Job

1 ¶ There was a man ^ain the land of Uz whose name was ^bJob. And this man was ^cblameless and upright, and one who ^dfeared God and turned away from evil.

2 Now there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.

3 His substance also was 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels and 500 yoke of oxen and 500 female donkeys, and a very great household. And this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

4 ¶ And his sons went and feasted in their houses, each one on his day. And they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

5 Now when the days of their feasting had completed their course, Job sent and sanctified them. And he rose up early in the morning and ^eoffered burnt offerings according to the number of all of them, for Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and ^fcursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did this continually.

6 ¶ Now ^gthere was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

7 Then the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From ^hgoing to and fro on the earth, and from walking around on it.”

8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him in the world, a perfect and an upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil.”

9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

10 ⁱ“Have You not made a hedge around him and around his house and around all that he has on every side? ^jYou have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

11 ^k“But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has and he will ^lcurse You to Your face.”

12 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only on himself do not put forth your hand.” So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

13 ¶ Now there was a day ^mwhen his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house.

14 Then there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them.

15 “Then the Sabeans fell on them and took them away. Yes, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword, and I only have escaped to tell you.”

16 While he was still speaking there came also another and said, “The fire of God is fallen from heaven and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.”

17 While he was still speaking there came also another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and fell on the camels. And they have carried them away, yes, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.”

18 While he was still speaking there came also another and said, ⁿ“Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house.

19 “And behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house. And it fell on the young men and they are dead, and I only have escaped alone to tell you.”

20 ¶ Then Job arose and ^otore his robe. And he shaved his head and ^pfell down on the ground and worshiped.

21 And he said, ^q“Naked I came out of my mother’s womb and naked I will return. The LORD ^rgave and the LORD has ^staken away. ^tBlessed is the name of the LORD.”

22 ¶ ^uIn all this Job did not sin, nor foolishly blame God.

1 ¶ Again ^athere was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD. And Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

2 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” And ^bSatan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”

3 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is no one like him in the world, a ^cperfect and an upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil? And still he ^dholds fast his integrity, though you moved Me against him, ^eto destroy him without cause.”

4 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.

5 ^f“But put forth Your hand now and touch his ^gbone and his flesh, and he will curse You to Your face.”

6 ^hAnd the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”

7 ¶ So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils ⁱfrom the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself ^jwhile he was sitting among the ashes.

9 ¶ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die.”

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. ^kWill we receive good at the hand of God and will we not receive adversity?” ^lIn all this Job did not sin with his lips.

11 ¶ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come on him, each one came from his own place, Eliphaz the ⁿTemanite, and Bildad the ^oShuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, for they had made an appointment together to come ^pto mourn with him and to comfort him.

12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and did not recognize him, they lifted up their voice and wept. And each one tore his robe and they ^qsprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky.

13 So they sat down with him on the ground ^rseven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

1 ¶ After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

2 And Job spoke and said,

3 “Let the ^aday perish in which I was born and the night when it was said, ‘There is a man child conceived.’

4 “Let that day be darkness. Do not let God regard it from above, nor let the light shine on it.

5 “Let darkness and the ^bshadow of death stain it. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let the blackness of the day terrify it.

6 “As for that night, let darkness seize on it. Do not let it be joined to the days of the year. Do not let it come into the number of the months.

7 “Lo, let that night be solitary. Let no joyful voice come into it.

8 “Let those curse it who curse the day, ^cwho are ready to raise up their mourning.

9 “Let the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none. Neither let it see the dawning of the day,

10 “because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hide sorrow from my eyes.

11 “Why did I not ^ddie at birth? Why did I not give up the spirit when I came out of the womb?

12 “Why ^edid the knees receive me, or why the breasts that I should suck?

13 “For now I would have lain still and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest

14 “with kings and counsellors of the earth who ^fbuilt desolate places for themselves,

15 “or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

16 “Or ^glike a stillborn child that is discarded, I would not be as infants who never saw light.

17 “There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary are at ^hrest.

18 “There the prisoners rest together. ⁱThey do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

19 “The small and great are there, and the slave is free from his master.

20 “Why is ^jlight given to him who is in misery, and life to the ^kbitter in soul,

21 “who ^llong for death, but it does not come, and dig for it more than for ^mhidden treasures,

22 “who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they can find the ⁿgrave?

23 “Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and ^owhom God has hedged in?

24 “For my groaning comes before I eat, and my cries are poured out like the waters.

25 “For the thing that I greatly ^pfeared has come on me, and that of which I was afraid has come to me.

26 “I was not at ease, nor had rest, nor was quiet, yet trouble came.”

1 ¶ Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 “If we venture to commune with you, will you be grieved? But who can restrain himself from speaking?

3 “Behold, you have instructed many and you ^ahave strengthened the weak hands.

4 “Your words have helped him who was falling. And you ^bhave strengthened the feeble knees.

5 “But now it has come on you and you faint. It touches you and you are troubled.

6 “Is not this ^cyour fear, ^dyour confidence, your hope and the uprightness of your ways?

7 “Remember now, ^ewho ever perished being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off?

8 “Even as I have seen, ^fthose who plow iniquity and sow wickedness, reap the same.

9 “By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of His nostrils they are consumed.

10 “The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and ^gthe teeth of the young lions, are broken.

11 “The ^hold lion perishes for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

12 ¶ “Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it.

13 “In ⁱthoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,

14 “fear came on me and ^jtrembling, that made all my bones shake.

15 “Then a spirit passed before my face. The hair of my flesh stood up.

16 “It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. An image was before my eyes. There was silence and I heard a voice, saying,

17 ‘Can mortal man be righteous before God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?

18 ‘Behold, He ^kdid not put trust in His servants, and His angels He charged with folly.

19 ‘How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, that are crushed before the moth?

20 ‘They are ^ldestroyed from morning to evening. They perish forever without any regarding it.

21 ‘Is not their tent cord plucked up within them? They die, yet without wisdom.’

1 ¶ “Call now, if there are any who will answer you. And to which of the saints will you turn?

2 “For wrath kills the foolish man, and envy slays the silly one.

3 “I have ^aseen the foolish taking root, but immediately I cursed his habitation.

4 “His children are ^bfar from safety, and they are crushed in the gate. ^cNeither is there any to deliver them,

5 “because the hungry eat up his harvest, taking it even from the thorns. And the schemer swallows up their substance.

6 “Although affliction does not come forth from the dust, nor does trouble spring out of the ground,

7 “yet man is ^dborn for trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

8 “I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause,

9 “who does great and unsearchable things, marvelous things without number.

10 “He ^egives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields

11 “in order ^fto set up on high those who are lowly, so that those who mourn may be exalted to safety.

12 “He ^gfrustrates the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot attain success.

13 “He captures the ^hwise in their own craftiness. And the counsel of the cunning is thwarted.

14 “They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

15 “But ⁱHe saves the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

16 “So the ^jhelpless have hope, and iniquity stops her mouth.

17 ¶ “Behold, ^khappy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore, do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

18 “For ^lHe makes sore and binds up. He wounds and His hands make whole.

19 “He will ^mdeliver you from six troubles, yes, in seven ⁿno evil will touch you.

20 “In ^ofamine He will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.

21 “You will be ^phidden from the scourge of the tongue. Neither will you be afraid of destruction when it comes.

22 “At destruction and famine you will laugh. ^qNeither will you be afraid of the ^rbeasts of the earth.

23 “For ^syou will be in league with the stones of the field. And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

24 “And you will know that your tent will be in peace. And you will visit your fold and miss nothing.

25 “You will know also that ^tyour seed will be great, and your offspring ^uas the grass of the earth.

26 “You will ^vcome to your grave in a full age, like the stacking of grain in its season.

27 “Behold, we have ^winvestigated it, so it is. Hear it and know yourself for your good.”

1 ¶ But Job answered and said,

2 “Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed and my calamity laid in the balances together!

3 “For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea. Therefore, my words have been rash.

4 “For the ^aarrows of the Almighty are within me. Their poison drinks up my spirit. ^bThe terrors of God set themselves in array ^cagainst me.

5 “Does the ^dwild donkey bray when he has grass? Does the ox low over his fodder?

6 “Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

7 “The things that my soul refused to touch are as my loathsome food.

8 ¶ “Oh that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the thing for which I long!

9 “Even that it would please God to destroy me, that He would let loose His hand and ^ecut me off!

10 “Then I would still have comfort. Yes, I would harden myself in sorrow. Do not let Him spare, for ^fI have not concealed the words of the ^gHoly One.

11 “What is my strength that I should hope? And what is my end that I should prolong my life?

12 “Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of bronze?

13 “Is not my help in me? And is wisdom driven from me?

14 ¶ “To him ^hwho is afflicted pity should be shown by his friend, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

15 “My ⁱbrethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and ^jas the stream of brooks they pass away,

16 “that are blackish because of the ice, and into which the snow vanishes.

17 “When they become waterless, they cease to flow. When it is hot, they vanish from their place.

18 “The paths of their way are turned aside. They go to nothing and perish.

19 “The caravans of ^kTema looked. The travelers of ^lSheba waited for them.

20 “They were ^mdisappointed because they had hoped. They came here and were confused.

21 “For now ⁿyou are nothing. You see my casting down and ^oare afraid.

