Most Popular Bible Verses in Job

Job Rank:

1

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.

3

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.

5

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,

8

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

9

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.

11

Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

13

Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

15

“For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

17

a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,

20

“Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you;
He eats grass like an ox.

21

“Who prepares for the raven its nourishment
When its young cry to God
And wander about without food?

23

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.

24

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

25

and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

26

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

27

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

28

Who does great things, unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.

31

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

32

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

35

and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

36

“But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
It touches you, and you are dismayed.

37

“You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for the work of Your hands.

38

“Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

39

An idiot will become intelligent
When the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.

40

“The eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.

41

“My bone clings to my skin and my flesh,
And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.

43

“Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And put my life in my hands?

44

“Let darkness and black gloom claim it;
Let a cloud settle on it;
Let the blackness of the day terrify it.

45

“For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are as a shadow.

46

“My soul refuses to touch them;
They are like loathsome food to me.

47

Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?

48

How much less one who is detestable and corrupt,
Man, who drinks iniquity like water!

49

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

50

If you would direct your heart right
And spread out your hand to Him,

51

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

52

“For now You number my steps,
You do not observe my sin.

53

“The alien has not lodged outside,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler.

54

“Nothing remains for him to devour,
Therefore his prosperity does not endure.

55

“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,

56

“Will they not teach you and tell you,
And bring forth words from their minds?

57

“Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

58

‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has preserved my spirit.

59

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

60

“Is not your fear of God your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

61

“One dies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and satisfied;

62

“Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

63

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

64

“He has no offspring or posterity among his people,
Nor any survivor where he sojourned.

65

And place your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

66

“I will tell you, listen to me;
And what I have seen I will also declare;

67

Although there is no violence in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.

69

“Therefore my harp is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the sound of those who weep.

70

However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.”

73

“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before His presence.

74

So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”

75

“Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and not fear.

76

“He will not return again to his house,
Nor will his place know him anymore.

77

If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;

78

“Now if it is not so, who can prove me a liar,
And make my speech worthless?”

79

“He makes counselors walk barefoot
And makes fools of judges.

80

“Why do you persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?

81

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

82

“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.

83

“With Him are strength and sound wisdom,
The misled and the misleader belong to Him.

84

“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no resting place for my cry.

86

“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?

87

When they crouch in their dens
And lie in wait in their lair?

88

“Have I covered my transgressions like Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,

89

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

92

“My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You wrap up my iniquity.

93

“In the fullness of his plenty he will be cramped;
The hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.

94

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

95

“Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He sends them out, and they inundate the earth.

96

“Your life would be brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.

98

“Those in the west are appalled at his fate,
And those in the east are seized with horror.

99

“He reveals mysteries from the darkness
And brings the deep darkness into light.

100

“He makes priests walk barefoot
And overthrows the secure ones.

101

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

102

“But the falling mountain crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;

103

‘You renew Your witnesses against me
And increase Your anger toward me;
Hardship after hardship is with me.

104

“So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the godless will perish,

105

“While it is still green and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant.

106

“For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

107

“He loosens the bond of kings
And binds their loins with a girdle.

108

“Let those curse it who curse the day,
Who are prepared to rouse Leviathan.

109

“Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would look around and rest securely.

110

“God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.

112

“He pours contempt on nobles
And loosens the belt of the strong.

113

“Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;
Let it wait for light but have none,
And let it not see the breaking dawn;

114

“You would lie down and none would disturb you,
And many would entreat your favor.

115

Before I go—and I shall not return—
To the land of darkness and deep shadow,

116

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

117

“Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

118

“If I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’

119

“He deprives the trusted ones of speech
And takes away the discernment of the elders.

120

His sides are filled out with fat,
And the marrow of his bones is moist,

121

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

122

“For He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.

123

“He trusts in his house, but it does not stand;
He holds fast to it, but it does not endure.

124

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

125

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

126

“They grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

127

“He thrives before the sun,
And his shoots spread out over his garden.

128

“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the rushes grow without water?

129

Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

130

“He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people
And makes them wander in a pathless waste.

131

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

132

“Listen carefully to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.

133

And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.

134

‘Job ought to be tried to the limit,
Because he answers like wicked men.

135

“How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?

136

“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who does not know God.”

137

“If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

138

Why did I not die at birth,
Come forth from the womb and expire?

139

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

140

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

141

“The caravans of Tema looked,
The travelers of Sheba hoped for them.

142

“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, but I will not be.”

143

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

144

Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s womb,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.

145

“If he is removed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’

146

‘If I am wicked, woe to me!
And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery.

147

Sounds of terror are in his ears;
While at peace the destroyer comes upon him.

148

“His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.

149

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

150

“I am guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I despise my life.

151

“But He saves from the sword of their mouth,
And the poor from the hand of the mighty.

152

When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky.

153

“For then you will delight in the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.

154

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

155

“He captures the wise by their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.

156

“Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.

157

“By day they meet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.

158

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

159

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

160

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

161

Complete darkness is held in reserve for his treasures,
And unfanned fire will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.

162

“For now I would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,

163

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

164

“By the breath of God they perish,
And by the blast of His anger they come to an end.

