[Job – 1917 Jewish Publication Society]

Chapter 1

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was whole-hearted and upright, and one that feared God, and shunned evil. ²And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. ³His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she- asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east. ⁴And his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one upon his day; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. ⁵And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt- offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said: ‘It may be that my sons have sinned, and blasphemed God in their hearts.’ Thus did Job continually.

⁶Now it fell upon a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Satan [lit. the Adversary] came also among them. ⁷And the LORD said unto Satan: ‘Whence comest thou?’ Then Satan answered the LORD, and said: ‘From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.’ ⁸And the LORD said unto Satan: ‘Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a whole-hearted and an upright man, one that feareth God, and shunneth evil?’ ⁹Then Satan answered the LORD, and said: ‘Doth Job fear God for nought? ¹⁰Hast not Thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions are increased in the land. ¹¹But put forth Thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, surely he will blaspheme Thee to Thy face.’ ¹²And the LORD said unto Satan: ‘Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand.’ So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

¹³And it fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, ¹⁴that there came a messenger unto Job, and said: ‘The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them; ¹⁵and the Sabeans made a raid, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.’ ¹⁶While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said: ‘A fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.’ ¹⁷While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said: ‘The Chaldeans set themselves in three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.’ ¹⁸While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said: ‘Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house; ¹⁹And, behold, there came a great wind from across the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.’

²⁰Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped; ²¹And he said; Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return thither; The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD. ²²For all this Job sinned not, nor ascribed aught unseemly to God.

Chapter 2

Again it fell upon a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. ²And the LORD said unto Satan: ‘From whence comest thou?’ And Satan answered the LORD, and said: ‘From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.’ ³And the LORD said unto Satan: ‘Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a whole-hearted and an upright man, one that feareth God, and shunneth evil? and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou didst move Me against him, to destroy him without cause.’ ⁴And Satan answered the LORD, and said: ‘Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. ⁵But put forth Thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, surely he will blaspheme Thee to Thy face.’ ⁶And the LORD said unto Satan: ‘Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.’

⁷So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot even unto his crown. ⁸And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes. ⁹Then said his wife unto him: ‘Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? blaspheme God, and die.’ ¹⁰But he said unto her: ‘Thou speakest as one of the impious women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?’ For all this did not Job sin with his lips.

¹¹Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to bemoan him and to comfort him. ¹²And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and threw dust upon their heads toward heaven. ¹³So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word unto him; for they saw that his grief was very great.

Chapter 3

After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. ²And Job spoke, and said: ³Let the day perish wherein I was born, And the night wherein it was said: ‘A man-child is brought forth.’ ⁴Let that day be darkness; Let not God inquire after it from above, Neither let the light shine upon it. ⁵Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let all that maketh black the day terrify it. ⁶As for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months. ⁷Lo, let that night be desolate; Let no joyful voice come therein. ⁸Let them curse it that curse the day, Who are ready to rouse up leviathan. ⁹Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; Let it look for light, but have none; Neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning; ¹⁰Because it shut not up the doors of my [mother’s] womb, Nor hid trouble from mine eyes.

¹¹Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not perish at birth? ¹²Why did the knees receive me? And wherefore the breasts, that I should suck? ¹³For now should I have lain still and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest—¹⁴With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up waste places for themselves; ¹⁵Or with princes that had gold, Who filled their houses with silver; ¹⁶Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; As infants that never saw light. ¹⁷There the wicked cease from troubling; And there the weary are at rest. ¹⁸There the prisoners are at ease together; They hear not the voice of the taskmaster. ¹⁹The small and great are there alike; And the servant is free from his master.

²⁰Wherewith is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul—²¹Who long for death, but it cometh not; And dig for it more than for hid treasures; ²²Who rejoice unto exultation, And are glad, when they can find the grave?—²³To a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in? ²⁴For my sighing cometh instead of my food, And my roarings are poured out like water. ²⁵For the thing which I did fear is come upon me, And that which I was afraid of hath overtaken me. ²⁶I was not at ease, neither was I quiet, Neither had I rest; but trouble came.

Chapter 4

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: ²If one venture a word unto thee, wilt thou be weary? But who can withhold himself from speaking? ³Behold, thou hast instructed many, And thou hast strengthened the weak hands. ⁴Thy words have upholden him that was falling, And thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. ⁵But now it is come upon thee, and thou art weary; It toucheth thee, and thou art affrighted. ⁶Is not thy fear of God thy confidence, And thy hope the integrity of thy ways? ⁷Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off? ⁸According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow mischief, reap the same. ⁹By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of His anger are they consumed. ¹⁰The lion roareth, and the fierce lion howleth—Yet the teeth of the young lions are broken. ¹¹The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.

¹²Now a word was secretly brought to me, And mine ear received a whisper thereof. ¹³In thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth on men, ¹⁴Fear came upon me, and trembling, And all my bones were made to shake. ¹⁵Then a spirit passed before my face, That made the hair of my flesh to stand up. ¹⁶It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; A form was before mine eyes; I heard a still voice: ¹⁷’Shall mortal man be just before God? Shall a man be pure before his Maker? ¹⁸Behold, He putteth no trust in His servants, And His angels He chargeth with folly; ¹⁹How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth! ²⁰Betwixt morning and evening they are shattered; They perish for ever without any regarding it. ²¹Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.’

Chapter 5

Call now; is there any that will answer thee? And to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn? ²For anger killeth the foolish man, And envy slayeth the silly one. ³I have seen the foolish taking root; But suddenly I beheld his habitation cursed. ⁴His children are far from safety, And are crushed in the gate, with none to deliver them. ⁵Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, And taketh it even out of the thorns, and the snare gapeth for their substance. ⁶For affliction cometh not forth from the dust, Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; ⁷But man is born unto trouble, As the sparks fly upward.

⁸But as for me, I would seek unto God, And unto God would I commit my cause; ⁹Who doeth great things and unsearchable, Marvellous things without number; ¹⁰Who giveth rain upon the earth, And sendeth waters upon the fields; ¹¹So that He setteth up on high those that are low, And those that mourn are exalted to safety. ¹²He frustrateth the devices of the crafty, So that their hands can perform nothing substantial. ¹³He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; And the counsel of the wily is carried headlong. ¹⁴They meet with darkness in the day-time, And grope at noonday as in the night. ¹⁵But He saveth from the sword of their mouth, Even the needy from the hand of the mighty. ¹⁶So the poor hath hope, And iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

¹⁷Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth; Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. ¹⁸For He maketh sore, and bindeth up; He woundeth, and His hands make whole. ¹⁹He will deliver thee in six troubles; Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. ²⁰In famine He will redeem thee from death; And in war from the power of the sword. ²¹Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue; Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. ²²At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh; Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. ²³For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. ²⁴And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; And thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt miss nothing. ²⁵Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, And thine offspring as the grass of the earth. ²⁶Thou shalt come to thy grave in a ripe age, Like as a shock of corn cometh in in its season. ²⁷Lo this, we have searched it, So it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

Chapter 6

Then Job answered and said: ²Oh that my vexation were but weighed, And my calamity laid in the balances altogether! ³For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; Herefore are my words broken. ⁴For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, The poison whereof my spirit drinketh up; The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. ⁵Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder? ⁶Can that which hath no savour be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the juice of mallows? ⁷My soul refuseth to touch them; They are as the sickness of my flesh.

⁸Oh that I might have my request, And that God would grant me the thing that I long for! ⁹Even that it would please God to crush me; That He would let loose His hand, and cut me off! ¹⁰Then should I yet have comfort; Yea, I would exult in pain, though He spare not;

For I have not denied the words of the Holy One. ¹¹What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is mine end, that I should be patient? ¹²Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of brass? ¹³Is it that I have no help in me, And that sound wisdom is driven quite from me?

¹⁴To him that is ready to faint kindness is due from his friend, Even to him that forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. ¹⁵My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, As the channel of brooks that overflow, ¹⁶Which are black by reason of the ice, And wherein the snow hideth itself; ¹⁷What time they wax warm, they vanish, When it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. ¹⁸The paths of their way do wind, They go up into the waste, and are lost. ¹⁹The caravans of Tema looked, The companies of Sheba waited for them—²⁰They were ashamed because they had hoped; They came thither, and were confounded. ²¹For now ye are become His; Ye see a terror, and are afraid. ²²Did I say: ‘Give unto me’? Or: ‘Offer a present for me of your substance’? ²³or: ‘Deliver me from the adversary’s hand’? Or: ‘Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors’?