22 “Did I say, ‘Bring to me?’ Or, ‘Give a reward for me from your substance?’

23 “Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand?’ Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the mighty’?

24 ¶ “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue. Make me understand wherein I have erred.

25 “How forcible are right words! But what does your arguing prove?

26 “Do you imagine to reprove my words, and the speeches of one who is desperate that are as wind?

27 “You overwhelm the fatherless, and ^pyou dig a pit for your friend.

28 “Now therefore be pleased to look at me, for it is evident to you if I lie.

29 ^q“Relent now and let there be no injustice. Yes, reconsider, ^rfor my cause is righteous.

30 “Is there iniquity in my tongue? Cannot my palate discern perverse things?

1 ¶ “Does not man have a hard labor on earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hireling?

2 “As a servant earnestly desires the shadow, and as a hireling looks for the reward of his work,

3 “so I have been allotted ^amonths of futility and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

4 “When ^bI lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise and the night be gone?’ I am full of tossings to and fro until the dawn of the day.

5 “My flesh is ^cclothed with maggots and a crust of dust. My skin is broken and become loathsome.

6 “My ^ddays are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.

7 “Oh remember that ^emy life is wind. My eye will no longer see good.

8 “The ^feye of him who has seen me will see me no more. Your eyes are on me, but I will not be.

9 “As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, ^gso he who goes down to the grave will come up no more.

10 “He will return no more to his house, ^hnor will his place know him anymore.

11 ¶ “Therefore, I will ⁱnot restrain my mouth. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will ^jcomplain in the bitterness of my soul.

12 “Am I a sea or a whale that You set a watch over me?

13 “When ^kI say, ‘My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint,’

14 “then You scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,

15 “so that my soul chooses strangling and death rather than my life.

16 “I ^lloathe it. I would not live forever. ^mLeave me alone, for ⁿmy days are useless.

17 ^o“What is man that You should magnify him, and that You should set Your heart on him?

18 “And that You should visit him every morning, and try him every moment?

19 “How long will You not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

20 “Have I sinned? What have I done to You, ^pYou preserver of men? Why ^qhave You set me as Your target, so that I am a burden to myself?

21 “And why do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I will sleep in the dust, and You will seek me in the morning, but I will no longer be.”

1 ¶ Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

2 “How long will you speak these things? And how long will the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?

3 “^aDoes God pervert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice?

4 “If ^byour children have sinned against Him, then He has cast them away because of their transgression.

5 “If you would ^cdiligently seek God and make your supplication to the Almighty,

6 “if you were pure and upright, surely now He would awake for you and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.

7 “Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end should ^dgreatly increase.

8 “Please ^einquire of past generations and prepare yourself for the search of their fathers.

9 “For ^fwe are but of yesterday and know nothing because our days on earth are a shadow.

10 “Will not they teach and tell you, and utter words out of their heart?

11 ¶ “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds grow without water?

12 “While ^git is yet in its greenness and not cut down, it withers before any other herb.

13 “So are the paths of all who ^hforget God. And the ⁱprofane person’s hope will perish,

14 “whose hope will be cut off and whose trust will be as a spider’s web.

15 “He ^jwill trust in his house, but it will not stand. He will hold it fast, but it will not endure.

16 “He is green before the sun, and his branch shoots forth in his garden.

17 “His roots are wrapped around a rock pile, and grasps the heap of stones.

18 “If ^khe is moved from his place, then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’

19 ¶ “Behold, this is the joy of his way, and ^lout of the earth will others grow.

20 “Behold, ^mGod will not cast away a perfect man, nor will He help the evil doers.

21 “He will yet fill your mouth with laughing and your lips with rejoicing.

22 “Those who hate you will be ⁿclothed with shame, and the dwelling place of the wicked will be no more.”

1 ¶ Then Job answered and said,

2 “Of a truth I know that it is so. But how should a ^aman ^bbe righteous before God?

3 “If one desired to contend with Him, he cannot answer Him one out of a thousand times.

4 “He is ^cwise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and yet has prospered?

5 “He removes the mountains and they do not know how. He overturns them in His anger.

6 “He ^dshakes the earth out of its place, and its ^epillars tremble.

7 “He commands the sun, and it does not rise, and He seals up the stars.

8 ^f“He alone spreads out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

9 “He ^gmakes Arcturus, Orion and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

10 “He ^hdoes great things past finding out; yes, and wonderful things without number.

11 “Lo, ⁱHe goes by me and I do not see Him. He passes on also, but I do not perceive Him.

12 “Behold, ^jHe takes away. Who can hinder Him? Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

13 “God will not turn back His anger. Beneath Him ^kcrouch the helpers of Rahab.

14 ¶ “How much less will I answer Him, and choose out my words to reason with Him?

15 ^l“Though I were righteous, yet I would not answer Him. I would make supplication to my judge.

16 “If I had called and He had answered me, I would not believe that He had hearkened to my voice.

17 “For He breaks me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds ^mwithout cause.

18 “He will not allow me to take my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

19 “If I speak of strength, lo, He is stronger. And if it is a matter of judgment, who can summon Him?

20 “If I justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me. If I say, ‘I am perfect,’ it will also prove me perverse.

21 “Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul. I would despise my life.

22 “This is one thing, therefore, I said, ⁿ‘He destroys the perfect and the wicked.’

23 “If the scourge slays suddenly, He will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

24 “The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who else can it be?

25 “Now ^omy days are swifter than a runner. They flee away. They see no good.

26 “They are passing away as the swift ships, ^pas the eagle that swoops on the prey.

27 “If ^qI say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my heaviness, and comfort myself,’

28 “I ^ram afraid of all my sorrows. I know that You ^swill not acquit me.

29 “If I am wicked, then why do I labor in vain?

30 “If ^tI wash myself with snow water, and make my hands clean with lye,

31 “yet You will plunge me into the ditch, and my own clothes will abhor me.

32 “For ^uHe is not a man as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in judgment.

33 “Neither ^vis there any mediator between us who might lay his hand on us both.

34 “Let ^wHim take His rod away from me and do not let His fear terrify me.

35 “Then I would speak and not fear Him. But it is not so with me.”

1 ¶ “My ^asoul is weary of my life. I will give free course to my complaint. ^bI will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 “I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me. Show me where You contend with me.

3 “‘Is it good to You that You should oppress, that You should despise the work of Your hands and shine on the counsel of the wicked?

4 “‘Have You eyes of flesh? Or ^cdo You see as man sees?

5 “‘Are Your days as the days of man? Are Your years as man’s days,

6 “‘that You seek after my iniquity and search after my sin?

7 “You know that I am not wicked, and that there is no one who can deliver out of Your hand.

8 ^d‘Your hands have made me and fashioned me together, and yet You ^edestroy me.

9 “Remember, I beseech You, ^fthat You have made me as the clay. And will You bring me into dust again?

10 ^g‘Have You not poured me out as milk and curdled me as cheese?

11 “‘You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and have fenced me with bones and sinews.

12 “‘You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit.

13 “‘And these things You have hidden in Your heart. I know that this is within You.

14 “‘If I sin, then ^hYou mark me, and You will not acquit me from my iniquity.

15 “‘If I am wicked, ⁱwoe to me. ^jAnd if I am righteous, yet I will not lift up my head. I am full of shame and ^kdrowned in my affliction,

16 “‘for it increases. ^lYou hunt me as a fierce lion. And again You show Yourself marvelous on me.

17 “‘You renew Your witnesses against me, and increase Your indignation against me. Hardship and war are against me.

18 ^m‘Why then have You brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the spirit and no eye had seen me!

19 “‘I should have been as though I had not been. I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.’

20 “Are not ⁿmy days few? Cease then and ^oleave me alone so that I may take comfort a little

21 “before I go where I will not return, even ^pto the land of darkness and the ^qshadow of death,

22 “a land of darkness as darkness itself, as the shadow of death without any order, and where the light is as darkness.”

1 ¶ Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

2 “Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be justified?

3 “Should your lies make men hold their peace? And when you mock, will no man make you ashamed?

4 “For you have said, ^a‘My doctrine is pure, and I am innocent in your eyes.’

5 “But would that God speak and open His lips against you,

6 “and that He would show you the secrets of wisdom, that there are two sides to that which is! Know therefore that ^bGod exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves.

7 “Can you ^cby searching find out God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?

8 “They are as high as heaven. What can you do? They are deeper than Sheol. What can you know?

9 “Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.

10 ^d“If He cuts off and shuts up, or gathers together, then who can hinder Him?

11 “For ^eHe knows deceitful men. He sees wickedness even though He does not consider it?

12 “For ^fempty-headed man will be wise when man is born like a wild donkey’s colt.

13 “If you ^gprepare your heart and ^hstretch out your hands toward Him,

14 “if iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and ⁱdo not let wickedness dwell in your tents.

15 ^j“For then you will lift up your face without spot. Yes, you will be steadfast and will not fear,

16 “because you will ^kforget your misery and remember it as waters that pass by.

17 “And your life ^lwill be clearer than the noonday. You will shine forth. You will be as the morning.

18 “And you will be secure because there is hope. Yes, you will dig around you and you will ^mtake your rest in safety.

19 “You will also lie down and no one will make you afraid. Yes, many will court you.

