Job 42 Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition

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Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition

1Then Job replied to the LORD, 2“I know that you can do all things, and that no thought can be withheld from You, and no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. 3You asked, ‘Who is he who hides counsel without knowledge? (38:2) Surely have I uttered that which I did not understand; things too wonderful for me to know. 4Hear, I beg You, and I will speak; I will demand of You, and declare You unto me.

5I have only heard of You before; but now my eye has seen You. 6Therefore I despise myself, retract my words, and repent in dust and ashes.

7And after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz, the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends; for you have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has. 8Now therefore, take seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to My servant, Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And My servant, Job, shall pray for you; for I will accept his prayer; and not lest I deal with you according to your folly, for you have not spoken accurately of Me, like My servant Job has. 9So Eliphaz, the Temanite, Bildad, the Shuhite, and Zophar, the Naamathite, went, and did as the LORD commanded them; the LORD also accepted Job’s prayer and pardoned the three for the sake of Job.

10And when Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity, giving Job twice as much as he had before. 11Then all his brothers, sisters, and all they who had been his acquaintances before, came unto him, and ate with him in his house; and they comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money, and an earring of gold. 12So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. 13He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14He named his first daughter Jemima; and the second, Keziah; and the third, Keren-happuch. 15And in all the land were no women as beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them inheritance along with their brothers. 16After this Job lived a hundred forty years, and saw his children, and their children, to the fourth generation. 17So Job died, being old and full of days.

Some say the book of Job is the oldest book of the Bible, some dating it from before 2100 BC; but other opine that it was written later, between the 7^th and 3^rd centuries BC, with the 6^th century BC being the most likely period for various reasons. Following is an overview of Job, with some observations:

On the heels of his calamities, in verse 2:11, Job's three friends who came to mourn with him are identified as Eliphaz, the Temanite; and Bildad, the Shuhite; and Zophar, the Naamathite. After the first two chapters describe the circumstances of Job’s calamities, and introduce Job’s three friends who came to “comfort” him, most of the ensuing chapters contain the thoughts of Job (chapters 3, 6-7, 9-10, 12-14,16-17, 19, 21, 23-24, 26-31), with the thoughts of his three friends interspersed between: Eliphaz (4-5, 15 & 22), Bildad (8, 18 &25) and Zophar (11, 20), as they grope for reasons for Job’s calamities. There is no mention of any other participant until chapter 32, when he is introduced as “Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the clan of Ram”; and he offers his thoughts in chapters 32-37.

Then, finally, the Lord, Himself, enters the conversation and shares His views in chapters 38-42.

Elihu is an intriguing character for several reasons. He expresses humility due to his youth, and demonstrates patience by remaining silent while the other four express their thoughts. But when Elihu does speak, his views and insight into the character of God offer far more wisdom than the three offered. And it should also be observed that each of the other four, even job, himself, were cited for the errors of their opinions. Elihu was the only one of the five that the Lord did not direct any criticism toward. The observations he offers in chapters 32-37 deserve some reflection, and none of them were challenged by the Lord.