²⁴Teach me, and I will hold my peace; And cause me to understand wherein I have erred. ²⁵How forcible are words of uprightness! But what doth your arguing argue? ²⁶Do ye hold words to be an argument, But the speeches of one that is desperate to be wind? ²⁷Yea, ye would cast lots upon the fatherless, And dig a pit for your friend. ²⁸Now therefore be pleased to look upon me; For surely I shall not lie to your face. ²⁹Return, I pray you, let there be no injustice; Yea, return again, my cause is righteous. ³⁰Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern crafty devices?

Chapter 7

Is there not a time of service to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling? ²As a servant that eagerly longeth for the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages; ³So am I made to possess—months of vanity, And wearisome nights are appointed to me. ⁴When I lie down, I say: ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night is long, and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. ⁵My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; My skin closeth up and breaketh out afresh. ⁶My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And are spent without hope. ⁷O remember that my life is a breath; Mine eye shall no more see good. ⁸The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; While Thine eyes are upon me, I am gone. ⁹As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. ¹⁰He shall return no more to his house, Neither shall his place know him any more.

¹¹Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. ¹²Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That Thou settest a watch over me? ¹³When I say: ‘My bed shall comfort me, My couch shall ease my complaint’; ¹⁴Then Thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions; ¹⁵So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than these my bones. ¹⁶I loathe it; I shall not live alway; Let me alone; for my days are vanity. ¹⁷What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him, And that Thou shouldest set Thy heart upon him, ¹⁸And that Thou shouldest remember him every morning, And try him every moment? ¹⁹How long wilt Thou not look away from me, Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? ²⁰If I have sinned, what do I unto Thee, O Thou watcher of men? Why hast Thou set me as a mark for Thee, So that I am a burden to myself? ²¹And why dost Thou not pardon my transgression, And take away mine iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; And Thou wilt seek me, but I shall not be.

Chapter 8

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said: ²How long wilt thou speak these things, Seeing that the words of thy mouth are as a mighty wind? ³Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice? ⁴If thy children sinned against Him, He delivered them into the hand of their transgression. ⁵If thou wouldest seek earnestly unto God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty; ⁶If thou wert pure and upright; Surely now He would awake for thee, And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. ⁷And though thy beginning was small, Yet thy end should greatly increase.

⁸For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out—⁹For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, Because our days upon earth are a shadow—¹⁰Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, And utter words out of their heart? ¹¹Can the rush shoot up without mire? Can the reed-grass grow without water? ¹²Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, It withereth before any other herb. ¹³So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish; ¹⁴Whose confidence is gossamer, And whose trust is a spider’s web. ¹⁵He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure. ¹⁶He is green before the sun, And his shoots go forth over his garden. ¹⁷His roots are wrapped about the heap, He beholdeth the place of stones. ¹⁸If he be destroyed from his place, Then it shall deny him: ‘I have not seen thee.’ ¹⁹Behold, this is the joy of his way, And out of the earth shall others spring. ²⁰Behold, God will not cast away an innocent man, Neither will He uphold the evil- doers; ²¹Till He fill thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with shouting. ²²They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.

Chapter 9

Then Job answered and said: ²Of a truth I know that it is so; And how can man be just with God? ³If one should desire to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one of a thousand. ⁴He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; Who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered? ⁵Who removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When He overturneth them in His anger. ⁶Who shaketh the earth out of her place, And the pillars thereof tremble. ⁷Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; And sealeth up the stars. ⁸Who alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea. ⁹Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south. ¹⁰Who doeth great things past finding out; Yea, marvellous things without number. ¹¹Lo, He goeth by me, and I see Him not. He passeth on also, but I perceive Him not. ¹²Behold, He snatcheth away, who can hinder Him? Who will say unto Him: ‘What doest Thou?’ ¹³God will not withdraw His anger; The helpers of Rahab did stoop under Him.

¹⁴How much less shall I answer Him, And choose out my arguments with Him? ¹⁵Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to Him that contendeth with me. ¹⁶If I had called, and He had answered me; Yet would I not believe that He would hearken unto my voice—¹⁷He that would break me with a tempest, And multiply my wounds without cause; ¹⁸That would not suffer me to take my breath, But fill me with bitterness. ¹⁹If it be a matter of strength, lo, He is mighty! And if of justice, who will appoint me a time? ²⁰Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me; Though I be innocent, He shall prove me perverse. ²¹I am innocent—I regard not myself, I despise my life. ²²It is all one—therefore I say: He destroyeth the innocent and the wicked. ²³If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the calamity of the guiltless. ²⁴The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof; If it be not He, who then is it? ²⁵Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. ²⁶They are passed away as the swift ships; As the vulture that swoopeth on the prey. ²⁷If I say: ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer’, ²⁸I am afraid of all my pains, I know that Thou wilt not hold me guiltless. ²⁹I shall be condemned; Why then do I labour in vain? ³⁰If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean; ³¹Yet wilt Thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me. ³²For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, That we should come together in judgment. ³³There is no arbiter betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both. ³⁴Let Him take His rod away from me, And let not His terror make me afraid; ³⁵Then would I speak, and not fear Him; For I am not so with myself.

Chapter 10

My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. ²I will say unto God: Do not condemn me; Make me know wherefore Thou contendest with me. ³Is it good unto Thee that Thou shouldest oppress, That Thou shouldest despise the work of Thy hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked? ⁴Hast Thou eyes of flesh? Or seest Thou as man seeth? ⁵Are Thy days as the days of man, Or Thy years as a man’s days, ⁶That Thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin, ⁷Although Thou knowest that I shall not be condemned; And there is none that can deliver out of Thy hand? ⁸Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me Together round about; yet Thou dost destroy me! ⁹Remember, I beseech Thee, that Thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt Thou bring me into dust again? ¹⁰Hast Thou not poured me out as milk, And curdled me like cheese? ¹¹Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews. ¹²Thou hast granted me life and favour, And Thy providence hath preserved my spirit. ¹³Yet these things Thou didst hide in Thy heart; I know that this is with Thee; ¹⁴If I sin, then Thou markest me, And Thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. ¹⁵If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head—Being filled with ignominy And looking upon mine affliction. ¹⁶And if it exalt itself, Thou huntest me as a lion; And again Thou showest Thyself marvellous upon me. ¹⁷Thou renewest Thy witnesses against me, And increasest Thine indignation upon me; Host succeeding host against me.

¹⁸Wherefore then hast Thou brought me forth out of the womb? Would that I had perished, and no eye had seen me! ¹⁹I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. ²⁰Are not my days few? Cease then, And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, ²¹Before I go whence I shall not return, Even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death; ²²A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; A land of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as darkness.

Chapter 11

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said: ²Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be accounted right? ³Thy boastings have made men hold their peace, And thou hast mocked, with none to make thee ashamed; ⁴And thou hast said: ‘My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in Thine eyes.’ ⁵But oh that God would speak, And open His lips against thee; ⁶And that He would tell thee the secrets of wisdom, That sound wisdom is manifold! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

⁷Canst thou find out the deep things of God? Canst thou attain unto the purpose of the Almighty? ⁸It is high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than the nether-world; what canst thou know? ⁹The measure thereof is longer than the earth, And broader than the sea. ¹⁰If He pass by, and shut up, Or gather in, then who can hinder Him? ¹¹For He knoweth base men; And when He seeth iniquity, will He not then consider it? ¹²But an empty man will get understanding, When a wild ass’s colt is born a man.

¹³If thou set thy heart aright, And stretch out thy hands toward Him—¹⁴If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, And let not unrighteousness dwell in thy tents—¹⁵Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear; ¹⁶For thou shalt forget thy misery; Thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away; ¹⁷And thy life shall be clearer than the noonday; Though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning. ¹⁸And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; Yea, thou shalt look about thee, and shalt take thy rest in safety. ¹⁹Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; Yea, many shall make suit unto thee. ²⁰But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And they shall have no way to flee, And their hope shall be the drooping of the soul.

