Job 2 versions chs 7-12:  13-17: 18-20: 21-24:  25-28:   ​29-31:  32-37 Elihu

​AV version


CHAPTER 18

1    Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2    How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.
3    Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?
4    He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?
5    Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.
6    The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.
7    The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.
8    For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.
9    The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.
10    The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.
11    Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.
12    His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.
13    It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.
14    His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.
15    It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.
16    His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.
17    His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.
18    He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
19    He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.
20    They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.
21    Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.



CHAPTER 19

1    Then Job answered and said,
2    How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?
3    These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.
4    And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.
5    If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:
6    Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.
7    Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.
8    He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.
9    He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.
10    He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.
11    He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.
12    His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.
13    He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
14    My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
15    They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.
16    I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.
17    My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.
18    Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.
19    All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
20    My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
21    Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
22    Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?
23    Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
24    That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
25    For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26    And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27    Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
28    But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?
29    Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.



CHAPTER 20

1    Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2    Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
3    I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.
4    Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5    That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
6    Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
7    Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8    He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9    The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
10    His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
11    His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
12    Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
13    Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:
14    Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
15    He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
16    He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.
17    He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
18    That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.
19    Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;
20    Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
21    There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.
22    In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.
23    When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.
24    He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
25    It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26    All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.
27    The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
28    The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29    This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.
(KJV)

​NIV Version


CHAPTER 18

1    Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
2    "When will you end these speeches? Be sensible, and then we can talk.
3    Why are we regarded as cattle and considered stupid in your sight?
4    You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, is the earth to be abandoned for your sake? Or must the rocks be moved from their place?
5    "The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning.
6    The light in his tent becomes dark; the lamp beside him goes out.
7    The vigor of his step is weakened; his own schemes throw him down.
8    His feet thrust him into a net and he wanders into its mesh.
9    A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare holds him fast.
10    A noose is hidden for him on the ground; a trap lies in his path.
11    Terrors startle him on every side and dog his every step.
12    Calamity is hungry for him; disaster is ready for him when he falls.
13    It eats away parts of his skin; death's firstborn devours his limbs.
14    He is torn from the security of his tent and marched off to the king of terrors.
15    Fire resides in his tent; burning sulfur is scattered over his dwelling.
16    His roots dry up below and his branches wither above.
17    The memory of him perishes from the earth; he has no name in the land.
18    He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world.
19    He has no offspring or descendants among his people, no survivor where once he lived.
20    Men of the west are appalled at his fate; men of the east are seized with horror.
21    Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who knows not God."




CHAPTER 19

1    Then Job replied:
2    "How long will you torment me and crush me with words?
3    Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me.
4    If it is true that I have gone astray, my error remains my concern alone.
5    If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me,
6    then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me.
7    "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice.
8    He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness.
9    He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head.
10    He tears me down on every side till I am gone; he uproots my hope like a tree.
11    His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies.
12    His troops advance in force; they build a siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent.
13    "He has alienated my brothers from me; my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14    My kinsmen have gone away; my friends have forgotten me.
15    My guests and my maidservants count me a stranger; they look upon me as an alien.
16    I summon my servant, but he does not answer, though I beg him with my own mouth.
17    My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18    Even the little boys scorn me; when I appear, they ridicule me.
19    All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me.
20    I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.
21    "Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me.
22    Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh?
23    "Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll,
24    that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever!
25    I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26    And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;
27    I myself will see him with my own eyes-- I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
28    "If you say, 'How we will hound him, since the root of the trouble lies in him,'
29    you should fear the sword yourselves; for wrath will bring punishment by the sword, and then you will know that there is judgment.




CHAPTER 20

1    Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
2    "My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer because I am greatly disturbed.
3    I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, and my understanding inspires me to reply.
4    "Surely you know how it has been from of old, ever since man was placed on the earth,
5    that the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.
6    Though his pride reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds,
7    he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?'
8    Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found, banished like a vision of the night.
9    The eye that saw him will not see him again; his place will look on him no more.
10    His children must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth.
11    The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie with him in the dust.
12    "Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue,
13    though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,
14    yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him.
15    He will spit out the riches he swallowed; God will make his stomach vomit them up.
16    He will suck the poison of serpents; the fangs of an adder will kill him.
17    He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18    What he toiled for he must give back uneaten; he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.
19    For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has seized houses he did not build.
20    "Surely he will have no respite from his craving; he cannot save himself by his treasure.
21    Nothing is left for him to devour; his prosperity will not endure.
22    In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him; the full force of misery will come upon him.
23    When he has filled his belly, God will vent his burning anger against him and rain down his blows upon him.
24    Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.
25    He pulls it out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver. Terrors will come over him;
26    total darkness lies in wait for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.
27    The heavens will expose his guilt; the earth will rise up against him.
28    A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God's wrath.
29    Such is the fate God allots the wicked, the heritage appointed for them by God."
(NIV)