The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  32Teach me what I do not see;

  If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?

  33Should He repay it according to your terms,

  Just because you disavow it?

  You must choose, and not I;

  Therefore speak what you know.

  34“Men of understanding say to me,

  Wise men who listen to me:

  35‘Joby speaks without knowledge,

  His words are without wisdom.’

  36Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,

  Because his answers are like those of wicked men!

  37For he adds zrebellion to his sin;

  He claps his hands among us,

  And multiplies his words against God.”

  Job 35

  Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness

  1Moreover Elihu answered and said:

  2“Do you think this is right?

  Do you say,

  ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?

  3For ayou say,

  ‘What advantage will it be to You?

  What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’

  4“I will answer you,

  And byour companions with you.

  5c Look to the heavens and see;

  And behold the clouds—

  They are higher than you.

  6If you sin, what do you accomplish dagainst Him?

  Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?

  7e If you are righteous, what do you give Him?

  Or what does He receive from your hand?

  8Your wickedness affects a man such as you,

  And your righteousness a son of man.

  9“Becausef of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;

  They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.

  10But no one says, g‘Where is God my Maker,

  h Who gives songs in the night,

  11Who iteaches us more than the beasts of the earth,

  And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’

  12j There they cry out, but He does not answer,

  Because of the pride of evil men.

  13k Surely God will not listen to empty talk,

  Nor will the Almighty regard it.

  14l Although you say you do not see Him,

  Yet justice is before Him, and myou must wait for Him.

  15And now, because He has not npunished in His anger,

  Nor taken much notice of folly,

  16o Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;

  He multiplies words without knowledge.”

  Job 36

  Elihu Proclaims God’s Goodness

  1Elihu also proceeded and said:

  2“Bear with me a little, and I will show you

  That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.

  3I will fetch my knowledge from afar;

  I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

  4For truly my words are not false;

  One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

  5“Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;

  a He is mighty in strength 1of understanding.

  6He does not preserve the life of the wicked,

  But gives justice to the boppressed.

  7c He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;

  But dthey are on the throne with kings,

  For He has seated them forever,

  And they are exalted.

  8And eif they are bound in 2fetters,

  Held in the cords of affliction,

  9Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—

  That they have acted 3defiantly.

  10f He also opens their ear to 4instruction,

  And commands that they turn from iniquity.

  11If they obey and serve Him,

  They shall gspend their days in prosperity,

  And their years in pleasures.

  12But if they do not obey,

  They shall perish by the sword,

  And they shall die 5without hknowledge.

  13“But the hypocrites in heart istore up wrath;

  They do not cry for help when He binds them.

  14j They6 die in youth,

  And their life ends among the 7perverted persons.

  15He delivers the poor in their affliction,

  And opens their ears in oppression.

  16“Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,

  k Into a broad place where there is no restraint;

  And lwhat is set on your table would be full of mrichness.

  17But you are filled with the judgment due the nwicked;

  Judgment and justice take hold of you.

  18Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;

  For oa large ransom would not help you avoid it.

  19p Will your riches,

  Or all the mighty forces,

  Keep you from distress?

  20Do not desire the night,

  When people are cut off in their place.

  21Take heed, qdo not turn to iniquity,

  For ryou have chosen this rather than affliction.

  22“Behold, God is exalted by His power;

  Who teaches like Him?

  23s Who has assigned Him His way,

  Or who has said, ‘You have done twrong’?

  Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty

  24“Remember to umagnify His work,

  Of which men have sung.

  25Everyone has seen it;

  Man looks on it from afar.

  26“Behold, God is great, and we vdo not know Him;

  w Nor can the number of His years be discovered.

  27For He xdraws up drops of water,

  Which distill as rain from the mist,

  28y Which the clouds drop down

  And pour abundantly on man.

  29Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,

  The thunder from His canopy?

  30Look, He zscatters His light upon it,

  And covers the depths of the sea.

  31For aby these He judges the peoples;

  He bgives food in abundance.

  32c He covers His hands with lightning,

  And commands it to 8strike.