Chapter 12

Then Job answered and said: ²No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you. ³But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; Yea, who knoweth not such things as these? ⁴I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbour, A man that called upon God, And He answered him; The just, the innocent man is a laughing-stock, ⁵A contemptible brand in the thought of him that is at ease, A thing ready for them whose foot slippeth. ⁶The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure, In whatsoever God bringeth into their hand.

⁷But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee; ⁸Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee; ⁹Who knoweth not among all these, That the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? ¹⁰In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind.—¹¹Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food? ¹²Is wisdom with aged men, And understanding in length of days?—¹³With Him is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding. ¹⁴Behold, He breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. ¹⁵Behold, He withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Also He sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. ¹⁶With Him is strength and sound wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are His. ¹⁷He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh He fools. ¹⁸He looseth the bond of kings, And bindeth their loins with a girdle. ¹⁹He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty. ²⁰He removeth the speech of men of trust, And taketh away the sense of the elders. ²¹He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong. ²²He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death. ²³He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth the nations, and leadeth them away. ²⁴He taketh away the heart of the chiefs of the people of the land, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. ²⁵They grope in the dark without light, And He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

Chapter 13

Lo, mine eyes hath seen all this, Mine ear hath heard and understood it. ²What ye know, do I know also; I am not inferior unto you. ³Notwithstanding I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. ⁴But ye are plasterers of lies, Ye are all physicians of no value. ⁵Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom. ⁶Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips. ⁷Will ye speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for Him? ⁸Will ye show Him favour? Will ye contend for God? ⁹Would it be good that He should search you out? Or as one mocketh a man, will ye mock Him? ¹⁰He will surely reprove you, If ye do secretly show favour. ¹¹Shall not His majesty terrify you, And His dread fall upon you? ¹²Your memorials shall be like unto ashes, Your eminences to eminences of clay.

¹³Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, And let come on me what will. ¹⁴Wherefore? I will take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand. ¹⁵Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him; But I will argue my ways before Him. ¹⁶This also shall be my salvation, That a hypocrite cannot come before Him. ¹⁷Hear diligently my speech, And let my declaration be in your ears. ¹⁸Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified. ¹⁹Who is he that will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and die.

²⁰Only do not two things unto me, Then will I not hide myself from Thee: ²¹Withdraw Thy hand far from me; And let not Thy terror make me afraid. ²²Then call Thou, and I will answer; Or let me speak, and answer Thou me. ²³How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin. ²⁴Wherefore hidest Thou Thy face, And holdest me for Thine enemy? ²⁵Wilt Thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt Thou pursue the dry stubble? ²⁶That Thou shouldest write bitter things against me, And make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth. ²⁷Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, And lookest narrowly unto all my paths; Thou drawest Thee a line about the soles of my feet; ²⁸Though I am like a wine-skin that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Chapter 14

Man that is born of a woman Is of few days, and full of trouble. ²He cometh forth like a flower, and withereth; He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. ³And dost Thou open Thine eyes upon such a one, And bringest me into judgment with Thee? ⁴Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. ⁵Seeing his days are determined, The number of his months is with Thee, And Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; ⁶Look away from him, that he may rest, Till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

⁷For there is hope of a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease. ⁸Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, And the stock thereof die in the ground; ⁹Yet through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs like a plant. ¹⁰But man dieth, and lieth low; Yea, man perisheth, and where is he? ¹¹As the waters fail from the sea, And the river is drained dry; ¹²So man lieth down and riseth not; Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep. ¹³Oh that Thou wouldest hide me in the nether-world, That Thou wouldest keep me secret, until Thy wrath be past, That Thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!—¹⁴If a man die, may he live again? All the days of my service would I wait, till my relief should come—¹⁵Thou wouldest call, and I would answer Thee; Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of Thy hands. ¹⁶But now Thou numberest my steps, Thou dost not even wait for my sin; ¹⁷My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And Thou heapest up mine iniquity. ¹⁸And surely the mountain falling crumbleth away, And the rock is removed out of its place; ¹⁹The waters wear the stones; The overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth; So Thou destroyest the hope of man. ²⁰Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. ²¹His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; And they are brought low, but he regardeth them not. ²²But his flesh grieveth for him, And his soul mourneth over him.

Chapter 15

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: ²Should a wise man make answer with windy knowledge, And fill his belly with the east wind? ³Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? ⁴Yea, thou doest away with fear, And impairest devotion before God. ⁵For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, And thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. ⁶Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Yea, thine own lips testify against thee. ⁷Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills? ⁸Dost thou hearken in the council of God? And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? ⁹What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us? ¹⁰With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, Much older than thy father. ¹¹Are the consolations of God too small for thee, And the word that dealeth gently with thee? ¹²Why doth thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes wink? ¹³That thou turnest thy spirit against God, And lettest such words go out of thy mouth. ¹⁴What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? ¹⁵Behold, He putteth no trust in His holy ones; Yea, the heavens are not clean in His sight. ¹⁶How much less one that is abominable and impure, Man who drinketh iniquity like water! ¹⁷I will tell thee, hear thou me; And that which I have seen I will declare—¹⁸Which wise men have told From their fathers, and have not hid it; ¹⁹Unto whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them. ²⁰The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor. ²¹A sound of terrors is in his ears: In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. ²²He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword. ²³He wandereth abroad for bread: ‘Where is it?’ He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. ²⁴Distress and anguish overwhelm him; They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. ²⁵Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, And behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty; ²⁶He runneth upon him with a stiff neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers. ²⁷Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, And made collops of fat on his loins; ²⁸And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, In houses which no man would inhabit, Which were ready to become heaps. ²⁹He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, Neither shall their produce bend to the earth. ³⁰He shall not depart out of darkness; The flame shall dry up his branches, And by the breath of His mouth shall he go away. ³¹Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; For vanity shall be his recompense. ³²It shall be accomplished before his time, And his branch shall not be leafy. ³³He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, And shall cast off his flower as the olive. ³⁴For the company of the godless shall be desolate, And fire shall consume the tents of bribery. ³⁵They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, And their belly prepareth deceit.

Chapter 16

Then Job answered and said: ²I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are ye all. ³Shall windy words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest? ⁴I also could speak as ye do; If your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could join words together against you, And shake my head at you. ⁵I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips would assuage your grief.

⁶Though I speak, my pain is not assuaged; And though I forbear, what am I eased? ⁷But now He hath made me weary; Thou hast made desolate all my company. ⁸And Thou hast shrivelled me up, which is a witness against me; And my leanness riseth up against me, it testifieth to my face. ⁹He hath torn me in His wrath, and hated me; He hath gnashed upon me with His teeth; Mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me. ¹⁰They have gaped upon me with their mouth; They have smitten me upon the cheek scornfully; They gather themselves together against me. ¹¹God delivereth me to the ungodly, And casteth me into the hands of the wicked. ¹²I was at ease, and He broke me asunder; Yea, He hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces; He hath also set me up for His mark. ¹³His archers compass me round about, He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground. ¹⁴He breaketh me with breach upon breach; He runneth upon me like a giant. ¹⁵I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, And have laid my horn in the dust. ¹⁶My face is reddened with weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death; ¹⁷Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure. ¹⁸O earth, cover not thou my blood, And let my cry have no resting-place. ¹⁹Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, And He that testifieth of me is on high. ²⁰Mine inward thoughts are my intercessors, Mine eye poureth out tears unto God; ²¹That He would set aright a man contending with God, As a son of man setteth aright his neighbour! ²²For the years that are few are coming on, And I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

Chapter 17

My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, The grave is ready for me. ²Surely there are mockers with me, And mine eye abideth in their provocation. ³Give now a pledge, be surety for me with Thyself; Who else is there that will strike hands with me? ⁴For Thou hast hid their heart from understanding; Therefore shalt Thou not exalt them. ⁵He that denounceth his friends for the sake of flattery, Even the eyes of his children shall fail.

⁶He hath made me also a byword of the people; And I am become one in whose face they spit. ⁷Mine eye also is dimmed by reason of vexation, And all my members are as a shadow. ⁸Upright men are astonished at this, And the innocent stirreth up himself against the godless. ⁹Yet the righteous holdeth on his way, And he that hath clean hands waxeth stronger and stronger. ¹⁰But as for you all, do ye return, and come now; And I shall not find a wise man among you. ¹¹My days are past, my purposes are broken off, Even the thoughts of my heart. ¹²They change the night into day; The light is short because of darkness. ¹³If I look for the nether-world as my house; If I have spread my couch in the darkness; ¹⁴If I have said to corruption: ‘Thou art my father’, To the worm: ‘Thou art my mother, and my sister’; ¹⁵Where then is my hope? And as for my hope, who shall see it? ¹⁶They shall go down to the bars of the nether-world, When we are at rest together in the dust.