165

“There the wicked cease from raging,
And there the weary are at rest.

166

What wise men have told,
And have not concealed from their fathers,

167

With kings and with counselors of the earth,
Who rebuilt ruins for themselves;

169

Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me by visions;

170

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.

171

How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my rebellion and my sin.

173

“So the helpless has hope,
And unrighteousness must shut its mouth.

174

The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

175

I loathe my own life;
I will give full vent to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

176

“For the wicked is reserved for the day of calamity;
They will be led forth at the day of fury.

178

“Truly then you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!

179

“He makes the nations great, then destroys them;
He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.

180

Remove Your hand from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.

181

Let the day perish on which I was to be born,
And the night which said, ‘A boy is conceived.’

182

“Why is light given to him who suffers,
And life to the bitter of soul,

183

“Who will confront him with his actions,
And who will repay him for what he has done?

184

The land of utter gloom as darkness itself,
Of deep shadow without order,
And which shines as the darkness.”

185

“Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:

186

Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!

187

Who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.

188

“But his body pains him,
And he mourns only for himself.”

189

Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,

190

“He will deliver one who is not innocent,
And he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

191

“Distress and anguish terrify him,
They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,

192

“I waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

193

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

194

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

195

“Then call, and I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.

197

Then Job responded,

198

“They are high as the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?

199

“If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find?’

200

“Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?

201

To whom alone the land was given,
And no alien passed among them.

202

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

203

“I am a joke to my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and blameless man is a joke.

204

“You will laugh at violence and famine,
And you will not be afraid of wild beasts.

205

“Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

206

“For anger slays the foolish man,
And jealousy kills the simple.

207

“For You write bitter things against me
And make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.

208

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

209

“You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.

210

“While he is carried to the grave,
Men will keep watch over his tomb.

211

“When he fills his belly,
God will send His fierce anger on him
And will rain it on him while he is eating.

212

“Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,
And my advocate is on high.

213

“He has lived in desolate cities,
In houses no one would inhabit,
Which are destined to become ruins.

214

“He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine,
And will cast off his flower like the olive tree.

215

“Shall your boasts silence men?
And shall you scoff and none rebuke?

216

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

217

“Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a talkative man be acquitted?

218

“I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.

219

“I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

220

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?

221

“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”

222

And Job said,

223

“The small and the great are there,
And the slave is free from his master.

224

“He rushes headlong at Him
With his massive shield.

225

“Will You cause a driven leaf to tremble?
Or will You pursue the dry chaff?

226

Or with princes who had gold,
Who were filling their houses with silver.

227

“The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.

228

“The prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.

229

“For you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’

230

“For He knows false men,
And He sees iniquity without investigating.

231

“For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

232

“Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
And whom God has hedged in?

233

“Does not the ear test words,
As the palate tastes its food?

234

‘I should have been as though I had not been,
Carried from womb to tomb.’

235

“You put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You set a limit for the soles of my feet,

236

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

237

“My brothers have acted deceitfully like a wadi,
Like the torrents of wadis which vanish,

238

“If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;

239

“How then will you vainly comfort me,
For your answers remain full of falsehood?”

240

“Why do You hide Your face
And consider me Your enemy?

241

“Behold, this is the joy of His way;
And out of the dust others will spring.

242

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

243

‘Did You not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese;

244

“If He passes by or shuts up,
Or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him?

245

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

246

“The tents of the destroyers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure,
Whom God brings into their power.

247

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

248

“He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his grain will not bend down to the ground.

249

Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?

250

“For he has covered his face with his fat
And made his thighs heavy with flesh.

251

“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
And your lips with shouting.

252

“But I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And who does not know such things as these?

253

“They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity,
And their mind prepares deception.”

254

“The increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away in the day of His anger.

255

Who long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for hidden treasures,

256

While another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even tasting anything good.

257

“He will not allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with bitterness.

258

Because I feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And kept silent and did not go out of doors?

259

He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt,
As prepared for those whose feet slip.

260

Who rejoice greatly,
And exult when they find the grave?

261

“Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the tent of the wicked will be no longer.”

263

‘Is it right for You indeed to oppress,
To reject the labor of Your hands,
And to look favorably on the schemes of the wicked?

264

“In famine He will redeem you from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.

265

“Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,

266

“Lo, God will not reject a man of integrity,
Nor will He support the evildoers.

267

‘According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is no deliverance from Your hand.

268

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

270

“Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

271

‘Have You eyes of flesh?
Or do You see as a man sees?

272

“For my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And my cries pour out like water.

273

His harvest the hungry devour
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the schemer is eager for their wealth.

274

“For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
Their poison my spirit drinks;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

275

‘Are Your days as the days of a mortal,
Or Your years as man’s years,

276

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

277

“The lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

278

“The wicked man writhes in pain all his days,
And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless.

279

“Please inquire of past generations,
And consider the things searched out by their fathers.

281

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

282

Then Job answered,

283

Then Job answered,

284

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

285

“I have seen the foolish taking root,
And I cursed his abode immediately.

286

“His roots wrap around a rock pile,
He grasps a house of stones.

