Job / Job's Extended Defense: God's Power and the Friends' Failings (part 2)

Job's Extended Defense: God's Power and the Friends' Failings (part 2)

Job 28:8-29:23

Chapter 28

⁸ The sons of pride have not trodden it; the sea monster has not passed over it. ⁹ He sends his hand on flint; he overturns the mountains from their roots. ¹⁰ He cleft rocks of rivers, and every precious thing his eye saw. ¹¹ From the tears of rivers he binds them up, and what is hidden comes forth to light. ¹² And wisdom—where will you be found? And where is the place of understanding? ¹³ No man knows its value, and it is not found in the land of the living. ¹⁴ The Deep said, "It is not in me," and the Sea said, "There is none with me." ¹⁵ It will not be given fine gold in its place, nor will silver be weighed—its price. ¹⁶ It will not be equaled in the gold of Ophir, in rare onyx, precious onyx, or sapphire. ¹⁷ It cannot be equaled with gold or glass, and its exchange is for vessels of fine gold. ¹⁸ Coral and crystal will not be remembered, and the price of wisdom is above pearls. ¹⁹ The chrysoprase of Cush cannot set it in order; pure gold cannot weigh it. ²⁰ And where will wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? ²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all living things, and from the birds of the heavens it is concealed. ²² Destruction and Death said, "We have heard a report of it with our ears." ²³ God understands its way, and he knows its place. ²⁴ For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees under all the heavens. ²⁵ He measured the weight for the wind and the waters by measure. ²⁶ when he made a statute for the rain and a way for the lightning bolts of thunder: ²⁷ Then he saw it and numbered it, prepared it, and also searched it out. ²⁸ And he said to Adam, "Look, the fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and turning away from evil is understanding."

Chapter 29

¹ And Job added a lifting of his rule and said: ² Who will give me back the months of old, like the days when God kept me! ³ By his shining one, his lamp over my head, I walked in his light—darkness. ⁴ as in the days of my autumn, when the secret counsel of God was upon my tent ⁵ While Shaddai was still with me, my boy was around me. ⁶ in washing my steps in butter, and the Rock poured streams of oil that stood by me ⁷ When I went out to the gate, they called out to me in the street. I would prepare my seat. ⁸ When they saw me, the youths hid themselves, and the aged rose and stood. ⁹ Rulers held back their words and put their hand over their mouth. ¹⁰ The voice of princes was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of the wise one's mouth. ¹¹ For the ear heard me and blessed me, and the eye saw me and testified for me. ¹² because I deliver the poor from the oppressor and the orphan who has no helper. ¹³ A blessing of the perishing came upon me, and I caused the heart of the widow to rejoice. ¹⁴ I wore righteousness and it clothed me like a robe, and my justice a turban. ¹⁵ I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. ¹⁶ I was a father to the poor, and I did not know the great one; I inquired of him. ¹⁷ And I broke the fangs of the crookednesses of the exploited, and from his teeth I threw prey. ¹⁸ And I said, "With my nest I will die, and like sand I will multiply my days." ¹⁹ My roots are open to water, and dew lodges in my harvest. ²⁰ My glory stands new with me, and my bow in my hand replaces. ²¹ They listened to me and waited, and they were silent for my counsel. ²² After my words they did not sleep, and my word dripped on them. ²³ And they waited for me like for rain, and they opened their mouths wide for the latter rain.