Chapter 18

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said: ²How long will ye lay snares for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak. ³Wherefore are we counted as beasts, And reputed dull in your sight? ⁴Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place? ⁵Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, And the spark of his fire shall not shine. ⁶The light shall be dark in his tent, And his lamp over him shall be put out. ⁷The steps of his strength shall be straitened, And his own counsel shall cast him down. ⁸For he is cast into a net by his own feet, And he walketh upon the toils. ⁹A gin shall take him by the heel, And a snare shall lay hold on him. ¹⁰A noose is hid for him in the ground, And a trap for him in the way. ¹¹Terrors shall overwhelm him on every side, And shall entrap him at his feet. ¹²His trouble shall be ravenous, And calamity shall be ready for his fall. ¹³It shall devour the members of his body, Yea, the first-born of death shall devour his members. ¹⁴That wherein he trusteth shall be plucked out of his tent; And he shall be brought to the king of terrors. ¹⁵There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his; Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation. ¹⁶His roots shall dry up beneath, And above shall his branch wither. ¹⁷His remembrance shall perish from the earth, And he shall have no name abroad. ¹⁸He shall be driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world. ¹⁹He shall have neither son nor son’s son among his people, Nor any remaining in his dwellings. ²⁰They that come after shall be astonished at his day, As they that went before are affrighted. ²¹Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, And this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

Chapter 19

Then Job answered and said: ²How long will ye vex my soul, And crush me with words? ³These ten times have ye reproached me; Ye are not ashamed that ye deal harshly with me. ⁴And be it indeed that I have erred, Mine error remaineth with myself. ⁵If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, And plead against me my reproach; ⁶Know now that God hath subverted my cause, And hath compassed me with His net. ⁷Behold, I cry out: ‘Violence! ’ but I am not heard; I cry aloud, but there is no justice. ⁸He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths. ⁹He hath stripped me of my glory, And taken the crown from my head. ¹⁰He hath broken me down on every side, and I am gone; And my hope hath He plucked up like a tree. ¹¹He hath also kindled His wrath against me, And He counteth me unto Him as one of His adversaries. ¹²His troops come on together, And cast up their way against me, And encamp round about my tent. ¹³He hath put my brethren far from me, And mine acquaintance are wholly estranged from me. ¹⁴My kinsfolk have failed, And my familiar friends have forgotten me. ¹⁵They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger; I am become an alien in their sight. ¹⁶I call unto my servant, and he giveth me no answer, Though I entreat him with my mouth. ¹⁷My breath is abhorred of my wife, And I am loathsome to the children of my tribe. ¹⁸Even urchins despised me; If I arise, they speak against me. ¹⁹All my intimate friends abhor me; And they whom I loved are turned against me. ²⁰My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, And I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

²¹Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; For the hand of God hath touched me. ²²Why do ye persecute me as God, And are not satisfied with my flesh? ²³Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! ²⁴That with an iron pen and lead They were graven in the rock for ever! ²⁵But as for me, I know that my Redeemer liveth, And that He will witness at the last upon the dust; ²⁶And when after my skin this is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God; ²⁷Whom I, even I, shall see for myself, And mine eyes shall behold, and not another’s. My reins are consumed within me. ²⁸If ye say: ‘How we will persecute him!’ Seeing that the root of the matter is found in me; ²⁹Be ye afraid of the sword; For wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, That ye may know there is a judgment.

Chapter 20

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said: ²Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, Even by reason of mine agitation that is in me. ³I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame, But out of my understanding my spirit answereth me.

⁴Knowest thou not this of old time, Since man was placed upon earth, ⁵That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless but for a moment? ⁶Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, And his head reach unto the clouds; ⁷Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung; They that have seen him shall say: ‘Where is he?’ ⁸He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found; Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. ⁹The eye which saw him shall see him no more; Neither shall his place any more behold him. ¹⁰His children shall appease the poor, And his hands shall restore his wealth. ¹¹His bones are full of his youth, But it shall lie down with him in the dust. ¹²Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue; ¹³Though he spare it, and will not let it go, But keep it still within his mouth; ¹⁴Yet his food in his bowels is turned, It is the gall of asps within him. ¹⁵He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God shall cast them out of his belly. ¹⁶He shall suck the poison of asps; The viper’s tongue shall slay him. ¹⁷He shall not look upon the rivers, The flowing streams of honey and curd. ¹⁸That which he laboured for shall he give back, and shall not swallow it down; According to the substance that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice. ¹⁹For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor; He hath violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up. ²⁰Because he knew no quietness within him, In his greed he suffered nought to escape, ²¹There was nothing left that he devoured not—Therefore his prosperity shall not endure. ²²In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him. ²³It shall be for the filling of his belly; He shall cast the fierceness of His wrath upon him, And shall cause it to rain upon him into his flesh. ²⁴If he flee from the iron weapon, The bow of brass shall strike him through. ²⁵He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body; Yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall; Terrors are upon him. ²⁶All darkness is laid up for his treasures; A fire not blown by man shall consume him; It shall go ill with him that is left in his tent. ²⁷The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, And the earth shall rise up against him. ²⁸The increase of his house shall depart, His goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath. ²⁹This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the heritage appointed unto him by God.

Chapter 21

Then Job answered and said: ²Hear diligently my speech; And let this be your consolations. ³Suffer me, that I may speak; And after that I have spoken, mock on. ⁴As for me, is my complaint to man? Or why should I not be impatient? ⁵Turn unto me, and be astonished, And lay your hand upon your mouth. ⁶Even when I remember I am affrighted, And horror hath taketh hold on my flesh. ⁷Wherefore do the wicked live, Become old, yea, wax mighty in power? ⁸Their seed is established in their sight with them, And their offspring before their eyes. ⁹Their houses are safe, without fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them. ¹⁰Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. ¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance. ¹²They sing to the timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the pipe. ¹³They spend their days in prosperity, And peacefully they go down to the grave. ¹⁴Yet they said unto God: ‘Depart from us; For we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways. ¹⁵What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?’—¹⁶Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity cometh upon them? That He distributeth pains in His anger? ¹⁸That they are as stubble before the wind, And as chaff that the storm stealeth away? ¹⁹’God layeth up his iniquity for his children! ’—Let Him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it. ²⁰Let his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. ²¹For what pleasure hath he in his house after him? Seeing the number of his months is determined.

²²Shall any teach God knowledge? Seeing it is He that judgeth those that are high. ²³One dieth in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and quiet; ²⁴His pails are full of milk, And the marrow of his bones is moistened. ²⁵And another dieth in bitterness of soul, And hath never tasted of good. ²⁶They lie down alike in the dust, And the worm covereth them.

²⁷Behold, I know your thoughts, And the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me. ²⁸For ye say: ‘Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?’ ²⁹Have ye not asked them that go by the way; And will ye misdeem their tokens, ³⁰That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led forth to the day of wrath? ³¹But who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done? ³²For he is borne to the grave, And watch is kept over his tomb. ³³The clods of the valley are sweet unto him, And all men draw after him, As there were innumerable before him. ³⁴How then comfort ye me in vain? And as for your answers, there remaineth only faithlessness?

Chapter 22

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: ²Can a man be profitable unto God? Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him? ³Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless? ⁴Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee, That He entereth with thee into judgment? ⁵Is not thy wickedness great? And are not thine iniquities without end? ⁶For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing. ⁷Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. ⁸And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, And as a man of rank, who dwelleth in it, ⁹Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken. ¹⁰Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden dread affrighted thee, ¹¹Or darkness, that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee. ¹²Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are! ¹³And thou sayest: ‘What doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud? ¹⁴Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; And He walketh in the circuit of heaven.’ ¹⁵Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden? ¹⁶Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream; ¹⁷Who said unto God: ‘Depart from us’; And what could the Almighty do unto them? ¹⁸Yet He filled their houses with good things—But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. ¹⁹The righteous saw it, and were glad, And the innocent laugh them to scorn: ²⁰’Surely their substance is cut off, And their abundance the fire hath consumed.’

