Job 42

Job Worships God

1-6 I Babbled On About Things Far Beyond Me Job answered God: "I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?' I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, 'Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.' I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I'm sorry—forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor."

God Restores Job

7-8 I Will Accept His Prayer
After God had finished addressing Job, he turned to Eliphaz the Temanite and said, "I've had it with you and your two friends. I'm fed up! You haven't been honest either with me or about me—not the way my friend Job has. So here's what you must do. Take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my friend Job. Sacrifice a burnt offering on your own behalf. My friend Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer. He will ask me not to treat you as you deserve for talking nonsense about me, and for not being honest with me, as he has."

9  They did it. Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what God commanded. And God accepted Job's prayer.

10-11  After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune—and then doubled it! All his brothers and sisters and friends came to his house and celebrated. They told him how sorry they were, and consoled him for all the trouble God had brought him. Each of them brought generous housewarming gifts.

12-15  God blessed Job's later life even more than his earlier life. He ended up with fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand teams of oxen, and one thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first daughter Dove, the second, Cinnamon, and the third, Darkeyes. There was not a woman in that country as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father treated them as equals with their brothers, providing the same inheritance.

16-17  Job lived on another 140 years, living to see his children and grandchildren—four generations of them! Then he died—an old man, a full life.

Job 42

Job’s Confession

1 Then Job answered the Lord:

2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted;

3 you asked,t
‘Who is this who darkens counsel
without knowledge?’
Butt I have declared without understandingt
things too wonderful for me to know.t

4 You said,t
‘Pay attention, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you will answer me.’

5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye has seen you.s

6 Therefore I despise myself,t
and I repent in dust and ashes!

VII. The Epilogue (42:7-17)

7 After the Lord had spoken these things to Job, het said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger is stirred upt against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken about me what is right,t as my servant Job has.

8 So now taket seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will intercedet for you, and I will respect him,t so that I do not deal with yout according to your folly,t because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has.”s

9 So they went, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and did just as the Lord had told them; and the Lord had respect for Job.t
10 So the Lordt restored what Job had losts after he prayed for his friends,t and the Lord doubledt all that had belonged to Job.

11 So they came to him, all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they dinedt with him in his house. They comforted him and consoled him for all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silverts and a gold ring.s
12 So the Lord blessed the second part of Job’s life more than the first. He had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.13 And he also had seven sonst and three daughters.14 The first daughter he named Jemimah,s the second Keziah,s and the third Keren-Happuch.s

15 Nowhere in all the land could women be found who were as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance alongside their brothers.
16 After this Job lived 140 years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

17 And so Job died, old and full of days.