Most Popular Bible Verses in Job
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Job Rank:
Now there came a certain day, when the sons of God entered in to present themselves unto Yahweh, - so the accuser also entered, in their midst.
But, I, know that, my redeemer, liveth, and, as the Last over my dust, will he arise;
A man, there was - in the land of Uz, Job, his name, - and that man was blameless and upright, and one who revered God, and avoided evil.
and said - Naked came I forth from the womb of my mother, and naked must I return thither, Yahweh, gave, and, Yahweh, hath taken away, - The name of Yahweh be blessed!
Where wast thou, when I founded the earth? Tell, if thou knowest understanding!
Who stretcheth out the north over emptiness, hangeth the earth upon nothingness;
Then Yahweh responded to Job, out of a storm, and said: -
But, in very deed, put forth, I pray thee, thy hand, and smite all that he hath, - verily, unto thy face, will he curse thee.
Hast not, thou thyself, made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? The work of his hands, thou hast blessed, and, his substance, hath broken forth in the land.
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
And said to the son of earth, Lo! the reverence of the Lord, that, is wisdom, and, to avoid evil, is understanding.
And there came a certain day, - when his sons and his daughters were eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their eldest brother.
The spirit of GOD, hath made me, and, the inspiration of the Almighty, giveth me life.
For sorrow, cometh not forth out of the dust, - nor, out of the ground, sprouteth trouble.
A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, - How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
And, a messenger, came in unto Job, and said, - The oxen, were plowing, and, the asses, feeding beside them;
Man that is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble:
Lo! he may slay me, yet , for him, will I wait, - Nevertheless, my ways - unto his face, will I show to be right:
Behold, I pray thee, the Hippopotamus, which I made with thee, Grass - like the ox, he eateth;
Who prepareth for the Raven his nourishment, - when his young ones - unto GOD - cry out, when they wander for lack of food?
By his spirit, hath he arched the heavens, His hand hath pierced the fleeing serpent.
Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell to the earth and worshipped;
And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Hast thou applied thy heart unto my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, one revering God and avoiding evil?
when the Sabeans swooped down, and took them, and, the young men, smote they with the edge of the sword, - and escaped am, only I alone, too tell thee.
Yet was this one speaking, when, another, came in and said, - Thy sons and thy daughters, were eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their eldest brother;
Yet was this one speaking, when, another, came in and said, The Chaldeans, appointed three chiefs, and spread out against the camels, and took them, and, the young men, smote they with the edge of the sword; and escaped am, only I alone, to tell thee.
By the hearing of the ear, had I heard thee, but, now, mine own eye, hath seen thee.
But, he, knoweth the way that I choose, Having tried me, as gold, I shall come forth.
That day, be it darkness, - Let not God enquire after it from above, May there shine upon it no clear beam:
Yet was this one speaking, when, another, came in and said, - A fire of God, fell out of the heavens, and burned up the sheep and the young men, and consumed them; and escaped am, only I alone, to tell thee.
I know that, all things, thou canst do, and that no purpose can be withholden from thee.
In all this, Job sinned not, nor imputed folly unto God.
when lo! a great wind, came from over the desert, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they died, - and escaped am, only I alone, to tell thee.
But, now, it cometh upon thee, and thou despairest, It smiteth even thee, and thou art dismayed.
Thou shouldst call, and, I, would answer thee, - For the work of thine own hand, thou shouldst long.
Lo! he cometh upon me, yet can I not see him, Yea he passeth on, yet can I not discern him.
But, an empty person, will get sense, when, a wild ass's colt, is born a man!
Nor shall see me - the eye that used to behold me, Thine eyes, are upon me, and I am not.
Unto my skin and unto my flesh, have my bones cleaved, and I have escaped with the akin of my teeth.
With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain counsel and understanding.
In any case, I will take up my flesh in my teeth, and, my life, will I put in my hand:
Let darkness and death-shade buy it back, May there settle down upon it a cloud, Let a day's dark eclipse cause it terror:
For, of yesterday, are, we, and cannot know, for, a shadow, are our days upon earth:
How much less when one is detested and corrupt, a man who drinketh in - like water - perversity.
Is it, to GOD, one can teach knowledge, seeing that, he, shall judge, them who are on high?
If, thou, hast prepared thy heart, and wilt spread forth, unto him, thy hands -
Then the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, Skin for skin, and so, all that a man hath, will he give for his life.
Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors - to the wayfarer, I threw open.
Nothing escaped his devouring greed, - For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:
If thou return unto the Almighty and submit thyself, if thou far remove perversity from thy tent,
Shall, they, not teach thee - tell thee, and, out of their memory, bring forth words?
Lo! He pulleth down, and it cannot be built, He closeth up over a man, and it cannot be opened:
Life and lovingkindness, thou didst bestow upon me, - and, thy watchful care, preserved my breath.
That it would please GOD to crush me, That he would set free his hand, and cut me off!
Is not, thy reverence, thy confidence? And is not, thy hope, the very integrity of thy ways?
This, man dieth, in the very perfection of his prosperity, wholly tranquil and secure;
Lo! he snatcheth away, who can bring it back? Who shall say unto him, What wouldst thou do?
Let him have neither scion nor seed among his people, neither any survivor in his place of sojourn:
Then lay up, in the dust, precious ore, and, among the stones of the torrent-beds, fine gold:
Who giveth rain, upon the face of the earth, and sendeth forth waters, over the face of the open fields;
Thus is attuned to mourning - my lyre, and my flute, to the noise of them who weep.
In very deed, put forth, I pray thee thy hand, and smite unto his bone, and unto his flesh, - verily, unto thy face, will he curse thee.
Who doeth great things, beyond all search, - Wondrous things, till they cannot be recounted;
Pity me! pity me! ye, my friends, for, the hand of GOD, hath stricken me!
Even he, will be on my side - unto salvation, For, not before his face, shall any impious person come.
And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Behold him! in thy hand, - only, his life, preserve thou!
Surely, then, shalt thou lift up thy face free from blemish, and shalt be established, and not fear.
He shall not return again to his house, and his own place shall be acquainted with him no more.
If, iniquity, be in thy hand, Put it far away, and let there not dwell in thy tents perversity,
But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?
Wherefore should ye persecute me as GOD? and, with my flesh, should not he satisfied?
Am, I, a sea, or a sea-monster, - That thou shouldst set over me a watch?
That night, darkness take it, - May it not rejoice among the days of the year, Into the number of months, let it not enter.
With Him, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.
So far as I have seen, They who plow for iniquity and sow misery, reap the same:
Remember, I pray thee, who, being innocent, hath perished, or when, the upright, have been cut off.
For, now, shalt thou forget, sorrow, Like waters passed away, shalt thou remember it.
If I have sinned, then couldst thou watch me, and, from mine iniquity, thou wouldst not acquit me:
When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, shall come upon him.
Lo! I pray you, I have set forth in order a plea, I know that, I, shall be found right.
Lo! He holdeth back the waters, and they dry up, or sendeth them out, and they transform the earth:
Above high noon, shall rise life's continuance, Darkness, like a morning, shall appear,
But, the eyes of the lawless, shall fail, - and, place of refuge, shall have vanished from them, and, their hope, be a breathing out of life.
Over his day, have they been astounded who come behind, and, them who are in advance, a shudder hath seized.
Laying open deep things, out of darkness, and bringing out to light, the death-shade:
Who leadeth away priests as a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:
The despairing, from his friend, should have lovingkindness, or, the reverence of the Almighty, he may forsake.
But, in very deed, a mountain falling, will lie prostrate, or, a rock moved out of its place:
Thou renewest thy witnesses before me, and dost increase thy vexation with me, Relays - yea an army, is with me.
So, shall be the latter end of all who forget GOD, and, the hope of the impious, shall perish:
Though while still, in its freshness, it be not plucked off, yet, before any kind of grass, it doth wither:
Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, to be absolved, I would make supplication.
The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave's waistcloth about their loins:
And thou shalt he confident, that there is hope, and, when thou hast searched, securely shalt thou lie down;
As for GOD, if he withdraw not his anger, under him, will have submitted themselves - the proud helpers.
