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Job 40-42:17 (Contemporary English Version)
Job 40
The LORD Continues
I Am the LORD All-Powerful
1I am the LORD All-Powerful,
2but you have argued
that I am wrong.
Now you must answer me.
3Job said to the LORD:
4Who am I to answer you?
5I did speak once or twice,
but never again.
6Then out of the storm
the LORD said to Job:
7Face me and answer
the questions I ask!
8Are you trying to prove
that you are innocent
by accusing me of injustice?
9Do you have a powerful arm
and a thundering voice
that compare with mine?
10If so, then surround yourself
with glory and majesty.
11Show your furious anger!
Throw down and crush
12all who are proud and evil.
13Wrap them in grave clothes
and bury them together
in the dusty soil.
14Do this, and I will agree
that you have won
this argument.
I Created You
15I created both you
and the hippopotamus. [a]
It eats only grass like an ox,
16but look at the mighty muscles
in its body 17and legs.
Its tail is like a cedar tree,
and its thighs are thick.
18The bones in its legs
are like bronze or iron.
19I made it more powerful
than any other creature,
yet I am stronger still.
20Undisturbed, it eats grass
while the other animals
play nearby. [b]
21It rests in the shade of trees
along the riverbank
22or hides among reeds
in the swamp.
23It remains calm and unafraid
with the Jordan River rushing
and splashing in its face.
24There is no way to capture
a hippopotamus--
not even by hooking its nose
or blinding its eyes.
Job 41
The LORD Continues
Can You Catch a Sea Monster?
1Can you catch a sea monster [c]
by using a fishhook?
Can you tie its mouth shut
with a rope?
2Can it be led around
by a ring in its nose
or a hook in its jaw?
3Will it beg for mercy?
4Will it surrender
as a slave for life?
5Can it be tied by the leg
like a pet bird
for little girls?
6Is it ever chopped up
and its pieces bargained for
in the fish-market?
7Can it be killed
with harpoons or spears?
8Wrestle it just once--
that will be the end.
9Merely a glimpse of this monster
makes all courage melt.
10And if it is too fierce
for anyone to attack,
who would dare oppose me?
11I am in command of the world
and in debt to no one.
12What powerful legs,
what a stout body
this monster possesses!
13Who could strip off its armor
or bring it under control
with a harness?
14Who would try to open its jaws,
full of fearsome teeth?
15Its back [d] is covered with shield after shield,
16firmly bound and closer together
17than breath to breath.
When This Monster Sneezes
18When this monster sneezes,
lightning flashes,
and its eyes
glow like the dawn.
19Sparks and fiery flames
explode from its mouth.
20And smoke spews from its nose
like steam
from a boiling pot,
21while its blazing breath
scorches everything in sight.
22Its neck is so tremendous
that everyone trembles,
23the weakest parts of its body
are harder than iron,
24and its heart is stone.
25When this noisy monster appears,
even the most powerful [e] turn and run in fear.
26No sword or spear can harm it,
27and weapons of bronze or iron
are as useless
as straw
or rotten wood.
28Rocks thrown from a sling
cause it no more harm
than husks of grain.
This monster fears no arrows,
29it simply smiles at spears,
and striking it with a stick
is like slapping it with straw.
30As it crawls through the mud,
its sharp and spiny hide
tears the ground apart.
31And when it swims down deep,
the sea starts churning
like boiling oil,
32and it leaves behind a trail
of shining white foam.
33No other creature on earth
is so fearless.
34It is king of all proud creatures,
and it looks upon the others
as nothing.
Job 42
Job's Reply to the LORD
No One Can Oppose You
1Job said:
2No one can oppose you,
because you have the power
to do what you want.
3You asked why I talk so much
when I know so little.
I have talked about things
that are far beyond
my understanding.
4You told me to listen
and answer your questions. [f]
5I heard about you from others;
now I have seen you
with my own eyes.
6That's why I hate myself
and sit here in dust and ashes
to show my sorrow.
The LORD Corrects Job's Friends
7The LORD said to Eliphaz:
What my servant Job has said about me is true, but I am angry at you and your two friends for not telling the truth. 8So I want you to go over to Job and offer seven bulls and seven goats on an altar as a sacrifice to please me. [g] After this, Job will pray, and I will agree not to punish you for your foolishness. 9Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar obeyed the LORD, and he answered Job's prayer.