20 “But the ⁿeyes of the wicked will fail, and they will not escape. And their hope will be as the giving up of the spirit.”

1 ¶ Now Job answered and said,

2 “No doubt you are the people and wisdom will die with you.

3 “But I have understanding as well as you. I am not a inferior to you. Yes, who does not know such things as these?

4 ^b“I am as one mocked by his neighbor, who ^ccalls on God and He answers him. The just and upright man is laughed to scorn.

5 “He who is ready to ^dslip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him who is at ease.

6 “The ^etents of robbers prosper, and those who provoke God are secure, into whose hand God brings their power.

7 ¶ “But ask now the beasts and they will teach you, and the birds of the air and they will tell you.

8 “Or speak to the earth and it will teach you. And the fish of the sea will declare to you.

9 “Who does not know in all these that the hand of the LORD has worked this?

10 ^f“In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the ^gbreath of all mankind.

11 “Does not the ear test words as the mouth tastes its food?

12 “With the aged is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.

13 “With Him is ^hwisdom and strength. He has counsel and understanding.

14 “Behold, ⁱHe breaks down and it cannot be built again. He shuts up a man and there can be no opening.

15 “Behold, ^jHe withholds the waters and they dry up. He also ^ksends them out and they overturn to the earth.

16 “With Him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are His.

17 “He leads counselors away stripped and makes the judges fools.

18 “He looses the bonds of kings and girds their loins with a belt.

19 “He leads princes away stripped and overthrows the mighty.

20 “He ^lremoves the speech of the trusted ones and takes away the understanding of the aged.

21 “He ^mpours contempt on princes and weakens the strength of the mighty.

22 “He ⁿuncovers deep things out of darkness and brings to light the shadow of death.

23 “He ^oincreases the nations and destroys them. He enlarges the nations and leads them captive.

24 “He takes away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth and ^pmakes them wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

25 “They ^qgrope in the dark without light and He makes them ^rstagger like a drunken man.

1 ¶ “Lo, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.

2 ^a“What you know I also know. I am not inferior to you.

3 “Surely ^bI would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

4 “But you are forgers of lies. ^cYou are all physicians of no value.

5 “Oh that all of you would hold your peace, and ^dthat it should be your wisdom!

6 “Hear now my reasoning and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

7 ^e“Will you speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for Him?

8 “Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God?

9 “Is it good that He should search you out? Or as one man mocks another, do you so mock Him?

10 “He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality.

11 “Will not His excellency make you afraid, and His dread fall on you?

12 “Your memorable sayings are like ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay.

13 ¶ “Hold your peace. Leave me alone so that I may speak and let come on me what may.

14 “Why ^fdo I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hand?

15 “He ^gwill slay me. I have no hope. ^hNevertheless, I will maintain my own ways before Him.

16 “This also will be my salvation, for a ⁱhypocrite will not come before Him.

17 “Hear diligently my speech and my declaration with your ears.

18 “Behold now, I have ordered my cause. I know that I will be ^jvindicated.

19 ^k“Who is he who will plead with me? For now, if I hold my tongue, I will give up the spirit.

20 ¶ “Only ^ldo not two things to me, then I will not hide myself from You.

21 ^m“Withdraw Your hand far from me, and do not let Your dread make me afraid.

22 “Then call, and I will answer. Or let me speak, then You ⁿanswer me.

23 “How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin.

24 “Why ^odo You hide Your face and ^pconsider me as Your enemy?

25 ^q“Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue the dry stubble?

26 “For You write bitter things against me and ^rmake me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

27 ^s“You put my feet also in the stocks and watch all my paths. You set a limit on the soles of my feet,

28 “while 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 then a full of trouble.

2 “He ^bcomes forth like a flower and is cut down. He flees also as a shadow and does not continue.

3 “And ^cdo You open your eyes on such a one and ^dbring me into judgment with You?

4 “Who ^ecan bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!

5 “Since ^fhis days are determined, the number of his months are with You. You have appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.

6 ^g“Turn from him so that he may rest, until he accomplishes his day ^has a hireling.

7 “For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender branch will not cease.

8 “Though its root becomes old on the earth, and its stock dies in the ground,

9 “yet through the scent of water it will bud and bring forth sprigs like a plant.

10 “But man dies and wastes away. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is ⁱhe?

11 “As the waters fail from the sea and the flood decays and dries up,

12 “so man lies down and does not rise. ^jUntil the heavens are no more they will not awake nor be raised out of their sleep.

13 ¶ “Oh that You would hide me in Sheol so that You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, so that You would appoint me a set time and remember me!

14 “If a man die will he live again? All the days of my appointed time ^kI will wait until my change comes.

15 ^l“You will call and I will answer You. You will long for the work of Your hands.

16 “For now ^mYou number my steps. Do You not watch over my sin?

17 ⁿ“My transgression is sealed up in a bag and You sew up my iniquity.

18 “But the falling mountain comes to nothing and the rock is removed out of its place.

19 “The waters wear the stones. You wash away the things that grow out of the dust of the earth, and You destroy the hope of man.

20 “You prevail forever against him, and he passes. You change his countenance and send him away.

21 “His sons come to honor and ^ohe does not know it. And they are brought low, but he does not perceive it.

22 “But his flesh on him will have pain and his soul within him will mourn.”

1 ¶ Then ^aEliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 “Should a wise man utter useless knowledge and fill himself with the east wind?

3 “Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?

4 “Yes, you cast off fear and restrain prayer before God.

5 “For your mouth utters your iniquity and you choose the language of the crafty.

6 ^b“Your own mouth condemns you and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.

7 “Are you the first man who was born, ^cor were you made before the hills?

8 ^d“Have you heard the secret of God, and do you limit wisdom to yourself?

9 ^e“What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that we do not?

10 ^f“With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much older than your father.

11 “Are the consolations of God small with you? Is there any secret thing with you?

12 “Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes flash,

13 “that you turn your spirit against God and let such words go out of your mouth?

14 ^g“What is man that he should be pure? And he who is born of a woman that he should be righteous?

15 ^h“Behold, He puts no trust in His saints. Yes, the heavens are not pure in His sight.

16 ⁱ“How much more detestable and ^jfilthy is man who drinks iniquity like water?

17 ¶ “I will show you. Hear me. And that which I have seen I will declare,

18 “what wise men have told ^kfrom their fathers and have not concealed;

19 “to whom alone the earth was given, and ^lno stranger passed among them.

20 “The wicked man travails with pain all his days, and ^mthrough all the years that are stored up for the ruthless.

21 “A dreadful sound is in his ears. ⁿIn prosperity the destroyer will come upon him.

22 “He does not believe that he will ^oreturn from darkness, and he is destined for the sword.

23 “He ^pwanders about for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows ^qthat the day of darkness is at hand.

24 “Trouble and anguish will make him afraid. They will prevail against him as a king ready for the battle.

25 “For he stretches out his hand against God and strengthens himself against the Almighty.

26 “He runs on Him with a stiff neck, with his stout embossed shield,

27 ^rthough his face is covered with fat and his thighs bulge with flesh.

28 “And he dwells in desolate cities and in houses that no man inhabits, that are ready to become heaps.

29 “He will not be rich, nor will his substance ^scontinue. Neither will his possessions spread over the earth.

30 “He will not depart from darkness. The flame will dry up his branches, and ^tby the breath of His mouth he will go away.

31 “Do not let him who is deceived ^utrust in vanity, for vanity will be his reward.

32 “It will be accomplished ^vbefore his time, and his branch will not be green.

33 “He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive.

34 “For the assembly of hypocrites will be desolate, and fire will consume the tents of the corrupt.

35 ^w“They conceive mischief and bring forth vanity. And their mind prepares deception.”

1 ¶ Then Job answered and said,

2 “I have heard many such things. ^aMiserable comforters are you all.

3 “Will vain words have an end? Or what emboldens you that you answer?

4 “I also could speak as you do. If your soul were in my soul’s place I could heap up words against you and ^bshake my head at you.

5 “But I would strengthen you with my mouth and the comfort of my lips should lessen your grief.

6 ¶ “Though I speak, my grief is not lessened. And though I forbear, what has left me?

7 “But now He has ^cmade me weary. You ^dhave made desolate all my company.

8 “And you have filled me with wrinkles that are a ^ewitness against me. And my leanness rising up in me bears witness to my face.

9 ^f“He has torn me in His wrath and persecuted me. He has gnashed on me with His teeth. ^gMy enemy sharpens his eyes on me.

10 “They have ^hgaped on me with their mouth. They have ⁱsmitten me on the cheek reproachfully. They have gathered themselves together against me.

11 “God has ^jdelivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

12 “I was at ease, but He has ^kbroken me asunder. He has also taken me by my neck and shaken me to pieces, and ^lset me up for His target.

13 “His archers surround me. Without mercy He splits my kidneys open and pours out my gall on the ground.

14 “He breaks me with breach after breach. He runs after me like a warrior.

15 “I have sewed sackcloth on my skin and ^mthrust my horn into the dust.

16 “My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death,

17 “and not because of any injustice on my hands. My prayer is also pure.

18 “Oh earth, do not cover my blood, and let there be no resting place for ⁿmy cry.

19 “Also now, behold, ^omy witness is in heaven and my advocate is on high.

