Three of Job’s friends heard of all the trouble that had fallen on him. Each traveled from his own country—Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuhah, Zophar from Naamath—and went together to Job to keep him company and comfort him. When they first caught sight of him, they couldn’t believe what they saw—they hardly recognized him! They cried out in lament, ripped their robes, and dumped dirt on their heads as a sign of their grief. Then they sat with him on the ground. Seven days and nights they sat there without saying a word. They could see how rotten he felt, how deeply he was suffering.
Job 18:1The MessageBildad from Shuhah chimed in: “How monotonous these word games are getting! Get serious! We need to get down to business. Why do you treat your friends like slow-witted animals? You look down on us as if we don’t know anything. Why are you working yourself up like this? Do you want the world redesigned to suit you? Should reality be suspended to accommodate you? See the chapter |
6 Cross References
Bildad the Shuhite again attacked Job: “God is sovereign, God is fearsome— everything in the cosmos fits and works in his plan. Can anyone count his angel armies? Is there any place where his light doesn’t shine? How can a mere mortal presume to stand up to God? How can an ordinary person pretend to be guiltless? Why, even the moon has its flaws, even the stars aren’t perfect in God’s eyes, So how much less, plain men and women— slugs and maggots by comparison!”
Bildad from Shuhah was next to speak: “How can you keep on talking like this? You’re talking nonsense, and noisy nonsense at that. Does God mess up? Does God Almighty ever get things backward? It’s plain that your children sinned against him— otherwise, why would God have punished them? Here’s what you must do—and don’t put it off any longer: Get down on your knees before God Almighty. If you’re as innocent and upright as you say, it’s not too late—he’ll come running; he’ll set everything right again, reestablish your fortunes. Even though you’re not much right now, you’ll end up better than ever.
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