Whose trust shall be contemptible, - and, a spider's web, his confidence:
Darkened be the stars of its twilight, - Let it wait for light, and there be none, neither let it see the eyelashes of the dawn:
And shalt rest, with none to put thee in terror, - and many shall entreat thy favour.
I also, cannot restrain my mouth, - I must speak, in the anguish of my spirit, I must find utterance, in the bitterness of my soul.
Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
Yet, these things, thou didst hide in thy heart, I know that, this, hath been with thee!
For, with a tempest, would he fall upon me, and would multiply my wounds without need;
He leaneth upon his house, and it will not stand, he holdeth it fast, and it will not remain erect.
Are not my days, few? - then forbear, and set me aside, that I may brighten up for a little;
Wherefore then, from the womb, didst thou bring me forth? I might have breathed my last, and, no eye, have seen me.
They grope about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.
Full of moisture he is, before the sun, and, over his garden, his shoot goeth forth:
If I should justify myself, mine own mouth, would condemn me, - I blameless? then had it shewn me perverse.
Who taketh away the sense of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and hath caused them to wander in a pathless waste:
Though I had called, and he had answered me, I could not believe, that he would lend an ear to my voice.
And he took him a potsherd, to scrape himself therewith; he being seated in the midst of ashes.
Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:
Surely, these, are the dwellings of him that is perverse, and, this, is the place of him that knoweth not GOD.
Wherefore, in the womb, did I not die? From the womb, come forth and cease to breathe?
Who doth frustrate the schemes of the crafty, that their hands cannot achieve abiding success;
The caravans of Tema looked about, the travelling companies of Sheba, hoped for them:
And why wilt thou not remove my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For, now, in the dust, should I lie down, and thou shouldst seek me diligently, and I should not be.
So might it still be my comfort, And I might exult in the anguish he would not spare, - That I had not concealed the sayings of the Holy One.
Because it closed not the doors of the womb wherein I was, and so hid trouble from mine eyes.
If one destroy him out of his place, then will it disown him saying - I have not seen thee.
If I have been lawless, alas for me! Or, if I am righteous, I will not lift up my head, Surfeited with shame, look thou then on my humiliation.
A noise of dreadful things, is in his ears, In prosperity, the destroyer cometh upon him;
His sons, come to honour, and he knoweth it not, Or they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not of them.
For what reason, were there prepared for me - knees? and why - breasts, that I might suck?
But he saveth from the sword, out of their mouth, and, out of the hand of the strong, the needy.
And, when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept - and rent, every one his robe, and sprinkled dust upon their heads, toward the heavens.
For, then, in the Almighty, shalt thou take exquisite delight, and shalt lift up - unto GOD - thy face;
That, with a stylus of iron and with lead, for all time - in the rock, they could be graven!
Who captureth the wise in their own craftiness, yea the headlong counsel of the crooked:
My days, therefore, are swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have seen no good.
By day, they encounter darkness, and, as though it were night, they grope at high noon.
Or that, like an untimely birth hidden away, I had not come into being, like infants that never saw light:
What is my strength, that I should hope? Or what mine end, that I should prolong my desire?
Every misfortune, is laid up for his treasures, - There shall consume, a fire, not blown up, - it shall destroy what remaineth in his tent:
Surely, at once, had I lain down, and been quiet, I had fallen asleep, then, had I been at rest:
A wanderer, he, for bread, saying Where is it ? He knoweth that, prepared by his own hand, is the day of darkness;
By the blast of GOD, they perish, And, by the breath of his nostrils, are they consumed:
There, the lawless, cease from raging, and there the toil-worn are at rest:
With kings, and counselors of the earth, who had built them pyramids:
When, a few years, come, then, by a path by which I shall not return, shall I depart.
And they sat with him upon the ground, seven days and seven nights, - and none was speaking unto him a word, for they saw that, exceeding great, was the stinging pain.
And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Whence comest thou? And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from wandering about therein.
My soul doth loathe my life, - I let loose my complaint, I speak, in the bitterness of my soul.
That, to the day of calamity, is the wicked reserved, to the day of indignant visitation, are they led.
In the Ancient, is wisdom, and in Length of Days, understanding:
Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
Thy hand - from off me, take thou far away, and, thy terror, let it not startle me!
Who can declare - to his face - his way? And, what, he, hath done, who shall recompense to him?
A land of obscurity, like thick darkness, of death-shade and disorder, and which shineth like thick darkness.
Only, two things, do thou not with me, then, from thy face, will I not hide me: -
Whom, I myself, shall see, on my side, and, mine own eyes, shall have looked upon, and not those of a stranger. Exhausted are my deepest desires in my bosom!
Who is it that shall contend with me? For, now, if I should hold my peace, why! I should breathe my last!
Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: -
He shall deliver the innocent, and thou shalt escape by the pureness of thy hands.
Distress and anguish shall startle him, It shall overpower him, like a king ready for the onset:
I am wasted away, Not, to times age-abiding, can I live, Let me alone, for, a breath, are my days.
So that my soul chooseth strangling, Death, rather than these my bones!
What is a mortal, that thou shouldst nurture him? Or that thou shouldst fix upon him thy mind?
Then call thou, and, I, will answer, Or I will speak, and reply thou unto me.
For, he, woundeth that he may bind up, He smiteth through, that, his own hands, may heal.
The heights of the heavens, what canst thou do? Depths deeper than hades, what canst thou know?
Surely ye should say - Why should we persecute him? seeing, the root of the matter, is found in me.
That he would declare to thee the secrets of wisdom, for they are double to that which actually is, - -Know then that GOD could bring into forgetfulness for thee, a portion of thine iniquity.
A laughing-stock to one's neighbour, do I become, one who hath called upon GOD and he hath answered him! A laughing-stock - a righteous man without blame!
At destruction and at hunger, shalt thou laugh, and, of the wild beast of the earth, be not thou afraid;
Call, I pray thee - is there one to answer thee? Or, to which of the holy ones, wilt thou turn?
For, to the foolish man, death is caused by vexation, and, the simple one, is slain by jealousy.
For thou writest, against me, bitter things, and dost make me inherit the iniquities of my youth;
And, a man himself, as a rotten thing, weareth out, as a garment which the moth hath eaten.
During the scourge of the tongue, shalt thou be hid, neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh;
Yet, he, to the graves, is borne, and, over the tomb, one keepeth watch;
It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will thrust at him the glow of his anger, and rain it upon him for his punishment.
And had inhabited demolished cities, houses, wherein men would not dwell, that were destined to become heaps.
He shall wrong - like a vine - his sour grapes, and shall cast off - as an olive-tree - his blossom.
Shall, thy pratings, cause men to hold their peace? When thou hast mocked, shall there be none to put thee to shame?
Should, the multitude of words, not be answered? Or should, a man full of talk, be justified?
I say unto GOD, Do not hold me guilty, Let me know, on what account thou contendest with me!
The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
I have sinned, What can I do for thee, thou watcher of men? Wherefore hast thou set me as thine object of attack, or have I become, unto thee, a burden?
I was not careless, nor was I secure, nor had I settled down, - when there came - consternation!
So then Job began, and said:
He used to run against him with uplifted neck, with the stout bosses of his bucklers;
Notwithstanding the roaring of the lion, and the noise of the howling lion, yet, the teeth of the fierce lions, are broken:
For, he, knoweth men of falsity, and seeth iniquity, and him that doth not diligently consider.
For, with the stones of the field, shall be thy covenant, and, the wild beast of the field, hath been made thy friend;
As though I had not been, should I have become, - from the womb to the grave, might I have been borne.
And thou dost put - in the stocks - my feet, and observest all my paths, Against the roots of my feet, thou dost cut out a bound;
Then responded Bildad the Shuhite, and said: -
Mine own brethren, have proved treacherous like a torrent, like a channel of torrents which disappear:
How then should ye comfort me with vanity, since, as for your replies, there lurketh, in them treachery?
