February 4 Daily Devotional

Job 11–19

The friends continued their discourse with the afflicted Job. Zophar the Naamathite proceeded, saying, “Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified? Oh that God would speak and open his lips against thee; that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom … Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? it is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? … If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands toward him, thou shalt forget thy misery …and thy age shall be clearer than noonday … thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope … and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.”

But Job replied and said, “No doubt but ye are the people and wisdom shall die with you … Will ye speak wickedly for God? Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you? … Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him … Man that is born of woman is of a few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not … Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass … If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee.”

Then answered Eliphas the Temanite and said, “Should a wise man utter vain knowledge? Should he reason with unprofitable talk? Hast thou heard the secret of God? Are consolations of God small with thee? What is man that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity.” Again Job spoke, saying, “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are ye all. O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.”

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said, “How long will it be ere ye make an end of my words? Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? And shall the rock be removed out of his place? Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out and his remembrance shall perish from the earth.” At this point Job exclaimed, “Have pity on me, have pity on me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me. Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book. That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.”