²¹Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby shall thine increase be good. ²²Receive, I pray thee, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in thy heart. ²³If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up—If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents, ²⁴And lay thy treasure in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks; ²⁵And the Almighty be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee; ²⁶Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God. ²⁷Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee, And thou shalt pay thy vows; ²⁸Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways. ²⁹When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: ‘There is lifting up’; For the humble person He saveth. ³⁰He delivereth him that is innocent, Yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.

Chapter 23

Then Job answered and said: ²Even to-day is my complaint bitter; My hand is become heavy because of my groaning. ³Oh that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come even to His seat! ⁴I would order my cause before Him, And fill my mouth with arguments. ⁵I would know the words which He would answer me, And understand what He would say unto me. ⁶Would He contend with me in His great power? Nay; but He would give heed unto me. ⁷There the upright might reason with Him; So should I be delivered for ever from my Judge.

⁸Behold, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; ⁹On the left hand, when He doth work, but I cannot behold Him, He turneth Himself to the right hand, but I cannot see Him.

¹⁰For He knoweth the way that I take; When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. ¹¹My foot hath held fast to His steps, His way have I kept, and turned not aside. ¹²I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured up the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

¹³But He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth. ¹⁴For He will perform that which is appointed for me; And many such things are with Him. ¹⁵Therefore am I affrighted at His presence; When I consider, I am afraid of Him. ¹⁶Yea, God hath made my heart faint, And the Almighty hath affrighted me; ¹⁷Because I was not cut off before the darkness, Neither did He cover the thick darkness from my face.

Chapter 24

Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days? ²There are that remove the landmarks; They violently take away flocks, and feed them. ³They drive away the ass of the fatherless, They take the widow’s ox for a pledge. ⁴They turn the needy out of the way; The poor of the earth hide themselves together. ⁵Behold, as wild asses in the wilderness They go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; The desert yieldeth them bread for their children. ⁶They cut his provender in the field; And they despoil the vineyard of the wicked. ⁷They lie all night naked without clothing, And have no covering in the cold. ⁸They are wet with the showers of the mountains, And embrace the rock for want of a shelter. ⁹There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge of the poor; ¹⁰So that they go about naked without clothing, And being hungry they carry the sheaves; ¹¹They make oil within the rows of these men; They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst. ¹²From out of the populous city men groan, And the soul of the wounded crieth out; Yet God imputeth it not for unseemliness.

¹³These are of them that rebel against the light; They know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. ¹⁴The murderer riseth with the light, to kill the poor and needy; And in the night he is as a thief. ¹⁵The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, Saying: ‘No eye shall see me’; And he putteth a covering on his face. ¹⁶In the dark they dig through houses; They shut themselves up in the day- time; They know not the light. ¹⁷For the shadow of death is to all of them as the morning; For they know the terrors of the shadow of death.

¹⁸He is swift upon the face of the waters; Their portion is cursed in the earth; He turneth not by the way of the vineyards. ¹⁹Drought and heat consume the snow waters; So doth the nether-world those that have sinned. ²⁰The womb forgetteth him; the worm feedeth sweetly on him; He shall be no more remembered; And unrighteousness is broken as a tree. ²¹He devoureth the barren that beareth not; And doeth not good to the widow. ²²He draweth away the mighty also by his power; He riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life. ²³Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, Yet His eyes are upon their ways. ²⁴They are exalted for a little while, and they are gone; Yea, they are brought low, they are gathered in as all others, And wither as the tops of the ears of corn. ²⁵And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, And make my speech nothing worth?

Chapter 25

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said: ²Dominion and fear are with Him; He maketh peace in His high places. ³Is there any number of His armies? And upon whom doth not His light arise? ⁴How then can man be just with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? ⁵Behold, even the moon hath no brightness, And the stars are not pure in His sight; ⁶How much less man, that is a worm! And the son of man, that is a maggot!

Chapter 26

Then Job answered and said: ²How hast thou helped him that is without power! How hast thou saved the arm that hath no strength! ³How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom, And plentifully declared sound knowledge! ⁴With whose help hast thou uttered words? And whose spirit came forth from thee?

⁵The shades tremble Beneath the waters and the inhabitants thereof. ⁶The nether-world is naked before Him, And Destruction hath no covering. ⁷He stretcheth out the north over the empty space, And hangeth the earth over nothing. ⁸He bindeth up the waters in His thick clouds; And the cloud is not rent under them. ⁹He closeth in the face of His throne, And spreadeth His cloud upon it. ¹⁰He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, Unto the confines of light and darkness. ¹¹The pillars of heaven tremble And are astonished at His rebuke. ¹²He stirreth up the sea with His power, And by His understanding He smiteth through Rahab. ¹³By His breath the heavens are serene; His hand hath pierced the slant serpent. ¹⁴Lo, these are but the outskirts of His ways; And how small a whisper is heard of Him! But the thunder of His mighty deeds who can understand?

Chapter 27

And Job again took up his parable, and said: ²As God liveth, who hath taken away my right; And the Almighty, who hath dealt bitterly with me; ³All the while my breath is in me And the spirit of God is in my nostrils, ⁴Surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, Neither shall my tongue utter deceit; ⁵Far be it from me that I should justify you; Till I die I will not put away mine integrity from me. ⁶My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

⁷Let mine enemy be as the wicked, And let him that riseth up against me be as the unrighteous. ⁸For what is the hope of the godless, though he get him gain, When God taketh away his soul? ⁹Will God hear his cry, When trouble cometh upon him? ¹⁰Will he have his delight in the Almighty, And call upon God at all times? ¹¹I will teach you concerning the hand of God; That which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. ¹²Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; Why then are ye become altogether vain? ¹³This is the portion of a wicked man with God, And the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty. ¹⁴If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword; And his offspring shall not have bread enough. ¹⁵Those that remain of him shall be buried by pestilence, And his widows shall make no lamentation. ¹⁶Though he heap up silver as the dust, And prepare raiment as the clay; ¹⁷He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, And the innocent shall divide the silver. ¹⁸He buildeth his house as a moth, And as a booth which the keeper maketh. ¹⁹He lieth down rich, but there shall be nought to gather; He openeth his eyes, and his wealth is not. ²⁰Terrors overtake him like waters; A tempest stealeth him away in the night. ²¹The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth; And it sweepeth him out of his place. ²²Yea, it hurleth at him, and spareth not; He would fain flee from its power. ²³Men shall clap their hands at him, And shall hiss him out of his place.

Chapter 28

For there is a mine for silver, And a place for gold which they refine. ²Iron is taken out of the dust, And brass is molten out of the stone. ³Man setteth an end to darkness, And searcheth out to the furthest bound The stones of thick darkness and of the shadow of death. ⁴He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; They are forgotten of the foot that passeth by; They hang afar from men, they swing to and fro. ⁵As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire. ⁶The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, And it hath dust of gold. ⁷That path no bird of prey knoweth, Neither hath the falcon’s eye seen it; ⁸The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor hath the lion passed thereby. ⁹He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots. ¹⁰He cutteth out channels among the rocks; And his eye seeth every precious thing. ¹¹He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

¹²But wisdom, where shall it be found? And where is the place of understanding? ¹³Man knoweth not the price thereof; Neither is it found in the land of the living. ¹⁴The deep saith: ‘It is not in me’; And the sea saith: ‘It is not with me.’ ¹⁵It cannot be gotten for gold, Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. ¹⁶It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx, or the sapphire. ¹⁷Gold and glass cannot equal it; Neither shall the exchange thereof be vessels of fine gold. ¹⁸No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies. ¹⁹The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

²⁰Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding? ²¹Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air. ²²Destruction and Death say: ‘We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.’ ²³God understandeth the way thereof, And He knoweth the place thereof. ²⁴For He looketh to the ends of the earth, And seeth under the whole heaven; ²⁵When He maketh a weight for the wind, And meteth out the waters by measure. ²⁶When He made a decree for the rain, And a way for the storm of thunders; ²⁷Then did He see it, and declare it; He established it, yea, and searched it out.

