The Message (MSG)

No Place to Hide

1-6 Having waited for Zophar, Job now resumed his defense:

“God-Alive! He’s denied me justice!

God Almighty! He’s ruined my life!

But for as long as I draw breath,

and for as long as God breathes life into me,

I refuse to say one word that isn’t true.

I refuse to confess to any charge that’s false.

There is no way I’ll ever agree to your accusations.

I’ll not deny my integrity even if it costs me my life.

I’m holding fast to my integrity and not loosening my grip—

and, believe me, I’ll never regret it.

7-10 “Let my enemy be exposed as wicked!

Let my adversary be proven guilty!

What hope do people without God have when life is cut short?

when God puts an end to life?

Do you think God will listen to their cry for help

when disaster hits?

What interest have they ever shown in the Almighty?

Have they ever been known to pray before?

11-12 “I’ve given you a clear account of God in action,

suppressed nothing regarding God Almighty.

The evidence is right before you. You can all see it for yourselves,

so why do you keep talking nonsense?

13-23 “I’ll quote your own words back to you:

“‘This is how God treats the wicked,

this is what evil people can expect from God Almighty:

Their children—all of them—will die violent deaths;

they’ll never have enough bread to put on the table.

They’ll be wiped out by the plague,

and none of the widows will shed a tear when they’re gone.

Even if they make a lot of money

and are resplendent in the latest fashions,

It’s the good who will end up wearing the clothes

and the decent who will divide up the money.

They build elaborate houses

that won’t survive a single winter.

They go to bed wealthy

and wake up poor.

Terrors pour in on them like flash floods—

a tornado snatches them away in the middle of the night,

A cyclone sweeps them up—gone!

Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint.

Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them;

they run this way and that, but there’s no place to hide—

Pummeled by the weather,

blown to kingdom come by the storm.’”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/JOB/27-a6dd648daa4c7900ca1b2f71042b3e52.mp3?version_id=97—

Where Does Wisdom Come From?

1-11 “We all know how silver seams the rocks,

we’ve seen the stuff from which gold is refined,

We’re aware of how iron is dug out of the ground

and copper is smelted from rock.

Miners penetrate the earth’s darkness,

searching the roots of the mountains for ore,

digging away in the suffocating darkness.

Far from civilization, far from the traffic,

they cut a shaft,

and are lowered into it by ropes.

Earth’s surface is a field for grain,

but its depths are a forge

Firing sapphires from stones

and chiseling gold from rocks.

Vultures are blind to its riches,

hawks never lay eyes on it.

Wild animals are oblivious to it,

lions don’t know it’s there.

Miners hammer away at the rock,

they uproot the mountains.

They tunnel through the rock

and find all kinds of beautiful gems.

They discover the origins of rivers,

and bring earth’s secrets to light.

12-19 “But where, oh where, will they find Wisdom?

Where does Insight hide?

Mortals don’t have a clue,

haven’t the slightest idea where to look.

Earth’s depths say, ‘It’s not here’;

ocean deeps echo, ‘Never heard of it.’

It can’t be bought with the finest gold;

no amount of silver can get it.

Even famous Ophir gold can’t buy it,

not even diamonds and sapphires.

Neither gold nor emeralds are comparable;

extravagant jewelry can’t touch it.

Pearl necklaces and ruby bracelets—why bother?

None of this is even a down payment on Wisdom!

Pile gold and African diamonds as high as you will,

they can’t hold a candle to Wisdom.

20-22 “So where does Wisdom come from?

And where does Insight live?

It can’t be found by looking, no matter

how deep you dig, no matter how high you fly.

If you search through the graveyard and question the dead,

they say, ‘We’ve only heard rumors of it.’

23-28 “God alone knows the way to Wisdom,

he knows the exact place to find it.

He knows where everything is on earth,

he sees everything under heaven.

After he commanded the winds to blow

and measured out the waters,

Arranged for the rain

and set off explosions of thunder and lightning,

He focused on Wisdom,

made sure it was all set and tested and ready.

Then he addressed the human race: ‘Here it is!

