There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.

His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

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

But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”

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

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

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

Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

“May that day be darkness;
Let not God above care for it,
Nor light shine on it.

“As for that night, let darkness seize it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not come into the number of the months.

“Behold, let that night be barren;
Let no joyful shout enter it.

“Why did the knees receive me,
And why the breasts, that I should suck?

“Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be,
As infants that never saw light.

So that He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

“He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.

“You will know that your tent is secure,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.

“You will know also that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.

“Oh that my grief were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my calamity!

“Oh that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my longing!

“Would that God were willing to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and cut me off!

“But it is still my consolation,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

“What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should endure?

“Is it that my help is not within me,
And that deliverance is driven from me?

“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

“Remember that my life is but breath;
My eye will not again see good.

“Am I the sea, or the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?

So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my pains.

“What is man that You magnify him,
And that You are concerned about him,

That You examine him every morning
And try him every moment?

“Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?

“In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?

“If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

“They slip by like reed boats,
Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.

I am afraid of all my pains,
I know that You will not acquit me.

“For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court together.

“Then I would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.

That You should seek for my guilt
And search after my sin?

‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay;
And would You turn me into dust again?

‘Yet these things You have concealed in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:

‘Why then have You brought me out of the womb?
Would that I had died and no eye had seen me!

“Would He not let my few days alone?
Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer

“But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,

And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.

“For you would forget your trouble,
As waters that have passed by, you would remember it.

“Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,

“O that you would be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!

“Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.

“Behold now, I have prepared my case;
I know that I will be vindicated.

While I am decaying like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.

“Turn Your gaze from him that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day like a hired man.

“For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not fail.

“Oh that You would hide me in Sheol,
That You would conceal me until Your wrath returns to You,
That You would set a limit for me and remember me!

“What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that we do not?

That you should turn your spirit against God
And allow such words to go out of your mouth?

“What is man, that he should be pure,
Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

“He does not believe that he will return from darkness,
And he is destined for the sword.

“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.

“Is there no limit to windy words?
Or what plagues you that you answer?

“O that a man might plead with God
As a man with his neighbor!

“Lay down, now, a pledge for me with Yourself;
Who is there that will be my guarantor?

Know then that God has wronged me
And has closed His net around me.

“He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has put darkness on my paths.

“Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

“That with an iron stylus and lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.

“Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves,
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
So that you may know there is judgment.”

That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless momentary?

“Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may mock.

‘Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And what would we gain if we entreat Him?’

“You say, ‘God stores away a man’s iniquity for his sons.’
Let God repay him so that he may know it.

“Can anyone teach God knowledge,
In that He judges those on high?

“Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you,
That He enters into judgment against you?

Or darkness, so that you cannot see,
And an abundance of water covers you.

‘Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;
And He walks on the vault of heaven.’

“Oh that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!

“But He is unique and who can turn Him?
And what His soul desires, that He does.

How much less man, that maggot,
And the son of man, that worm!”

“Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

“Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls.

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

“Oh that I were as in months gone by,
As in the days when God watched over me;

So that they dwell in dreadful valleys,
In holes of the earth and of the rocks.

“For I know that You will bring me to death
And to the house of meeting for all living.

“For that would be a lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges.

“For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon,
And would uproot all my increase.

If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering,

That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment,
For I would have denied God above.

“Oh that I had one to hear me!
Behold, here is my signature;
Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my adversary has written,

And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men his anger burned.

“Let me speak that I may get relief;
Let me open my lips and answer.

“Why do you complain against Him
That He does not give an account of all His doings?

That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And keep man from pride;

So that his life loathes bread,
And his soul favorite food.

Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him,
That he may see His face with joy,
And He may restore His righteousness to man.

To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

“For He does not need to consider a man further,
That he should go before God in judgment.

So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted—

When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him,
That is, in regard to both nation and man?—

So that godless men would not rule
Nor be snares of the people.