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.

They are of 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 even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

"They are foam on the surface of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They don't turn into the way of 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.

Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.

They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

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?

Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places.

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

Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, 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 powerfully you deliver those without strength!

Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.

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 astonished at his reproof.

By his Spirit the heavens are garnished; His hand hath pierced the swift serpent.

Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

“Far be it from me that I should admit you are right [in your accusations against me];
Until I die, I will not remove my integrity from me.

Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus 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.

The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

The stones of it are the place of sapphires: 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 crystal are no more remembered; yea, 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 that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

They are gaunt with want and famine; They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of wasteness and desolation.

They pluck salt-wort by the bushes; And the roots of the broom are their food.

They are driven forth from the midst of men ; They cry after them as after a thief;

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

Among the bushes they bray; Under the nettles they are gathered together.

They are children of fools, yea, children of base men; They were scourged 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 upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.

My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews 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 heart is troubled, and resteth not; Days of affliction are come upon me.

My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned 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 trust and confidence in gold,
Or have declared fine gold my hope and assurance,

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.

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

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

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine 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.

Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.

They are amazed, they answer no more: They have not a word to say.

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, answer me. Present [your argument] {before me}; take your stand.

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

“Look, let me answer you, in this you are not right or just;
For God is greater and far superior to man.

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.

Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

In a moment they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without hand.

For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

He strikes them {where the wicked stood}, {where there are 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 speaketh without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.

Would that Job were tested up to [the] end because [his] answers [are] like [those from] men of mischief,

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

Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

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

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

“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].

Because the hand of the cruel is hard on them, men are making sounds of grief; they are crying out for help because of the arm of the strong.

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

“Even though you say that you do not see Him [when missing His righteous judgment on earth],
Yet your case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

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

For truly my words are not false: One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

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

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.

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.