Fear-of-the-Lord—that’s Wisdom,

and Insight means shunning evil.’”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/JOB/28-eb9895d3dbf25038bda443faaf1f3d0b.mp3?version_id=97—

When God Was Still by My Side

1-6 Job now resumed his response:

“Oh, how I long for the good old days,

when God took such very good care of me.

He always held a lamp before me

and I walked through the dark by its light.

Oh, how I miss those golden years

when God’s friendship graced my home,

When the Mighty One was still by my side

and my children were all around me,

When everything was going my way,

and nothing seemed too difficult.

7-20 “When I walked downtown

and sat with my friends in the public square,

Young and old greeted me with respect;

I was honored by everyone in town.

When I spoke, everyone listened;

they hung on my every word.

People who knew me spoke well of me;

my reputation went ahead of me.

I was known for helping people in trouble

and standing up for those who were down on their luck.

The dying blessed me,

and the bereaved were cheered by my visits.

All my dealings with people were good.

I was known for being fair to everyone I met.

I was eyes to the blind

and feet to the lame,

Father to the needy,

and champion of abused aliens.

I grabbed street thieves by the scruff of the neck

and made them give back what they’d stolen.

I thought, ‘I’ll die peacefully in my own bed,

grateful for a long and full life,

A life deep-rooted and well-watered,

a life limber and dew-fresh,

My soul suffused with glory

and my body robust until the day I die.’

21-25 “Men and women listened when I spoke,

hung expectantly on my every word.

After I spoke, they’d be quiet,

taking it all in.

They welcomed my counsel like spring rain,

drinking it all in.

When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it;

their faces lit up, their troubles took wing!

I was their leader, establishing the mood

and setting the pace by which they lived.

Where I led, they followed.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/JOB/29-1eb44929fbfb1adf886ef98914d534cc.mp3?version_id=97—

The Pain Never Lets Up

1-8 “But no longer. Now I’m the butt of their jokes—

young ruffians! whippersnappers!

Why, I considered their fathers

mere inexperienced pups.

But they are worse than dogs—good for nothing,

stray, mangy animals,

Half-starved, scavenging the back alleys,

howling at the moon;

Homeless guttersnipes

chewing on old bones and licking old tin cans;

Outcasts from the community,

cursed as dangerous delinquents.

Nobody would put up with them;

they were driven from the neighborhood.

You could hear them out there at the edge of town,

yelping and barking, huddled in junkyards,

A gang of beggars and no-names,

thrown out on their ears.

9-15 “But now I’m the one they’re after,

mistreating me, taunting and mocking.

They abhor me, they abuse me.

How dare those scoundrels—they spit in my face!

Now that God has undone me and left me in a heap,

they hold nothing back. Anything goes.

They come at me from my blind side,

trip me up, then jump on me while I’m down.

They throw every kind of obstacle in my path,

determined to ruin me—

and no one lifts a finger to help me!

They violate my broken body,

trample through the rubble of my ruined life.

Terrors assault me—

my dignity in shreds,

salvation up in smoke.

16-19 “And now my life drains out,

as suffering seizes and grips me hard.

Night gnaws at my bones;

the pain never lets up.

I am tied hand and foot, my neck in a noose.

I twist and turn.

Thrown facedown in the muck,

I’m a muddy mess, inside and out.

What Did I Do to Deserve This?

20-23 “I shout for help, God, and get nothing, no answer!

I stand to face you in protest, and you give me a blank stare!

You’ve turned into my tormenter—

you slap me around, knock me about.

You raised me up so I was riding high

and then dropped me, and I crashed.

I know you’re determined to kill me,

to put me six feet under.

24-31 “What did I do to deserve this?

Did I ever hit anyone who was calling for help?

Haven’t I wept for those who live a hard life,

been heartsick over the lot of the poor?

But where did it get me?

I expected good but evil showed up.

I looked for light but darkness fell.

My stomach’s in a constant churning, never settles down.

Each day confronts me with more suffering.

I walk under a black cloud. The sun is gone.

I stand in the congregation and protest.

I howl with the jackals,

I hoot with the owls.

