JOB SPEAKS FROM BITTERNESS OF SOUL
Key verse: 12
NIV
10 “I loathe my very life;(A)
therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(B)
2 I say to God:(C) Do not declare me guilty,
but tell me what charges(D) you have against me.(E)
3 Does it please you to oppress me,(F)
to spurn the work of your hands,(G)
while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(H)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
Do you see as a mortal sees?(I)
5 Are your days like those of a mortal
or your years like those of a strong man,(J)
6 that you must search out my faults
and probe after my sin(K)—
7 though you know that I am not guilty(L)
and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(M)
8 “Your hands shaped(N) me and made me.
Will you now turn and destroy me?(O)
9 Remember that you molded me like clay.(P)
Will you now turn me to dust again?(Q)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
and knit me together(R) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(S) and showed me kindness,(T)
and in your providence(U) watched over(V) my spirit.
13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
and I know that this was in your mind:(W)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(X)
and would not let my offense go unpunished.(Y)
15 If I am guilty(Z)—woe to me!(AA)
Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(AB)
for I am full of shame
and drowned in[a] my affliction.(AC)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(AD)
and again display your awesome power against me.(AE)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(AF)
and increase your anger toward me;(AG)
your forces come against me wave upon wave.(AH)
18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(AI)
I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(AJ)
19 If only I had never come into being,
or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(AK)
20 Are not my few days(AL) almost over?(AM)
Turn away from me(AN) so I can have a moment’s joy(AO)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(AP)
to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(AQ)
22 to the land of deepest night,
of utter darkness(AR) and disorder,
where even the light is like darkness.”(AS)
Footnotes
- Job 10:15 Or and aware of
Cross references
- Job 10:1 : S Nu 11:15; S 1Ki 19:4
- Job 10:1 : S 1Sa 1:10; S Job 7:11; 9:18, 21
- Job 10:2 : Job 13:3; 40:1
- Job 10:2 : Isa 3:13; Hos 4:1; 5:1; 12:2; Mic 6:2; Ro 8:33
- Job 10:2 : S Job 9:3
- Job 10:3 : S Job 9:22; 16:9, 14; 19:6, 21; 22:10; 30:13, 21; 31:23; 34:6
- Job 10:3 : ver 8; Ge 1:26; S Job 4:17; 14:15; 34:19; Ps 8:6; 95:6; 100:3; 138:8; 149:2; Isa 60:21; 64:8
- Job 10:3 : S Job 9:24
- Job 10:4 : 1Sa 16:7; Job 11:11; 14:16; 24:23; 28:24; 31:4; 34:21; 41:11; Ps 11:4; 33:15; 119:168; 139:12; Pr 5:21; 15:3; Jer 11:20-23; 16:17
- Job 10:5 : Job 36:26; Ps 39:5; 90:2, 4; 102:24; 2Pe 3:8
- Job 10:6 : Job 14:16
- Job 10:7 : ver 15; S Job 6:29; 11:4; 16:17; 27:5, 6; 31:6; 32:1
- Job 10:7 : S Dt 32:39
- Job 10:8 : Ge 2:7
- Job 10:8 : S ver 3; S 2Sa 14:14; S Job 30:15
- Job 10:9 : S Job 4:19; Isa 29:16
- Job 10:9 : S Ge 2:7; S Job 7:21
- Job 10:11 : Ps 139:13, 15
- Job 10:12 : S Ge 2:7
- Job 10:12 : S Ge 24:12
- Job 10:12 : S Ge 45:5
- Job 10:12 : 1Pe 2:25
- Job 10:13 : Job 23:13; Ps 115:3
- Job 10:14 : Job 13:27
- Job 10:14 : S Ex 34:7; S Job 7:21
- Job 10:15 : S ver 7
- Job 10:15 : S Job 9:13
- Job 10:15 : S Job 9:15
- Job 10:15 : Ps 25:16
- Job 10:16 : S 1Sa 17:34; Ps 7:2; Isa 38:13; Jer 5:6; 25:38; La 3:10; Hos 5:14; 13:7
- Job 10:16 : Job 5:9; Isa 28:21; 29:14; 65:7
- Job 10:17 : 1Ki 21:10; Job 16:8
- Job 10:17 : Ru 1:21
- Job 10:17 : S Job 5:7
- Job 10:18 : S Job 3:8; S Ps 22:9
- Job 10:18 : Job 3:26; Ecc 4:2; 7:1
- Job 10:19 : S Job 3:3; Jer 15:10
- Job 10:20 : Job 14:1; Ecc 6:12
- Job 10:20 : S Job 7:7
- Job 10:20 : S Job 7:16
- Job 10:20 : S Job 9:25
- Job 10:21 : S 2Sa 12:23; S Job 3:13; 16:22; Ps 39:13; Ecc 12:5
- Job 10:21 : S Job 3:5
- Job 10:22 : S Job 3:5
- Job 10:22 : S 1Sa 2:9; S Job 3:13
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Job Continues: A Plea to God
10 “I (A)loathe my life;
I will give free utterance to my (B)complaint;
I will speak in (C)the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, Do not (D)condemn me;
let me know why you (E)contend against me.
