The Word Am I

The Book of Job

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- Chapter 42 -

Job's repentance and restoration

1
Then Job, responding to the Lord, said:
2
I know that you are able to do all things, and that no thoughts are hidden from you.
3
So, who is it that would disguise a lack of knowledge as counsel? Therefore, I have been speaking foolishly, about things whose measure exceeds my knowledge.
4
Listen, and I will speak. I will question you, and you may answer me.
5
By paying attention with the ear, I have heard you, but now my eye sees you.
6
Therefore, I find myself reprehensible, and I will do penance in embers and ashes.
7
But after the Lord had finished speaking these words to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Themanite: My wrath has been kindled against you, and against your two friends, because you have not been speaking correctly in my eyes, as my servant Job has done.
8
Therefore, have seven bulls and seven rams brought to you, and go to my servant Job, and offer these as a holocaust for yourselves. But also, my servant Job will pray for you; I will accept his face, so that foolishness will not be imputed to you. For you have not been speaking correctly about me, as my servant Job has done.
9
So Eliphaz the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Zophar the Naamathite departed, and they did just as the Lord had spoken to them, and the Lord accepted the face of Job.
10
Likewise, the Lord was moved by the repentance of Job, when he prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave to Job twice as much as he had before.
11
Yet all his brethren came to him, and all his sisters, and everyone who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house. They also shook their heads over him and comforted him, because of all the bad things that God had inflicted on him. And each one of them gave him one female sheep, and one earring of gold.
12
And the Lord blessed the latter end of Job even more than his beginning. And he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand pairs of oxen, and a thousand she-donkeys.
13
And he had seven sons and three daughters.
14
And he called the name of one, Daylight, and the name of the second, Cinnamon,(a) and the name of the third, Horn of Cosmetics.(b)
15
And, in the whole world, there were not found women so beautiful as the daughters of Job. And so their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers.
16
But Job lived long after these events, for a hundred and forty years, and he saw his children, and his children’s children, all the way to the fourth generation, and he died an old man and full of days.

Footnotes

(a)42:14 CinnamonJob names one of his daughters after a rare spice, ‘Cinnamon.’ Cassia refers to the spice, cinnamon, rare in that part of the world at that time, since it originates in China.(Conte)
(b)42:14 Horn of CosmeticsThe name of the third daughter is two Latin words joined together: Cornu-stibii, literally meaning, ‘horn of antimony’ (an ingredient in make-up). In Hebrew, the name is rendered ‘keren-happuch,’ which means ‘horn of cosmetics.’ The name indicates this daughter’s beauty, but also her affinity for displaying her beauty by the use of cosmetics. It is a complement with an edge (or a built-in criticism). Thus, Cornustibii (Horn of Cosmetics) could also be rendered as ‘container of make-up,’ or, much more loosely, ‘make-up girl’ or ‘cosmetics girl.’ But the intention of Job was most likely a complement with an edge, not an insult, so another loose translation would be ‘Horn of Beauty.’(Conte)

Job's repentance and restoration

1
Then Job answered the LORD:
2
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be restrained.
3
You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ therefore I have uttered that which I didn’t understand, things too wonderful for me, which I didn’t know.
4
You said, ‘Listen, now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you will answer me.’
5
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.
6
Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
7
It was so, that 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 of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.
8
Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.”
9
So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD commanded them, and the LORD accepted Job.
10
The LORD restored Job’s prosperity when he prayed for his friends. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11
Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, came to him and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that the LORD had brought on him. Everyone also gave him a piece of money,(a) and everyone a ring of gold.
12
So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys.
13
He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14
He called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren Happuch.
15
In all the land were no women found so beautiful as the daughters of Job. Their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.
16
After this Job lived one hundred forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, to four generations.
17
So Job died, being old and full of days.

Footnotes

(a)42:11 literally, kesitah, a unit of money, probably silver
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