20 “My friends scorn me, but my eye pours out tears to God.

21 ^p“Oh that one might plead for a man with God as a man pleads for his neighbor!

22 “When a few years have come, then I will ^qgo the way where I will not return.

1 ¶ “My breath is corrupt. My days are extinct. ^aThe graves are ready for me.

2 “Are there not mockers with me? And does not my eye dwell on their ^bprovocation?

3 “Give now a pledge for me with Yourself. Who is he who will ^cput up surety for me?

4 “For You have hidden their heart from ^dunderstanding. Therefore, You will not exalt them.

5 “He who speaks flattery to his friends for a spoil, even the eyes of his children will ^efail.

6 ¶ “He has made me also a ^fbyword of the people, and they spit in my face.

7 ^g“My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

8 “Upright men are astonished at this, and the innocent will stir up himself against the godless.

9 “The righteous also will hold to his ^hway, and he who has ⁱclean hands will be stronger and stronger.

10 ¶ “But as for you all, ^jcome now again, for I cannot find one wise man among you.

11 ^k“My days are past. My purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.

12 “They change the night into day. The light is short because of darkness.

13 “If I wait, the grave is my house. I have made my bed in the darkness.

14 “I have said to the pit, ‘You are my father’; to the worm, ‘You are my mother and my sister.’

15 “And where is now my hope? As for my ^lhope, who will see it?

16 “They will go down ^mto the gates of Sheol, when our ⁿrest together is in the dust.”

1 ¶ Then ^aBildad the Shuhite answered and said,

2 “How long will it be before you make an end of words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.

3 “Why are we counted ^bas beasts and reputed vile in your sight?

4 ^c“He tears himself in his anger. Will the earth be forsaken for you? And will the rock be moved out of its place?

5 “Yes, the ^dlight of the wicked will be put out, and the spark of his fire will not shine.

6 “The light will be dark in his tent and ^ehis lamp beside him will be put out.

7 “The steps of his strength will be shortened, and ^fhis own counsel will cast him down.

8 “For ^ghe is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walks on a snare.

9 “The ^hgin will take him by the heel, and the robber will prevail against him.

10 “The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.

11 ⁱ“Terrors will make him afraid on every side, and will drive him to his feet.

12 “His strength will be famished, and ^jdestruction will be ready at his side.

13 “It will devour the strength of his skin. Even the firstborn of death will devour his strength.

14 “His confidence will be rooted out of ^khis tent, and they will bring him to the king of terrors.

15 “They will dwell in his tent who are none of his. Brimstone will be scattered on his habitation.

16 ^l“His roots will be dried up beneath, and above his branch will be cut off.

17 ^m“His remembrance will perish from the earth, and he will have no name in the street.

18 “He will be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

19 ⁿ“He will neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

20 “They who come after him will be astonished ^oat his day, as they who went before were seized with horror.

21 “Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him who ^pdoes not know God.”

1 ¶ Then Job answered and said,

2 “How long will you trouble my soul and break me in pieces with words?

3 “These ten times you have reproached me. You are not ashamed to deal harshly with me.

4 “And if indeed I have erred, my error remains with myself.

5 “If indeed you will ^aexalt yourselves against me, and plead my disgrace against me,

6 “know now that ^bGod has overthrown me and has encompassed me with His net.

7 “Behold, I cry out concerning wrong, but I am not heard. I cry out aloud, but there is no justice.

8 ^c“He has fenced up my way so that I cannot pass, and He has set darkness in my paths.

9 ^d“He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

10 “He has destroyed me on every side, and I am gone. And He has removed my ^ehope like a tree.

11 “He has also kindled His wrath against me. And ^fHe considers me as one of His enemies.

12 “His troops come together and raise up their way against me and camp around my tent.

13 ¶ ^g“He has put my brothers far from me, and my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

14 “My kinsmen have failed, and my close friends have forgotten me.

15 “They who dwell in my house, and my maids, consider me a stranger. I am a stranger in their sight.

16 “I called my servant and he gave me no answer. I implore him with my mouth.

17 “My breath is strange to my wife. And I am loathsome to my own brothers.

18 “Yes, ^hyoung children despised me. I arose and they spoke against me.

19 ⁱ“All my close friends abhorred me. And they whom I loved have turned against me.

20 ^j“My bone cleaves to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

21 ¶ “Have pity on me, have pity on me, you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me.

22 “Why do you ^kpersecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

23 ¶ “Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed on a scroll!

24 “Oh that they were engraved with an iron stylus on the rock forever!

25 “For I know that my ^lRedeemer lives, and that He will stand in the end on the earth.

26 “Even after my skin is destroyed, yet ^min my flesh I will see God;

27 “whom I will see for myself, and my eyes will behold, and not another. My heart is consumed within me.

28 “But you should say, ‘How will we persecute him,’ seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

29 “Be afraid of the sword. For wrath brings the punishments of the sword so that you may know there is a judgment.”

1 ¶ Then ^aZophar the Naamathite answered and said,

2 “Therefore, my thoughts cause me to answer because I am greatly disturbed.

3 “I have heard the reproof that puts me to shame, and the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

4 “Do you know this from ^bold, since man was placed on earth,

5 ^c“that the triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite only for a ^dmoment?

6 ^e“Though his excellency mounts up to the heavens, and his head reaches to the clouds,

7 “yet he will perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

8 “He will fly away ^fas a dream and will not be found. Yes, he ^gwill be chased away as a vision of the night.

9 “The eye also that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place any more behold him.

10 “His children will seek to please the poor, and his hands will restore their goods.

11 “His bones are full of the sin of ^hhis youth that will ⁱlie down with him in the dust.

12 “Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue,

13 “though he spare it and not forsake it, but keep it still within his mouth,

14 “yet his food in his stomach is turned. It is the venom of serpents within him.

15 “He has swallowed down riches, and he will vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly.

16 “He will suck the poison of serpents. The viper’s tongue will slay him.

17 “He will not see the ^jrivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

18 “That for which he labored he will restore, and will not swallow it down. According to his substance will the restitution be, and he will not rejoice in it.

19 “Because he has oppressed and has forsaken the poor, because he has violently taken away a house that he did not build,

20 “surely ^khe will not feel peace in his heart. He will not retain that which he desired.

21 “Nothing is left for him to devour. Therefore, no man will look for his goods.

22 “In the fullness of his plenty he will be in distress. Every hand of the wicked will come on him.

23 “When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fury of His wrath on him, and will rain it on him while he is eating.

24 ^l“He will flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel will strike him through.

25 “It is drawn, and comes out of the body. Yes, the ^mglittering sword comes out of his liver. ⁿTerrors are on him.

26 “All darkness will be hidden in his secret places. An ^ounfanned fire will consume him. It will consume that which is left in his tent.

27 “The heaven will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.

28 “The increase of his house will depart, and his goods will flow away in the day of his ^pwrath.

29 ^q“This is the wicked man’s portion from God, and the heritage appointed to him by God.

1 ¶ But Job answered and said,

2 “Hear diligently my speech and let this be your consolation.

3 “Bear with me so that I may speak, and after I have spoken, you may ^amock.

4 “As for me, is my complaint to man? And if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?

5 “Look at me and be astonished, and ^blay your hand on your mouth.

6 “Even when I remember, I am afraid, and trembling takes hold of my flesh.

7 ^c“Why do the wicked live and become old, and become very powerful?

8 “Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

9 “Their houses are safe from fear. ^dNeither is the rod of God on them.

10 “Their bulls mate without fail. Their cows calve, and ^edo not abort.

11 “They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance.

12 “They take the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the flute.

13 ^f“They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

14 ^g“Therefore, they say to God, ‘Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

15 ^h‘Who is the Almighty that we should serve Him? And ⁱwhat profit should we have if we pray to Him?’

16 “Lo, their good is not in their hand. The ^jcounsel of the wicked is far from me.

17 ¶ “How often is the candle of the wicked put out? And how often does their destruction come on them! God ^kdistributes sorrows in His anger.

18 ^l“They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carries away.

19 “God stores up his iniquity ^mfor his children. He rewards him, so that he will know it.

20 “His eyes will see his destruction, and ⁿhe will drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21 “For what pleasure has he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?

22 ¶ ^o“Will any teach God knowledge, seeing He judges those who are high.

23 “One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

24 “His milk pails are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

25 “And another dies in the bitterness of his soul, and never eats with pleasure.

26 “They will ^plie down alike in the dust, and the worms will cover them.

27 “Behold, I know your thoughts and the devices that you wrongfully imagine against me.

28 “For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince, and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?’

29 “Have you not asked them who go by the way? And do you not know their witness,

30 ^q“that the wicked are reserved for the day of destruction? They will be brought forth at the day of wrath.

31 “Who will confront his way to his face? And who will repay him what he has done?

32 “Yet will he be brought to the grave and will remain in the tomb.

33 “The clods of the valley will be sweet to him, and ^revery man will follow after him, as there were innumerable before him.

34 “How then will you vainly comfort me, seeing in your answers there remains falsehood?”

1 ¶ Then ^aEliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 ^b“Can a man be profitable to God, as he who is wise may be profitable to himself?

3 “Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it gain to Him who makes your ways perfect?

4 “Will He not reprove you because you fear Him? Will He enter with you into judgment?