288

Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made all my bones shake.

289

“If you would seek God
And implore the compassion of the Almighty,

291

Which are turbid because of ice
And into which the snow melts.

292

“Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”

294

“The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?

295

“His sons are far from safety,
They are even oppressed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.

296

So am I allotted months of vanity,
And nights of trouble are appointed me.

299

“How long will you say these things,
And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

300

“Indeed, you have now become such,
You see a terror and are afraid.

301

“Does God pervert justice?
Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?

302

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

303

Water wears away stones,
Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;
So You destroy man’s hope.

304

‘Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.

305

“Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’

306

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

307

“When I lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until dawn.

308

“You forever overpower him and he departs;
You change his appearance and send him away.

309

It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;

310

“Does the wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his fodder?

311

“When they become waterless, they are silent,
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.

312

Then the Almighty will be your gold
And choice silver to you.

313

“As a slave who pants for the shade,
And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages,

314

If your sons sinned against Him,
Then He delivered them into the power of their transgression.

315

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

316

“My friends are my scoffers;
My eye weeps to God.

318

“For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.

320

If you are pure and upright,
Surely now He would rouse Himself for you
And restore your righteous estate.

321

‘For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’”

322

“It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’

323

“The paths of their course wind along,
They go up into nothing and perish.

324

“He may flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.

325

“Now a word was brought to me stealthily,
And my ear received a whisper of it.

326

“You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And light will shine on your ways.

327

“If the scourge kills suddenly,
He mocks the despair of the innocent.

328

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

329

He puts no trust even in His servants;
And against His angels He charges error.

330

“You would even cast lots for the orphans
And barter over your friend.

331

“Are they as straw before the wind,
And like chaff which the storm carries away?

332

“How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?

333

“They were disappointed for they had trusted,
They came there and were confounded.

334

Or, ‘Deliver me from the hand of the adversary,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?

335

“Do you intend to reprove my words,
When the words of one in despair belong to the wind?

337

“You will pray to Him, and He will hear you;
And you will pay your vows.

338

“Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my palate discern calamities?

339

“Now please look at me,
And see if I lie to your face.

340

“If one wished to dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

341

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

342

“If I should wash myself with snow
And cleanse my hands with lye,

343

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

344

They spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering against the cold.

347

It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.

348

“Desist now, let there be no injustice;
Even desist, my righteousness is yet in it.

349

“I am accounted wicked,
Why then should I toil in vain?

350

“Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,’

352

Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!

353

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord.

354

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.

355

When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

356

‘How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!

357

The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

358

“If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my struggle I will wait
Until my change comes.

359

“Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plans by which you would wrong me.

360

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

361

“Then a spirit passed by my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled up.

363

“For what I fear comes upon me,
And what I dread befalls me.

364

Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unobserved, they perish forever.

366

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

367

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”

368

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”

369

“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.

370

‘Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them?
They die, yet without wisdom.’

371

“Your words have helped the tottering to stand,
And you have strengthened feeble knees.

372

Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.

373

“Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;

374

“Together they lie down in the dust,
And worms cover them.

375

“When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence,
And the humble person He will save.

376

“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of Orion?

377

“Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

378

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

381

“It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:

383

Then the Lord said to Job,

384

“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,

385

“The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.

386

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

387

“Surely there is a mine for silver
And a place where they refine gold.

390

“Behold you have admonished many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.

391

His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

392

“Did not He who made me in the womb make him,
And the same one fashion us in the womb?

393

Who alone stretches out the heavens
And tramples down the waves of the sea;

394

“But now those younger than I mock me,
Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.

395

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,

396

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.

397

Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?

398

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

399

“But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?

400

So man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens are no longer,
He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.

402

“If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But who can refrain from speaking?

403

“Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way,
And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

404

Like a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

405

Is not man forced to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

406

“For you say, ‘Where is the house of the nobleman,
And where is the tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’

407

“Who is this that darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?

409

“Or who enclosed the sea with doors
When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;

410

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

411

Then Job responded,

412

“There is no umpire between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.

414

If I have looked at the sun when it shone
Or the moon going in splendor,

415

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

416

“But you smear with lies;
You are all worthless physicians.

417

“If there is an angel as mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To remind a man what is right for him,

418

Then Job answered,

420

From six troubles He will deliver you,
Even in seven evil will not touch you.

421

“Who has given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.

423

“Indeed God speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one notices it.

424

“Will the wild ox consent to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your manger?

425

“But man dies and lies prostrate.
Man expires, and where is he?

426

“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.

427

Then Job answered,

428

Your hands fashioned and made me altogether,
And would You destroy me?

429

“Can a vigorous man be of use to God,
Or a wise man be useful to himself?

430

“When a cloud vanishes, it is gone,
So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up.

431

“On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,

432

“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!

433

When my steps were bathed in butter,
And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

434

Let briars grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.

435

“They say to God, ‘Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.

436

Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south;

437

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

438

Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

439

The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys.

440

“If He should determine to do so,
If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,

441

“He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters
At the boundary of light and darkness.

442

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

443

“The departed spirits tremble
Under the waters and their inhabitants.