A Happy Ending
10After Job had prayed for his three friends, the LORD made Job twice as rich as he had been before. 11Then Job gave a feast for his brothers and sisters and for his old friends. They expressed their sorrow for the suffering the LORD had brought on him, and they each gave Job some silver and a gold ring.
12The LORD now blessed Job more than ever; he gave him fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand pair of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.
13In addition to seven sons, Job had three daughters, 14whose names were Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren Happuch. 15They were the most beautiful women in that part of the world, and Job gave them shares of his property, along with their brothers.
16Job lived for another one hundred forty years--long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own-- 17and when he finally died, he was very old.
Footnotes:
Job 40:15 the hippopotamus: The Hebrew text has "Behemoth," which was sometimes understood to be a sea monster like Rahab (9.13; 26.12), Leviathan (3.8; 41.1), and Tannin (7.12).
Job 40:20 nearby: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 20.
Job 41:1 sea monster: The Hebrew text has "Leviathan," which may refer to a sea monster or possibly to a crocodile in this verse (see the note at 3.8).
Job 41:15 back: Two ancient translations; Hebrew "pride."
Job 41:25 most powerful: Or "gods."
Job 42:4 questions: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4.
Job 42:8 sacrifice to please me: These sacrifices have traditionally been called "whole burnt offerings" because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the LORD with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are often called "sacrifices to please the LORD."
2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (Contemporary English Version)
Bringing People to God
11We know what it means to respect the Lord, and we encourage everyone to turn to him. God himself knows what we are like, and I hope you also know what kind of people we are. 12We are not trying once more to brag about ourselves. But we want you to be proud of us, when you are with those who are not sincere and brag about what others think of them.
13If we seem out of our minds, it is between God and us. But if we are in our right minds, it is for your good. 14We are ruled by Christ's love for us. We are certain that if one person died for everyone else, then all of us have died. 15And Christ did die for all of us. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died and was raised to life for us.
16We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in that way. 17Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
19What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. 21Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.
Psalm 45:1-17 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 45
(A special psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader. To the tune "Lilies." A love song.)
For a Royal Wedding
1My thoughts are filled
with beautiful words
for the king,
and I will use my voice
as a writer would use
pen and ink.
2No one is as handsome as you!
Your words are always kind.
That is why God
will always bless you.
3Mighty king, glorious ruler,
strap on your sword
4and ride out in splendor!
Win victories for truth
and mercy and justice.
Do fearsome things
with your powerful arm.
5Send your sharp arrows
through enemy hearts
and make all nations fall
at your feet.
6You are God, and you will rule
forever as king. [a]
Your royal power
brings about justice.
7You love justice and hate evil.
And so, your God chose you
and made you happier
than any of your friends.
8The sweet aroma of the spices
myrrh, aloes, and cassia,
covers your royal robes.
You enjoy the music of harps
in palaces decorated
with ivory.
9Daughters of kings are here,
and your bride stands
at your right side,
wearing a wedding gown
trimmed with pure gold. [b]
10Bride of the king,
listen carefully to me.
Forget your own people
and your father's family.
11The king is your husband,
so do what he desires.
12All of the richest people
from the city of Tyre
will try to influence you
13with precious treasures.
Your bride, my king,
has inward beauty, [c]
and her wedding gown is woven
with threads of gold.
14Wearing the finest garments,
she is brought to you,
followed by her young friends,
the bridesmaids.
15Everyone is excited,
as they follow you
to the royal palace.
16Your sons and your grandsons
will also be kings
as your ancestors were.
You will make them the rulers
everywhere on earth.
17I will make your name famous
from now on,
and you will be praised
forever and ever.
Footnotes:
Psalm 45:6 You. . . king: Or " God has made you king, and you will rule forever."
Psalm 45:9 trimmed with pure gold: Hebrew has " with gold from Ophir," which may have been in Africa or India. Gold from there was considered the very best.
Psalm 45:13 has inward beauty: Or " is dressed in her room."
Proverbs 22:14 (Contemporary English Version)
14The words of a bad woman
are like a deep pit;
if you make the LORD angry,
you will fall right in.
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