²⁸And unto man He said: ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’

Chapter 29

And Job again took up his parable, and said: ²Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me; ³When His lamp shined above my head, And by His light I walked through darkness; ⁴As I was in the days of my youth, When the converse of God was upon my tent; ⁵When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were about me; ⁶When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil! ⁷When I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the broad place, ⁸The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged rose up and stood; ⁹The princes refrained talking, And laid their hand on their mouth; ¹⁰The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. ¹¹For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me; ¹²Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him. ¹³The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. ¹⁴I put on righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; My justice was as a robe and a diadem. ¹⁵I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame. ¹⁶I was a father to the needy; And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out. ¹⁷And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth. ¹⁸Then I said: ‘I shall die with my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the phoenix; ¹⁹My root shall be spread out to the waters, And the dew shall lie all night upon my branch; ²⁰My glory shall be fresh in me, And my bow shall be renewed in my hand.’

²¹Unto me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel. ²²After my words they spoke not again; And my speech dropped upon them. ²³And they waited for me as for the rain; And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. ²⁴If I laughed on them, they believed it not; And the light of my countenance they cast not down. ²⁵I chose out their way, and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king in the army, As one that comforteth the mourners.

Chapter 30

But now now they that are younger than I have me in derision, Whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock. ²Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? Men in whom ripe age is perished. ³They are gaunt with want and famine; They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of wasteness and desolation. ⁴They pluck salt-wort with wormwood; And the roots of the broom are their food. ⁵They are driven forth from the midst of men; They cry after them as after a thief. ⁶In the clefts of the valleys must they dwell, In holes of the earth and of the rocks. ⁷Among the bushes they bray; Under the nettles they are gathered together. ⁸They are children of churls, yea, children of ignoble men; They were scourged out of the land.

⁹And now I am become their song, Yea, I am a byword unto them. ¹⁰They abhor me, they flee far from me, And spare not to spit in my face. ¹¹For He hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, And they have cast off the bridle before me. ¹²Upon my right hand rise the brood; They entangle my feet, And they cast up against me their ways of destruction. ¹³They break up my path, They further my calamity, Even men that have no helper. ¹⁴As through a wide breach they come; In the midst of the ruin they roll themselves upon me. ¹⁵Terrors are turned upon me, They chase mine honour as the wind; And my welfare is passed away as a cloud.

¹⁶And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have taken hold upon me. ¹⁷In the night my bones are pierced, and fall from me, And my sinews take no rest. ¹⁸By the great force [of my disease] is my garment disfigured; It bindeth me about as the collar of my coat. ¹⁹He hath cast me into the mire, And I am become like dust and ashes. ²⁰I cry unto Thee, and Thou dost not answer me; I stand up, and Thou lookest at me. ²¹Thou art turned to be cruel to me; With the might of Thy hand Thou hatest me. ²²Thou liftest me up to the wind, Thou causest me to ride upon it; And Thou dissolvest my substance. ²³For I know that Thou wilt bring me to death, And to the house appointed for all living.

²⁴Surely none shall put forth his hand to a ruinous heap, Neither because of these things shall help come in one’s calamity, ²⁵If I have not wept for him that was in trouble, And if my soul grieved not for the needy. ²⁶Yet, when I looked for good, there came evil; And when I waited for light, there came darkness. ²⁷Mine inwards boil, and rest not; Days of affliction are come upon me. ²⁸I go mourning without the sun; I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help. ²⁹I am become a brother to jackals, And a companion to ostriches. ³⁰My skin is black, and falleth from me, And my bones are burned with heat. ³¹Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, And my pipe into the voice of them that weep.

Chapter 31

I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a maid? ²For what would be the portion of God from above, And the heritage of the Almighty from on high? ³Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity? ⁴Doth not He see my ways, And count all my steps?

⁵If I have walked with vanity, And my foot hath hasted to deceit—⁶Let me be weighed in a just balance, That God may know mine integrity—⁷If my step hath turned out of the way, And my heart walked after mine eyes, And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands; ⁸Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

⁹If my heart have been enticed unto a woman, And I have lain in wait at my neighbour’s door; ¹⁰Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her. ¹¹For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges. ¹²For it is a fire that consumeth unto destruction, And would root out all mine increase.

¹³If I did despise the cause of my man-servant, Or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me—¹⁴What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when He remembereth, what shall I answer Him? ¹⁵Did not He that made me in the womb make him? And did not One fashion us in the womb?

¹⁶If I have withheld aught that the poor desired, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; ¹⁷Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof—¹⁸Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And I have been her guide from my mother’s womb. ¹⁹If I have seen any wanderer in want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering; ²⁰If his loins have not blessed me, And if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; ²¹If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate; ²²Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone. ²³For calamity from God was a terror to me, And by reason of His majesty I could do nothing. ²⁴If I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold: ‘Thou art my confidence’; ²⁵If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much; ²⁶If I beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness; ²⁷And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath kissed my hand; ²⁸This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have lied to God that is above.

²⁹If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or exulted when evil found him—³⁰Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse. ³¹If the men of my tent said not: ‘Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat?’ ³²The stranger did not lodge in the street; My doors I opened to the roadside.

³³If after the manner of men I covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom—³⁴Because I feared the great multitude, And the most contemptible among families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door.

³⁵Oh that I had one to hear me!— Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me—And that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written! ³⁶Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown. ³⁷I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him.

³⁸If my land cry out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together; ³⁹If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the tillers thereof to be disappointed—⁴⁰Let thistles grow instead of wheat, And noisome weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

Chapter 32

So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. ²Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram; against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. ³Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. ⁴Now Elihu had waited to speak unto Job, because they were older than he. ⁵And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.

⁶And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said: I am young, and ye are very old; Wherefore I held back, and durst not declare you mine opinion. ⁷I said: ‘Days should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’ ⁸But it is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty, that giveth them understanding. ⁹It is not the great that are wise, Nor the aged that discern judgment. ¹⁰Therefore I say: ‘Hearken to me; I also will declare mine opinion.’ ¹¹Behold, I waited for your words, I listened for your reasons, Whilst ye searched out what to say. ¹²Yea, I attended unto you, And, behold, there was none that convinced Job, Or that answered his words, among you. ¹³Beware lest ye say: ‘We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not man!’ ¹⁴For he hath not directed his words against me; Neither will I answer him with your speeches.

¹⁵They are amazed, they answer no more; Words are departed from them. ¹⁶And shall I wait, because they speak not, Because they stand still, and answer no more? ¹⁷I also will answer my part, I also will declare mine opinion. ¹⁸For I am full of words; The spirit within me constraineth me. ¹⁹Behold, mine inwards are as wine which hath no vent; Like new wine-skins which are ready to burst. ²⁰I will speak, that I may find relief; I will open my lips and answer. ²¹Let me not, I pray you, respect any man’s person; Neither will I give flattering titles unto any man. ²²For I know not to give flattering titles; Else would my Maker soon take me away.

Chapter 33

Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech, And hearken to all my words. ²Behold now, I have opened my mouth, My tongue hath spoken in my mouth. ³My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart; And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely. ⁴The spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty given me life. ⁵If thou canst, answer thou me, Set thy words in order before me, stand forth. ⁶Behold, I am toward God even as thou art; I also am formed out of the clay. ⁷Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.

⁸Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the voice of thy words; ⁹’I am clean, without transgression, I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me; ¹⁰Behold, He findeth occasions against me, He counteth me for His enemy; ¹¹He putteth my feet in the stocks, He marketh all my paths.’ ¹²Behold, I answer thee: In this thou art not right, That God is too great for man; ¹³Why hast thou striven against Him? Seeing that He will not answer any of his words. ¹⁴For God speaketh in one way, Yea in two, though man perceiveth it not. ¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falleth upon men, In slumberings upon the bed; ¹⁶Then He openeth the ears of men, And by their chastisement sealeth the decree, ¹⁷That men may put away their purpose, And that He may hide pride from man; ¹⁸That He may keep back his soul from the pit, And his life from perishing by the sword. ¹⁹He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, And all his bones grow stiff; ²⁰So that his life maketh him to abhor bread, And his soul dainty food. ²¹His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; And his bones corrode to unsightliness. ²²Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit, And his life to the destroyers. ²³If there be for him an angel, An intercessor, one among a thousand, To vouch for a man’s uprightness; ²⁴Then He is gracious unto him, and saith: ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.’ ²⁵His flesh is tenderer than a child’s; He returneth to the days of his youth; ²⁶He prayeth unto God, and He is favourable unto him; So that he seeth His face with joy; And He restoreth unto man his righteousness. ²⁷He cometh before men, and saith: ‘I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, And it profited me not.’ ²⁸So He redeemeth his soul from going into the pit, And his life beholdeth the light.

