Suffering, Wisdom, and the Final War

1. Then Job answered, 2. “No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. 3. But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn’t know such things as these? 4. I am like one who is a joke to his neighbor, I, who called on God, and he answered. The just, the blameless man is a joke. 5. In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips. 6. The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their God in their hands. 7. “But ask the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you. 8. Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you. 9. Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this, 10. in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind? 11. Doesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food? 12. With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding. 13. “With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding. 14. Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release. 15. Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth. 16. With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his. 17. He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools. 18. He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt. 19. He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty. 20. He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders. 21. He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong. 22. He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death. 23. He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive. 24. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. 25. They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man. 1. “Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it. 2. What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you. 3. “Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God. 4. But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value. 5. Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise. 6. Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips. 7. Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him? 8. Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God? 9. Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him? 10. He will surely reprove you, if you secretly show partiality. 11. Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall on you? 12. Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay. 13. “Be silent, leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will. 14. Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand? 15. Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him. 16. This also shall be my salvation, that a godless man shall not come before him. 17. Hear diligently my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears. 18. See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous. 19. Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit. 20. “Only don’t do two things to me; then I will not hide myself from your face: 21. withdraw your hand far from me; and don’t let your terror make me afraid. 22. Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and you answer me. 23. How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin. 24. Why hide you your face, and hold me for your enemy? 25. Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble? 26. For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth: 27. You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet, 28. though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten. 1. “Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. 2. He grows up like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue. 3. Do you open your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgment with you? 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. 5. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his bounds that he can’t pass; 6. Look away from him, that he may rest, until he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day. 7. “For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, that the tender branch of it will not cease. 8. Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground, 9. yet through the scent of water it will bud, and sprout boughs like a plant. 10. But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he? 11. As the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up, 12. so man lies down and doesn’t rise. Until the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep. 13. “Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would keep me secret, until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14. If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare would I wait, until my release should come. 15. You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire to the work of your hands. 16. But now you count my steps. Don’t you watch over my sin? 17. My disobedience is sealed up in a bag. You fasten up my iniquity. 18. “But the mountain falling comes to nothing. The rock is removed out of its place; 19. The waters wear the stones. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man. 20. You forever prevail against him, and he departs. You change his face, and send him away. 21. His sons come to honor, and he doesn’t know it. They are brought low, but he doesn’t perceive it of them. 22. But his flesh on him has pain, and his soul within him mourns.”

1. A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2. She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth. 3. Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 4. His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne. 6. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days. 7. There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. 8. They didn’t prevail, neither was a place found for them any more in heaven. 9. The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10. I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. 11. They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death. 12. Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.” 13. When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14. Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15. The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16. The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. 17. The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony. 1. Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. 2. The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3. One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast. 4. They worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” 5. A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. 6. He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven. 7. It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. 8. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed. 9. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10. If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints. 11. I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon. 12. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13. He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people. 14. He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived. 15. It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16. He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads; 17. and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18. Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six. 1. I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. 2. I heard a sound from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps. 3. They sing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth. 4. These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5. In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless. 6. I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7. He said with a loud voice, “Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!” 8. Another, a second angel, followed, saying, “Babylon the great has fallen, which has made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality.” 9. Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or on his hand, 10. he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. 11. The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. 12. Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” 13. I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.” 14. I looked, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15. Another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Send your sickle, and reap; for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!” 16. He who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17. Another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. 18. Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth’s grapes are fully ripe!” 19. The angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20. The wine press was trodden outside of the city, and blood came out of the wine press, even to the bridles of the horses, as far as one thousand six hundred stadia. 1. I saw another great and marvelous sign in the sky: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them God’s wrath is finished. 2. I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who overcame the beast, his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3. They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty! Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations. 4. Who wouldn’t fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you. For your righteous acts have been revealed.” 5. After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6. The seven angels who had the seven plagues came out, clothed with pure, bright linen, and wearing golden sashes around their breasts. 7. One of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power. No one was able to enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels would be finished. 1. I heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth!” 2. The first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth, and it became a harmful and evil sore on the people who had the mark of the beast, and who worshiped his image. 3. The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man. Every living thing in the sea died. 4. The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5. I heard the angel of the waters saying, “You are righteous, who are and who were, O Holy One, because you have judged these things. 6. For they poured out the blood of the saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this.” 7. I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.” 8. The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9. People were scorched with great heat, and people blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues. They didn’t repent and give him glory. 10. The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain, 11. and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. They didn’t repent of their works. 12. The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings that come from the sunrise. 13. I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs; 14. for they are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go out to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God, the Almighty. 15. “Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn’t walk naked, and they see his shame.” 16. He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, Megiddo. 17. The seventh poured out his bowl into the air. A loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18. There were lightnings, sounds, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men on the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty. 19. The great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20. Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21. Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent, came down out of the sky on people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague is exceedingly severe.

1. I will exalt you, my God, the King. I will praise your name forever and ever. 2. Every day I will praise you. I will extol your name forever and ever. 3. Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised! His greatness is unsearchable. 4. One generation will commend your works to another, and will declare your mighty acts. 5. Of the glorious majesty of your honor, of your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6. Men will speak of the might of your awesome acts. I will declare your greatness. 7. They will utter the memory of your great goodness, and will sing of your righteousness. 8. Yahweh is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness. 9. Yahweh is good to all. His tender mercies are over all his works. 10. All your works will give thanks to you, Yahweh. Your saints will extol you. 11. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk about your power; 12. to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, the glory of the majesty of his kingdom. 13. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Your dominion endures throughout all generations. Yahweh is faithful in all his words, and loving in all his deeds. 14. Yahweh upholds all who fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down. 15. The eyes of all wait for you. You give them their food in due season. 16. You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17. Yahweh is righteous in all his ways, and gracious in all his works. 18. Yahweh is near to all those who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him. He also will hear their cry, and will save them. 20. Yahweh preserves all those who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21. My mouth will speak the praise of Yahweh. Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.