And thou shalt know that, at peace, is thy tent, and shalt visit thy fold, and miss nothing;
Didst thou not, like milk, pour me forth? and, as cheese, curdle me?
If he sweep on, or shut up, or call together, Who then shall hinder him?
Remember, I pray thee, that, as clay, thou didst make me, and, unto dust, thou wilt cause me to return.
At peace are the tents that belong to the spoilers, and there is security to them who provoke GOD, To him who bringeth a god in his hand.
But, in very deed, oh that GOD would speak, that he would open his lips with thee:
He shall not be rich, nor shall his substance continue, neither shall their shadow stretch along on the earth;
How long wilt thou not look away from me? Wilt thou not let me alone, till I can swallow my spittle?
For he had covered his face with his fatness, and had gathered a superabundance on his loins;
At length he shall fill with laughter thy mouth, and thy lips, with a shout of triumph:
I also, have a mind like you, I, fall not short, of you, But who hath not such things as these?
Conceiving mischief, and bringing forth iniquity, yea, their inmost soul, prepareth deceit.
Who long for death, and it is not, And have digged for it, beyond hid treasures:
Whereas, this other man, dieth, in bitterness of soul, and hath never tasted good fortune:
He would not suffer me to recover my breath, for he would surfeit me with bitter things.
Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of the door!
For ruin, there is contempt, in the thought of the man at ease, - ready, for such as are of faltering foot!
They who hate thee, shall be clothed with shame, but, the tent of the lawless, shall not be!
Longer than the earth, is the measure thereof, and broader than the sea.
Is it seemly in thee, that thou shouldst oppress? that thou shouldst despise the labour of thine own hand, when, upon the counsel of the lawless, thou hast shone?
In famine, he will ransom thee from death, and in battle from the power of the sword;
When there were thoughts, from visions of the night, - When deep sleep falleth upon men,
Lo! GOD, will not reject a blameless man, neither will he grasp the hand of evil-doers:
Though it is, within thine own knowledge, that I would not be lawless, and, none, out of thy hand, can deliver?
Of a truth, I know that so it is, But how can a mortal be just with GOD?
Thou shalt come, yet robust, to the grave, as a stack of sheaves mounteth up in its season.
Can that which hath no savour be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
For, in the face of my food, my sighing, cometh in, and, poured out like the water, are my groans:
Whose harvest, the hungry, eateth up, and, even out of thorn hedges, he taketh it, and the snare gapeth for their substance.
For, the arrows of the Almighty, are in me, The heat whereof, my spirit is drinking up, The, terrors of GOD, array themselves against me.
That thou shouldst seek for mine iniquity, and, for my sin, shouldst make search:
The strong lion perishing for lack of prey, Even the whelps of the lioness, are scattered.
All the days of the lawless man, he, doth writhe with pain, and, the number of years, is hidden from the tyrant;
For inquire, I pray thee, of a former generation, and prepare thyself for the research of their fathers; -
So shall thy beginning appear small, - when, thy latter end, he shall greatly increase!
And thou shalt know, that numerous is thy seed, and, thine offspring, like the young shoots of the field.
Then responded Job, and said -
Then responded Job, and said: -
I, have seen the foolish taking root, and then hath his home decayed, in a moment:
Show me, and, I, will hold my peace, And, wherein I have erred, cause me to understand.
Dread, came upon me, and trembling, The multitude of my bones, it put in dread:
Yet, if, thou thyself, wilt diligently seek unto GOD, - and, unto the Almighty, wilt make supplication;
My days, are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they are spent, without hope.
Lo! as for this, we have searched it out - so, it is, Hear it, and know, thou, for thyself.
Who shaketh the earth, out of its place, and, the pillars thereof, shudder;
The earth, hath been given into the hand of a lawless one, The faces of her judges, he covereth, If not, then who is it?
His children are far removed from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is none to deliver:
So, have I been made to inherit months of calamity, and, nights of weariness, have been appointed me.
Who commandeth the sun, and it breaketh not forth, and, about the stars, he putteth a seal;
Wise in heart, and alert in vigour, What man hath hardened himself against him, and prospered!
How long wilt thou speak these things? Or, as a mighty wind, shall be the sayings of thy mouth?
Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: -
Stones, have been hollowed out by waters, the floods thereof wash away the dust of the earth, and, the hope of mortal man, thou hast destroyed:
Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.
Is it that I said, Make me a gift, or, out of your abundance, offer a bribe on my behalf;
That thou shouldst inspect him morning by morning, moment by moment, shouldst test him?
As soon as I lie down, I say, When shall I arise? yet he lengtheneth out the evening, and I am wearied with tossings until the breeze of twilight.
Thou dost overpower him utterly, and he departeth, Disfiguring his face, so, hast thou sent him away.
Who removeth mountains, unawares, Who overturneth them in his anger;
By the time they begin to thaw, they are dried up, as soon as it is warm, they have vanished out of their place.
So shall, the Almighty, become, thy precious ores, yea glittering silver unto thee!
As, a bondman, panteth for the shadow, and as, a hireling, longeth for his wage,
Though, thy children, sinned against him, and he delivered them into the hand of their transgression,
Oh that, weighed, were my vexation, and, my engulfing ruin - into the balances, they would lift up all at once!
And, he that voucheth for me is on high. My friends are, they who scorn me, Unto GOD, hath mine eye shed tears: -
My flesh is clothed with worms and a coating of dust, My skin, hath hardened, and then run afresh:
For, now, beyond the sand of the seas, would it be heavy, On this account, my words, have wandered.
Shall, mortal man, be more just than GOD? Or a man be more pure than, his Maker?
If, pure and upright, thou thyself, art, surely, now, will he answer thy prayer, and will prosper thy righteous habitation:
For he addeth - unto his sin - rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.
One thing, there is, for which cause, I have said it, The blameless and the lawless, he bringeth to an end.
He shall flee from the armour of iron, - There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!
But, unto me, something was brought by stealth, - and mine ear caught a whispering of the same:
And thou shalt decree a purpose, and it shall be fulfilled unto thee, and, upon thy ways, shall have shone a light;
They have passed away with boats of paper-reed, like a vulture which rusheth upon food.
Lo! in his own servants, he trusteth not, and, his own messengers, he chargeth with error:
They become as straw before the wind, and as chaff, which the storm stealeth away.
How pleasant are the sayings that are right! But what can a decision from you, decide?
They are ashamed that they had trusted, They have come up to one of them, and are confounded.
And deliver me from the hand of the adversary? And, out of the hand of tyrants, ransom me?
To decide words, do ye intend, When, to the wind, are spoken the sayings of one in despair?
Thou shalt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and, thy vows, shalt thou pay;
Is there, in my tongue, perversity? Or can, my sense, not discern, engulfing ruin?
But, now, be pleased to turn to me, that it may be, to your faces, if I speak falsehood,
And he said unto her, As one of the base women speaketh, speakest thou? Blessing, shall we accept from God, and, misfortune, shall we not accept? In all this, Job sinned not with his lips.
Though I bathe myself in snow water, and cleanse, in cleanness itself, my hands,
Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
Yet surely, there is a spirit in men, and, the inspiration of the Almighty, giveth them understanding;
And his substance was - seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a body of servants exceeding large, - thus was that man the greatest of all the sons of the East.
And it came to pass, after Yahweh had spoken these words unto Job, that Yahweh, said unto Eliphaz the Temanite, Kindled is mine anger against thee and against thy two friends, for ye have not spoken concerning me the thing that is right, like my servant Job.
Reply, I pray you, let there be no perversity, Yea reply even yet, my vindication is in it!
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will lay aside my sad countenance, and brighten up,
The hidden depth of GOD canst thou discover? Or, unto the furthest limit of the Almighty, canst thou attain?
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one!
And there came a certain day when the sons of God entered in, to present themselves unto Yahweh - so the accuser also entered in their midst, to present himself unto Yahweh.
And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Lo! all that he hath, is in thy hand, only, against himself, do not put forth thy hand. So the accuser went forth from the presence of Yahweh.