444

“Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?

445

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

446

“But as for me, I would seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;

447

Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,

448

“Have you not asked wayfaring men,
And do you not recognize their witness?

449

“If I look for Sheol as my home,
I make my bed in the darkness;

450

“It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from his gall.
Terrors come upon him,

451

Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.

452

“When I went out to the gate of the city,
When I took my seat in the square,

453

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

454

“If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,

455

“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,

456

Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

458

His skin is devoured by disease,
The firstborn of death devours his limbs.

460

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

462

“Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones,
And the heavens are not pure in His sight;

463

Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”

464

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

465

“He quieted the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He shattered Rahab.

466

“The ostriches’ wings flap joyously
With the pinion and plumage of love,

467

Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,

468

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

470

“His anger has torn me and hunted me down,
He has gnashed at me with His teeth;
My adversary glares at me.

471

“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.

474

“In a dream, a vision of the night,
When sound sleep falls on men,
While they slumber in their beds,

475

And Job again took up his discourse and said,

478

“The clods of the valley will gently cover him;
Moreover, all men will follow after him,
While countless ones go before him.

479

“Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

480

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

481

“Have you entered into the springs of the sea
Or walked in the recesses of the deep?

482

“For He draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain from the mist,

483

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
I would bind it to myself like a crown.

484

“How long will you hunt for words?
Show understanding and then we can talk.

485

And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;
And here shall your proud waves stop’?

486

“They spend their days in prosperity,
And suddenly they go down to Sheol.

487

“Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself;
For emptiness will be his reward.

488

“Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out,
And the flame of his fire gives no light.

489

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

491

“The pillars of heaven tremble
And are amazed at His rebuke.

492

But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger burned because he justified himself before God.

493

Then Elihu continued and said,

494

Why are times not stored up by the Almighty,
And why do those who know Him not see His days?

495

“Will you speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?

496

Will it go down with me to Sheol?
Shall we together go down into the dust?”

497

“This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
Even the heritage decreed to him by God.”

498

“Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the deer?

499

“Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her satellites?

500

“They sing to the timbrel and harp
And rejoice at the sound of the flute.

501

“He will not escape from darkness;
The flame will wither his shoots,
And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

502

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

503

“Though evil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,

504

“I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.

505

“At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.

506

“Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,

508

“He is torn from the security of his tent,
And they march him before the king of terrors.

509

“Is not God in the height of heaven?
Look also at the distant stars, how high they are!

510

“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who reproves God answer it.”

511

“Will you keep to the ancient path
Which wicked men have trod,

512

“When He imparted weight to the wind
And meted out the waters by measure,

513

“They send forth their little ones like the flock,
And their children skip about.

514

Dominion and awe belong to Him
Who establishes peace in His heights.

515

“I too could speak like you,
If I were in your place.
I could compose words against you
And shake my head at you.

518

“Drought and heat consume the snow waters,
So does Sheol those who have sinned.

519

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

520

“Indeed, you do away with reverence
And hinder meditation before God.

522

“I have become a brother to jackals
And a companion of ostriches.

523

“Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?

524

“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked.

525

“Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.

526

“For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.

527

“Do you hear the secret counsel of God,
And limit wisdom to yourself?

528

Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm and said,

529

“Now gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

530

Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to know its ways
Nor abide in its paths.

531

Who shows no partiality to princes
Nor regards the rich above the poor,
For they all are the work of His hands?

532

“For the company of the godless is barren,
And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt.

533

“For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off,
When God requires his life?

534

“I have heard many such things;
Sorry comforters are you all.

536

“Is not your wickedness great,
And your iniquities without end?

537

“He wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not burst under them.

539

“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge
And fill himself with the east wind?

540

“I was at ease, but He shattered me,
And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His target.

541

“Iron is taken from the dust,
And copper is smelted from rock.

542

“For He looks to the ends of the earth
And sees everything under the heavens.

543

“It will be accomplished before his time,
And his palm branch will not be green.

544

“You have sent widows away empty,
And the strength of the orphans has been crushed.

545

“How often is the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their calamity fall on them?
Does God apportion destruction in His anger?

546

“Let me now be partial to no one,
Nor flatter any man.

547

“He sucks the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue slays him.

548

Surely mockers are with me,
And my eye gazes on their provocation.

549

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

550

“Let Him remove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.

551

“My skin turns black on me,
And my bones burn with fever.

552

“All my associates abhor me,
And those I love have turned against me.

553

“Will it be well when He examines you?
Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

554

“I have sewed sackcloth over my skin
And thrust my horn in the dust.

555

“Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us,
Older than your father.

556

If I have eaten its fruit without money,
Or have caused its owners to lose their lives,

557

“Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low.

558

“But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.

559

“Will you really annul My judgment?
Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?

560

What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.

561

So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite spoke out and said,
“I am young in years and you are old;
Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think.

562

Yet You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would abhor me.

563

“God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.

564

Because he has stretched out his hand against God
And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.

565

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

566

“Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
Or fix their rule over the earth?

567

“He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
And He has uprooted my hope like a tree.

