[O God] turn your gaze from him so that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day [on earth] like a hired man.
7“For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that the shoots of it will not cease nor fail, [but there is no such hope for man].
8“Though its roots grow old in the earth
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
9Yet at the scent of water [the stump of the tree] will flourish
And bring forth sprigs and shoots like a seedling.
10“But [the brave, strong] man must die and lie face down;
Man breathes his last, and where is he?
11“As water evaporates from the sea,
And a river drains and dries up,
12So man lies down and does not rise [again].
Until the heavens are no longer,
The dead will not awake nor be raised from their sleep.
13“Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would set a definite time and then remember me [and in Your lovingkindness imprint me on your heart]!
14“If a man dies, will he live again?
I will wait all the days of my struggle
My adversary sharpens His gaze and glares [with piercing eyes] at me.
10“They have gaped at me with their mouths,
With contempt they have struck me on the cheek;
They massed themselves together [and conspired] against me.
11“God hands me over to criminals
And tosses me [headlong] into the hands of the wicked.
18“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no [resting] place for my cry [where it will cease being heard].
19“Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven,
And my Advocate [who vouches and testifies for me] is on high.
20“My friends are scoffers [who ridicule];
My eye pours out tears to God.
21“Oh, that a man would mediate and plead with God [for me]
Just as a man [mediates and pleads] with his neighbor and friend.
22“For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way of no return
Job chapters 19-32
19“All the men of my council hate me;
Those I love have turned against me.
20“My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh
21“Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has touched me.
22“Why do you persecute me as God does?
Why are you not satisfied with my flesh (anguish)?
23“Oh, that the words I now speak were written!
Oh, that they were recorded in a scroll!
24“That with an iron stylus and [molten] lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
25“For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives,
And at the last He will take His stand upon the earth.
26“Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death],
Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God,
27Whom I, even I, will see for myself,
And my eyes will see Him and not another!
My heart faints within me.
28“If you say, ‘How shall we [continue to] persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find [since we claim the root of these afflictions is found in him]?’
29“Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance] for yourselves,
For wrathful are the punishments of that sword,
So that you may know there is judgment.”
5“The spirits of the dead tremble
Underneath the waters and their inhabitants.
6“Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) is naked before God,
And Abaddon (the place of destruction) has no covering [from His eyes].
12“He stirred up the sea by His power,
And by His understanding He smashed [proud] Rahab.
13“By His breath the heavens are cleared;
His hand has pierced the [swiftly] fleeing serpent.
Job chapters 33-38
Elihu speaks
The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5“Answer me, if you can;
Set yourselves before me, take your stand.
6“Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too was formed out of the clay.
He holds back his soul from the pit [of destruction],
And his life from passing over into Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).
19“Man is also disciplined with pain on his bed,
And with unceasing complaint in his bones,
21“His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
And his bones which were not seen now stick out.
22“Then his soul draws near to the pit [of destruction],
And his life to those who bring death (the destroyers).
23“If there is an angel as a mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To explain to a man what is right for him [that is, how to be in right standing with God],
24Then the angel is gracious to him, and says,
‘Spare him from going down to the pit [of destruction];
I have found a ransom [a consideration, or reason for redemption, an atonement]!’
25“Let his flesh be restored and become fresher than in youth;
Let him return to the days of his youthful strength.
26“He will pray to God, and He shall be favorable to him,
So that he looks at His face with joy;
For God restores to man His righteousness [that is, his right standing with God–with its joys].
27“Then He shall cry out to other men,
‘I have sinned and perverted that which was right,
And it was not repaid to me!
28‘God has redeemed my life from going to the pit [of destruction],
And my life shall see the light.’”
29 “Behold, God does all these things twice, yes, three times, with a man,
30To bring his life back from the pit [of destruction],
That he may be enlightened with the light of the life.
5“Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the skies which are [much] higher than you.
6“If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what have you done to Him?
7“If you are righteous, what do you give God,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8“Your wickedness affects only a man such as you,
And your righteousness affects only a son of man.
10“But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
11Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
12“The people cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil men.
13“Surely God will not listen to an empty cry
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
14“Even though you say that you do not see Him
Yet your case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
15“And now, because He has not [quickly] punished in His anger,
16 Job uselessly opens his mouth
And multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked].
He who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5“Behold, God is mighty, and yet does not despise anyone
6“He does not prolong the life of the wicked,
But gives the afflicted their justice.
10“He opens their ears to instruction and discipline,
And commands that they return from evil.
11“If they hear and serve Him,
They will end their days in prosperity
And their years in pleasantness and joy.
12“But if they do not hear and obey, they will die by the sword [of God’s destructive judgments]
And they will die [in ignorance] without [true] knowledge.
13“But the godless in heart store up anger [at the divine discipline];
They do not cry [to Him] for help when He binds them [with cords of affliction].
15“He rescues the afflicted in their affliction,
And opens their ears [so that they pay attention to His voice] in times of oppression.
17“But you [Job] were full of judgment on the wicked,
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18“Do not let wrath entice you into scoffing;
And do not let the greatness and the extent of the ransom turn you aside.
21“Take heed and be careful, do not turn to wickedness,
For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.
The Tree To The Cross 