5 “Is not your wickedness great and your iniquities infinite?

6 “For you have ^ctaken a pledge from your brother without cause, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 “You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you ^dhave withheld bread from the hungry.

8 “But as for the mighty man, he had the earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it.

9 “You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 “Therefore, snares are around you, and sudden fear troubles you,

11 “or darkness, that you cannot see. An abundance of ^ewaters covers you.

12 “Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

13 “And you say, ^f‘What does God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?

14 ^g‘Thick clouds are a covering to Him so that He does not see. And He walks in the circuit of heaven.’

15 “Have you marked the old way that wicked men have trodden,

16 “who ^hwere cut down before their time, whose foundations were washed away with a flood?

17 ⁱ“They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’, and, ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’

18 “Yet He filled their houses with good things. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 “The ^jrighteous see it and are glad. And the innocent laugh them to scorn.

20 “Whereas our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.

21 ¶ “Acquaint now yourself with Him and ^kbe at peace, thereby good will come to you.

22 “Please receive ^linstruction from His mouth and ^mlay up His words in your heart.

23 “If you return to the Almighty you will be built up. You will put away iniquity far from your tents.

24 “Then you will ⁿlay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

25 “Yes, the Almighty will be your defense, and you will have plenty of silver.

26 “For then you will have your ^odelight in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.

27 “You will ^pmake your prayer to Him and He will hear you, and you will pay your vows.

28 “You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you. And the light will shine on your ways.

29 “When men are cast down, then you will say, ‘There is lifting up,’ and ^qHe will save the humble person.

30 “He will deliver the island of the innocent. And it is delivered by the pureness of your hands.”

1 ¶ Then Job answered and said,

2 “Even today my ^acomplaint is bitter. His hand is heavy despite my groaning.

3 “Oh ^bthat I knew where I might find Him so that I might come even to His seat!

4 “I would order my cause before Him and fill my mouth with arguments.

5 “I would know the words that He would answer me, and understand what He would say to me.

6 “Will He ^ccontend against me with His great power? No, but He would put strength in me.

7 “There the righteous might reason with Him, so should I be delivered forever from my Judge.

8 “Behold, ^dI go forward, but He is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

9 “on the left hand where He works, but I cannot behold Him. He hides Himself on the right hand so that I cannot see Him.

10 “But ^eHe knows the way that I take. When ^fHe has tried me, I will come forth as gold.

11 “My ^gfoot has held fast to His path. His way I have kept and not declined.

12 “Neither have I gone back from the ^hcommandment of His lips. I have ⁱtreasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

13 “But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what ^jHis soul desires, even that He does.

14 “For He performs the thing that is ^kappointed for me; and many such things are with Him.

15 “Therefore, I am troubled at His presence. When I consider, I am afraid of Him.

16 “For God makes ^lmy heart soft, and the Almighty troubles me.

17 “I was not ^mcut off from the presence of the darkness, nor has He hidden the darkness from my face.

1 “Why are ^atimes not hidden from the Almighty? And why do those who know Him not see His ^bdays?

2 “Some remove the ^clandmarks. They violently take away and devour flocks.

3 “They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They ^dtake the widow’s ox for a pledge.

4 “They turn the needy out of the way. The ^epoor of the earth hide themselves together.

5 “Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness they go forth seeking food in their activity, as bread for their children in the wasteland.

6 “They gather fodder in the field. And they glean the vineyard of the wicked.

7 “They ^fcause the naked to lodge without clothing, so that they have no covering in the cold.

8 “They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and ^ghuddle around the rock for want of shelter.

9 “They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge from the poor.

10 “They cause the poor to go naked without ^hclothing, and they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

11 “Within the walls they produce oil. They tread their winepresses and allow thirst.

12 “Men groan from the city, and the soul of the wounded cries out. Yet God does not pay attention to folly.

13 ¶ “They are of those who rebel against the light. They do not know its ways, nor abide in its paths.

14 “The ⁱmurderer rising with the light kills the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.

15 “The ^jeye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, ^ksaying, ‘No eye will see me.’ And he disguises his face.

16 “In the dark they dig through houses that they had marked for themselves in the daytime. ^lThey do not know the light.

17 “For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death. If one knows them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

18 “He is swift as the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. He does not behold the way of the vineyards.

19 “Drought and heat consume the snow waters. So does the grave those who have sinned.

20 “The womb will forget him. The maggot will feed sweetly on him. ^mHe will be remembered no more, and wickedness will be broken as a tree.

21 “He wrongs the barren woman and does no good for the widow.

22 “He prolongs also the mighty with His power. He rises up and no man is sure of life.

23 “Though it is given him to be in safety, wherein He rests, yet ⁿHis eyes are on their ways.

24 “They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low. They are taken out of the way as all others, and cut off as the heads of grain.

25 “And if it is not so now, who will make me a liar and make my speech worthless?”

1 ¶ Then ^aBildad the Shuhite answered and said,

2 “Dominion and fear are with him. He makes peace in His high places.

3 “Is there any number of His armies? And on whom does not ^bHis light arise?

4 “How then ^ccan man be justified with God? Or how can he be ^dpure who is born of a woman?

5 “Behold, even the moon has no brightness. Yes, the stars are not pure in His ^esight.

6 “How much less man who is a ^fmaggot, and the son of man, who is a worm?”

1 ¶ But Job answered and said,

2 “How have you helped him who is without power? How have you saved the arm without strength?

3 “How have you counseled him who has no wisdom? And how have you abundantly declared the thing as it is?

4 “To whom have you spoken words? And whose spirit came from you?

5 “Dead things are formed from under the waters, and its inhabitants.

6 ^a“Sheol is naked before Him, and destruction has no covering.

7 “He ^bstretches out the north over the empty place, and hangs the earth on nothing.

8 “He ^cbinds up the waters in His thick clouds, and the cloud is not torn under them.

9 “He holds back the face of His throne and spreads His cloud on it.

10 “He has ^dcircled the waters with a boundary until the day and night come to an end.

11 “The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at His rebuke.

12 “He ^edivides the sea with His power, and by His understanding He smites through the proud.

13 “By ^fHis Spirit He has garnished the heavens. His hand has formed the ^gfleeing serpent.

14 “Behold, these are parts of His ways. But how little a portion is heard of Him? And the thunder of His power, who can understand?”

1 ¶ Moreover Job continued his discourse and said,

2 “As God lives, who ^ahas taken away my judgment. And the Almighty, who has troubled my soul.

3 “All the while my breath is in me, and the breath of God is in my nostrils.

4 “My lips will not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

5 “God forbid that I should justify you. Until I die ^bI will not put away my integrity from me.

6 “I will ^chold fast righteousness, and will not let it go. ^dMy heart will not reproach me so long as I live.

7 “Let my enemy be as the wicked, and he who rises up against me as the unrighteous.

8 “For ^ewhat is the hope of the hypocrite when he is cut off, when God takes away his soul?

9 “Will ^fGod hear his cry when trouble comes on him?

10 “Will he ^gdelight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call on God?

11 “I will teach you by the hand of God. That which is with the Almighty, I will not conceal.

12 “Behold, all you have seen it. Why then are you thus acting foolishly?

13 ¶ “This is ^hthe portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors that they will receive from the Almighty.

14 “If ⁱhis children are multiplied, they are destined for the sword. And his offspring will not be satisfied with bread.

15 “Those who remain of him will be buried in death. And ^jhis widows will not weep.

16 “Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothes as the clay,

17 “he may prepare it, but the ^kjust will put it on and the innocent will divide the silver.

18 “He builds his house as a moth, and ^las a booth that the keeper makes.

19 “The rich man will lie down wealthy, but never again. He opens his eyes, and it is ^mno more.

20 “ⁿTerrors overtake him as a flood. A tempest steals him away in the night.

21 “The east wind carries him away, and he departs. And as a storm, it hurls him out of his place.

22 “For it will hurl at him and not ^ospare. He would try to flee out of its hand.

23 “Men will clap their hands at him, and will hiss him from his place.

1 ¶ “Surely there is a mine for the silver and a place for gold where they refine it.

2 “Iron is taken out of the earth, and bronze is smelted out of the stone.

3 “He sets an end to darkness and searches out all perfection, the stones of dark and the shadow of death.

4 “The flood breaks out from its habitation, even the waters forgotten by the foot. They are dried up. They are gone away from men.

5 “As for the earth, out of it comes bread. And underneath it is turned up as it were fire.

6 “Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.

7 “There is a path that no bird knows, and that the vulture’s eye has not seen.

8 “The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

9 “He puts forth His hand on the rock. He overturns the mountains by the roots.

10 “He cuts out rivers among the rocks, and His eye sees every precious thing.

11 “He binds the streams from overflowing, and the thing that is hidden He brings forth to light.

12 ¶ “But ^awhere will wisdom be found, and where is the place of understanding?

13 “Man does not know its ^bvalue, nor is it found in the land of the living.

14 “The ^cdeep says, ‘It is not in me.’ The sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

15 “It ^dcannot be purchased with gold, nor will silver be weighed for its price.

16 “It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx or the sapphire.

17 “The ^egold and the crystal cannot equal it. And the exchange of it will not be for jewels of fine gold.

18 “No mention will be made of coral or of pearls, for the price of wisdom is above ^frubies.

