There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.

His sons regularly went to one another's houses, and every one on his day gave a feast: and at these times they sent for their three sisters to take part in their feasts with them.

And at the end of their days of feasting, Job sent and made them clean, getting up early in the morning and offering burned offerings for them all. For, Job said, It may be that my sons have done wrong and said evil of God in their hearts. And Job did this whenever the feasts came round.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil?

And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Is it for nothing that Job is a god-fearing man?

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil? and he still keeps his righteousness, though you have been moving me to send destruction on him without cause.

And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Skin for skin, all a man has he will give for his life.

And Job's three friends had word of all this evil which had come on him. And they came every one from his place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. So they came together to a meeting-place, in order that they might go and make clear to Job their grief for him, and give him comfort.

And lifting up their eyes when they were still far off, it did not seem that the man they saw was Job because of the change in him. And they gave way to bitter weeping, with signs of grief, and put dust on their heads.

And they took their seats on the earth by his side for seven days and seven nights: but no one said a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Let the dark and the black night take it for themselves; let it be covered with a cloud; let the dark shades of day send fear on it.

As for that night, let it have no fruit; let no voice of joy be sounded in it;

Let its morning stars be dark; let it be looking for light, but may it not have any; let it not see the eyes of the dawn.

For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,

With kings and the wise ones of the earth, who put up great houses for themselves;

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

To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth;

For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled.

Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?

What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.

The old lion comes to his end for need of food, and the young of the she-lion go wandering in all directions.

Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble;

Between morning and evening they are completely broken; they come to an end for ever, and no one takes note.

Give now a cry for help; is there anyone who will give you an answer? and to which of the holy ones will you make your prayer?

For wrath is the cause of death to the foolish, and he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion.

Now his children have no safe place, and they are crushed before the judges, for no one takes up their cause.

For evil does not come out of the dust, or trouble out of the earth;

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

But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him:

In the daytime it becomes dark for them, and in the sunlight they go feeling about as if it was night.

For after his punishment he gives comfort, and after wounding, his hands make you well.

He will keep you safe from the evil tongue; and you will have no fear of wasting when it comes.

You will make sport of destruction and need, and will have no fear of the beasts of the earth.

For you will be in agreement with the stones of the earth, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

See, we have made search with care, and it is so; it has come to our ears; see that you take note of it for yourself.

For then its weight would be more than the sand of the seas: because of this my words have been uncontrolled.

For the arrows of the Ruler of all are present with me, and their poison goes deep into my spirit: his army of fears is put in order against me.

My soul has no desire for such things, they are as disease in my food.

So I would still have comfort, and I would have joy in the pains of death, for I have not been false to the words of the Holy One.

He whose heart is shut against his friend has given up the fear of the Ruler of all.

The camel-trains of Tema were searching with care, the bands of Sheba were waiting for them:

So have you now become to me; you see my sad condition and are in fear.

Did I say, Give me something? or, Make a payment for me out of your wealth?

Or, Get me out of the power of my hater? or, Give money so that I may be free from the power of the cruel ones?

My words may seem wrong to you, but the words of him who has no hope are for the wind.

Now then, let your eyes be turned to me, for truly I will not say what is false to your face.

Let your minds be changed, and do not have an evil opinion of me; yes, be changed, for my righteousness is still in me.

Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment?

As a servant desiring the shades of evening, and a workman looking for his payment:

So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.

The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer: your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone.

Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear;

I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.

If I have done wrong, what have I done to you, O keeper of men? why have you made me a mark for your blows, so that I am a weariness to myself?

And why do you not take away my sin, and let my wrongdoing be ended? for now I go down to the dust, and you will be searching for me with care, but I will be gone.

If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;

(For we are but of yesterday, and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are gone like a shade:)

He is looking to his family for support, but it is not there; he puts his hope in it, but it comes to nothing.

Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?

Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.

If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.

For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.

I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.

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

You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing?

For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.

Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me:

Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.

My soul is tired of life; I will let my sad thoughts go free in words; my soul will make a bitter outcry.

And that if there was cause for pride, you would go after me like a lion; and again put out your wonders against me:

Why then did you make me come out of my mother's body? It would have been better for me to have taken my last breath, and for no eye to have seen me,

And for me to have been as if I had not been; to have been taken from my mother's body straight to my last resting-place.

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

They are higher than heaven; what is there for you to do? deeper than the underworld, and outside your knowledge;

For in his eyes men are as nothing; he sees evil and takes note of it.

If you put far away the evil of your hands, and let no wrongdoing have a place in your tent;

Then truly your face will be lifted up, with no mark of sin, and you will be fixed in your place without fear:

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

Sleeping with no fear of danger; and men will be desiring to have grace in your eyes;

In the thought of him who is in comfort there is no respect for one who is in trouble; such is the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

Will you have respect for God's person in this cause, and put yourselves forward as his supporters?

Will it be good for you to be searched out by him, or have you the thought that he may be guided into error like a man?

He will certainly put you right, if you have respect for persons in secret.

Will not his glory put you in fear, so that your hearts will be overcome before him?

And that will be my salvation, for an evil-doer would not come before him,

Take your hand far away from me; and let me not be overcome by fear of you.

Then at the sound of your voice I will give answer; or let me put forward my cause for you to give me an answer.

For you put bitter things on record against me, and send punishment on me for the sins of my early years;

And you put chains on my feet, watching all my ways, and making a limit for my steps;

Though a man comes to nothing like a bit of dead wood, or like a robe which has become food for the worm.

As for man, the son of woman, his days are short and full of trouble.

Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.

For there is hope of a tree; if it is cut down, it will come to life again, and its branches will not come to an end.

If death takes a man, will he come to life again? All the days of my trouble I would be waiting, till the time came for me to be free.

At the sound of your voice I would give an answer, and you would have a desire for the work of your hands.

For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.

You overcome him for ever, and he is gone; his face is changed in death, and you send him away.

Truly, you make the fear of God without effect, so that the time of quiet worship before God is made less by your outcry.