And so it was, when the days of the banquet came round, that Job sent and hallowed them, and rising early in the morning offered ascending-sacrifices according to the number of them all; for Job said, Peradventure my sons have sinned, and have cursed God in their hearts. Thus and thus, was Job wont to do all the days.
How much more the dwellers in houses of clay, which, in the dust, have their foundation, which are crushed sooner than a moth:
And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Whence comest thou? And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and wandering about therein.
If a man die, can he live again? All the days of my warfare, would I wait, until my relief should come: -
Lo! I know your plans, and the devices, wherewith ye would do me violence!
He hath no confidence to come back out of darkness, he, being destined to the power oft the sword;
And, Yahweh himself, turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed in behalf of his friends, - and Yahweh increased all that Job had possessed, unto twice as much.
For, a dread, I dreaded, and it hath come upon me, and, that from which I shrank, hath overtaken me.
Betwixt morning and evening, are they broken in pieces, With none to save, they utterly perish:
Lo! how happy is the man whom God correcteth! Therefore, the chastening of the Almighty, do not thou refuse;
Though there is - for a tree - hope, - if it should be cut down, that, again, it will grow, and, the tender branch thereof, will not cease;
Then said his wife unto him, Art thou still holding fast thine integrity? Curse God, and die!
And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Hast thou applied thy heart unto my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, one who revereth God, and avoideth evil; and still he is holding fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to swallow him up without cause.
But, in very deed, ask, I pray thee, the beasts, and they will teach thee, and the bird of the heavens, and it will tell thee;
Him that was stumbling, have thy words raised up, and, sinking knees, hast thou strengthened.
Then came unto him all his brethren and all his sisters, and all his former acquaintances, and they did eat bread with him in his house, - and shewed sympathy with him and comforted him, over all the calamity which Yahweh had brought upon him, - and they gave him, every one a weight of money, and every one, a ring of gold.
And, though, after my skin is struck off, this followeth , yet, apart from my flesh, shall I see GOD:
Together, in the dust, they lie down, and, the worm, spreadeth a covering over them.
When men cast themselves down, then thou shalt say: Up! And, him that is of downcast eyes, shall he save;
Canst thou bind the fetters of the Pleiades? Or, the bands of Orion, canst thou unloose?
Wilt thou hunt - for the Lioness - prey? Or, the craving of the Strong Lion, wilt thou satisfy;
So the accuser went forth from the presence of Yahweh, - and smote Job with a sore boil, from the sole of his foot, unto his crown.
If determined am his days, the number of his months, is with thee, Fixed times for him, thou hast appointed and he cannot go beyond.
The command of his lips, and would not go back, and, in my bosom, have I treasured the words of his lips.
It stood still, but I could not distinguish its appearance, I looked, but there was no form before mine eyes, - A whispering voice, I heard: - -
And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, Is it, for nought, that Job revereth God?
And Yahweh responded to Job, and said: -
Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
But, he, is one, and who can turn him? What his soul desired, he hath done.
For this cause, I tremble and repent, on dust and ashes.
Though, man, to trouble, were born, as, sparks, on high, do soar,
Now his sons were wont to go, and make a banquet, at the house of each one upon his day, - and to send and call their three sisters, to eat and to drink with them.
Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
Who spreadeth out fire heavens, by himself alone! and marcheth along, on the heights of the sea;
But, now, they who are of fewer days than I, have poured derision upon me; whose fathers I refused - to set with the dogs of my flock.
Hast thou entered into the treasuries of the snow? And, the treasuries of the hail, couldst thou see?
Now when the three friends of Job heard of all this misfortune which had befallen him, - they came, every man from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, - for they had by appointment met together to come to shew sympathy with him, and to comfort him.
Canst thou draw out the Crocodile with a fish-hook? Or, with a cord, canst thou fasten down his tongue?
Be ye afraid - on your part - of the face of the sword, because, wrath, bringeth the punishments of the sword, to the end ye may know the Almighty.
So, a man, hath lain down, and shall not arise, until there are no heavens, they shall not awake, nor be roused up out of their sleep.
Wherefore do, lawless men, live, advance in years, even wax mighty in power?
If one attempt a word unto thee, wilt thou be impatient? But, to restrain speech, who, can endure?
That the righteous may hold on his way, and, the clean of hands, increase in strength.
As a flower, he cometh forth - and fadeth, He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
Is there not a warfare to a mortal, upon earth? And, as the days of a hireling, are not his days?
For ye say, Where is the house of the noble-minded? And where the dwelling-tent of the lawless?
Shew thyself to be one with him - I pray thee - and prosper, thereby, shall there come on thee blessing.
Or who shut in, with double doors, the sea, when, bursting out of the womb, it came forth;
Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh of men.
If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
What is a mortal, that he should be pure? or that righteous should be one born of a woman?
If there hath been near him a messenger who could interpret - one of a thousand, to declare to the son of earth His uprightness,
All the while my inspiration is in me, and the spirit of GOD is in my nostrils,
In six troubles, he will rescue thee, and, in seven, there shall smite thee no misfortune:
Who hath forestalled me, that I may repay him? Under all the heavens, mine it is!
Naked is hades before him, and there is no covering to destruction;
Will the Wild-Ox be pleased to be thy servant? or lodge for the night by thy crib?
Yet, man, dieth, and is prostrate, Yea the son of earth doth cease to breathe, and where is he?
Lo! I am of no account, what shall I reply to thee? My hand, have I laid on my mouth:
Thine own hands, shaped me, and made me, all in unison round about, and yet thou hast confounded me.
A cloud faileth, and is gone, So, he that descendeth to hades, shall not come up:
Oh that, in hades, thou wouldst hide me! that thou wouldst keep me secret, until the turn of thine anger, that thou wouldst set for me a fixed time, and remember me:
When my steps were bathed in milk, and, the rock, poured out beside me, rivulets of oil:
Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
Yet they said unto GOD, Depart from us, and, In the knowledge of thy ways, find we no pleasure.
Who made the Bear, the Giant and the Cluster, and the chambers of the south;
Oh, then, that my words, could be written, Oh that, in a record, they could be inscribed:
After this, opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
And, Yahweh, blessed the latter end of Job, more than his beginning, - and so he came to have fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.
If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.
A, boundary, hath he encircled on the face of the waters, as far as where light ends in darkness;
Who is it that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore, have I declared, but not understood, things too wonderful for me, which I could not know.
Yet indeed, I, would seek unto El, and, unto Elohim, would I set forth any cause: -
Have ye not asked the passers-by in the way? And, their signs, can ye not recognise?
If I wait for hades as my house, in darkness, have spread out my couch;
He hath drawn it out, and it hath come forth out of his back, - yea the flashing arrow-head, out of his gall, There shall march on him - terrors:
When I went out to the gate unto the city, in the open place, made ready my seat,
How much less a mortal who is a creeping thing? Or a son of the earth-born who is a worm?
If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
Since thy days began hast thou commanded the morning? or caused the dawn to know its place;
So these three men ceased to respond to Job, because, he, was righteous in their eyes.
Because I used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him that had no helper;
Let it devour the members of his body, Let the firstborn of death devour his members;
My spirit, is broken, My days, are extinguished, Graves, are left me.
For he is not a man like myself, whom I might answer, nor could we come together into judgment:
Lo, GOD, is greater than we can know, The number of his years, even past finding out!
Lo! in his holy ones, he putteth not confidence, and, the heavens, are not pure in his eyes:
Now, therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go unto my servant Job, and ye shall offer up an ascending-sacrifice in your own behalf, and, Job my servant, shall pray over you, - for, him, will I accept, that I may not deal out to you disgrace, because ye have not spoken concerning me the thing that is right, like my servant Job.
Oh that I knew where I might find him! I would come even unto his dwelling-place;
By his strength, hath he excited the sea, and, by his skill, hath he shattered the Crocodile:
The wing of the Ostrich that waveth itself joyfully, Is it the pinion of lovingkindness or the plumage?
That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?
How then shall, a mortal, be just with GOD? Or how shall he be pure who is born of a woman?