568

“As God lives, who has taken away my right,
And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,

570

Man is also chastened with pain on his bed,
And with unceasing complaint in his bones;

571

“He has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

572

“As water evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,

573

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

574

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

575

“Who has put wisdom in the innermost being
Or given understanding to the mind?

576

“He bends his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are knit together.

577

“Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation.

578

“Who has cleft a channel for the flood,
Or a way for the thunderbolt,

579

“O you who tear yourself in your anger—
For your sake is the earth to be abandoned,
Or the rock to be moved from its place?

580

Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity,
And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.

581

And I placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,

582

All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.

584

“He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the base.

585

“He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him;
Even like a vision of the night he is chased away.

586

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

587

“Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
And makes his nest on high?

588

“Even today my complaint is rebellion;
His hand is heavy despite my groaning.

589

“You also open Your eyes on him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.

590

“He is the first of the ways of God;
Let his maker bring near his sword.

591

“For your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose the language of the crafty.

592

“However now, Job, please hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.

593

“Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

594

“For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.

595

“Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress,
Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And that which was set on your table was full of fatness.

596

“Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a teacher like Him?

597

“You say, ‘What does God know?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?

598

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

599

Who pluck mallow by the bushes,
And whose food is the root of the broom shrub.

600

“If even the moon has no brightness
And the stars are not pure in His sight,

603

“Who sent out the wild donkey free?
And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,

604

“It is God who has made my heart faint,
And the Almighty who has dismayed me,

605

Then let him be gracious to him, and say,
‘Deliver him from going down to the pit,
I have found a ransom’;

606

After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations.

607

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,

608

“All around terrors frighten him,
And harry him at every step.

609

If I call to the pit, ‘You are my father’;
To the worm, ‘my mother and my sister’;

610

Abaddon and Death say,
‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’

611

“Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips testify against you.

612

“Are the consolations of God too small for you,
Even the word spoken gently with you?

613

“If they hear and serve Him,
They will end their days in prosperity
And their years in pleasures.

614

“I could strengthen you with my mouth,
And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.

615

“What a help you are to the weak!
How you have saved the arm without strength!

616

“Do you know this from of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,

617

“My foot has held fast to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.

618

He is driven from light into darkness,
And chased from the inhabited world.

619

“His troops come together,
And build up their way against me
And camp around my tent.

620

“His sneezes flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

621

“Can you put a rope in his nose
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?

622

“He will sing to men and say,
‘I have sinned and perverted what is right,
And it is not proper for me.

623

“His arrows surround me.
Without mercy He splits my kidneys open;
He pours out my gall on the ground.

624

“He delivers the afflicted in their affliction,
And opens their ear in time of oppression.

625

“Therefore snares surround you,
And sudden dread terrifies you,

626

“His vigorous stride is shortened,
And his own scheme brings him down.

627

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

628

“If I speak, my pain is not lessened,
And if I hold back, what has left me?

629

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

630

Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is the place of understanding?

631

“I listened to the reproof which insults me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.

632

“You have shriveled me up,
It has become a witness;
And my leanness rises up against me,
It testifies to my face.

633

When I made a cloud its garment
And thick darkness its swaddling band,

634

“My face is flushed from weeping,
And deep darkness is on my eyelids,

635

“They have gaped at me with their mouth,
They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt;
They have massed themselves against me.

636

“This is the portion of a wicked man from God,
And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty.

638

“Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes,
Or will he harrow the valleys after you?

639

“Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him,
And tread down the wicked where they stand.

640

That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?

641

“And what is the portion of God from above
Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

642

“But now He has exhausted me;
You have laid waste all my company.

644

“He breaks through me with breach after breach;
He runs at me like a warrior.

645

“Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy,
Or exulted when evil befell him?

646

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

648

“He has stripped my honor from me
And removed the crown from my head.

649

Then Job continued his discourse and said,

651

He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.

652

“The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’
And he disguises his face.

653

“It is changed like clay under the seal;
And they stand forth like a garment.

654

Then Job answered the Lord and said,

655

“Surely, God will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

656

Then Elihu continued and said,

657

Then Job responded,

658

“Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any;
He is mighty in strength of understanding.

659

“And now I have become their taunt,
I have even become a byword to them.

660

Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’

661

There dwells in his tent nothing of his;
Brimstone is scattered on his habitation.

662

“Though its roots grow old in the ground
And its stump dies in the dry soil,

663

“The light in his tent is darkened,
And his lamp goes out above him.

664

Let Him weigh me with accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.

665

“If indeed you vaunt yourselves against me
And prove my disgrace to me,

666

“His bones are tubes of bronze;
His limbs are like bars of iron.

667

“Behold, I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.

668

“For He pays a man according to his work,
And makes him find it according to his way.

669

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

670

“Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me respond,
Even because of my inward agitation.

671

“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?

672

Who were snatched away before their time,
Whose foundations were washed away by a river?

673

“He hews out channels through the rocks,
And his eye sees anything precious.

674

“Because he knew no quiet within him,
He does not retain anything he desires.

675

“Look at me, and be astonished,
And put your hand over your mouth.

676

“The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.

