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Bildad Speaks: How Can a Mortal Be Righteous Before God?

25Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
² ‘Dominion and fear are with God;^*
   he makes peace in his high heaven.
³ Is there any number to his armies?
   Upon whom does his light not arise?
⁴ How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
   How can one born of woman be pure?
⁵ If even the moon is not bright
   and the stars are not pure in his sight,
⁶ how much less a mortal, who is a maggot,
   and a human being, who is a worm!’

Job Replies: God’s Majesty Is Unsearchable

26Then Job answered:
² ‘How you have helped one who has no power!
   How you have assisted the arm that has no strength!
³ How you have counselled one who has no wisdom,
   and given much good advice!
⁴ With whose help have you uttered words,
   and whose spirit has come forth from you?
⁵ The shades below tremble,
   the waters and their inhabitants.
⁶ Sheol is naked before God,
   and Abaddon has no covering.
⁷ He stretches out Zaphon^* over the void,
   and hangs the earth upon nothing.
⁸ He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
   and the cloud is not torn open by them.
⁹ He covers the face of the full moon,
   and spreads over it his cloud.
¹⁰ He has described a circle on the face of the waters,
   at the boundary between light and darkness.
¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble,
   and are astounded at his rebuke.
¹² By his power he stilled the Sea;
   by his understanding he struck down Rahab.
¹³ By his wind the heavens were made fair;
   his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
¹⁴ These are indeed but the outskirts of his ways;
   and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
   But the thunder of his power who can understand?’

Job Maintains His Integrity

27Job again took up his discourse and said:
² ‘As God lives, who has taken away my right,
   and the Almighty,^* who has made my soul bitter,
³ as long as my breath is in me
   and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
⁴ my lips will not speak falsehood,
   and my tongue will not utter deceit.
⁵ Far be it from me to say that you are right;
   until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
⁶ I hold fast my righteousness, and will not let it go;
   my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

⁷ ‘May my enemy be like the wicked,
   and may my opponent be like the unrighteous.
⁸ For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts them off,
   when God takes away their lives?
⁹ Will God hear their cry
   when trouble comes upon them?
¹⁰ Will they take delight in the Almighty?^*
   Will they call upon God at all times?
¹¹ I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
   that which is with the Almighty^* I will not conceal.
¹² All of you have seen it yourselves;
   why then have you become altogether vain?

¹³ ‘This is the portion of the wicked with God,
   and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:^*
14 If their children are multiplied, it is for the sword;
   and their offspring have not enough to eat.
¹⁵ Those who survive them the pestilence buries,
   and their widows make no lamentation.
¹⁶ Though they heap up silver like dust,
   and pile up clothing like clay—
¹⁷ they may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
   and the innocent will divide the silver.
¹⁸ They build their houses like nests,
   like booths made by sentinels of the vineyard.
¹⁹ They go to bed with wealth, but will do so no more;
   they open their eyes, and it is gone.
²⁰ Terrors overtake them like a flood;
   in the night a whirlwind carries them off.
²¹ The east wind lifts them up and they are gone;
   it sweeps them out of their place.
²² It^* hurls at them without pity;
   they flee from its^* power in headlong flight.
²³ It^* claps its^* hands at them,
   and hisses at them from its^* place.

Psalm 4

Confident Plea for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
¹ Answer me when I call, O God of my right!
   You gave me room when I was in distress.
   Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.

² How long, you people, shall my honour suffer shame?
   How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies?
          Selah
³ But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself;
   the Lord hears when I call to him.

⁴ When you are disturbed,^* do not sin;
   ponder it on your beds, and be silent.
          Selah
⁵ Offer right sacrifices,
   and put your trust in the Lord.

⁶ There are many who say, ‘O that we might see some good!
   Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!’
⁷ You have put gladness in my heart
   more than when their grain and wine abound.

⁸ I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
   for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.

Further Warning

13This is the third time I am coming to you. ‘Any charge must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses.’ ²I warned those who sinned previously and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again, I will not be lenient— ³since you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful in you. ⁴For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we are weak in him,^* but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to pass the test! ⁶I hope you will find out that we have not failed. ⁷But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong—not that we may appear to have passed the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. ⁸For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. This is what we pray for, that you may become perfect. ¹⁰So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come, I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

Final Greetings and Benediction

11 Finally, brothers and sisters,^* farewell.^* Put things in order, listen to my appeal,^* agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹²Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

13 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of^* the Holy Spirit be with all of you.