  33d His thunder declares it,

  The cattle also, concerning 9the rising storm.

  Job 37

  God’s Works and Wisdom

  1“At this also my heart trembles,

  And leaps from its place.

  2Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,

  And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.

  3He sends it forth under the whole heaven,

  His 1lightning to the ends of the earth.

  4After it aa voice roars;

  He thunders with His majestic voice,

  And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.

  5God thunders marvelously with His voice;

  b He does great things which we cannot comprehend.

  6For cHe says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;

  Likewise to the 2gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.

  7He seals the hand of every man,

  d That eall men may know His work.

  8The beasts fgo into dens,

  And remain in their lairs.

  9From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,

  And cold from the scattering winds of the north.

  10g By the breath of God ice is given,

  And the broad waters are frozen.

  11Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;

  He scatters His 3bright clouds.

  12And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,

  That they may hdo whatever He commands them

  On the face of 4the whole earth.

  13i He causes it to come,

  Whether for 5correction,

  Or jfor His land,

  Or kfor mercy.


  14“Listen to this, O Job;

  Stand still and lconsider the wondrous works of God.

  15Do you know when God 6dispatches them,

  And causes the light of His cloud to shine?

  16m Do you know how the clouds are balanced,

  Those wondrous works of nHim who is perfect in knowledge?

  17Why are your garments hot,

  When He quiets the earth by the south wind?

  18With Him, have you ospread out the pskies,

  Strong as a cast metal mirror?

  19“Teach us what we should say to Him,

  For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.

  20Should He be told that I wish to speak?

  If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.

  21Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,

  When the wind has passed and cleared them.

  22He comes from the north as golden splendor;

  With God is awesome majesty.

  23As for the Almighty, qwe cannot find Him;

  r He is excellent in power,

  In judgment and abundant justice;

  He does not oppress.

  24Therefore men sfear Him;

  He shows no partiality to any who are twise of heart.”

  Job 38

  The LORD Reveals His Omnipotence to Job

  (Gen. 1:1–10)

  1Then the LORD answered Job aout of the whirlwind, and said:

  2“Whob is this who darkens counsel

  By cwords without knowledge?

  3d Now 1prepare yourself like a man;

  I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

  4“Wheree were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

  Tell Me, if you have understanding.

  5Who determined its measurements?

  Surely you know!

  Or who stretched the 2line upon it?

  6To what were its foundations fastened?

  Or who laid its cornerstone,

  7When the morning stars sang together,

  And all fthe sons of God shouted for joy?

  8“Org who shut in the sea with doors,

  When it burst forth and issued from the womb;

  9When I made the clouds its garment,

  And thick darkness its swaddling band;

  10When hI fixed My limit for it,

  And set bars and doors;

  11When I said,

  ‘This far you may come, but no farther,

  And here your proud waves imust stop!’

  12“Have you jcommanded the morning since your days began,

  And caused the dawn to know its place,

  13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,

  And kthe wicked be shaken out of it?

  14It takes on form like clay under a seal,

  And stands out like a garment.

  15From the wicked their llight is withheld,

  And mthe 3upraised arm is broken.

  16“Have you nentered the springs of the sea?

  Or have you walked in search of the depths?

  17Have othe gates of death been 4revealed to you?

  Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?

  18Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?

  Tell Me, if you know all this.

  19“Where is the way to the dwelling of light?

  And darkness, where is its place,

  20That you may take it to its territory,

  That you may know the paths to its home?

  21Do you know it, because you were born then,

  Or because the number of your days is great?

  22“Have you entered pthe treasury of snow,

  Or have you seen the treasury of hail,

  23q Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,

  For the day of battle and war?

  24By what way is light 5diffused,

  Or the east wind scattered over the earth?

  25“Who rhas divided a channel for the overflowing water,

  Or a path for the thunderbolt,

  26To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,

  A wilderness in which there is no man;

  27s To satisfy the desolate waste,

  And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?

  28t Has the rain a father?

  Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

  29From whose womb comes the ice?

  And the ufrost of heaven, who gives it birth?

