Then Job’s third friend started to talk. He said, You are lying. You say you have done nothing wrong. I want God to talk to you and show you wise secrets.

God gives you much less trouble than you deserve.

Can we find God by looking for Him?

Can we find out all the perfect things about Him? They are higher than heaven. You don’t know anything.

Who can stop Him from anything He wants to do?

He knows empty and bad men.

If you get the bad stuff out of your heart

and stretch out your hand to Him and stop any bad things you are doing, then all your trouble will pass away and you will be safe.

I know all that, said Job, You don’t know more about God than me. But I want to talk to Him about this. You are all lying, you haven’t helped me any at all.

I wish you would all just be quiet. Just be quiet and leave me alone.

Let me talk and then let whatever God decides happen to me. Even if he kills me I will still trust Him.

I will keep being good toward Him. He is the one that will rescue me from this trouble and every trouble.

I know that when this is over He will say that I was right.

O God, just let the trouble stop and help me not be afraid. Why do you hide your face from me and treat me like I was Your enemy?

Then Job’s first friend talked again. He said to Job, All that talk you just said is empty and doesn’t help. You are saying bad things.

Why doesn’t God’s comfort help you?

Why do you turn against Him instead of praying to Him? Trouble only comes to people who turn against God.

Nothing good can happen to those who trust in empty things. They just make up lies and put on false faces.

Those who put on false faces will be empty.

Fire will eat up the houses of those who do wrong things for money.

Then Job said, Is there no end to your words? They are empty. They are not helping me to feel better. I am so so sad, how does this help me?

God has given me to the bad ones, my enemies. He has broken me apart.

My face is puffy from crying. My eyes see the shadow of death, and not because I did something bad.

And, my prayers are right.

Someone watches me from heaven.

O that I might go to God and talk to Him

like I can go next door and talk to my neighbor.

Soon I will die. I will go rest in the dust.