His anger, hath torn and persecuted me, He hath gnashed upon me with his teeth, Mine adversary, hath sharpened his eyes for me.
Wherefore, ye men of mind, hearken unto me, - Far be it, that, GOD, should be lawless, or, the Almighty, be perverse!
Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
But none saith - Where is GOD my maker, Who giveth songs in the night;
In a dream, a vision of the night, when a deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed,
And Job again took up his measure, and said,
But if, an arm like GOD, thou hast, and, with a voice like his, thou canst thunder,
Lo! these, are the fringes of his way, and what a whisper of a word hath been heard of him! But, the thunder of his might, who could understand?
Pleasant to him are the mounds of the torrent-bed, - and, after him, doth every man march, as, before him, there were without number.
Behold! eastward, I go, but he is not there, and, westward, but I perceive him not;
Hast thou entered as far as the springs of the sea? Or, through the secret recesses of the resounding deep, hast thou wandered?
How long will ye make a perversion of words? Ye should understand, and, afterwards, we could speak.
And said - Hitherto, shalt thou come, and no further, - and, here, shalt thou set a limit to the majesty of thy waves?
They complete, in prosperity, their days, and, in a moment to hades, they sink down.
Let no one trust in him that - by vanity - is deceived, for, vanity, shall be his recompense;
Even the light of the lawless, shall go out, - Neither shall shine the flame of his fire;
Oh that it were with me as in the months of old, as in the days, when, GOD, used to watch over me;
For, his eyes, are on the ways of a man, and, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, -
Then was kindled the anger of Elihu, son of Barachel the Buzite of the family of Ram, - against Job, was kindled his anger, because he justified his own soul rather than God;
Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?
With me to hades, would they go down, If, wholly - into the dust, is the descent!
This, is the portion of the lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.
Knowest thou the season when the Wild Goats of the crags beget? The bringing forth of the hinds, canst thou observe?
Canst thou bring forth the signs of the Zodiac each in its season? Or, the Bear and her Young, canst thou lead?
They rejoice aloud as with timbrel and lyre, and make merry to the sound of the pipe;
He shall not depart out of darkness, his young branch, shall the flame dry up, and he shall depart, by the breath of his own mouth!
Dark clouds, are a veil to him, and he cannot see, or, the vault of the heavens, doth he walk?
Though, a sweet taste in his mouth, be given by vice, though he hide it under his tongue;
Righteousness, I put on, and it clothed me, Like a robe and turban, was my, justice;
Where then is the way, the light shall abide? And, the darkness, where then is its place?
Give thou ear unto this, O Job, Stay, and consider well the wonders of GOD: -
Uprooted, out of his tent, be his confidence, and let it drive him down to the king of terrors;
Is not, GOD, in the height of the heavens? Behold, then, the head of the stars, that they are high.
Shall a reprover contend, with the Almighty? He that disputeth with GOD, let him answer it!
Making, for the wind, a weight, and, the waters, he proved by measure,
They send forth - like a flock - their young ones, and, their children, skip about for joy;
I also, like you, could speak, - If your soul were in the place of my soul, I could string together words against you, and could therewith shake over you my head.
Canst thou get to know concerning the poisings of the thick cloud, the wonders of one who is perfect in knowledge?
If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
Drought and heat, steal away snow water, Hades, them who have sinned.
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? Or what shall we profit, that we should urge him?
But, thou, wouldst take away reverence, and wouldst attain unto meditation before GOD.
If I withheld - from pleasure - the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
A brother, became I to the brutes that howl, and a companion to the birds that screech:
Couldst thou give - to the Horse - strength? Couldst thou clothe his neck with the quivering mane?
Surely then hast been wont to put thy brother in pledge, for nothing, and, the garments of the ill-clad, hast thou stripped off:
In the secret council of GOD, hast thou been wont to hearken? Or canst thou attain for thyself unto wisdom?
Gird, I pray thee - like a strong man - thy loins, that I may ask thee, and inform thou me:
They, have become rebels against the light, - they are not acquainted with the ways thereof, neither abide they in the paths thereof.
For he hath shewn no respect of persons unto princes, neither hath he recognised the rich rather than the poor? For, the work of his hands, are they all.
For, the family of the impious, is unfruitful, and, a fire, hath devoured the tents of bribery;
For what shall be the hope of the impious, though he graspeth with greed, when GOD shall draw forth his soul?
His flesh hath been made fresher than a child's, he hath returned to the days of his youth;
Is not, thy wickedness, great? and, without end, are not thine iniquities?
Who bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not rent beneath them;
How long will ye grieve my soul? or crush me with words?
Should, a wise man, answer unreal knowledge? or fill, with the east wind, his inner man?
At ease, was I when he shattered me, Yea he seized me by my neck, and dashed me in pieces, then set me up for himself as a mark:
Iron, out of the ore, is taken, and, stone, poureth out copper;
For, he, unto the ends of the earth, directeth his look, under all the heavens, he seeth;
Before his day, shall it be accomplished, with, his palm-top, not covered with leaves;
Widows, thou hast sent away empty, and, the arms of the fatherless, thou dost crush.
How oft, the lamp of the lawless, goeth out, and their calamity, cometh upon them, Sorrows, apportioneth he in his anger;
Verily there are mockers, with me! And, on their insults, mine eye doth rest.
Look sway from him, that he may rest, Till he shall pay off, as a hireling, his day.
My skin, turned black, and peeled off me, and, my bones, burned with heat:
All the men of mine intimate circle abhor me, and, these whom I loved, have turned against me;
Would it be well, when he searched you out? Or, as one might jest with a mortal, would ye jest, with him?
Both hoary and venerable, are among us, one mightier than thy father in days!
If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
Pour out thy transports of anger, and look on every one who is high, and lay him low;
But indeed, I, unto the Almighty, would speak, and, to direct my argument unto GOD, would I be well pleased.
Wilt thou even frustrate my justice? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest appear right?
So then Elihu, son of Barachel, the Buzite, responded and said: - Young, am I, whereas, ye, are aged, For this cause, I faltered, and feared - to shew my knowledge unto you:
GOD thundereth with his voice, wonderfully, Doing great things, which we cannot know;
Because he had stretched out - against GOD - his hand, and, against the Almighty, had been wont to behave himself proudly;
Oh that ye would, altogether held your peace, and it should serve you for wisdom!
Knowest thou, the statutes of the heavens? Or didst thou appoint his dominion over the earth?
He hath ruined me on every side, and I am gone, and he hath taken away - like a tree - my hope;
As GOD liveth who hath taken away my right, even the Almighty, who hath embittered my soul;
Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;
Or he is chastised with pain, upon his bed, and, the strife of his bones, is unceasing!
My Brethren - from beside me, hath he moved far away, and, mine acquaintance, are wholly estranged from me;
Waters, have failed from, the sea, and, a river, may waste and dry up;
Far be it from me! that I should justify, you, - Even until I breathe my last, will I not let go mine integrity from me:
Coral or crystal, cannot be mentioned, Yea, a possession, is wisdom, above red coral;
Who hath put - into cloud-forms - wisdom? Or who hath given - to the meteor - understanding?
He bendeth down his tail like a cedar, the sinews of his thighs, are twisted together;
Who hath cloven - for the torrent - a channel? Or a way for the lightning of thunders;
One tearing in pieces his own soul in his anger, - For thy sake, shall the earth be forsaken? or the rock be moved out of its place?
Deck thyself, I pray thee, with majesty and grandeur, Yea, with dignity and splendour, thou shalt clothe thyself;
All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
My days, are past, my purposes, are broken off, the possessions of my heart!
Upon the flint, hath he thrust forth his hand, He hath turned up mountains by the roots;
Like a dream, shall he fly away, and they shall not find him, yea he shall be chased away, as a vision of the night.
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest?
Even to-day, is my complaint rebellion? His hand, is heavier than my groaning.
And yet upon such a one as this, hast thou opened thine eye? And, him, wouldst thou bring into judgment with thee?
For thine own mouth would teach thine iniquity, and thou wouldst choose the tongue of the crafty.