677

“The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

678

“Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

679

“My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.

680

“For he is thrown into the net by his own feet,
And he steps on the webbing.

681

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

682

“Were you the first man to be born,
Or were you brought forth before the hills?

683

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.

684

Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.

685

“He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.

686

“He has built his house like the spider’s web,
Or as a hut which the watchman has made.

687

“Will he take delight in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?

688

“Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness
They go forth seeking food in their activity,
As bread for their children in the desert.

689

“Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?

690

“But He has made me a byword of the people,
And I am one at whom men spit.

691

“For You have kept their heart from understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them.

692

Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the venom of cobras within him.

693

He perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

694

“They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’
And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’

695

“He does not look at the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.

696

“A snare seizes him by the heel,
And a trap snaps shut on him.

697

“From whose womb has come the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?

698

“His strong scales are his pride,
Shut up as with a tight seal.

699

“Can you send forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?

700

No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in a curse.

702

“Now gird up your loins like a man;
I will ask you, and you instruct Me.

704

“These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me.

705

“He will surely reprove you
If you secretly show partiality.

706

“It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.

707

“Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.

708

“His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes forth from his mouth.

709

“His young ones also suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there is he.”

710

He looks on everything that is high;
He is king over all the sons of pride.”

711

“I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me.

712

“The murderer arises at dawn;
He kills the poor and the needy,
And at night he is as a thief.

713

“From the city men groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry out;
Yet God does not pay attention to folly.

714

When He set a limit for the rain
And a course for the thunderbolt,

715

“For I am full of words;
The spirit within me constrains me.

716

“He swallows riches,
But will vomit them up;
God will expel them from his belly.

717

“For He performs what is appointed for me,
And many such decrees are with Him.

718

Though he desires it and will not let it go,
But holds it in his mouth,

719

Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction,

720

“He obscures the face of the full moon
And spreads His cloud over it.

721

“His heart is as hard as a stone,
Even as hard as a lower millstone.

722

“When he raises himself up, the mighty fear;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

723

“He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.

724

“Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.

725

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?—

726

“I would present my case before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.

727

“He who informs against friends for a share of the spoil,
The eyes of his children also will languish.

729

“But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.

730

“Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been formed out of the clay.

731

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

732

“Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest,
And I shall multiply my days as the sand.

733

“Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?

734

“For what does he care for his household after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?

736

In all the land no women were found so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers.

737

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

738

“Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this,
For God is greater than man.

739

“God hands me over to ruffians
And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.

740

If his loins have not thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

741

‘He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit,
And my life shall see the light.’

742

“For when the ear heard, it called me blessed,
And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,

743

“Is there any number to His troops?
And upon whom does His light not rise?

744

“His bones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it lies down with him in the dust.

745

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

746

Then Elihu continued and said,

747

“Behold, my belly is like unvented wine,
Like new wineskins it is about to burst.

748

“There is no darkness or deep shadow
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

749

“But come again all of you now,
For I do not find a wise man among you.

750

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

751

“Under the lotus plants he lies down,
In the covert of the reeds and the marsh.

752

“The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me,
And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.

753

“The path no bird of prey knows,
Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it.

754

“The east wind carries him away, and he is gone,
For it whirls him away from his place.

755

“Then I will also confess to you,
That your own right hand can save you.

756

“They drive away the donkeys of the orphans;
They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

757

“The sword that reaches him cannot avail,
Nor the spear, the dart or the javelin.

758

Their houses are safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them.

759

“No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him;
Who then is he that can stand before Me?

760

“As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he scents the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

761

“And if they are bound in fetters,
And are caught in the cords of affliction,

762

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

764

“Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.

766

At the scent of water it will flourish
And put forth sprigs like a plant.

767

Terrors are turned against me;
They pursue my honor as the wind,
And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.

769

“Behold now, his strength in his loins
And his power in the muscles of his belly.

770

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job.

771

“I was eyes to the blind
And feet to the lame.

772

“From want and famine they are gaunt
Who gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation,

773

When His lamp shone over my head,
And by His light I walked through darkness;

774

As I was in the prime of my days,
When the friendship of God was over my tent;

775

“Why are we regarded as beasts,
As stupid in your eyes?

776

“They make night into day, saying,
‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness.

777

“My words are from the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips speak knowledge sincerely.

778

“Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or profit if you make your ways perfect?

779

“His roots are dried below,
And his branch is cut off above.

780

“Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.

781

When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him;
He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.

782

“Whether for correction, or for His world,
Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

783

Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.

784

What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?

785

“Within the walls they produce oil;
They tread wine presses but thirst.

786

“Those who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger.
I am a foreigner in their sight.

787

For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,

788

“Man puts an end to darkness,
And to the farthest limit he searches out
The rock in gloom and deep shadow.

789

“Let his own eyes see his decay,
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

791

“He returns what he has attained
And cannot swallow it;
As to the riches of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy them.

792

God understands its way,
And He knows its place.

793

“I thought age should speak,
And increased years should teach wisdom.

794

Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the orphan has not shared it

795

He keeps back his soul from the pit,
And his life from passing over into Sheol.