3 (F)Does it seem good to you to oppress,
to despise (G)the work of your hands
(H)and favor the designs of the wicked?
4 Have you (I)eyes of flesh?
(J)Do you see as man sees?
5 Are your days as the days of man,
or your (K)years as a man's years,
6 that you (L)seek out my iniquity
and search for my sin,
7 although you (M)know that I am not guilty,
and there is (N)none to deliver out of your hand?
8 (O)Your hands fashioned and made me,
and now you have destroyed me altogether.
9 Remember that you have made me like (P)clay;
and will you return me to the (Q)dust?
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and steadfast love,
and your care has preserved my spirit.
13 Yet these things you hid in your heart;
I know that (R)this was your purpose.
14 If I sin, you (S)watch me
and do not (T)acquit me of my iniquity.
15 (U)If I am guilty, woe to me!
If I am (V)in the right, I cannot lift up my head,
for I am filled with disgrace
and (W)look on my affliction.
16 And were my head lifted up,[a] you would hunt me like (X)a lion
and again work (Y)wonders against me.
17 You renew your (Z)witnesses against me
and increase your vexation toward me;
you (AA)bring fresh troops against me.
18 (AB)“Why did you bring me out from the womb?
Would that I had died before any eye had seen me
19 (AC)and were as though I had not been,
carried from the womb to the grave.
20 (AD)Are not my days few?
(AE)Then cease, and leave me alone, (AF)that I may find a little cheer
21 before I go—and (AG)I shall not return—
to the land of (AH)darkness and (AI)deep shadow,
22 the land of gloom like thick darkness,
like deep shadow without any order,
where light is as thick darkness.”
Footnotes
- Job 10:16 Hebrew lacks my head
Cross references
- Job 10:1 : [ch. 7:16; 9:21; Num. 11:15; 1 Kgs. 19:4]
- Job 10:1 : ch. 21:4; 23:2
- Job 10:1 : See ch. 7:11
- Job 10:2 : ch. 9:29
- Job 10:2 : ch. 9:3
- Job 10:3 : ch. 13:9; Ps. 89:38
- Job 10:3 : ch. 14:15; Ps. 138:8; Isa. 64:8
- Job 10:3 : [ch. 9:24]
- Job 10:4 : [John 8:15]
- Job 10:4 : 1 Sam. 16:7
- Job 10:5 : ch. 36:26; Ps. 77:10; [Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8]
- Job 10:6 : [ch. 14:16]
- Job 10:7 : [ch. 2:3, 9]
- Job 10:7 : Deut. 32:39; Isa. 43:13
- Job 10:8 : Ps. 119:73
- Job 10:9 : See ch. 4:17
- Job 10:9 : ch. 34:15; Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Ps. 146:4; Eccles. 12:7
- Job 10:13 : ch. 23:14; 27:11
- Job 10:14 : ch. 13:27; 33:11; Ps. 130:3
- Job 10:14 : ch. 9:28
- Job 10:15 : Isa. 3:11
- Job 10:15 : ch. 9:15
- Job 10:15 : [Ps. 25:18]
- Job 10:16 : ch. 28:8; Hos. 5:14; 13:7; [Isa. 38:13]
- Job 10:16 : [ch. 5:9]
- Job 10:17 : [ch. 16:8; Ruth 1:21]
- Job 10:17 : [ch. 19:12]
- Job 10:18 : ch. 3:11; [ch. 3:3]
- Job 10:19 : Obad. 16
- Job 10:20 : See ch. 14:1
- Job 10:20 : See ch. 7:16
- Job 10:20 : ch. 9:27; Ps. 39:13
- Job 10:21 : [ch. 16:22; 2 Sam. 12:23]
- Job 10:21 : ch. 30:26; Ps. 88:12
- Job 10:21 : See ch. 3:5
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. I will give free rein to my complaint (1-12)
Job is in great pain, pain which he cannot understand. He complains to God who made him. He does not doubt God's sovereignty; he does not think of himself as an orphan in the universe. He knows that God personally created him and that God has watched over him. He believes that God also is well aware of his agony. This is why he complains to God. He bitterly wonders if God smiles on the schemes of the wicked and oppresses him.
2. I am full of shame (13-22)
He wonders if God is a celestial policeman, just waiting to catch him in some wrong. If he is guilty, he expects hard punishment; even if he is innocent, he is full of shame. If he tries to overcome his shame and holds his head high, he feels that God would stalk him once more. He asks God to forget about him for a moment. Later, he repents of his false ideas of God.
Prayer: Lord, help me to trust you in difficult times. Give me a repentant heart.
One Word: Come to God with repentance