But, in very deed, hear, I pray thee, Job, my discourse, and, to all my words, give thou ear.
Have the gates of death been disclosed to thee? And, the gates of the death-shade, couldst thou descry?
For he hath oppressed - hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.
Yea he might even have allured thee - out of the mouth of straitness, into a wide space - no narrowness there, - and, the food set down on thy table, should have been full of fatness.
Wilt thou say then, What doth GOD know? Out through a thick cloud, can he judge?
Who used to pluck off the mallow by the bushes, with the root of the broom for their food;
Look as far as the moon, and it is not clear, and, the stars, are not bright in his eyes!
Accept, I beseech thee, from his mouth - instruction, - and lay up his sayings in thy heart.
And even if indeed I have erred, with myself lodgeth mine error.
Who hath sent forth the Wild Ass free? And, the bands of the swift-runner, who hath loosed?
Then hath he shewed him favour, and said, Set him free from going down to the pit, I have found a price of redemption!
And Job lived, after this, a hundred and forty years, - and saw his sons and his sons' sons, four generations.
If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
To corruption, have exclaimed, My father, thou! My mother! and My sister! to the worm.
Destruction and death, have said, With our ears, have we heard the report thereof!
Thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and, not I, And, thine own lips, shall testify against thee.
Too small for thee, are the consolations of GOD? or a word spoken gently with thee?
If they would hearken, and serve, they should complete their days, in prosperity, and their years, in pleasantness;
I could make you determined, by my mouth, and then my lip-solace should restrain you.
How hast thou given help to one of no-strength? given victory to an arm of no-power?
Of his steps, my foot taketh hold, His way, have I kept, and not swerved;
Let them thrust him out of light into darkness, Yea, out of the world, let them chase him;
Together, enter his troops and have cast up, against me, their mound, and have encamped all around my tent;
His sneezings, flash forth light, and, his eyes, are like the eyelashes of the dawn;
Wilt thou put a rush-cord on his nose? or, with a thorn, wilt thou pierce his jaw?
He sang before men, and said, I sinned, and, uprightness, I perverted, yet he requited me not;
His archers came round against me, He clave asunder my reins, and spared not, He poured out, on the earth, my gall:
He would deliver the humbled in his humiliation, and would uncover - in oppression - their ear.
For this cause, round about thee, are snares, and a dread startleth thee suddenly;
The steppings of his strength are hemmed in, and his own counsel casteth him down;
Appoint it, I pray thee - be thou surety for me with thyself, Who is there that, on my side, can pledge himself?
Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, - And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
For thy spirit, replieth against GOD, and thou bringest forth - out of thy mouth - words!
The correction meant to confound me, I must hear, but, the spirit - out of my understanding, will give me a reply.
And, having captured me, it hath served, as a witness; and so my wasting away hath risen up against me, in my face, it answereth.
When I put a cloud as the garment thereof, and a thick cloud as the swaddling-band thereof;
My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: -
They have gaped upon me with their mouth, With reproach, have they smitten my cheek, Together, against me, have they closed their ranks.
This, is the portion of a lawless man with GOD, That, the heritage of tyrants - from the Almighty, he shall receive.
A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;
Canst thou bind the wild-ox, so that - with the ridge - shall run his cord? Or will he harrow the furrows after thee?
Look on every one who is high, and humble him, yea tread down the lawless, on the spot:
That it might lay hold of the wings of the earth, and the lawless be shaken out of it?
Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; -
For I know that, unto death, thou wilt bring me back, even unto the house of meeting for every one living.
Failed me, have my near of kin, and, mine intimate acquaintances, have forgotten me;
My glory - from off me, hath he stripped, and hath removed the crown of my head;
And Job again took up his measure, and said: -
His bull, covereth, and causeth not aversion, His cow safely calveth, and casteth not her young;
and he called the name of the first Jemima, and the name of the second Kezia, - and the name of the third, Keren-happuch.
And, the eye of the adulterer, watcheth for the evening twilight, saying, Not an eye will see me! A covering for the face, he putteth on;
It transformeth itself like the clay of a seal, so that things stand forth like one arrayed;
Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, - nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.
Lo! GOD, is mighty, yet will he not despise, Mighty in vigour of mind;
But, now, their song, have I become, Yea I serve them for a byword;
Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and, beyond the bird of the heavens, giveth us wisdom?
There shall dwell in his tent, what is naught-of-his, Let brimstone be strewed over his dwelling;
If its root, should become old in the earth, and, in the dust, its stock should die:
Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, - and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
If indeed, against me, ye must needs magnify yourselves, and plead, against me, my reproach.
Lo! I cry - out: Violence! but receive no answer, I cry aloud, but there is no vindication;
For, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man's course, he causeth him to find.
Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
Is it, by thine understanding, that the Bird of Passage betaketh him to his pinions? spreadeth out his wings to the south?
Who were snatched away before the time, and, a stream, washed away their foundation?
Among the rocks, hath he cut open streams, and, every precious thing, hath his eye seen:
Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, - With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:
The Almighty, whom we have not fully found out, is great in vigour, - Neither, justice nor abounding righteousness, will he weaken.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, Against purest gold, can it not be weighed.
My breath, is strange to my wife, and I am loathsome to the sons of my own mother;
The first of mankind, wast thou born? Or, before the hills, wast thou brought forth?
He made supplication unto GOD, who hath accepted him, and he hath beheld his face with a shout of triumph, Thus hath he given back to man his righteousness.
Pure gold cannot be given in its stead, neither can silver he weighed as the value thereof;
On the hand of every man, he setteth a seal, that all men may take note of his doing.
He hath built, like a moth, his house, - like a hut, which a watcher hath made.
Lo! as wild asses in the wilderness, they go forth with their work, eager seekers for prey, the waste plain, yieldeth them food for their young;
Even, for him, would ye be partial? Or, for GOD, would ye so plead?
But he hath set me, as the byword of peoples, And, one to be spit on in the face, do I become.
For, their heart, hast thou kept back from understanding, On this account, thou wilt not exalt them.
Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had seen him, shall say, Where is he?
Who had been saying unto GOD, Depart from us! and - What can the Almighty do for himself?
Out of whose womb, came forth the ice? And, the hoar-frost of the heavens, who hath given it birth?
A pride, are his arched sides, closed up, with a firm seal;
Canst thou send forth the lightnings, so that they go, and say to thee, Behold us?
So Job died, old and satisfied with days.
Gird, I pray thee - as a strong man - thy loins, I will ask thee, and inform thou me.
On my righteousness, have I taken fast hold, and will not give it up, My heart shall not reproach any of my days.
It cannot be put into the scales against the gold of Ophir, with costly onyx, or sapphire;
Hear! oh hear! the raging of his voice, A growling sound also, out of his mouth, goeth forth;
His breath, setteth coals ablaze, and, a flame, out of his mouth, proceedeth;
I cry out for help unto thee, and thou dost not answer, I stand still, and thou dost gaze at me;
With the light, riseth the murderer, He slayeth the poor and needy, And, in the night, he becometh like a thief.
Out of the city - out of the houses, they make outcry. and, the soul of the wounded, calleth for help, and, GOD, doth not regard it as foolish.
Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:
Surely he will accomplish what is decreed for me, and, many such things, hath he in store.
Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but retain it in the midst of his mouth,
At his rising up, mighty men are afraid, by reason of terror, they are beside themselves:
He will not withdraw - from a righteous one - his eyes, - but, with kings on the throne, He hath seated men triumphantly, and they have been exalted.
Are not your memorable sayings, proverbs of ashes? Breastworks of clay, your breastworks?
When, he, giveth quiet, who then shall condemn? And, when he hideth his face, who then shall sing of him? whether unto a nation or unto mankind altogether,
He that, for a share, denounceth friends, even, the eyes of his children, shall be dim.
Out of a chamber cometh a storm-wind, and, out of the north, cold.
Yea, the impious in heart, should store up anger, They should not cry for help, when he bound them.
Lo! I am like thyself toward GOD, From clay, have I been nipped off, even I!