19 “The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it, nor will it be valued with pure ^ggold.

20 “From ^hwhere then comes wisdom, and where is the place of understanding?

21 “Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living and kept close from the birds of the air.

22 “ⁱDestruction and death say, ‘We have heard of its fame with our ears.’

23 “God understands its way and He knows its place.

24 “For He looks to the ends of the earth and ^jsees under the whole heaven

25 “in order to ^kmake the weight for the winds, and portion out the waters by measure.

26 “When He ^lmade a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

27 “then He saw it and declared it. He prepared it, yes, and searched it out.

28 “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the ^mfear of the Lord, that is wisdom. And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

1 ¶ Moreover Job continued his discourse and said,

2 “Oh that I were as in months ^apast, as in the days when God ^bpreserved me,

3 “when ^cHis candle shined on my head, and when by His light I walked through darkness;

4 “as I was in the days of my youth when the ^dfriendly counsel of God was over my tent;

5 “when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

6 “when I washed ^emy steps with butter, and the ^frock poured me out rivers of oil;

7 “when I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

8 “The young men saw me, and hid themselves. And the aged arose and stood up.

9 “The princes stopped talking and ^glaid their hand on their mouth.

10 “The nobles held their peace and their ^htongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

11 “When the ear heard me, then it blessed me. And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me,

12 “because ⁱI delivered the poor who cried out, and the fatherless, and him who had no one to help him.

13 “The blessing of him who was ready to perish came upon me. And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

14 “I ^jput on righteousness, and it clothed me. My judgment was as a robe and a turban.

15 “I was ^keyes to the blind, and feet I was to the lame.

16 “I was a father to the poor, and ^lI investigated the case that I did not know.

17 “And I broke the ^mjaws of the wicked and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

18 “Then I said, ⁿ‘I will die in my nest and I will multiply my days as the sand.

19 ‘My ^oroot was spread out ^pto the waters, and the dew lay all night on my branch.

20 ‘My glory was fresh in me, and my ^qbow was renewed in my hand.’

21 “To me men gave ear and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

22 “After my words they did not speak again, and my speech settled on them.

23 “And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the ^rspring rain.

24 “They were encouraged when I smiled at them, and they did not cast down the light of my countenance.

25 “I chose out their way and sat as a chief. And I dwelt as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.”

1 ¶ “But now those who are younger than I mock me, whose fathers I would have disdained to have put with the dogs of my flock.

2 “Yes, what good was the strength of their hands to me? Their vigor has perished.

3 “For want and famine they are gaunt, fleeing desolate and waste into the wilderness in former time.

4 “Who gathered up salt herbs in the bushes and juniper roots for their food.

5 “They were driven out from among men. They cried out after them as after a thief,

6 “to dwell in the cliffs of the valleys, in caves of the earth and in the rocks.

7 “Among the bushes they cried out. Under the nettles they were gathered together.

8 “They were children of fools, yes, children of base men. They were more vile than the earth.

9 “And now ^aI am their song, yes, I am their byword.

10 “They abhor me. They flee far from me and do not hesitate to ^bspit in my face.

11 “Because ^cHe has loosed my cord and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.

12 “On my right hand rise the youth. They push away my feet, and ^dthey raise up against me the ways of their destruction.

13 “They break up my path. They set forward my calamity. They have no helper.

14 “They came on me as a breach of waters. In the desolation they rolled themselves on me.

15 “Terrors are turned on me. They pursue my soul as the wind, and my welfare passes away as a cloud.

16 “And ^enow my soul is ^fpoured out on me. The days of affliction have taken hold on me.

17 “My bones are pierced in me in the night season. And my gnawing pains take no rest.

18 “By the great force of my disease is my garment disfigured. It binds me about as the collar of my coat.

19 “He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.

20 ¶ “I ^gcry out to You, and You do not hear me. I stand up and You do not regard me.

21 “You have become cruel to me. With Your strong hand You ^hoppose me.

22 “You lift me up to the wind. You cause me to ride on it, and dissolve my substance.

23 “For I know that You will bring me to death, and to the house ⁱappointed for all living.

25 “Did not I ^jweep for him who was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the poor?

26 “When ^kI looked for good, then evil came to me. And when I waited for light, there came darkness.

27 “My heart is in turmoil and does not rest. The days of affliction confront me.

28 “I went ^lmourning without the sun. I stood up and I cried out in the assembly.

29 “I am a ^mbrother to jackals and a companion to owls.

30 “My ⁿskin is black on me and my ^obones are burned with heat.

31 “My harp also is turned to mourning, and my flute into the voice of those who weep.”

1 ¶ “I made a covenant with my eyes. Why then should I gaze at a ^ayoung woman?

2 “For what ^bportion of God is there from above, and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

3 “Is not destruction for the wicked, and a strange punishment for the workers of iniquity?

4 “Does ^cHe not see my ways, and count all my steps?

5 “If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot has hastened to deceit,

6 “let me be weighed in an even balance so that God may know my ^dintegrity.

7 “If my step has turned out of the way, and ^emy heart walked after my eyes, or if any blot has cleaved to my hands,

8 “then ^flet me sow and let another eat. Yes, let my offspring be rooted out.

9 “If my heart has been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,

10 “then let my wife grind for ^ganother, and let others kneel down over her.

11 “For this is a heinous crime. Yes, ^hit is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

12 “For it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.

13 “If I did ⁱdespise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant when they contended with me,

14 “what then will I do when ^jGod rises up? And when He visits, what will I answer Him?

15 “Did not ^kHe who made me in the womb make him? And did not One fashion us in the womb?

16 “If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to ^lfail,

17 “or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless has not shared it,

18 “(for from my youth he was brought up with me as with a father, and I have guided the widow from my mother’s womb);

19 “if I have seen any perish for want of clothing or any poor without covering,

20 “if his heart has not ^mblessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21 “if I have lifted up my hand ⁿagainst the fatherless when I saw my help in the gate;

22 “then let my arm fall from my shoulder blade and my arm be broken from the bone.

23 “For ^odestruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of His majesty I could not endure.

24 “If ^pI have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;

25 “if ^qI rejoiced because my wealth was great and because my hand had acquired much;

26 “if ^rI beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness,

27 “and my heart has been secretly enticed, or my mouth has kissed my hand;

28 “this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the Judge. For I should have denied the God who is above.

29 “If ^sI rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him

30 “(^tneither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul);

31 “if the men of my household have ever said, ‘Who has not had his fill of Job’s meat?’—

32 “but ^uno stranger lodged in the street, for I opened my doors to the traveler—

33 “if I covered my transgressions ^vas Adam by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

34 “did I fear a great ^wmultitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me that I kept silent and did not go out the door?

35 “Oh ^xthat one would hear me! Behold, my desire is that ^ythe Almighty would answer me and that my adversary would put His indictment on a scroll.

36 “Surely I would take it on my shoulder and bind it on me as a crown.

37 “I would declare to Him the number of my steps. As a prince I would go near to Him.

38 “If my land cries out against me, or that its furrows likewise complain;

39 “if ^zI have eaten its fruits without money, or have ^acaused its owners to lose their life,

40 “let thistles grow instead of wheat and ^bweeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.

1 ¶ So these three men ceased to answer Job because he was ^arighteous in his own eyes.

2 Then the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the ^bBuzite, of the kindred of Ram, was kindled against Job because he ^cjustified himself rather than God.

3 Also against his three friends his wrath was kindled because they had found no answer and still had condemned Job.

4 Now Elihu had waited until Job had spoken because they were older than he.

5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

Elihu Speaks

6 ¶ Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, “I am ^dyoung and you are very old; therefore I was afraid and did not show you my opinion.

7 I thought days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.

8 But there is a spirit in man, and the ^ebreath of the Almighty gives them understanding.

9 ^fGreat men are not always wise, nor do the aged understand judgment.

10 Therefore I said, ‘Hearken to me. I also will give my opinion.’

11 Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons while you searched out what to say.

12 Yes, I paid attention to you, and behold, there was none of you who convinced Job or who answered his words.

13 ^gDo not say, ‘We have found him too clever for us. God must put him down, not man.’

14 Now he has not directed his words against me, nor will I answer him with your speeches.

15 ¶ They are dismayed; they answered no more; they ceased speaking.

16 Will I wait because they do not speak, because they stop and no longer answer?

17 I will answer also my part; I also will show my opinion.

18 For I am full of words; the spirit within me compels me.

19 Behold, my belly is as wine that has no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.

20 I will speak so that I may be refreshed; I will open my lips and answer.

21 Let me now be partial to no one, nor let me give flattering titles to man.

22 For I do not know how to give flattering titles; else my Maker would soon take me ^haway.

1 ¶ “Therefore, Job, please hear my speeches and hearken to all my words.

2 Behold now, I have opened my mouth, and my tongue has spoken in my mouth.

3 My words will be from the uprightness of my heart, and my lips will utter knowledge clearly.

4 The ^aSpirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty has given me life.

5 If you can answer me, set your words in order before me; take your stand.

6 Behold, ^bI am as your spokesman before God; I also have been formed out of the clay.

7 Behold, ^cmy terror will not make you afraid, nor will my hand be heavy on you.

8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of your words, saying,

9 ^d‘I am pure without transgression. I am innocent, nor is there iniquity in me.

