January 4 - Morning
"He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed."
Genesis 5:29
Genesis 5:29
Noah's Comfort
Genesis chapter 5 records the ten generations from Adam to Noah. Lamech, Noah’s father, gives Noah his name, but he also provides an explanation for the name given to his son.
“He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed."
Lamech’s explanation is full of references back to the fall of man and the Lord’s cursing of the ground. Lamech is vocal concerning his burden and his need for “comfort” in his daily labor and toil. Lamech credits the Lord with having cursed the ground, which was the source of Lamech’s labor and painful toil, but Lamech does not accuse the Lord. Instead, in naming his son, Lamech expresses faith in the Lord’s promise of future relief from the cursed ground. Lamech’s hope in the Word of the Lord is tied in with Noah’s name, which is also noah in Hebrew.
The naming of Noah (noah) was a prophecy, a promise or a hope of Lamech that was focused on the life of his son Noah. There are a couple of questions with this besides asking was Lamech prophesying, praying or stating a known doctrinal principle?
The questions are how and when was Noah going to bring this “comfort” to those who suffered from the cursed ground? And, how is “Noah” connected to the word “comfort?” The word “comfort” is naham in the Hebrew which is similar to noah in the sound of its pronunciation, but its etymology connection is difficult to make, unless “rest” nuah is considered. Ezekiel 5:13 places these two words (“comfort” naham and “rest nuah) in parallel when Ezekiel writes:
“Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside (nuah), and I will be avenged (naham).”
The “comfort” (naham) that “Noah” (noah) provided could be:
- A continuation of the hope clung to since the Garden. Noah will continue the lineage until the “seed of the woman” brings deliverance from the serpent’s power. Then mankind will have deliverance from the curse. This would make Lamech’s words a promise or a statement of faith.
- Noah’s sons, the first in this genealogy to have three sons named instead of only the first, eldest son, will provide the hope of the nations and establish the line of the Messiah - the line of Shem. This approach would give Lamech’s words a prophetic element.
- Noah will deliver the human race from the wickedness and utter chaos the painful toil and cursed ground had driven mankind. The promise would be fulfilled ultimately by humanities worst nightmare – the Flood, from which Noah delivered himself and his family to continue the pursuit of the promise of God in a “new world.”
- Lamech may have been anticipating that Noah was the promised “seed of the woman.” Noah would be the one to bring about the crushing of the serpents head, since Noah was the tenth generation from Adam, a number of completion and fulfillment. In addition to this, Enoch had made grand prophecies about Noah’s generation in combination with his visions of the coming of the Lord (Jude 14).
- In Genesis 9:20, after the Flood when the seasons and climates had been established, Noah planted his own garden and created a vineyard that produced wine. This seems to have been a major accomplishment since it is noted in the book of Genesis. So, although Noah led humanity into its darkest hour during the days of the Flood, he also emerged and eventually took them to a place where the curse of the ground and the painful toil could be overcome to produce fruit and wine. A major accomplishment considering the earth had been laid waste by a worldwide flood a few years prior.
Gillulim (Hb) - Idols (Eng) - gillulim is the Hebrew for "idols" that is derived from the word "dung" or "roll" as in rolling logs or dung. Gillulim is mainly used by Ezekiel.39x, but only 9x before Jeremiah (Lev. 1x, Dt. 1x, Kings 6x, Jer. 1x). Gillulim communicates the filthiness of idol worship and is used by Ezekiel along with sexual imagery of prostitution to describe the behavior of the priests in the Temple of the Lord who have replaced worship of the Lord with rituals and images that are gillulim, dung. Ezekiel does not name the gods worshipped (such as Baal, Asherah, Astarte, etc.), but simply calls them gillulim. Ezekiel sought to use the most disgusting term Hebrew vocabulary had to identify this sin idolatry that rejected the Lord.
Am I a source of comfort and rest for people?
Is my life projecting the promises of God into the next generation?
I will provide comfort for the people of my generation, and, also, provide hope for future generations by keeping the Word of God alive in my life today.
Is my life projecting the promises of God into the next generation?
I will provide comfort for the people of my generation, and, also, provide hope for future generations by keeping the Word of God alive in my life today.