I’m black-and-blue all over,

burning up with fever.

My fiddle plays nothing but the blues;

my mouth harp wails laments.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/JOB/30-e3d179d32bb1adaa4154c7d9feaae069.mp3?version_id=97—

What Can I Expect from God?

1-4 “I made a solemn pact with myself

never to undress a girl with my eyes.

So what can I expect from God?

What do I deserve from God Almighty above?

Isn’t calamity reserved for the wicked?

Isn’t disaster supposed to strike those who do wrong?

Isn’t God looking, observing how I live?

Doesn’t he mark every step I take?

5-8 “Have I walked hand in hand with falsehood,

or hung out in the company of deceit?

Weigh me on a set of honest scales

so God has proof of my integrity.

If I’ve strayed off the straight and narrow,

wanted things I had no right to,

messed around with sin,

Go ahead, then—

give my portion to someone who deserves it.

9-12 “If I’ve let myself be seduced by a woman

and conspired to go to bed with her,

Fine, my wife has every right to go ahead

and sleep with anyone she wants to.

For disgusting behavior like that,

I’d deserve the worst punishment you could hand out.

Adultery is a fire that burns the house down;

I wouldn’t expect anything I count dear to survive it.

13-15 “Have I ever been unfair to my employees

when they brought a complaint to me?

What, then, will I do when God confronts me?

When God examines my books, what can I say?

Didn’t the same God who made me, make them?

Aren’t we all made of the same stuff, equals before God?

16-18 “Have I ignored the needs of the poor,

turned my back on the indigent,

Taken care of my own needs and fed my own face

while they languished?

Wasn’t my home always open to them?

Weren’t they always welcome at my table?

19-20 “Have I ever left a poor family shivering in the cold

when they had no warm clothes?

Didn’t the poor bless me when they saw me coming,

knowing I’d brought coats from my closet?

21-23 “If I’ve ever used my strength and influence

to take advantage of the unfortunate,

Go ahead, break both my arms,

cut off all my fingers!

The fear of God has kept me from these things—

how else could I ever face him?

If Only Someone Would Give Me a Hearing!

24-28 “Did I set my heart on making big money

or worship at the bank?

Did I boast about my wealth,

show off because I was well-off?

Was I ever so awed by the sun’s brilliance

and moved by the moon’s beauty

That I let myself become seduced by them

and worshiped them on the sly?

If so, I would deserve the worst of punishments,

for I would be betraying God himself.

29-30 “Did I ever crow over my enemy’s ruin?

Or gloat over my rival’s bad luck?

No, I never said a word of detraction,

never cursed them, even under my breath.

31-34 “Didn’t those who worked for me say,

‘He fed us well. There were always second helpings’?

And no stranger ever had to spend a night in the street;

my doors were always open to travelers.

Did I hide my sin the way Adam did,

or conceal my guilt behind closed doors

Because I was afraid what people would say,

fearing the gossip of the neighbors so much

That I turned myself into a recluse?

You know good and well that I didn’t.

35-37 “Oh, if only someone would give me a hearing!

I’ve signed my name to my defense—let the Almighty One answer!

I want to see my indictment in writing.

Anyone’s welcome to read my defense;

I’ll write it on a poster and carry it around town.

I’m prepared to account for every move I’ve ever made—

to anyone and everyone, prince or pauper.

38-40 “If the very ground that I farm accuses me,

if even the furrows fill with tears from my abuse,

If I’ve ever raped the earth for my own profit

or dispossessed its rightful owners,

Then curse it with thistles instead of wheat,

curse it with weeds instead of barley.”

The words of Job to his three friends were finished.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/JOB/31-4fbe69c026747fcde313bae8bd2433b0.mp3?version_id=97—

God’s Spirit Makes Wisdom Possible

1-5 Job’s three friends now fell silent. They were talked out, stymied because Job wouldn’t budge an inch—wouldn’t admit to an ounce of guilt. Then Elihu lost his temper. (Elihu was the son of Barakel the Buzite from the clan of Ram.) He blazed out in anger against Job for pitting his righteousness against God’s. He was also angry with the three friends because they had neither come up with an answer nor proved Job wrong. Elihu had waited with Job while they spoke because they were all older than he. But when he saw that the three other men had exhausted their arguments, he exploded with pent-up anger.

