There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil.

And 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.

And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil.

Didst thou, not hedge about him and about his house, and about all that is to him from round about? Thou didst bless the work of his hands, and his possession spread abroad in the earth.

And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The 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.

And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

and he saith, 'Naked came I forth from the womb of my mother, and naked I turn back thither: Jehovah hath given and Jehovah hath taken: let the name of Jehovah be blessed.'

And 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.

And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

And his wife said to him, Dost thou still remain firm in thine integrity? curse God and die.

But he said to her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. We have also received good from God, and should we not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Now 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: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

and they lift up their eyes from afar and have not discerned him, and they lift up their voice and weep, and rend each his robe, and sprinkle dust on their heads -- heavenward.

Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.

The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

That should be joy to the man whose way is hid, which God keepeth back from him.

In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.

For, a dread, I dreaded, and it hath come upon me, and, that from which I shrank, hath overtaken me.

In reply, Eliphaz from Teman answered:

If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, And thou hast made firm the feeble knees.

From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.

The lion perished from failure of prey, and the sons of the lioness shall be scattered.

"And a word came stealing to me, and my ear received [the] whisper from it.

In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

how much less confidence does he have in those who dwell in houses of clay; who were formed from a foundation in dust and can perish like a moth?

They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.

Is not their excess wealth taken away from them? They die, yet without attaining wisdom.

Call now, if there is answering thee; and to whom from the holy ones wilt thou turn?

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

Whose harvest the hungry doth eat, And even from the thorns taketh it, And the designing swallowed their wealth.

For affliction cometh not forth from the dust, Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

But trouble is man's fate from birth, as the flames go up from the fire.

But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.

{From} six troubles he will deliver you, and in seven evil shall not touch you.

In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

At desolation and at hunger thou shalt laugh, and from the beasts of the earth thou shalt not fear.

“You will know also that your tent is secure and at peace,
And you will visit your dwelling and fear no loss [nor find anything amiss].

"Will the wild donkey bray from hunger if fresh grass is beside him? Will the ox low from distress if it is near its feed?

“Then I would still have consolation,
And I would jump for joy amid unsparing pain,
That I have not denied or hidden the words of the Holy One.

Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?

To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

torrents black from ice, in which the snow hides itself.

At the time they diminish, they are dried up; when heat affecteth them, they vanish from their place:

Caravans turn away from their routes,
go up into the desert, and perish.

Travelers from Tema search intently; caravans from Sheba hope to find them.

Did I say, Bring unto me, and make me a present from your substance?

Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?

How powerful have been upright sayings, And what doth reproof from you reprove?

“Turn away [from your suspicion], let there be no injustice;
Turn away, my righteousness and vindication is still in it.

When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.

So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.

When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;

And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,

I have wasted away -- not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days are vanity.

How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

Then in response, Bildad from Shuah said:

If your children have done evil against him, then their punishment is from his hand.

Do they not shew thee -- speak to thee, And from their heart bring forth words?

He leans on his web, but it doesn’t stand firm.
He grabs it, but it does not hold up.

If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.

Lo, this is the joy of his way, And from the dust others spring up.'

The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.

If he shall desire to contend with him, he shall not answer him one from a thousand.

Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.

Who commands the sun, and it does not shine;
Who seals up the stars [from view];

whom I cannot answer, even though I am righteous? From my judge I must implore grace.

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will depart from my heaviness and be of good cheer,

I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.

"If I wash myself with water from snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,

Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

"I am disgusted with living, so I'm going to talk about my complaint freely. I'll speak out from the bitterness of my soul.

For Thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is no deliverer from Thy hand.

If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

And why from the womb Hast Thou brought me forth? I expire, and the eye doth not see me.

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

Are not my days few? Cease then, and put from me, And I brighten up a little,

before I go where I shall not return from, to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

Zophar from Naamath had this to say:

“Shall a multitude of words not be answered?
And should a talkative man [making such a long-winded defense] be acquitted?

You may say, My way is clean, and I am free from sin in your eyes.

and disclose his wise secrets? After all, there's so much more to understanding. So be aware that God will exact from you less than your sin deserves."

If he goes on his way, shutting a man up and putting him to death, who may make him go back from his purpose?

If sin is in your hand, put it far away [from you],
And do not let wrongdoing dwell in your tents;

For then thou liftest up thy face from blemish, And thou hast been firm, and fearest not.

For your sorrow will go from your memory, like waters flowing away:

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and all refuge shall vanish from them, and their hope shall be the breathing out of life.

But put now a question to the beasts, and get teaching from them; or to the birds of the heaven, and they will make it clear to you;

He taketh away the subjection of the people from their kings, and girdeth their loins with a bond.

He keeps reliable advisors from speaking, and removes discernment from elders.

He reveals mysteries from the darkness
and brings the deepest darkness into the light.

He taketh away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.