From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer.

There are those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

In the dark he makes holes in the walls of houses: in the daytime they are shutting themselves up, they have no knowledge of the light.

For the morning is to them all as the shadow of death; for they are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.

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

The womb forgets them;
worms feed on them;
they are remembered no more.
So injustice is broken like a tree.

They pluck down the mighty with their power, and when they themselves are gotten up, they are never without fear, as long as they live.

He giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And his eyes are on their ways.

High they were for a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. As all others they are shut up, And as the head of an ear of corn cut off.

And if it is not so, now, who will make it clear that my words are false, and that what I say is of no value?

The rule and fear are with Him, Making peace in His high places.

whose men of war are innumerable, and whose light ariseth over all.

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

How much less is man, who is only a maggot, or a man's children, who are only worms!"

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

The Rephaim are formed, Beneath the waters, also their inhabitants.

yea, and all they which dwell beneath in the hell are not hid from him, and the very destruction itself cannot be kept out of his sight.

By him the waters are shut up in his thick clouds, and the cloud does not give way under them.

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

“By His breath the heavens are cleared;
His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.

Lo, these are the borders of His way, And how little a matter is heard of Him, And the thunder of His might Who doth understand?

Let it be far from me! I will certainly not say that you are right! I will come to death before I give up my righteousness.

Lo, ye -- all of you -- have seen, And why is this -- ye are altogether vain?

If his sons multiply -- for them is a sword. And his offspring are not satisfied with bread.

His remnant in death are buried, And his widows do not weep.

"Surely there are mines for silver and places where gold is refined.

He makes a deep mine far away from those living in the light of day; when they go about on the earth, they have no knowledge of those who are under them, who are hanging far from men, twisting from side to side on a cord.

A place of the sapphire are its stones, And it hath dust of gold.

Gold and glass are not equal to it in price, and it may not be exchanged for jewels of the best gold.

Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.

If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!

"I used to say: "I will die in my home. I'm going to live as many days as there are grains of sand on the shore.

‘My glory and honor are fresh in me [being constantly renewed],
And my bow gains [ever] new strength in my hand.’

To me they have hearkened, Yea, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.

"But now they mock me; men who are far younger than I, whose fathers I would have hated to entrust with my own sheep dogs.

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

They are pulling off the salt leaves from the brushwood, and making a meal of roots.

From the midst they are cast out, (They shout against them as a thief),

They are living on the slopes of the wadis,
among the rocks and in holes in the ground.

Among shrubs they do groan, Under nettles they are gathered together.

Sons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven out of the land.

“They break up and clutter my path [upsetting my plans],
They profit from my destruction;
No one restrains them.

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

“My bones are pierced [with aching] in the night season,
And the pains that gnaw me take no rest.

My clothes are disheveled by his forceful treatment of me; he restricts my movement like the collar of my cloak.

You changed toward me, and now you're cruel to me; with your mighty hand you are persecuting me;

I know that you are bringing me to death, to the meeting place for all the living.

Now use not men to do violence unto them, that are destroyed already; but where hurt is done, there use they to help.

My feelings are strongly moved, and give me no rest; days of trouble have overtaken me.

My skin is become black and falleth off me, and my bones are parched with heat.

But my harp is in mourning; my flute plays only songs for those who are weeping."

Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered?

"If I have put my confidence in gold or said to pure gold, 'You are my security!'

If not -- say ye, O men of my tent, 'O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'

I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended.

Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.

And Elihu hath waited earnestly beside Job with words, for they are older than he in days.

And Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answereth and saith: -- Young I am in days, and ye are age Therefore I have feared, And am afraid of shewing you my opinion.

I said to myself, It is right for the old to say what is in their minds, and for those who are far on in years to give out wisdom.

The multitude are not wise, Nor do the aged understand judgment.

“They are dismayed, they no longer answer;
Words have failed them.

Should I continue to wait now that they are silent,
now that they stand there and no longer answer?

"Look, my internal organs [are] like unopened wine, like new wineskins it is [ready] to burst open.

Of the uprightness of my heart are my sayings, And knowledge have my lips clearly spoken.

If you are able, give me an answer; put your cause in order, and come forward.

Look! As far as God is concerned, I'm just like you are I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay.

"You aren't right about this; My response is that God is greater than human beings.

Why are you arguing with him? He doesn't have to give explanations for what he does to you!

Then he makes his secrets clear to men, so that they are full of fear at what they see;

“Man is also disciplined with pain on his bed,
And with unceasing complaint in his bones,

His flesh is consumed from being seen, And high are his bones, they were not seen!

If now there may be an angel sent to him, one of the thousands which there are to be between him and God, and to make clear to man what is right for him;

If there are words -- answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify thee.

If there are not -- hearken thou to me, Keep silent, and I teach thee wisdom.

For words are tested by the ear, as food is tasted by the mouth.

If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.

He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners;

That hath not accepted the person of princes, Nor hath known the rich before the poor, For a work of His hands are all of them.

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

For His eyes are on the ways of each, And all his steps He doth see.

Therefore He knoweth their works, And He hath overturned by night, And they are bruised.

The evil-doers are broken by his wrath, he puts his hand on them with force before the eyes of all onlookers.

Insomuch that they have caused the voice of the poor to come unto him, and now he heareth the complaint of such as are in necessity.

"Men of understanding, speak to me! Are any of you men wise? Then listen to me!

Job -- not with knowledge doth he speak, And his words are not with wisdom.

But Job will be tested to the end, because his answers are like those of wicked men.

"Are you saying that it's just for you to claim, "I'm more righteous than God?'

"Observe the heavens! Take a look around! Look! The clouds are higher than you, aren't they?

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

If you are righteous, what will you add to him? What can God receive from your efforts?

“Your wickedness affects only a man such as you,
And your righteousness affects only a son of man [but it cannot affect God, who is sovereign].

"They cry out because they have many oppressors; they cry for help because the powerful are abusing them.

There they are crying out because of the pride of the evil-doers, but he gives them no answer.

How much less when you say that you do not see him; that the cause is before him, and you are waiting for him.

Honour me a little, and I shew thee, That yet for God are words.

For, truly, my words are not false, The perfect in knowledge is with thee.

His eyes are ever on the upright, and he gives to the crushed their right;

He withdraweth not from the righteous His eyes, And from kings on the throne, And causeth them to sit for ever, and they are high,

And if prisoners in fetters They are captured with cords of affliction,

then he declares their work to them, and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.