Bible Reading Descriptions Here
Personal
Sleep
Church
Recognition of error
Nation
Environment
World
Health threats
Someone to Quote
"In Christ’s day the world was filled with intellectuals and influential people. There were celebrated philosophers in Athens, unsurpassed scholars in Alexandria, the most powerful political leaders the world had ever known in Rome, and some of the most meticulous rabbis of all time in and around Jerusalem. Christ bypassed them all and called simple, crude, unknown, and uneducated fishermen from Galilee to be His disciples."
- John MacArthur
Something to Ponder
Angels in the Bible are never cute, chubby infants with wings and halos.
Angels in the Bible at times do appear in human fashion, but most times they appear as fearful beings in radiant light with supernatural power to strike the earth and humans with any number of plagues or barriers: blindness, darkness, deafness, boils, death, etc. Or, open the eyes of the human to see visions and experience transportation into the heavenly dimension.
Angels in the Bible at times do appear in human fashion, but most times they appear as fearful beings in radiant light with supernatural power to strike the earth and humans with any number of plagues or barriers: blindness, darkness, deafness, boils, death, etc. Or, open the eyes of the human to see visions and experience transportation into the heavenly dimension.
Here’s a Fact
It is believed that some of the stones in the outer retaining wall of the Temple Mount built by Herod and used in New Testament times are actually some of the stones of Solomon's Temple complex that were reused. Solomon's Temple would have been built around 960 BC and destroyed in 586 by the Babylonians. The stones of this destruction would have been moved and reused by Zerubbabel around 539-516 BC when the Jews returned to Jerusalem. When Herod began his massive remodeling and expansion project in 19 BC is is assumed that some of the Solomonic ashlar blocks would have still existed and would have been reused somewhere in Herod's construction and remodeling.
Proverb
"Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding."
- Proverbs 4:1
- Proverbs 4:1
Coach’s Corner
You are spirit, soul and body. A man cannot neglect these. You will need:
• spiritual fellowship with the Lord
• Renewal of your mind with the truth
• Maintenance of a healthy body with diet and exercise.
• spiritual fellowship with the Lord
• Renewal of your mind with the truth
• Maintenance of a healthy body with diet and exercise.
Genesis 5
New International Version (NIV)
From Adam to Noah
5 This is the written account of Adam’s family line.
When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created.
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. 7 After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
New International Version (NIV)
From Adam to Noah
5 This is the written account of Adam’s family line.
When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created.
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. 7 After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Genesis 7
New International Version (NIV)
7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”
5 And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.
6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, 9 male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.
13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. 14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. 15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.
17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. 21 Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.
24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.
New International Version (NIV)
7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”
5 And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.
6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, 9 male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.
13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. 14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. 15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.
17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. 21 Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.
24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.
Job 1-3
New International Version (NIV)
Prologue
1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
2 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”
4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.
9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
Job Speaks
3 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said:
3
“May the day of my birth perish, and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’
4
That day—may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine on it.
5
May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm it.
6
That night—may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months.
7
May that night be barren; may no shout of joy be heard in it.
8
May those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
9
May its morning stars become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn,
10
for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes.
11
“Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?
12
Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed?
13
For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest
14
with kings and rulers of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,
15
with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
16
Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?
17
There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest.
18
Captives also enjoy their ease; they no longer hear the slave driver’s shout.
19
The small and the great are there, and the slaves are freed from their owners.
20
“Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul,
21
to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
22
who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?
23
Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24
For sighing has become my daily food; my groans pour out like water.
25
What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.
26
I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.”
New International Version (NIV)
Prologue
1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
2 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”
4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.
9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
Job Speaks
3 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said:
3
“May the day of my birth perish, and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’
4
That day—may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine on it.
5
May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm it.
6
That night—may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months.
7
May that night be barren; may no shout of joy be heard in it.
8
May those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
9
May its morning stars become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn,
10
for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes.
11
“Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?
12
Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed?
13
For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest
14
with kings and rulers of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,
15
with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
16
Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?
17
There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest.
18
Captives also enjoy their ease; they no longer hear the slave driver’s shout.
19
The small and the great are there, and the slaves are freed from their owners.
20
“Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul,
21
to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
22
who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?
23
Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24
For sighing has become my daily food; my groans pour out like water.
25
What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.
26
I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.”