²⁹Lo, all these things doth God work, Twice, yea thrice, with a man, ³⁰To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of the living. ³¹Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me; Hold thy peace, and I will speak. ³²If thou hast any thing to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify thee. ³³If not, hearken thou unto me; Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.

Chapter 34

Moreover Elihu answered and said: ²Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. ³For the ear trieth words, As the palate tasteth food. ⁴Let us choose for us that which is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good. ⁵For Job hath said: ‘I am righteous, And God hath taken away my right; ⁶Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar; My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’ ⁷What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scorning like water? ⁸Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, And walketh with wicked men. ⁹For he hath said: ‘It profiteth a man nothing That he should be in accord with God.’

¹⁰Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that He should do wickedness; And from the Almighty, that He should commit iniquity. ¹¹For the work of a man will He requite unto him, And cause every man to find according to his ways. ¹²Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, Neither will the Almighty pervert justice. ¹³Who gave Him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world? ¹⁴If He set His heart upon man, If He gather unto Himself his spirit and his breath; ¹⁵All flesh shall perish together, And man shall return unto dust.

¹⁶If now thou hast understanding, hear this; Hearken to the voice of my words. ¹⁷Shall even one that hateth right govern? And wilt thou condemn Him that is just and mighty—¹⁸Is it fit to say to a king: ‘Thou art base’? Or to nobles: ‘Ye are wicked’?—¹⁹That respecteth not the persons of princes, Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they all are the work of His hands. ²⁰In a moment they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without hand. ²¹For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He seeth all his goings. ²²There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. ²³For He doth not appoint a time unto any man, When he should go before God in judgment. ²⁴He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquisition, And setteth others in their stead. ²⁵Therefore He taketh knowledge of their works; And He overturneth them in the night, so that they are crushed. ²⁶He striketh them as wicked men In the open sight of others; ²⁷Because they turned aside from following Him, And would not have regard to any of His ways; ²⁸So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto Him, And He heareth the cry of the afflicted. ²⁹When He giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when He hideth His face, who then can behold Him? Whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man, alike; ³⁰That the godless man reign not, That there be none to ensnare the people.

³¹For hath any said unto God: ‘I have borne chastisement, though I offend not; ³²That which I see not teach Thou me; If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’? ³³Shall His recompense be as thou wilt? For thou loathest it, So that thou must choose, and not I; Therefore speak what thou knowest. ³⁴Men of understanding will say unto me, Yea, every wise man that heareth me: ³⁵’Job speaketh without knowledge, And his words are without discernment.’ ³⁶Would that Job were tried unto the end, Because of his answering like wicked men. ³⁷For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, He clappeth his hands among us, And multiplieth his words against God.

Chapter 35

Moreover Elihu answered and said: ²Thinkest thou this to be thy right, Or sayest thou: ‘I am righteousness before God’, ³That thou inquirest: ‘What advantage will it be unto Thee?’ And: ‘What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’ ⁴I will give thee answer, And thy companions with thee. ⁵Look unto the heavens, and see; And behold the skies, which are higher than thou. ⁶If thou hast sinned, what doest thou against Him? And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto Him? ⁷If thou be righteous, what givest thou Him? Or what receiveth He of thy hand? ⁸Thy wickedness concerneth a man as thou art; And thy righteousness a son of man.

⁹By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty. ¹⁰But none saith: ‘Where is God my Maker, Who giveth songs in the night; ¹¹Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, And maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?’ ¹²There they cry, but none giveth answer, Because of the pride of evil men. ¹³Surely God will not hear vanity, Neither will the Almighty regard it. ¹⁴Yea, when thou sayest thou canst not see Him—The cause is before Him; therefore wait thou for Him. ¹⁵And now, is it for nought that He punished in His anger? And hath He not full knowledge of arrogance? ¹⁶But Job doth open his mouth in vanity; He multiplieth words without knowledge.

Chapter 36

Elihu also proceeded, and said: ²Suffer me a little, and I will tell thee; For there are yet words on God’s behalf. ³I will fetch my knowledge from afar, And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. ⁴For truly my words are not false; One that is upright in mind is with thee. ⁵Behold, God is mighty, yet He despiseth not any; He is mighty in strength of understanding. ⁶He preserveth not the life of the wicked; But giveth to the poor their right. ⁷He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous; But with kings upon the throne He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted. ⁸And if they be bound in fetters, And be holden in cords of affliction; ⁹Then He declareth unto them their work, And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly. ¹⁰He openeth also their ear to discipline, And commandeth that they return from iniquity. ¹¹If they hearken and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. ¹²But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge. ¹³But they that are godless in heart lay up anger; They cry not for help when He bindeth them. ¹⁴Their soul perisheth in youth, And their life as that of the depraved. ¹⁵He delivereth the afflicted by His affliction, And openeth their ear by tribulation. ¹⁶Yea, He hath allured thee out of distress Into a broad place, where there is no straitness; And that which is set on thy table is full of fatness; ¹⁷And thou art full of the judgment of the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold on them. ¹⁸For beware of wrath, lest thou be led away by thy sufficiency; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside. ¹⁹Will thy riches avail, that are without stint, Or all the forces of thy strength? ²⁰Desire not the night, When peoples are cut off in their place. ²¹Take heed, regard not iniquity; For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

²²Behold, God doeth loftily in His power; Who is a teacher like Him? ²³Who hath enjoined Him His way? Or who hath said: ‘Thou hast wrought unrighteousness’? ²⁴Remember that thou magnify His work, Whereof men have sung. ²⁵All men have looked thereon; Man beholdeth it afar off. ²⁶Behold, God is great, beyond our knowledge; The number of His years is unsearchable. ²⁷For He draweth away the drops of water, Which distil rain from His vapour; ²⁸Which the skies pour down And drop upon the multitudes of men. ²⁹Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, The crashings of His pavilion? ³⁰Behold, He spreadeth His light upon it; And He covereth the depths of the sea. ³¹For by these He judgeth the peoples; He giveth food in abundance. ³²He covereth His hands with the lightning, And giveth it a charge that it strike the mark. ³³The noise thereof telleth concerning it, The cattle also concerning the storm that cometh up.

Chapter 37

At this this also my heart trembleth, And is moved out of its place. ²Hear attentively the noise of His voice, And the sound that goeth out of His mouth. ³He sendeth it forth under the whole heaven, And His lightning unto the ends of the earth. ⁴After it a voice roareth; He thundereth with the voice of His majesty; And He stayeth them not when His voice is heard. ⁵God thundereth marvellously with His voice; Great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend. ⁶For He saith to the snow: ‘Fall thou on the earth’; Likewise to the shower of rain, and to the showers of His mighty rain. ⁷He sealeth up the hand of every man, That all men whom He hath made may know it. ⁸Then the beasts go into coverts, And remain in their dens. ⁹Out of the Chamber cometh the storm; And cold out of the north. ¹⁰By the breath of God ice is given, And the breadth of the waters is straitened. ¹¹Yea, He ladeth the thick cloud with moister, He spreadeth abroad the cloud of His lightning; ¹²And they are turned round about by His guidance, That they may do whatsoever He commandeth them Upon the face of the habitable world: ¹³Whether it be for correction, or for His earth, Or for mercy, that He cause it to come.

¹⁴Hearken unto this, O Job; Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. ¹⁵Dost thou know how God enjoineth them, And causeth the lightning of His cloud to shine? ¹⁶Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, The wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge? ¹⁷Thou whose garments are warm, When the earth is still by reason of the south wind; ¹⁸Canst thou with Him spread out the sky, Which is strong as a molten mirror? ¹⁹Teach us what we shall say unto Him; For we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness. ²⁰Shall it be told Him that I would speak? Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up?

