Job 21-23 - Prayer Tents

Job 21

Job’s Seventh Speech: A Response to Zophar

21Then Job spoke again.H347H6030H5592"Listen closely to what I am saying. That's one consolation you can give me.H8085H8085H4405H85753Bear with me, and let me speak. After I have spoken, you may resume mocking me.H5375H1696H310H1696H39324"My complaint is with God, not with people. I have good reason to be so impatient.H7879H120H7307H71145Look at me and be stunned. Put your hand over your mouth in shock.H6437H8074H7760H3027H63106When I think about what I am saying, I shudder. My body trembles.H2142H926H6427H270H13207"Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful?H7563H2421H6275H1396H24288They live to see their children grow up and settle down, and they enjoy their grandchildren.H2233H3559H6440H6631H58699Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them.H1004H7965H6343H7626H43310Their bulls never fail to breed. Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.H7794H5674H1602H6510H6403H792111They let their children frisk about like lambs. Their little ones skip and dance.H7971H5759H6629H3206H754012They sing with tambourine and harp. They celebrate to the sound of the flute.H5375H8596H3658H8055H6963H574813They spend their days in prosperity, then go down to the grave in peace.H3615H1086H3117H2896H7281H2865H5181H758514And yet they say to God, 'Go away. We want no part of you and your ways.H559H410H5493H2654H1847H187015Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?'H7706H5647H3276H629316(They think their prosperity is of their own doing, but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)H2898H3027H6098H7563H736817"Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished. Do they ever have trouble? Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger?H5216H7563H1846H935H343H2505H2256H63918Are they driven before the wind like straw? Are they carried away by the storm like chaff? Not at all!H8401H6440H7307H4671H5492H158919"'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.H433H6845H205H1121H7999H304520Let them see their destruction with their own eyes. Let them drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty.H5869H7200H3589H8354H2534H770621For they will not care what happens to their family after they are dead.H2656H1004H310H4557H2320H268622"But who can teach a lesson to God, since he judges even the most powerful?H3925H410H1847H8199H731123One person dies in prosperity, completely comfortable and secure,H4191H8537H6106H7946H796124the picture of good health, vigorous and fit.H5845H4390H2461H6106H8248H422125Another person dies in bitter poverty, never having tasted the good life.H4191H4751H5315H398H289626But both are buried in the same dust, both eaten by the same maggots.H7901H3162H6083H7415H368027"Look, I know what you're thinking. I know the schemes you plot against me.H3045H4284H4209H255428You will tell me of rich and wicked people whose houses have vanished because of their sins.H559H1004H5081H4908H168H756329But ask those who have been around, and they will tell you the truth.H7592H5674H1870H5234H22630Evil people are spared in times of calamity and are allowed to escape disaster.H7451H2820H3117H343H2986H3117H567831No one criticizes them openly or pays them back for what they have done.H5046H1870H6440H7999H621332When they are carried to the grave, an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb.H2986H6913H8245H143033A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery. Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest, and the earth gives sweet repose.H7263H5158H4985H120H4900H310H4557H644034"How can your empty cliches comfort me? All your explanations are lies!"H5162H1892H8666H7604H4604

Job 22

Eliphaz’s Third Response to Job

22Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied.H464H8489H6030H559 2"Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him?H1397H5532H410H3588H7919H5532 3Is it any advantage to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect?H2656H7706H6663H1215H1870H8552 4Is it because you're so pious that he accuses you and brings judgment against you?H3198H3374H935H4941 5No, it's because of your wickedness! There's no limit to your sins.H7451H7227H5771H7093 6"For example, you must have lent money to your friend and demanded clothing as security. Yes, you stripped him to the bone.H2254H251H2600H6584H6174H899 7You must have refused water for the thirsty and food for the hungry.H4325H5889H8248H4513H3899H7457 8You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it!H2220H376H776H5375H6440H3427 9You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans.H7971H490H7387H2220H3490H1792 10That is why you are surrounded by traps and tremble from sudden fears.H6341H5439H6597H6343H926 11That is why you cannot see in the darkness, and waves of water cover you.H2822H7200H8229H4325H3680 12"God is so great—higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars.H433H1363H8064H7200H7218H3556H7311 13But you reply, 'That's why God can't see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness?H559H410H3045H8199H6205 14For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.'H5645H5643H7200H1980H2329H8064 15"Will you continue on the old paths where evil people have walked?H8104H5769H734H205H4962H1869 16They were snatched away in the prime of life, the foundations of their lives washed away.H7059H6256H3247H3332H5104 17For they said to God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?'H559H410H5493H7706H6466 18Yet he was the one who filled their homes with good things, so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.H4390H1004H2896H6098H7563H7368 19"The righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed, and the innocent will laugh in contempt.H6662H7200H8055H5355H3932 20They will say, 'See how our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire.'H518H7009H3582H3499H784H398 21"Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you.H5532H7999H2896H935 22Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart.H3947H8451H6310H7760H561H3824 23If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored—so clean up your life.H7725H7706H1129H7368H5766H7368H168 24If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river,H7896H1220H5921H6083H211H6697H5158 25the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver!H7706H1220H8443H3701 26"Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God.H6026H7706H5375H6440H433 27You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him.H6279H8085H7999H5088 28You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you.H1504H562H6965H216H5050H1870 29If people are in trouble and you say, 'Help them,' God will save them.H8213H559H1466H3467H7807H5869 30Even sinners will be rescued; they will be rescued because your hands are pure."H4422H336H5355H4422H1252H3709

Job 23

Job’s Eighth Speech: A Response to Eliphaz

23Then Job spoke again.H347H6030H5592"My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud.H3117H7879H4805H3027H3513H5853If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court.H5414H3045H4672H935H84994I would lay out my case and present my arguments.H6186H4941H6440H4390H6310H84335Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me.H3045H4405H6030H995H5596Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing.H7378H5978H7230H3581H77607Honest people can reason with him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge.H3477H3198H6403H5331H81998I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him.H1980H6924H268H9959I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.H8040H6213H2372H5848H3225H720010"But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.H3045H1870H5978H974H3318H209111For I have stayed on God's paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.H7272H270H838H1870H8104H518612I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food.H4185H4687H8193H6845H561H6310H270613But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind? Whatever he wants to do, he does.H259H7725H5315H183H621314So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny.H7999H2706H7227H200715No wonder I am so terrified in his presence. When I think of it, terror grips me.H926H6440H995H634216God has made me sick at heart; the Almighty has terrified me.H410H3820H7401H7706H92617Darkness is all around me; thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.H6789H6440H2822H3680H652H6440