10 Behold, He finds occasions against me; ^eHe counts me as His enemy.

11 ^fHe puts my feet in the stocks; He marks all my paths.’

12 ¶ Behold, in this you are not right; God is greater than man.

13 Why do you ^gstrive against Him? For He does not give account of any of His matters.

14 For ^hGod speaks once, yes twice, yet man does not perceive it;

15 in a ⁱdream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, in slumberings on the bed,

16 then ^jHe opens the ears of men and seals their instruction,

17 so that He may turn man from his deed and hide pride from man.

18 He keeps back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword.

19 He is chastened also with pain on his ^kbed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain,

20 so that ^lhis life abhors ^mbread and his soul delicious food.

21 His flesh wastes away so that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.

22 Yes, his soul draws near to the grave, and his life to executioners.

23 ¶ If there is a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man his uprightness,

24 then He is gracious to him and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.’

25 His flesh will be fresher than a child’s; he will return to the days of his youth.

26 He will pray to God, and He will be favorable to him; and he will see His face with joy, for He will render to man His righteousness.

27 Then he looks at men and ⁿsays, ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right, and it ^odid not profit me.’

28 He will ^pdeliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life will see the light.

29 Behold, God does all these things with men, twice, even three times,

30 to ^qbring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.

31 Pay attention, O Job; hearken to me. Hold your peace, and I will speak.

32 If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you.

33 If not, ^rhearken to me; hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”

1 ¶ Moreover, Elihu answered and said,

2 “Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

3 For ^athe ear tries words as the mouth tastes food.

4 Let us choose justice for ourselves. Let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 For Job has said, ^b‘I am righteous, and ^cGod has taken away my judgment.

6 ^d‘Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable though I am without transgression.’

7 What man is like Job, ^ewho drinks up scorning like water;

8 who goes in company with the workers of iniquity and walks with wicked men?

9 For ^fhe has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.’

10 ¶ Therefore, hearken to me, you men of understanding. ^gFar be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty, to do iniquity.

11 For ^hHe renders to a man according to his work, and causes every man to find a reward according to His ways.

12 Yes, surely God will not do wickedly, nor will the Almighty ⁱpervert judgment.

13 Who has given Him a charge over the earth? Or who has appointed Him over the whole world?

14 If He set His heart on man, if He ^jgathers to Himself His spirit and His breath,

15 all ^kflesh will perish together, and man will turn again to dust.

16 If now you have understanding, hear this. Hearken to the voice of my words.

17 ^lWill even he who hates right govern? And will you ^mcondemn Him who is most just?

18 ⁿIs it fit to say to a king, ‘You are wicked,’ and to princes, ‘You are ungodly’?

19 How much less to Him who ^odoes not show partiality to princes, or regard the rich more than the poor, for ^pthey all are the work of His hands?

20 In a moment they will die, and the people will be troubled ^qat midnight and pass away. And the mighty will be taken away without a hand.

21 For ^rHis eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps.

22 There is ^sno darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23 For He does not need to further consider a man, that he should go before God in judgment.

24 He will ^tbreak in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and set others in their place.

25 Therefore, He knows their works, and He overturns them in the night so that they are destroyed.

26 He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others

27 because they ^uturned back from Him and ^vwould not consider any of His ways,

28 so that they ^wcause the cry of the poor to come to Him, for He ^xhears the cry of the afflicted.

29 When He remains silent, who then can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him? Whether it is done against a nation or against a man only,

30 so that the hypocrite not reign, lest the people be ensnared.

31 ¶ Suppose a man said to God, ‘I have borne chastisement. I will not offend anymore.

32 Teach me what I do not see. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

33 Should He reward you on your terms when you refuse to repent? For you must choose and not I. Therefore, declare what you know.

34 Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken to me.

35 ‘Job has ^yspoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.

36 My desire is that Job may be tried to the end because of his answers for wicked men.

37 For he adds ^zrebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.’”

1 ¶ Elihu continued to speak and said,

2 “Do you think this is right what you said, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?

3 For ^ayou said, ‘What advantage will it be to you?’ and, ‘What profit will I have if I am cleansed from my sin?’

4 ¶ I will answer you and ^byour companions with you.

5 ^cLook to the heavens and see. Behold the clouds that are higher than you.

6 If you sin, what do you accomplish ^dagainst Him? Or if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?

7 ^eIf you are righteous, what do you give to Him? Or what does He receive from your hand?

8 Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are, and your righteousness may profit the son of man.

9 By ^freason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry out. They cry out because of the arm of the mighty.

10 But none says, ^g‘Where is God my maker, ^hwho gives songs in the night,

11 who ⁱteaches us more than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’

12 There ^jthey cry out, but no one gives an answer because of the pride of evil men.

13 Surely ^kGod will not hear vanity, nor will the Almighty regard it.

14 Although ^lyou say you will not see Him, yet judgment is before Him. ^mTherefore, trust in Him.

15 But now, because He has not ⁿpunished in His anger, nor taken much notice of transgression,

16 so ^odoes Job open his mouth in vain, and he multiplies words without knowledge.”

1 ¶ Elihu also continued and said,

2 “Bear with me a little and I will show you what I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.

3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

4 For truly my words will not be false. He who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

5 Behold, ^aGod is mighty and does not despise any. He is mighty in strength and wisdom.

6 He does not preserve the life of the wicked, but gives justice to the ^boppressed.

7 He ^cdoes not withdraw His eyes from the righteous, but with ^dkings on the throne He has established them forever and they are exalted.

8 And ^eif they are bound in fetters, and are caught in the cords of affliction,

9 then He shows them their work, and their transgressions that they have acted defiantly.

10 He ^fopens also their ear to discipline, and commands that they turn from iniquity.

11 If they obey and serve Him, they will ^gspend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures.

12 But if they do not obey, they will perish by the sword, and they will die without ^hknowledge.

13 ¶ But the hypocrites in heart ⁱheap up wrath. They do not cry out when He binds them.

14 They ^jdie in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

15 He delivers the poor in their affliction, and opens their ears in oppression.

16 Even so would He have moved you out of distress ^kinto a broad place where there is no restraint. And ^lwhat would be set on your table would be ^mfull of fatness.

17 But you have fulfilled the judgment of the ⁿwicked. Judgment and justice take hold on you.

18 Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with His stroke. Then a ^ogreat ransom cannot deliver you.

19 ^pWill your riches keep you from distress, or all the forces of your strength?

20 Do not desire the night when people are cut off in their place.

21 Take heed and ^qdo not regard iniquity, for this ^ryou have chosen rather than affliction.

22 Behold, God exalts by His power. Who teaches like Him?

23 Who ^shas appointed Him His way? Or who can say, ‘You have ^tworked iniquity?’

24 ¶ Remember that you should ^umagnify His work of which men have sung.

25 Every man may see it. Man may behold it from afar.

26 Behold, God is great and we ^vdo not know Him, ^wnor can the number of His years be determined.

27 For He ^xdraws up the drops of water that distill as rain from the mist,

28 which ^ythe clouds drop and distill on man abundantly.

29 Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, or the noise of His tent?

30 Behold, He ^zspreads His light on it and covers the depths of the sea.

31 For ^aby them He sustains the nations. He ^bgives food in abundance.

32 With ^cclouds He covers the light, and commands it to strike.

33 His ^dthunder declares it, the cattle also concerning the rising storm.

1 ¶ “At this also my heart trembles and is moved out of its place.

2 Hear attentively the noise of His voice and the sound that goes out of His mouth.

3 He sends it forth under the whole heaven, and His lightning to the ends of the earth.

4 After it a ^avoice roars. He thunders with the voice of His excellency, and He will not restrain them when His voice is heard.

5 God thunders marvelously with His voice. ^bHe does great things that we cannot comprehend.

6 For ^cHe says to the snow, ‘Be on the earth,’ likewise to the small rain and to the heavy rain of His strength.

7 He seals up the hand of every man so ^dthat ^eall men may know His work.

8 Then the beasts ^fgo into dens and remain in their places.

9 Out of the south comes the whirlwind, and cold out of the north.

10 By the ^gbreath of God frost is given. And the expanse of the waters is frozen.

11 Also by watering He loads the thick cloud. The clouds scatter His lightning.

12 And it is turned around by His counsels so that they may ^hdo whatever He commands them on the face of the inhabited earth.

13 He ⁱcauses it to come, whether for correction, or ^jfor His land, or ^kfor mercy.

14 ¶ “Hearken to this, Job. Stand still and ^lconsider the wondrous works of God.

15 Do you know when God establishes them, and causes the light of His cloud to shine?

16 Do you ^mknow the layers of the clouds, the wondrous works of ⁿHim who is perfect in knowledge?

17 Why are your garments hot when He quiets the earth by the south wind?

18 Have you with Him ^ospread out the ^psky that is strong and as a molten looking glass?

19 Teach us what we will say to Him, for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.

20 Will it be told Him that I speak? If a man speak, surely He will be swallowed up.

21 And now men do not see the bright light that is in the clouds. But the wind passes over and clears them.

22 Fair weather comes out of the north. Around God is awesome majesty.

23 Concerning the Almighty, ^qwe cannot find Him. ^rHe is excellent in power and in judgment, and in abundance of justice. He will not afflict.

