Job 33:6–13

¹⁹How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

¹FOR we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

⁹Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

²⁰Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

¹⁶And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

⁷And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

¹⁹In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

²And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

¹²Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

²²In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

³Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

⁴I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

³⁵Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

³²For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

³³Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

³⁴Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

³⁵Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

³Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

²¹Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.

³⁴Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

⁴For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

¹⁶Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

¹⁴Then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;

²³Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord.

⁷Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

¹⁷Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

⁴For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

²¹Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

¹⁴I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

³⁵Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

¹⁸Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

²³How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

⁸Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

¹¹My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

¹²Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

⁵God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

⁶My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

¹⁷For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

²³If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

²⁸I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

²⁴Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

²⁵Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

¹¹He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

¹⁵If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

¹⁶For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

¹⁷Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

¹⁶For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

⁹He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

²¹Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

³⁵Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

⁵For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

³⁰If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

³¹Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

²⁷Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

⁴Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

²⁴Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

³⁵And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

²Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.

¹⁶For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

¹⁸Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

²⁵¶ Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

⁵Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

²⁰For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

⁶O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

²²In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

¹⁴Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

¹⁷I said, I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion.

¹⁰Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

¹¹For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

¹²Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

¹⁷Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

¹⁸Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

¹⁹How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

²³For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.

²Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

⁴I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

²²Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?

²³Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

²Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

⁸Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

⁹Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

⁴He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

¹⁹Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

²⁰Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

²¹Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

²Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

⁹Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

³⁵And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

³⁴For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?

²²Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

⁷And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

³⁹But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

⁴And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

⁵And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

²⁹The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

¹⁴Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it.

¹⁰Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

²⁴I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the Lord.

²⁵For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.

²⁶He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

¹⁴How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

¹⁵Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

¹¹God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.