796

“Beware that wrath does not entice you to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

797

“As for me, is my complaint to man?
And why should I not be impatient?

798

“Though he piles up silver like dust
And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,

799

“I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore him with my mouth.

800

“The folds of his flesh are joined together,
Firm on him and immovable.

801

“A noose for him is hidden in the ground,
And a trap for him on the path.

802

“Remember that you should exalt His work,
Of which men have sung.

803

“They harvest their fodder in the field
And glean the vineyard of the wicked.

804

“Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;
Even twice, and I will add nothing more.”

805

Memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name abroad.

806

“Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power?
No, surely He would pay attention to me.

807

“Men will clap their hands at him
And will hiss him from his place.

808

To whom I gave the wilderness for a home
And the salt land for his dwelling place?

809

“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
Or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame.

810

“Where is the way that the light is divided,
Or the east wind scattered on the earth?

811

Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were years older than he.

812

“Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

813

“Out of his mouth go burning torches;
Sparks of fire leap forth.

814

“It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.

815

“If I have walked with falsehood,
And my foot has hastened after deceit,

816

“If you are righteous, what do you give to Him,
Or what does He receive from your hand?

817

“Why does your heart carry you away?
And why do your eyes flash,

818

“Though his loftiness reaches the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,

819

“Will the traders bargain over him?
Will they divide him among the merchants?

820

“He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.

821

“If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,

822

“His strength is famished,
And calamity is ready at his side.

823

Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A tempest steals him away in the night.

824

Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?

825

“One is so near to another
That no air can come between them.

826

“Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry for help because of the arm of the mighty.

827

“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastisement;
I will not offend anymore;

828

“They are exalted a little while, then they are gone;
Moreover, they are brought low and like everything gathered up;
Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.

829

If I have gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had secured so much;

830

“To the weary you have given no water to drink,
And from the hungry you have withheld bread.

831

They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the cult prostitutes.

832

“A mother will forget him;
The worm feeds sweetly till he is no longer remembered.
And wickedness will be broken like a tree.

833

“He has also kindled His anger against me
And considered me as His enemy.

834

“Please hear my argument
And listen to the contentions of my lips.

835

“Surely the mountains bring him food,
And all the beasts of the field play there.

836

“They abhor me and stand aloof from me,
And they do not refrain from spitting at my face.

837

And my heart became secretly enticed,
And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,

838

“They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing,
And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

839

Hide them in the dust together;
Bind them in the hidden place.

840

“Will not His majesty terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?

841

“The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.

842

He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He goes out to meet the weapons.

843

“His sons favor the poor,
And his hands give back his wealth.

844

“The proud beasts have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

845

Behold, your expectation is false;
Will you be laid low even at the sight of him?

846

“She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned;

847

“He wrongs the barren woman
And does no good for the widow.

848

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

849

“Who can open the doors of his face?
Around his teeth there is terror.

850

“If a river rages, he is not alarmed;
He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth.

851

‘My glory is ever new with me,
And my bow is renewed in my hand.’

852

“My eye has also grown dim because of grief,
And all my members are as a shadow.

853

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

854

“Then his soul draws near to the pit,
And his life to those who bring death.

855

“Do you think this is according to justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?

856

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

857

“To me they listened and waited,
And kept silent for my counsel.

858

Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.

859

Look at the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—they are higher than you.

860

“Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him for a servant forever?

861

“The lotus plants cover him with shade;
The willows of the brook surround him.

862

“Will God hear his cry
When distress comes upon him?

863

“For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness,
For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.

864

“In his neck lodges strength,
And dismay leaps before him.

865

“They are joined one to another;
They clasp each other and cannot be separated.

866

“The righteous see and are glad,
And the innocent mock them,

867

Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity,
I will not do it again’?

868

May my wife grind for another,
And let others kneel down over her.

869

“Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,

870

From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the uplifted arm is broken.

871

‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.

872

“Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me?
Vigor had perished from them.

873

“Its rocks are the source of sapphires,
And its dust contains gold.

874

“But He drags off the valiant by His power;
He rises, but no one has assurance of life.

875

“They are insignificant on the surface of the water;
Their portion is cursed on the earth.
They do not turn toward the vineyards.

876

“Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And horror takes hold of my flesh.

877

To bring rain on a land without people,
On a desert without a man in it,

878

“Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.

879

“In a moment they die, and at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And the mighty are taken away without a hand.

880

Fools, even those without a name,
They were scourged from the land.

881

“But the earth belongs to the mighty man,
And the honorable man dwells in it.

882

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

883

“With shaking and rage he races over the ground,
And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.

884

“Therefore, I would be dismayed at His presence;
When I consider, I am terrified of Him.

885

‘Behold, He invents pretexts against me;
He counts me as His enemy.

886

“His survivors will be buried because of the plague,
And their widows will not be able to weep.

887

“Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you bind him for your maidens?

888

“The eye which saw him sees him no longer,
And his place no longer beholds him.

890

“He dams up the streams from flowing,
And what is hidden he brings out to the light.

891

“And now my soul is poured out within me;
Days of affliction have seized me.

892

“If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him?