6-10 This is what Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite, said:

“I’m a young man,

and you are all old and experienced.

That’s why I kept quiet

and held back from joining the discussion.

I kept thinking, ‘Experience will tell.

The longer you live, the wiser you become.’

But I see I was wrong—it’s God’s Spirit in a person,

the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible.

The experts have no corner on wisdom;

getting old doesn’t guarantee good sense.

So I’ve decided to speak up. Listen well!

I’m going to tell you exactly what I think.

11-14 “I hung on your words while you spoke,

listened carefully to your arguments.

While you searched for the right words,

I was all ears.

And now what have you proved? Nothing.

Nothing you say has even touched Job.

And don’t excuse yourselves by saying, ‘We’ve done our best.

Now it’s up to God to talk sense into him.’

Job has yet to contend with me.

And rest assured, I won’t be usingyourarguments!

15-22 “Do you three have nothing else to say?

Ofcourseyou don’t! You’re total frauds!

Why should I wait any longer,

now that you’re stopped dead in your tracks?

I’m ready to speak my piece. That’s right!

It’s my turn—and it’s about time!

I’ve got a lot to say,

and I’m bursting to say it.

The pressure has built up, like lava beneath the earth.

I’m a volcano ready to blow.

Ihaveto speak—I have no choice.

I have to say what’s on my heart,

And I’m going to say it straight—

the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

I was never any good at bootlicking;

my Maker would make short work of me if I started in now!”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/JOB/32-93a7e5cc97a82a32c3f792ddb193a611.mp3?version_id=97—

1-4 “So please, Job, hear me out,

honor me by listening to me.

What I’m about to say

has been carefully thought out.

I have no ulterior motives in this;

I’m speaking honestly from my heart.

The Spirit of God made me what I am,

the breath of God Almighty gave me life!

God Always Answers, One Way or Another

5-7 “And if you think you can prove me wrong, do it.

Lay out your arguments. Stand up for yourself!

Look, I’m human—no better than you;

we’re both made of the same kind of mud.

So let’s work this through together;

don’t let my aggressiveness overwhelm you.

8-11 “Here’s what you said.

I heard you say it with my own ears.

You said, ‘I’m pure—I’ve done nothing wrong.

Believe me, I’m clean—my conscience is clear.

But God keeps picking on me;

he treats me like I’m his enemy.

He’s thrown me in jail;

he keeps me under constant surveillance.’

12-14 “But let me tell you, Job, you’re wrong, dead wrong!

God is far greater than any human.

So how dare you haul him into court,

and then complain that he won’t answer your charges?

God always answers, one way or another,

even when people don’t recognize his presence.

15-18 “In a dream, for instance, a vision at night,

when men and women are deep in sleep,

fast asleep in their beds—

God opens their ears

and impresses them with warnings

To turn them back from something bad they’re planning,

from some reckless choice,

And keep them from an early grave,

from the river of no return.

19-22 “Or, God might get their attention through pain,

by throwing them on a bed of suffering,

So they can’t stand the sight of food,

have no appetite for their favorite treats.

They lose weight, wasting away to nothing,

reduced to a bag of bones.

They hang on the cliff-edge of death,

knowing the next breath may be their last.

23-25 “But even then an angel could come,

a champion—there are thousands of them!—

to take up your cause,

A messenger who would mercifully intervene,

canceling the death sentence with the words:

‘I’ve come up with the ransom!’

Before you know it, you’re healed,

the very picture of health!

26-28 “Or, you may fall on your knees and pray—to God’s delight!

You’ll see God’s smile and celebrate,

finding yourself set right with God.

You’ll sing God’s praises to everyone you meet,

testifying, ‘I messed up my life—

and let me tell you, it wasn’t worth it.

But God stepped in and saved me from certain death.

I’m alive again! Once more I see the light!’