Shall, GOD, reserve, for his children, his sorrow? Let him recompense him so that he may know it;
Then said I, Like a stem, shall I grow old, yea, as the sand, shall I multiply days:
For what shall be his pleasure in his house after him, when, the number of his months, is cut in twain?
By the breath of GOD, is given - frost, and, the breadth of waters, is congealed;
And there were found no women so fair as the daughters of Job, in all the land, - and their father gave them an inheritance, in the midst of their brethren.
My way, hath he walled up, that I cannot pass, and, upon my paths, hath he made darkness rest;
Lo! in this, thou hast not been right - let me answer thee, For, GOD, is greater than, man.
GOD doth abandon me to him that is perverse, and, into the hands of the lawless, he throweth me headlong.
If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
He hath ransomed my soul from passing away into the pit, - and, my life, in the light, shall have vision.
When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness;
Is there any number to his troops? And upon whom ariseth not his light?
His bones, are full of youthful vigour, yet, with him - in the dust, shall it lie down.
Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
Moreover Elihu, responded and said: -
But indeed, as for them all, will ye bethink yourselves and enter into it, I pray you? Or shall I not find, among you, one who is wise?
What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, and the same, is not with us?
Under the lotus-trees, he lieth down, in a covert of reed and swamp;
The blessing of him that was ready to perish, upon me was wont to descend, and, the heart of the widow, caused I to sing for joy;
An east wind shall lift him up, and he shall depart, and it shall sweep him away out of his place;
And, even I myself, will praise thee, in that thine own right hand can bring thee salvation.
The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, they take in pledge the ox of the widow;
As for him that assaileth him, the sword availeth not, spear, dart, or coat of mail:
Their houses, are at peace, without dread, neither is, the rod of GOD, upon them;
As oft as the horn soundeth, he saith, Aha! And, from afar, he scenteth the battle, - the thunder of commanders and the war-cry.
But, if, bound in fetters, they have been captured with cords of affliction,
Wherefore, against him, hast thou contended? For, with none of his reasons, will he respond.
For, to the snow, he saith, Fall earthwards, - Also to the downpour of rain, yea the downpour of his mighty rains.
Under the whole heavens, he letteth it loose, His lightning also, unto the wings of the earth;
Great men, may not be wise, nor, elders, understand justice.
Through the scent of water, it may break forth, and produce branches like a sapling,
There are turned upon me terrors, - Chased away as with a wind, is mine abundance, and, as a cloud, hath passed away my prosperity.
Verily I wept, for him whose lot was hard, Grieved was my soul, for the needy.
Behold, I pray thee, his strength in his loins, and his force, in the muscles of his belly;
So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according to that which Yahweh had spoken unto them, - and Yahweh accepted Job.
In want and hunger, they were lean, - who used to gnaw the dry ground, a dark night of desolation!
Night for day, they appoint, Light, is near, by reason of darkness!
Mine utterances come straight from mine own heart, and, what I know, my lips have truly spoken;
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou shouldst be righteous? or any profit, that thou shouldst be blameless in thy ways?
Out of his nostrils, proceedeth smoke, like a blown pot and rushes;
On the north, where he worketh, but I get no vision, He hideth himself on the south that I cannot see him.
Whether, as a rod, or for his earth, or in lovingkindness, he causeth it to come.
Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can, the exchange thereof, be a vessel of pure gold,
What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;
Ye guests of my house and my maidens, A stranger, have ye accounted me, An alien, have I become in their eyes;
For she leaveth - to the earth - her eggs, and, on the dust, she letteth them be warmed;
An end, hath one set to the darkness, and, into every extremity, is, he, making search, for the stone of darkness and death-shade;
His own eyes, shall see his misfortune, and, the wrath of the Almighty, shall he drink.
Even young children, despise me, I rise up, and they speak against me;
In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!
I said, Days, should speak, - and, the multitude of years, should make known wisdom.
Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
He keepeth back his said from the pit, and his life from passing away by a weapon.
Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with a stroke, Then let not, a great ransom, mislead thee.
Did, I, unto man, make my complaint? Wherefore, then, should my spirit not be impatient?
To mine own servant, I called, and he would not answer, With mine own mouth, I kept entreating him;
The dewlaps of his flesh, cleave together, hardened upon him, they cannot be moved;
Concealed in the ground is a cord for him, - and a snare for him, on the path.
Remember, that thou extol his work, of which men have sung;
In the field - -a man's fodder, they cut down, and, the vineyard of the lawless, they strip of its late berries;
His memorial, have perished out of the land, and let him have no name over the face of the open field;
Would he, with fulness of might, contend with me? Nay, surely, he, would give heed to me!
He shall clap over him his hands, and shall hiss him forth out of his place.
I will not pass by in silence his parts, or the matter of strength, or the grace of his armour.
Where then is the way the lightning is parted? The east wind spreadeth itself abroad over the earth.
But, Elihu, had waited for Job with words, because the others were older than he.
Lo! not in their own hand, is their welfare, The counsel of lawless men, is far from me!
Out of his mouth, torches dart forth, sparks of fire, escape;
Yea, the same, in circles, turneth itself to and fro, by his steering them to their work, whithersoever he commandeth them, over the face of the world, towards the earth.
Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: -
If thou art righteous, what canst thou give unto him? Or what, at thy hand, can he accept?
Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,
If my goings have swerved from the way, - and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
There shall reach him - like waters - terrors, By night, a storm-wind hath stolen him away;
Who set the measurements thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched out over it a line?
By reason of the multitude of oppressions, men make outcry, They cry for help, by reason of the arm of the mighty;
For, unto GOD, hath one ever said - I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;
They are exalted a little, and are not, Yea having been laid low, like all men, are they gathered, Even as the top of an ear of corn, do they hang down.
If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
No water - to the weary, hast thou given to drink, and, from the hungry, thou hast withheld broad:
Maternal love shall forget him, the worm shall find him sweet, No more shall he be remembered, but perversity shall be shivered like a tree.
Yea he hath kindled against me his anger, and accounted me towards him like unto his adversaries;
Hear, I pray you, the argument of my mouth, and, to the pleadings of my lips, give heed: -
Surely the mountains bring, produce, to him, where, all the wild beasts of the field, do play;
They abhor me - have put themselves far from me, and, from my face, have not withheld - spittle!
Hide them in the dust all together, Their faces, bind thou in darkness;
Against him, whiz the arrows of the quiver, the flashing head of spear and javelin;
He diggeth into the plain, and rejoiceth in vigour, he goeth forth to meet armour;
His children, shall seek the favour of the poor, and, his own hand, shall give back his wealth.
Ravenous beasts have not made a track thereof, neither hath the lion marched thereon:
Lo! any hope of him, hath been found deceptive, Even at the sight of him, shall not one be overwhelmed?
Dealing hardly with her young, as none-of hers, In vain, her labour, without dread.
Lo! the river becometh insolent - he is not alarmed! He is confident, though a Jordan burst forth to his mouth:
Mine honour, shall be young again with me, and, my bow, in my hand, be renewed.
Therefore hath mine eye become dim from vexation, and, my members, are like a shadow, all of them.
So doth his soul draw near to the pit, and his life to the inflicters of death:
This, dost thou think to be right? Thou hast said - My righteousness is more than GOD'S.
Is it, for thy reverence, that he will accuse thee? will enter with thee into judgment?
For GOD hath suffered her to forget wisdom, and given her no share in understanding.
Look at the heavens and see, - and survey the skies - they are higher than thou.
Will he solemnise a covenant with thee? Wilt thou take him for a life-long servant?
The lotus-trees cover him with their shade, the willows of the torrent-bed compass him about;
His outcry, will GOD hear, when there cometh upon him distress?
For, in the case of all such, morning to them is the death-shade, For, to be recognised, is a death-shade terror.
The righteous shall see and rejoice, and, the innocent, shall laugh them to scorn:
What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?
Their seed, is established in their sight, along with them, yea their offspring, before their eyes;
That their light may be withdrawn from the lawless, and, the lofty arm, be shivered.