893

“Who can strip off his outer armor?
Who can come within his double mail?

894

“Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?

895

“Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.

896

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

897

Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;

898

“To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit was expressed through you?

899

“There they cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil men.

900

“He lies down rich, but never again;
He opens his eyes, and it is no longer.

901

“Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

902

“Will he make many supplications to you,
Or will he speak to you soft words?

903

Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.

904

“Hear my words, you wise men,
And listen to me, you who know.

905

“The upright will be appalled at this,
And the innocent will stir up himself against the godless.

906

“Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

907

“What man is like Job,
Who drinks up derision like water,

908

“For calamity from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty I can do nothing.

909

“They push the needy aside from the road;
The poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.

910

“The earth, from it comes food,
And underneath it is turned up as fire.

911

“Do you make him leap like the locust?
His majestic snorting is terrible.

912

“I broke the jaws of the wicked
And snatched the prey from his teeth.

913

“For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
When he is pleased with God.’

914

“You have become cruel to me;
With the might of Your hand You persecute me.

916

“Should he argue with useless talk,
Or with words which are not profitable?

917

“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.

918

“Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men,

919

“Shall one who hates justice rule?
And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

920

“Is it not calamity to the unjust
And disaster to those who work iniquity?

921

“Who can count the clouds by wisdom,
Or tip the water jars of the heavens,

922

“They waited for me as for the rain,
And opened their mouth as for the spring rain.

923

“For by these He judges peoples;
He gives food in abundance.

924

“For it will hurl at him without sparing;
He will surely try to flee from its power.

925

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

926

“Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword;
And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread.

927

“Can anyone capture him when he is on watch,
With barbs can anyone pierce his nose?

928

“When I expected good, then evil came;
When I waited for light, then darkness came.

929

He opens their ear to instruction,
And commands that they return from evil.

930

Let my shoulder fall from the socket,
And my arm be broken off at the elbow.

931

If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw I had support in the gate,

932

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

933

“Who gave Him authority over the earth?
And who has laid on Him the whole world?

934

“Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off the bridle before me.

935

“On the cliff he dwells and lodges,
Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place.

936

“He provides them with security, and they are supported;
And His eyes are on their ways.

937

“He covers His hands with the lightning,
And commands it to strike the mark.

938

“He explores the mountains for his pasture
And searches after every green thing.

939

“I will instruct you in the power of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

940

“For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

941

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

942

So Job opens his mouth emptily;
He multiplies words without knowledge.”

943

And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

944

“Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle; you will not do it again!

945

“When she lifts herself on high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.

946

“Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.

947

“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my right;

948

“Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living
And concealed from the birds of the sky.

949

“He scorns the tumult of the city,
The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.

950

“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
So that an abundance of water will cover you?

951

“I would learn the words which He would answer,
And perceive what He would say to me.

952

“From there he spies out food;
His eyes see it from afar.

953

“Will you trust him because his strength is great
And leave your labor to him?

954

“I go about mourning without comfort;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.

955

“Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,
And your righteousness is for a son of man.

956

“I chose a way for them and sat as chief,
And dwelt as a king among the troops,
As one who comforted the mourners.

957

‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct me.’

958

“On the right hand their brood arises;
They thrust aside my feet and build up against me their ways of destruction.

959

“How much less when you say you do not behold Him,
The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

960

Nothing on earth is like him,
One made without fear.

961

“The princes stopped talking
And put their hands on their mouths;

962

Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’

963

“At night it pierces my bones within me,
And my gnawing pains take no rest.

964

“He sinks a shaft far from habitation,
Forgotten by the foot;
They hang and swing to and fro far from men.

965

“But if they do not hear, they shall perish by the sword
And they will die without knowledge.

966

“Water becomes hard like stone,
And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.

967

“After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.

968

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

969

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

970

And she forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may trample them.

971

Where now is my hope?
And who regards my hope?

972

“Its noise declares His presence;
The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.

973

“Behold, I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings,
While you pondered what to say.

974

“Among the bushes they cry out;
Under the nettles they are gathered together.

975

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

976

“His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones which were not seen stick out.

977

“Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words:

978

“Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,
The thundering of His pavilion?

979

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

980

“You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride;
And You dissolve me in a storm.

981

“He has cast me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.

982

“I smiled on them when they did not believe,
And the light of my face they did not cast down.

983

“Surely God will not listen to an empty cry,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.

984

“Have you understood the expanse of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

985

“Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.

986

I am seething within and cannot relax;
Days of affliction confront me.

987

“After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech dropped on them.

988

“There the upright would reason with Him;
And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

989

You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?

990

“In the dark they dig into houses,
They shut themselves up by day;
They do not know the light.

991

“Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.

992

Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?

993

Saying, ‘Truly our adversaries are cut off,
And their abundance the fire has consumed.’

994

“They are wet with the mountain rains
And hug the rock for want of a shelter.

995

The voice of the nobles was hushed,
And their tongue stuck to their palate.

996

When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together?

997

“I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

998

“For he has not arranged his words against me,
Nor will I reply to him with your arguments.

999

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

1000

Which the clouds pour down,
They drip upon man abundantly.