  30The waters harden like stone,

  And the surface of the deep is vfrozen.6

  31“Can you bind the cluster of the wPleiades,7

  Or loose the belt of Orion?

  32Can you bring out 8Mazzaroth in its season?

  Or can you guide 9the Great Bear with its cubs?

  33Do you know xthe ordinances of the heavens?

  Can you set their dominion over the earth?

  34“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,

  That an abundance of water may cover you?

  35Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,

  And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?

  36y Who has put wisdom in 10the mind?

  Or who has given understanding to the heart?

  37Who can number the clouds by wisdom?

  Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,

  38When the dust hardens in clumps,

  And the clods cling together?

  39“Canz you hunt the prey for the lion,

  Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

  40When they crouch in their dens,

  Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?

  41a Who provides food for the raven,

  When its young ones cry to God,

  And wander about for lack of food?

  Job 39

  God Continues to Challenge Job

  1“Do you know the time when the wild amountain goats bear young?

  Or can you mark when bthe deer gives birth?

  2Can you number the months that they fulfill?

  Or do you know the time when they bear young?

  3They bow down,

  They bring forth their young,

  They deliver their 1offspring.

  4Their young ones are healthy,

  They grow strong with grain;

  They depart and do not return to them.

  5“Who set the wild donkey free?

  Who loosed the bonds of the 2onager,

  6c Whose home I have made the wilderness,

  And the 3barren land his dwelling?

  7He scorns the tumult of the city;

  He does not heed the shouts of the driver.

  8The range of the mountains is his pasture,

  And he searches after devery green thing.

  9“Will the ewild ox be willing to serve you?

  Will he bed by your manger?

  10Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?

  Or will he plow the valleys behind you?

  11Will you trust him because his strength is great?

  Or will you leave your labor to him?

  12Will you trust him to bring home your 4grain,

  And gather it to your threshing floor?

  13“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,

  But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?

  14For she leaves her eggs on the ground,

  And warms them in the dust;

  15She forgets that a foot may crush them,

  Or that a wild beast may break them.

  16She ftreats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;

  Her labor is in vain, without 5concern,

  17Because God deprived her of wisdom,

  And did not gendow her with understanding.

  18When she lifts herself on high,

  She scorns the horse and its rider.

  19“Have you given the horse strength?

  Have you clothed his nec
k with 6thunder?

  20Can you 7frighten him like a locust?

  His majestic snorting strikes terror.

  21He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;

  h He gallops into the clash of arms.

  22He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;

  Nor does he turn back from the sword.

  23The quiver rattles against him,

  The glittering spear and javelin.

  24He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;

  Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.

  25At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’

  He smells the battle from afar,

  The thunder of captains and shouting.

  26“Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,

  And spread its wings toward the south?

  27Does the ieagle mount up at your command,

  And jmake its nest on high?

  28On the rock it dwells and resides,

  On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.

  29From there it spies out the prey;

  Its eyes observe from afar.

  30Its young ones suck up blood;

  And kwhere the slain are, there it is.”

  Job 40

  God’s Power and Wisdom

  1Moreover the LORD aanswered Job, and said:

  2“Shall bthe one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?

  He who crebukes God, let him answer it.”

  Job’s Response to God

  3Then Job answered the LORD and said:

  4“Behold,d I am vile;

  What shall I answer You?

  e I lay my hand over my mouth.

  5Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;

  Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”

  God’s Challenge to Job

  6fThen the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

  7“Nowg 1prepare yourself like a man;

  h I will question you, and you shall answer Me:

  8“Wouldi you indeed 2annul My judgment?

  Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?

  9Have you an arm like God?

  Or can you thunder with ja voice like His?

  10k Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,

  And array yourself with glory and beauty.

  11Disperse the rage of your wrath;

  Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.

  12Look on everyone who is lproud, and bring him low;

  Tread down the wicked in their place.

  13Hide them in the dust together,

  Bind their faces in hidden darkness.

  14Then I will also confess to you

  That your own right hand can save you.

  15“Look now at the 3behemoth, which I made along with you;