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

His possessions included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household. Thus he was the greatest of all the people in the east.

When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's customary practice.

While this one was still speaking, another messenger arrived and said, "The fire of God has fallen from heaven and has burned up the sheep and the servants -- it has consumed them! And I -- only I alone -- escaped to tell you!"

While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword! And I -- only I alone -- escaped to tell you!"

While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,

Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape himself with while he was sitting among the ashes.

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

After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.

"Let the day on which I was born perish, and the night that said, 'A man has been conceived!'

Or why was I not buried like a stillborn infant, like infants who have never seen the light?

"Now a word was secretly brought to me, and my ear caught a whisper of it.

If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands clean with lye,

as water wears away stones, and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope.

to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.

I was in peace, and he has shattered me. He has seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target;

"Surely you know that it has been from old, ever since humankind was placed on the earth,

People who had seen him will not see him again, and the place where he was will recognize him no longer.

men who were carried off before their time, when the flood was poured out on their foundations?

But it was he who filled their houses with good things -- yet the counsel of the wicked was far from me.

He has searched the sources of the rivers and what was hidden he has brought into the light.

"O that I could be as I was in the months now gone, in the days when God watched over me,

just as I was in my most productive time, when God's intimate friendship was experienced in my tent,

when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me;

I put on righteousness and it clothed me, my just dealing was like a robe and a turban;

I was eyes for the blind and feet for the lame;

I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;

I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I lived like a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners.

Moreover, the strength of their hands -- what use was it to me? Men whose strength had perished;

By the brush they would gather herbs from the salt marshes, and the root of the broom tree was their food.

Have I not wept for the unfortunate? Was not my soul grieved for the poor?

For the calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his majesty I was powerless.

if I looked at the sun when it was shining, and the moon advancing as a precious thing,

so that my heart was secretly enticed, and my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth,

because I was terrified of the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I remained silent and would not go outdoors --

So these three men refused to answer Job further, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. He was angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.

With Job's three friends he was also angry, because they could not find an answer, and so declared Job guilty.

Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job, because the others were older than he was.

So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up: "I am young, but you are elderly; that is why I was fearful, and afraid to explain to you what I know.

Now I was paying you close attention, yet there was no one proving Job wrong, not one of you was answering his statements!

That person sings to others, saying: 'I have sinned and falsified what is right, but I was not punished according to what I deserved.