29-30 “This is the way God works.

Over and over again

He pulls our souls back from certain destruction

so we’ll see the light—andlivein the light!

31-33 “Keep listening, Job.

Don’t interrupt—I’m not finished yet.

But if you think of anything I should know, tell me.

There’s nothing I’d like better than to see your name cleared.

Meanwhile, keep listening. Don’t distract me with interruptions.

I’m going to teach you the basics of wisdom.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/JOB/33-90d1cc323435efb9f613958da690df5d.mp3?version_id=97—

It’s Impossible for God to Do Evil

1-4 Elihu continued:

“So, my fine friends—listen to me,

and see what you think of this.

Isn’t it just common sense—

as common as the sense of taste—

To put our heads together

and figure out what’s going on here?

5-9 “We’ve all heard Job say, ‘I’m in the right,

but God won’t give me a fair trial.

When I defend myself, I’m called a liar to my face.

I’ve done nothing wrong, and I get punished anyway.’

Have you ever heard anything to beat this?

Does nothing faze this man Job?

Do you think he’s spent too much time in bad company,

hanging out with the wrong crowd,

So that now he’s parroting their line:

‘It doesn’t pay to try to please God’?

10-15 “You’re veterans in dealing with these matters;

certainly we’re of one mind on this.

It’s impossible for God to do anything evil;

no way can the Mighty One do wrong.

He makes us pay for exactly what we’ve done—no more, no less.

Our chickens always come home to roost.

It’s impossible for God to do anything wicked,

for the Mighty One to subvert justice.

He’s the one who runs the earth!

He cradles the whole world in his hand!

If he decided to hold his breath,

every man, woman, and child would die for lack of air.

God Is Working Behind the Scenes

16-20 “So, Job, use your head;

this is all pretty obvious.

Can someone who hates order, keep order?

Do you dare condemn the righteous, mighty God?

Doesn’t God always tell it like it is,

exposing corrupt rulers as scoundrels and criminals?

Does he play favorites with the rich and famous and slight the poor?

Isn’t he equally responsible to everybody?

Don’t people who deserve it die without notice?

Don’t wicked rulers tumble to their doom?

When the so-called great ones are wiped out,

we know God is working behind the scenes.

21-28 “He has his eyes on every man and woman.

He doesn’t miss a trick.

There is no night dark enough, no shadow deep enough,

to hide those who do evil.

God doesn’t need to gather any more evidence;

their sin is an open-and-shut case.

He deposes the so-called high and mighty without asking questions,

and replaces them at once with others.

Nobody gets by with anything; overnight,

judgment is signed, sealed, and delivered.

He punishes the wicked for their wickedness

out in the open where everyone can see it,

Because they quit following him,

no longer even thought about him or his ways.

Their apostasy was announced by the cry of the poor;

the cry of the afflicted got God’s attention.

Because You Refuse to Live on God’s Terms

29-30 “If God is silent, what’s that to you?

If he turns his face away, what can you do about it?

But whether silent or hidden, he’s there, ruling,

so that those who hate God won’t take over

and ruin people’s lives.

31-33 “So why don’t you simply confess to God?

Say, ‘I sinned, but I’ll sin no more.

Teach me to see what I still don’t see.

Whatever evil I’ve done, I’ll do it no more.’

Just because you refuse to live on God’s terms,

do you think he should start living on yours?

You choose. I can’t do it for you.

Tell me what you decide.

34-37 “All right-thinking people say—

and the wise who have listened to me concur—

‘Job is an ignoramus.

He talks utter nonsense.’

Job, you need to be pushed to the wall and called to account

for wickedly talking back to God the way you have.

You’ve compounded your original sin

by rebelling against God’s discipline,

Defiantly shaking your fist at God,

piling up indictments against the Almighty One.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/JOB/34-6fc9de14c204675758995d0a15fe40a1.mp3?version_id=97—

When God Makes Creation a Classroom

1-3 Elihu lit into Job again:

“Does this kind of thing make any sense?

First you say, ‘I’m perfectly innocent before God.’