Pure am, I, without transgression, - Clean am, I, and have no iniquity;
Even the strength of their hands, wherefore was it mine? Upon them, vigour was lost;
The place of sapphires, are the stones thereof, and it hath, nuggets of gold: -
Yea he draggeth along the mighty by his strength, He riseth up, and none hath assurance of life;
Swift is he on the face of the waters, Speedily vanished their share in the land, He turneth not to the way of the vineyards.
When I call to mind, then am I dismayed, and there seizeth my flesh a shuddering: -
Also, with moisture, burdeneth he the thick cloud, He disperseth his lightning-cloud;
In a moment, they die, even in the middle of the night, - A people are convulsed when they pass away, A mighty one is removed, without hand;
Sons of the base, yea sons of the nameless, they were scourged out of the land.
A man of might, to him, pertaineth the land, and, the favorite, dwelleth therein:
With stamping and rage, he drinketh up the ground, - he will not stand still when the horn soundeth;
For this cause, from his presence, am I driven in fear, I diligently consider and am kept back from him in dread:
Lo! occasions of hostility, would he find against me, He counteth me an enemy to him;
His survivors, by pestilence, shall come to the grave, and, his widows, shall not weep;
Wilt thou sport with him, as with a little bird? Or wilt thou bind him, for thy maidens?
The eye that hath scanned him, shall not do it again, neither, any more, shall his place behold him:
Verily my lips shall not speak perversity, nor shall, my tongue, utter deceit.
From trickling, he restraineth, rivers, and, some hidden thing, is he bringing out to light.
Now, therefore, over myself, my soul poureth itself out, There seize me days of affliction:
If thou sinnest, what canst thou work against him? Or, if thy transgressions be multiplied, what canst thou do unto him?
Who hath removed his outer garment, through his double row of teeth, who would enter?
Wilt thou put faith in him, that he will bring back thy seed? and that, corn for thy threshing-floor, he will gather?
Their young become strong, they grow up in the open field, they go out, and return not unto them.
There, men make outcry, and he answereth not, because of the arrogance of evil-doers.
The rich man, shall lie down, and not do it again, his eyes, hath he opened, and then is not.
Mortal knoweth not the way thereof, neither can it be found in the land of the living;
Upright men shall be astounded over this, and, the innocent, against the impious, shall rouse themselves.
Yet, he, had filled their houses with good! The counsel of the lawless, then, is far from me:
For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
They turn aside the needy out of the way, at once, are the humbled of the land made to hide themselves.
As for the earth, out of it, cometh forth bread, and, under it, is upturned, as it were fire;
Couldst thou cause him to leap like a locust? The majesty of his snort, is a terror!
And I shivered the fangs of the perverse, - and, out of his teeth, I tare the prey.
Thou art turned to become a cruel one unto me, With the might of thy hand, thou assailest me;
And he came to have seven sons, and three daughters;
Disputing with discourse that doth no good, or with speech, wherein is no profit?
He laugheth at dread, and is not dismayed, neither turneth he back, from the face of the sword;
Lo! a these things, doth GOD work, two ways, three, with a man;
Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just - the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?
Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
Who can count the thin clouds, in wisdom? And, the bottles of the heavens, who can empty out;
And they waited, as for rain, for me, and, their mouths, they opened wide for the spring-rain;
For, by those things, he executeth judgment on peoples, He giveth food in abundance:
And He will cast upon him and not spare, Out of his hand, shall he, swiftly flee;
If his children be multiplied, for them, there is the sword, and, his offspring, shall not be filled with bread;
Surely, for good, I looked, but there came in evil, And I waited for light, but there came in darkness;
Thus hath he uncovered their ear to a warning, and said - that they should turn from iniquity.
Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
If I shook - against the fatherless - my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.
Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed him the whole world?
Because, my girdle, he had loosened and had humbled me, therefore, the bridle - in my presence, cast they off;
The crag, he inhabiteth, and so lodgeth himself, on the tooth of the crag, and high fort;
It is given him to be secure, and confident, yet, his eyes, are upon their ways.
Upon both hands, he putteth a covering of lightning, and layeth command upon it against an assailant:
He espieth the mountains, his pasture-ground, and, after every green thing, maketh search.
I would teach you, by the hand of GOD, That which is with the Almighty, will I not conceal.
For, of a truth - not false, are my words, One of competent knowledge, is with thee.
and, against his three friends, was kindled his anger, - because that they found not a response, and condemned God.
What time, on high, she vibrateth her wings, she laugheth at the horse and his rider.
Yet, now, men see not the light, bright though it is in the skies, when, a wind, hath passed over, and cleansed them.
Seeing it hath been hid from the eyes of every living thing, and, from the bird of the heavens, hath it been concealed?
He laugheth at the throng of the city, The shoutings of the driver, he heareth not;
Canst thou lift up, to the thick cloud, thy voice, and the overflow of waters cover thee?
I would note the words wherewith he would respond to me, and would mark what he would say to me.
Wilt thou trust in him, because of the greatness of his strength? Wilt thou leave unto him thy toil?
In gloom, I walked along, without sun, I arose - in the convocation, I cried out for help;
Unto a man like thyself, might thy lawlessness reach , and, unto a son of the earth-born, thy righteousness.
I chose out their way, and sat chief, - and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.
On my right hand, the young brood rose up, - My feet, they thrust aside, and cast up against me their earthworks of destruction;
How much less when thou sayest thou wilt not regard him! The cause, is before him, and thou must wait for him.
Concerning mine own right, shall I tell a falsehood? Incurable is my disease - not for any transgression.
Night, boreth, my bones, all over me, - and, my sinews, find no rest;
He hath sunken a shaft, away from the inhabitants; Places forsaken by the foot, they hang down, away from men, sway to and fro;
But, if they would not hearken, by a weapon, should they pass away, and breathe their last, no one knowing.
Like a stone, are the waters congealed, and, the face of the roaring deep, becometh firm!
After it, roareth a voice, He thundereth with his voice of majesty, Nor will he hold them back, when his voice is heard.
For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, - in going unto GOD in judgment;
And hath forgotten, that, a foot, may crush them, - or, the wild beast, tread on them!
His rolling thunder telleth concerning him, - The cattle, even, concerning him that is coming up.
Lo! I waited for your words, I kept giving ear for your reasons, until ye should search out what to say;
Among the bushes, used they to shriek, Under the bramble, were they huddled together:
But thou hast spoken in mine ears, and, the sound of words, I heard: -
But surely none can understand the burstings of the cloud, the crashing of his pavilion!
Howbeit, when Elihu saw that there was no response in the mouth of the three men, then was kindled his anger.
Thou liftest up me to the wind, thou carriest me away, and the storm maketh me faint;
I laughed at them - they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;
Hast thou well considered, even the breadths of the earth? Tell - if thou knowest it all!
What is right, let us choose for ourselves, Let us know, among ourselves, what is good;
After I had spoken, they spake not again, and, upon them, used my speech to drop;
There an upright man, might reason with him, so should I deliver myself completely from my judge.
He breaketh, in the dark, into houses, - By day, they lock themselves in, They know not the light;
Restrain thyself for me a little, and I will shew thee, that, yet - for GOD, there is justification,
And is on the way to keep company, with the workers of iniquity, and to walk with lawless men.
With the sweeping rain of the mountains, are they wet, and, through having no shelter, they embrace a rock.
I will bring my knowledge from afar, and, to my Maker, will I attribute righteousness.
Since he directed not to me discourse, therefore, with your speeches, will I not reply to him.
But, now, because it is not so, thou sayest - His anger hath punished, and yet hath he not at all known of transgression;
Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
He may prepare, but, the righteous, shall put on, and, the silver, shall the innocent apportion.
If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh - we cannot get filled,
My root, is laid open to the waters, and, the dew, shall lodge for the night in my boughs;
Then hath he declared to them their deed, and their transgressions - that they were wont to behave themselves proudly;
Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom. GOD, must put him to flight, not man.
Mark well, O Job, and hearken to me, Be silent, and, I, will speak: