Lexicon :: Strong's H376 - 'îš

[fn]There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God [with reverence] and abstained from and turned away from evil [because he honored God].

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.

“Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,

When deep sleep falls on men,

“For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him,

That we may go to court and judgment together.

“Shall a multitude of words not be answered?

And should a talkative man [making such a long-winded defense] be acquitted?

“But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise

[Only] when the [fn]colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.

In whose hand is the life of every living thing,

And the breath of all mankind?

“Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;

He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

So man lies down and does not rise [again].

Until the heavens are no longer,

The dead will not awake nor be raised from their sleep.

How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt,

Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!

“But the land is possessed by the man with power,

And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.

“Oh, that I had one to listen to me!

Look, here is my signature (mark);

Let the Almighty answer me!

Let my adversary write out His indictment [and put His vague accusations in tangible form].

So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them].

“Beware if you say,

‘We have found wisdom;

God thrusts Job down [justly], not man [for God alone is dealing with him].’

“I will not [I warn you] be partial to any man [that is, let my respect for you mitigate what I say];

Nor flatter any man.

“In a dream, a vision of the night [one may hear God’s voice],

When deep sleep falls on men

While slumbering upon the bed,

“He sings out to other men,

‘I have sinned and perverted that which was right,

And it was not proper for me!

Who goes in company with those who do evil

And walks with wicked men?

“Therefore hear me, you men of understanding.

Far be it from God that He would do wickedness,

And from the Almighty to do wrong.

“For God’s eyes are on the ways of a man,

And He sees all his steps.

“For He sets no appointed time for a man,

That he should appear before Him in judgment.

“Men of understanding will tell me,

Indeed, every wise man who hears me [will agree],

‘Job ought to be tried [fn]to the limit

Because he answers like wicked men!

“Your wickedness affects only a man such as you,

And your righteousness affects only [fn]a son of man [but it cannot affect God, who is sovereign].

“Remember that you should magnify God’s work,

Of which men have sung.

“God seals (brings to a standstill, stops) [by severe weather] the hand of every man,

That all men [whom He has made] may know His work [that is, His sovereign power and their subjection to it].

“So shall it be told Him that I wish to speak?

Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up [and destroyed by God]?

“Men therefore fear Him;

He does not regard nor respect any who are wise in heart [in their own understanding and conceit].”

To bring rain on the uninhabited land,

And on the desert where no man lives,

“They are joined one to another;

They stick together and cannot be separated.