And then you say, ‘It doesn’t make a bit of difference

whether I’ve sinned or not.’

4-8 “Well, I’m going to show you

that you don’t know what you’re talking about,

neither you nor your friends.

Look up at the sky. Take a long hard look.

See those clouds towering above you?

If you sin, what difference could that make to God?

No matter how much you sin, will it matter to him?

Even if you’re good, what would God get out of that?

Do you think he’s dependent on your accomplishments?

The only ones who care whether you’re good or bad

are your family and friends and neighbors.

God’s not dependent on your behavior.

9-15 “When times get bad, people cry out for help.

They cry for relief from being kicked around,

But never give God a thought when things go well,

when God puts spontaneous songs in their hearts,

When God sets out the entire creation as a science classroom,

using birds and beasts to teach wisdom.

People are arrogantly indifferent to God—

until, of course, they’re in trouble,

and then God is indifferent to them.

There’s nothing behind such prayers except panic;

the Almighty pays them no mind.

So why would he notice you

just because you say you’re tired of waiting to be heard,

Or waiting for him to get good and angry

and do something about the world’s problems?

16 “Job, you talk sheer nonsense—

nonstop nonsense!”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/JOB/35-aa2df4bc77f2bf611858cf4bb0d20fa4.mp3?version_id=97—

Those Who Learn from Their Suffering

1-4 Here Elihu took a deep breath, but kept going:

“Stay with me a little longer. I’ll convince you.

There’s still more to be said on God’s side.

I learned all this firsthand from the Source;

everything I know about justice I owe to my Maker himself.

Trust me, I’m giving you undiluted truth;

believe me, I know these things inside and out.

5-15 “It’s true that God is all-powerful,

but he doesn’t bully innocent people.

For the wicked, though, it’s a different story—

he doesn’t give them the time of day,

but champions the rights of their victims.

He never takes his eyes off the righteous;

he honors them lavishly, promotes them endlessly.

When things go badly,

when affliction and suffering descend,

God tells them where they’ve gone wrong,

shows them how their pride has caused their trouble.

He forces them to heed his warning,

tells them they must repent of their bad life.

If they obey and serve him,

they’ll have a good, long life on easy street.

But if they disobey, they’ll be cut down in their prime

and never know the first thing about life.

Angry people without God pile grievance upon grievance,

always blaming others for their troubles.

Living it up in sexual excesses,

virility wasted, they die young.

But those who learn from their suffering,

God delivers from their suffering.

Obsessed with Putting the Blame on God

16-21 “Oh, Job, don’t you see how God’s wooing you

from the jaws of danger?

How he’s drawing you into wide-open places—

inviting you to feast at a table laden with blessings?

And here you are laden with the guilt of the wicked,

obsessed with putting the blame onGod!

Don’t let your great riches mislead you;

don’t think you can bribe your way out of this.

Did you plan to buy your way out of this?

Not on your life!

And don’t think that night,

when people sleep off their troubles,

will bring you any relief.

Above all, don’t make things worse with more evil—

that’s what’s behind your suffering as it is!

22-25 “Do you have any idea how powerful God is?

Have you ever heard of a teacher like him?

Has anyone ever had to tell him what to do,

or correct him, saying, ‘You did that all wrong!’?

Remember, then, to praise his workmanship,

which is so often celebrated in song.

Everybody sees it;

nobody is too far away to see it.

No One Can Escape from God

26 “Take a long, hard look. See how great he is—infinite,

greater than anything you could ever imagine or figure out!

27-33 “He pulls water up out of the sea,

distills it, and fills up his rain-cloud cisterns.

Then the skies open up

and pour out soaking showers on everyone.

Does anyone have the slightest idea how this happens?

How he arranges the clouds, how he speaks in thunder?

Just look at that lightning, his sky-filling light show

illumining the dark depths of the sea!

These are the symbols of his sovereignty,

his generosity, his loving care.

He hurls arrows of light,

taking sure and accurate aim.

The High God roars in the thunder,

angry against evil.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/JOB/36-548ca4682b3f8d0db99158b19889393f.mp3?version_id=97—