42
Job replied to the Lord, 2 ‘I know that you can do anything.
No one can keep you from doing what you plan to do.
3 You asked me, “Who do you think you are to disagree with my plans?
You do not know what you are talking about.”
I spoke about things I didn't completely understand.
I talked about things that were too wonderful for me to know.
4 ‘You said, “Listen now, and I will speak.
I will ask you some questions.
Then I want you to answer me.”
5 My ears had heard about you.
But now my own eyes have seen you.
6 So I hate myself.
I'm really sorry for what I said about you.
That's why I'm sitting in dust and ashes.’
40:6–42:6 In his second answer to God Job recognised something important. He hadn't understood what he was talking about when he spoke with his friends. He had talked about things that were too wonderful for him to know. This means that they were things that human beings can't understand. Recognising this made Job humble. Job said that he hated himself. This doesn't mean that Job thought he was a terrible person. It doesn't mean that he had no love for himself. It means that he no longer wanted to argue against God. Job stopped bringing charges against God for treating him unfairly. God had showed Job how much care he takes of all of his creatures. Job came to understand that he was one of God's creatures. So Job understood that he could trust God because God was his creator. God had shown himself to Job. When Job heard and understood God, he saw that God was worthy of his trust.
7 After the Lord finished speaking to Job, he spoke to Eliphaz the Temanite. He said, ‘I am angry with you and your two friends. You have not said what is true about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So now get seven bulls and seven rams. Go to my servant Job. Then sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you. And I will accept his prayer. I will not punish you for saying the foolish things you said. You have not said what is true about me, as my servant Job has.’ 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them to do. And the Lord accepted Job's prayer.
10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him successful again. He gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came to see him. They ate with him in his house. They showed their concern for him. They comforted him because of all the troubles the Lord had brought on him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
12 The Lord blessed the last part of Job's life even more than the first part. He gave Job 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels. He gave him 1,000 pairs of oxen and 1,000 donkeys. 13 Job also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first daughter Jemimah. He named the second Keziah. And he named the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Job's daughters were more beautiful than any other women in the whole land. Their father gave them a share of property along with their brothers.
16 After all of that happened, Job lived for 140 years. He saw his children, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. 17 And so Job died. He had lived for a very long time.
42:7–17 Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar had said things that weren't true about God. They had said foolish things about God's reasons for allowing Job to be tested. God was angry about this. After they made a sacrifice and Job prayed for them, God forgave them. God called Job his servant. This meant that Job did the work that God gave him to do. God said that Job had spoken what was true about God. This includes the questions Job asked. It includes Job talking about being sad, angry and confused. It includes Job longing to see God and to speak with him face to face. What God said about Job showed that Job passed the test that Satan had suggested. Job had continued to respect God. He respected God even when it seemed that God wasn't blessing anything in his life. When the test was over things once again went very well with Job. In this way something that Job's friends had said came true in Job's life. Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu had recognised a pattern in life. That pattern was about people who obey and serve God. Elihu had said that things will go well with those who do this. God blessed Job with success again and gave him more than he had before the test. He gave Job more of everything that people in his time could hope for. This included many children, livestock, honour and long life.