24 Men, therefore, ^sfear Him. He does not regard any who are ^twise of heart.”

1 ¶ Then the LORD answered Job ^aout of the whirlwind and said,

2 “Who is ^bthis who darkens counsel by ^cwords without knowledge?

3 ^d“Gird up now your loins like a man, for I will demand of you, and answer Me.

4 ¶ “Where ^ewere you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.

5 “Who has laid its measurements, if you know? Or who has stretched the line on it?

6 “On what are its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,

7 “when the morning stars sang together and all the ^fsons of God shouted for joy?

8 “Or ^gwho shut up the sea with doors when it broke forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

9 “When I made the cloud its garment, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,

10 “and ^hI placed boundaries on it and set a bolt and doors,

11 “and said, ‘To here you will come, but no further; and here will your proud waves ⁱbe stopped’?

12 ¶ “Have you ^jcommanded the morning since your days, and caused the dawn to know its place,

13 “so that it might take hold of the ends of the earth that ^kthe wicked might be shaken out of it?

14 “It is turned to clay as under a seal, and they stand as a garment.

15 “And from the wicked their ^llight is withheld, and the ^muplifted arm will be broken.

16 “Have you ⁿentered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths?

17 “Have the ^ogates of death been opened to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?

18 “Have you perceived the breadth of the earth? Declare if you know it all.

19 ¶ “Where is the way where light dwells? And as for darkness, where is its place,

20 “so that you should take it to its territory, and that you should know the paths to its house?

21 “You know it because you were born then? Or because the number of your days is great?

22 “Have you entered into the ^ptreasures of the snow? Or have you seen the treasures of the hail

23 “that ^qI have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?

24 “By what way is the light parted, or the east wind scattered on the earth?

25 “Who has ^rdivided a water channel for overflowing of waters, or a path for the lightning of thunder,

26 “to cause it to rain on the earth where no man is, on the wilderness where there is no man,

27 “to ^ssatisfy the desolate and waste land, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

28 “Does ^tthe rain have a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

29 “Out of whose womb came the ice? And the ^ufrost of heaven, who has given it birth?

30 “The waters are hardened as a stone, and the face of the deep is ^vfrozen.

31 ¶ “Can you bind the cluster of the ^wPleiades, or loose the belt of Orion?

32 “Can you bring forth a constellation in its season? Or can you guide the Bear with her satellites?

33 “Do you know the ^xordinances of heaven? Can you set its dominion over the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds so that abundance of waters may cover you?

35 “Can you send lightnings so that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are?’

36 “Who has ^yput wisdom in the innermost being? Or who has given understanding to the heart?

37 “Who can number the clouds in wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven

38 “when the dust grows into hardness and the clods cleave fast together?

39 ¶ “Will you ^zhunt the prey for the lion, or fill the appetite of the young lions

40 “when they couch in their dens and lie in wait in their lair?

41 “Who ^aprovides for the raven his food when his young one cries out to God and wanders for lack of food?”

1 ¶ “Do you know the time when the ^awild goats of the rock bring forth? Can you mark when the ^bdeer gives birth?

2 Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bring forth?

3 They bow themselves. They bring forth their young ones. They cast out their labor pains.

4 Their young ones become strong. They grow up with grain. They go forth and do not return to them.

5 Who has sent out the wild donkey free? Or who has loosed the bonds of the wild donkey,

6 whose ^chouse I have made the wilderness and the barren land his dwellings?

7 He scorns the multitude of the city. He does not regard the cries of the driver.

8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches after ^devery green thing.

9 Will the ^ewild ox be willing to serve you, or abide by your manger?

10 Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with cords? Or will he plow the valleys after you?

11 Will you trust him because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him?

12 Will you trust him so that he will bring home your seed and gather it into your barn?

13 The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork.

14 She leaves her eggs on the earth and warms them in the sand,

15 unmindful that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

16 She is ^fhardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers. Her labor is in vain without fear,

17 because God has deprived her of wisdom, nor has ^gHe imparted to her understanding.

18 When she lifts up herself to flee, she scorns the horse and his rider.

19 Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with a mane?

20 Can you make him afraid as a grasshopper? His majestic snorting strikes terror.

21 He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength. ^hHe goes on to meet the armed men.

22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened, nor does he turn back from the sword.

23 The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the shield.

24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage. He does not stand still at the sound of the trumpet.

25 He says among the trumpets, ‘Aha!’, and he smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains and the shouting.

26 Does the hawk fly by your wisdom and stretch her wings toward the south?

27 Does the ⁱeagle mount up at your command and ^jmake her nest on high?

28 She dwells and abides on the rock, on the crag of the rock, and the strong place.

29 From there she seeks the prey, and her eyes see it afar off.

30 Her young ones also suck up blood. And ^kwhere the slain are, there she is.”

1 ¶ Furthermore, the LORD ^aanswered Job and said,

2 “Will ^bhe who contends with the Almighty instruct Him? He who ^crebukes God, let him answer it.”

Job Speaks

3 Then Job answered the LORD and said,

4 “Behold, ^dI am vile. What will I answer You? ^eI will lay my hand on my mouth.

5 Once I have spoken, and I will not answer. Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”

The LORD Speaks

6 ¶ Then ^fthe LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

7 “Now ^ggird up your loins like a man. ^hI will demand of you, and you declare to Me.

8 Will ⁱyou also annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me so that you might be righteous?

9 Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a ^jvoice like His?

10 ^kAdorn yourself now with majesty and excellency, and array yourself with glory and beauty.

11 Pour out the rage of your wrath, and behold everyone who is proud, and make him low.

12 Look on everyone who is ^lproud and bring him low, and tread down the wicked in their place.

13 Hide them together in the dust and bind their faces in secret.

14 Then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you.

15 ¶ “Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass like an ox.

16 Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his power is in the muscles of his belly.

17 He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are wrapped together.

18 His bones are as strong pieces of bronze. His bones are like bars of iron.

19 He is the first of ^mGod’s masterpieces. Only He who made him can bring His sword to approach him.

20 Surely the mountains ⁿbring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.

21 He lies under the shady trees, in the covert of the reeds and the marsh.

22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow. The willows of the brook surround him.

23 If a river rages, he is not disturbed. He trusts that he can draw up the Jordan into his mouth.

24 He takes it with his eyes. His nose pierces through snares.

1 ¶ “Can you draw out ^aLeviathan with a hook, or his tongue with a cord that you let down?

2 Can you put a ^bhook into his nose, or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

3 Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak soft words to you?

4 Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever?

5 Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your maidens?

6 Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?

7 Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?

8 Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle. You will not do it again.

9 Behold, any hope of subduing him is useless. Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

10 No one is so fierce who dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand before Me?

11 ^cWho has a claim against Me that I should repay him? Whatever is ^dunder the whole heaven is Mine.

12 I will not conceal his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his orderly frame.

13 Who can discover the face of his garment? Or who can come to him with his double bridle?

14 Who can open the doors of his face? His teeth are terrible all around.

15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a tight seal.

16 One is so near to another that no air can come between them.

17 They are joined one to another. They stick together so that they cannot be separated.

18 By his sneezings a light does shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps and sparks of fire leap out.

20 Out of his nostrils goes smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

21 His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.

22 In his neck remains strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.

23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm in themselves. They cannot be moved.

24 His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, as hard as a piece of the lower millstone.

25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. By reason of crashing they are beside themselves.

26 The sword that reaches him cannot avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.

27 He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.

28 The arrow cannot make him flee. Slingstones are like chaff to him.

29 Darts are counted as stubble. He laughs at the shaking of a spear.

30 Sharp stones are under him. He spreads sharp pointed things in the mire.

31 He makes the depths to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 He makes a path to shine after him; one would think the deep had white hair.

33 On earth there is nothing like him who is made without fear.

34 He beholds all high things. He is a king over all the children of pride.”

Job Speaks

1 ¶ Then Job answered the LORD and said,

2 “I know that You ^acan do everything and that no thought can be withheld from You.

3 You asked, ^b‘Who is he who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore, I have spoken what I did not understand, ^cthings too wonderful for me that I did not know.

4 ‘Please hear and I will speak.’ You said, ^d‘I will demand of You and You instruct me.’

5 I have ^eheard of You by the hearing of the ear. But now my eye sees You.

6 Therefore, I ^fabhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job Restored

7 ¶ Now 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 Therefore, take now for yourselves ^gseven bulls and seven rams, and ^hgo to My servant Job and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering. And My servant Job will ⁱpray for you. For I will accept him lest I deal with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right like My servant Job.”

9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as the LORD commanded them. The LORD also accepted Job.

10 And the ^jLORD turned the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends. The LORD also gave Job ^ktwice as much as he had before.

11 Then there came to him ^lall his brothers and all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before. And they ate bread with him in his house. And they consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought on him. Each one also gave him one piece of money, and every one a ring of gold.

12 So the LORD blessed the ^mlatter end of Job more than his beginning, for he had ⁿ14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys.

13 ^oHe had also seven sons and three daughters.

14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.

15 And in all the land no women were found so fair as the daughters of Job. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

16 After this Job ^plived 140 years. And he saw his sons and his sons’ sons, even four generations.

17 So Job died, being old and ^qfull of days.