²¹And now men see not the light which is bright in the skies; But the wind passeth, and cleanseth them. ²²Out of the north cometh golden splendour, About God is terrible majesty. ²³The Almighty, whom we cannot find out, is excellent in power, Yet to judgment and plenteous justice He doeth no violence. ²⁴Men do therefore fear Him; He regardeth not any that are wise of heart.

Chapter 38

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: ²Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge? ³Gird up now thy loins like a man; For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto Me.

⁴Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast the understanding. ⁵Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it? ⁶Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof, ⁷When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸Or who shut up the sea with doors, When it broke forth, and issued out of the womb; ⁹When I made the cloud the garment thereof, And thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, ¹⁰And prescribed for it My decree, And set bars and doors, ¹¹And said: ‘Thus far shalt thou come, but no further; And here shall thy proud waves be stayed’?

¹²Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, And caused the dayspring to know its place; ¹³That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? ¹⁴It is changed as clay under the seal; And they stand as a garment. ¹⁵But from the wicked their light is withholden, And the high arm is broken.

¹⁶Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep? ¹⁷Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death? ¹⁸Hast thou surveyed unto the breadths of the earth? Declare, if thou knowest it all.

¹⁹Where is the way to the dwelling of light, And as for darkness, where is the place thereof; ²⁰That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, And that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? ²¹Thou knowest it, for thou wast then born, And the number of thy days is great! ²²Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, Or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail, ²³Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, Against the day of battle and war?

²⁴By what way is the light parted, Or the east wind scattered upon the earth? ²⁵Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, Or a way for the lightning of the thunder; ²⁶To cause it to rain on a land where no man is, On the wilderness, wherein there is no man; ²⁷To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, And to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth? ²⁸Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew? ²⁹Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoar-frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? ³⁰The waters are congealed like stone, And the face of the deep is frozen.

³¹Canst thou bind the chains of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion? ³²Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her sons? ³³Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth? ³⁴Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover thee? ³⁵Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, And say unto thee: ‘Here we are’? ³⁶Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind? ³⁷Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven, ³⁸When the dust runneth into a mass, And the clods cleave fast together? ³⁹Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness? Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, ⁴⁰When they couch in their dens, And abide in the covert to lie in wait? ⁴¹Who provideth for the raven his prey, When his young ones cry unto God, and wander for lack of food?

Chapter 39

Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve? ²Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth? ³They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, They cast out their fruit. ⁴Their young ones wax strong, they grow up in the open field; They go forth, and return not again.

⁵Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? ⁶Whose house I have made the wilderness, And the salt land his dwelling-place. ⁷He scorneth the tumult of the city, Neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver. ⁸The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searcheth after every green thing.

⁹Will the wild-ox be willing to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib? ¹⁰Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee? ¹¹Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? ¹²Wilt thou rely on him, that he will bring home thy seed, And gather the corn of thy threshing-floor?

¹³The wing of the ostrich beateth joyously; But are her pinions and feathers the kindly stork’s? ¹⁴For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, And warmeth them in dust, ¹⁵And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them. ¹⁶She is hardened against her young ones, as if they were not hers; Though her labour be in vain, she is without fear; ¹⁷Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, Neither hath He imparted to her understanding. ¹⁸When the time cometh, she raiseth her wings on high, And scorneth the horse and his rider.

¹⁹Hast thou given the horse his strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with fierceness? ²⁰Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible. ²¹He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; He goeth out to meet the clash of arms. ²²He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; Neither turneth he back from the sword. ²³The quiver rattleth upon him, The glittering spear and the javelin. ²⁴He swalloweth the ground with storm and rage; Neither believeth he that it is the voice of the horn. ²⁵As oft as he heareth the horn he saith: ‘Ha, ha! ’ And he smelleth the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

²⁶Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom, And stretch her wings toward the south? ²⁷Doth the vulture mount up at thy command, And make her nest on high? ²⁸She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, Upon the crag of the rock, and the stronghold. ²⁹From thence she spieth out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off. ³⁰Her young ones also suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is she.

Chapter 40

Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said: ²Shall he that reproveth contend with the Almighty? He that argueth with God, let him answer it.

³Then Job answered the LORD, and said: ⁴Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer Thee? I lay my hand upon my mouth. ⁵Once have I spoken, but I will not answer again; Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further.

⁶Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: ⁷Gird up thy loins now like a man; I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto Me. ⁸Wilt thou even make void My judgment? Wilt thou condemn Me, that thou mayest be justified? ⁹Or hast thou an arm like God? And canst thou thunder with a voice like Him? ¹⁰Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency, And array thyself with glory and beauty. ¹¹Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath; And look upon every one that is proud, and abase him. ¹²Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; And tread down the wicked in their place. ¹³Hide them in the dust together; Bind their faces in the hidden place. ¹⁴Then will I also confess unto thee That thine own right hand can save thee.

¹⁵Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; He eateth grass as an ox. ¹⁶Lo now, his strength is in his loins, And his force is in the stays of his body. ¹⁷He straineth his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together. ¹⁸His bones are as pipes of brass; His gristles are like bars of iron. ¹⁹He is the beginning of the ways of God; He only that made him can make His sword to approach unto him. ²⁰Surely the mountains bring him forth food, And all the beasts of the field play there. ²¹He lieth under the lotus-trees, In the covert of the reed, and fens. ²²The lotus-trees cover him with their shadow; The willows of the brook compass him about. ²³Behold, if a river overflow, he trembleth not; He is confident, though the Jordan rush forth to his mouth. ²⁴Shall any take him by his eyes, Or pierce through his nose with a snare?

²⁵Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fish-hook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? ²⁶Canst thou put a ring into his nose? Or bore his jaw through with a hook? ²⁷Will he make many supplications unto thee? Or will he speak soft words unto thee? ²⁸Will he make a covenant with thee, That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever? ²⁹Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? ³⁰Will the bands of fishermen make a banquet of him? Will they part him among the merchants? ³¹Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? Or his head with fish-spears? ³²Lay thy hand upon him; Think upon the battle, thou wilt do so no more.

Chapter 41

Behold, the hope of him is in vain; Shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? ²None is so fierce that dare stir him up; Who then is able to stand before Me? ³Who hath given Me anything beforehand, that I should repay him? Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is Mine. ⁴Would I keep silence concerning his boastings, Or his proud talk, or his fair array of words?

⁵Who can uncover the face of his garment? Who shall come within his double bridle? ⁶Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror. ⁷His scales are his pride, Shut up together as with a close seal. ⁸One is so near to another, That no air can come between them. ⁹They are joined one to another; They stick together, that they cannot be sundered. ¹⁰His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. ¹¹Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap forth. ¹²Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, As out of a seething pot and burning rushes. ¹³His breath kindleth coals, And a flame goeth out of his mouth. ¹⁴In his neck abideth strength, And dismay danceth before him. ¹⁵The flakes of his flesh are joined together; They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved. ¹⁶His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, firm as the nether millstone. ¹⁷When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid; By reason of despair they are beside themselves. ¹⁸If one lay at him with the sword, it will not hold; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft. ¹⁹He esteemeth iron as straw, And brass as rotten wood. ²⁰The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones are turned with him into stubble. ²¹Clubs are accounted as stubble; He laugheth at the rattling of the javelin. ²²Sharpest potsherds are under him; He spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mire. ²³He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; He maketh the sea like a seething mixture. ²⁴He maketh a path to shine after him; One would think the deep to be hoary. ²⁵Upon earth there is not his like Who is made to be fearless. ²⁶He looketh at all high things; He is king over all the proud beasts.

Chapter 42

Then Job answered the LORD, and said: ²I know that Thou canst do every thing, And that no purpose can be withholden from Thee. ³Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. ⁴Hear, I beseech Thee, and I will speak; I will demand of Thee, and declare Thou unto me. ⁵I had heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; But now mine eye seeth Thee; ⁶Wherefore I abhor my words, and repent, Seeing I am dust and ashes.

⁷And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: ‘My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job hath. ⁸Now therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt- offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept, that I do not unto you aught unseemly; for ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.’ ⁹So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them; and the LORD accepted Job. ¹⁰And the LORD changed the fortune of Job, when he prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. ¹¹Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house; and they bemoaned him, and comforted him concerning all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one a ring of gold. ¹²So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.

¹³He had also seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴And he called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch. ¹⁵And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. ¹⁶And after this Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’sons, even four generations. ¹⁷So Job died, being old and full of days.