NAS - Job Chapter 14 to 16

14 Job Speaks of the Finality of Death

¹"Man, who is born of woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil. ²"Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain. ³ "You also open Your eyes on him And bring him into judgment with Yourself. ⁴ "Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one! ⁵"Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass. ⁶"Turn Your gaze from him that he may rest, Until he fulfills his day like a hired man.

⁷"For there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail. ⁸"Though its roots grow old in the ground And its stump dies in the dry soil, ⁹At the scent of water it will flourish And put forth sprigs like a plant. ¹⁰"But man dies and lies prostrate. Man expires, and where is he? ¹¹"As water evaporates from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dried up, ¹² So man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no longer, He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.

¹³"Oh that You would hide me in Sheol, That You would conceal me until Your wrath returns to You, That You would set a limit for me and remember me! ¹⁴ "If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait Until my change comes. ¹⁵"You will call, and I will answer You; You will long for the work of Your hands. ¹⁶ "For now You number my steps, You do not observe my sin. ¹⁷"My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You wrap up my iniquity.

¹⁸"But the falling mountain crumbles away, And the rock moves from its place; ¹⁹ Water wears away stones, Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth; So You destroy man's hope. ²⁰"You forever overpower him and he departs; You change his appearance and send him away. ²¹ "His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it; Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it. ²² "But his body pains him, And he mourns only for himself."

15 Eliphaz Says Job Presumes Much

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded, ² "Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge And fill himself with the east wind? ³ "Should he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable? ⁴ "Indeed, you do away with reverence And hinder meditation before God. ⁵ "For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose the language of the crafty. ⁶ "Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; And your own lips testify against you.

⁷"Were you the first man to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills? ⁸ "Do you hear the secret counsel of God, And limit wisdom to yourself? ⁹ "What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that we do not? ¹⁰ "Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Older than your father. ¹¹ "Are the consolations of God too small for you, Even the word spoken gently with you? ¹² "Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes flash, ¹³That you should turn your spirit against God And allow such words to go out of your mouth? ¹⁴ "What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? ¹⁵ "Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight; ¹⁶ How much less one who is detestable and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity like water!

What Eliphaz Has Seen of Life

¹⁷"I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare; ¹⁸What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers, ¹⁹To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them. ²⁰"The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless. ²¹ "Sounds of terror are in his ears; While at peace the destroyer comes upon him. ²² "He does not believe that he will return from darkness, And he is destined for the sword. ²³ "He wanders about for food, saying, `Where is it?' He knows that a day of darkness is at hand. ²⁴ "Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack, ²⁵ Because he has stretched out his hand against God And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty. ²⁶ "He rushes headlong at Him With his massive shield. ²⁷"For he has covered his face with his fat And made his thighs heavy with flesh. ²⁸ "He has lived in desolate cities, In houses no one would inhabit, Which are destined to become ruins. ²⁹"He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend down to the ground. ³⁰ "He will not escape from darkness; The flame will wither his shoots, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away. ³¹ "Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward. ³² "It will be accomplished before his time, And his palm branch will not be green. ³³ "He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off his flower like the olive tree. ³⁴ "For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt. ³⁵ "They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, And their mind prepares deception."

16 Job Says Friends Are Sorry Comforters

¹Then Job answered, ² "I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are you all. ³"Is there no limit to windy words? Or what plagues you that you answer? ⁴"I too could speak like you, If I were in your place. I could compose words against you And shake my head at you. ⁵"I could strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.

Job Says God Shattered Him

⁶"If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I hold back, what has left me? ⁷"But now He has exhausted me; You have laid waste all my company. ⁸"You have shriveled me up, It has become a witness; And my leanness rises up against me, It testifies to my face. ⁹"His anger has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth; My adversary glares at me. ¹⁰"They have gaped at me with their mouth, They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt; They have massed themselves against me. ¹¹"God hands me over to ruffians And tosses me into the hands of the wicked. ¹²"I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target. ¹³ "His arrows surround me. Without mercy He splits my kidneys open; He pours out my gall on the ground. ¹⁴"He breaks through me with breach after breach; He runs at me like a warrior. ¹⁵"I have sewed sackcloth over my skin And thrust my horn in the dust. ¹⁶"My face is flushed from weeping, And deep darkness is on my eyelids, ¹⁷ Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure.

¹⁸"O earth, do not cover my blood, And let there be no resting place for my cry. ¹⁹ "Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high. ²⁰ "My friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God. ²¹"O that a man might plead with God As a man with his neighbor! ²²"For when a few years are past, I shall go the way of no return.