Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.

On the right hand doth a brood arise, My feet they have cast away, And they raise up against me, Their paths of calamity.

They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.

As a wide breach they come, Under the desolation have rolled themselves.

Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud.

And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

By their great force they have become my raiment; they bind me about as the collar of my coat.

He hath cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.

I cry unto Thee, And Thou dost not answer me, I have stood, and Thou dost consider me.

“You have become harsh and cruel to me;
With the might of Your hand You [keep me alive only to] persecute me.

For I have known To death Thou dost bring me back, And to the house appointed for all living.

Surely not against the heap Doth He send forth the hand, Though in its ruin they have safety.

Have I not wept for {the unfortunate}, [and] grieved myself over the poor?

I have hoped for good, but evil came instead; I have hoped for light, but darkness came.

My bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me.

Mourning I have gone without the sun, I have risen, in an assembly I cry.

A brother I have been to dragons, And a companion to daughters of the ostrich.

I have made a covenant with my eyes.
How then could I look at a young woman?

For what would have been my portion of +God from above, and what the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

If my step have turned out of the way, and my heart followed mine eyes, and if any blot cleaveth to my hands;

let someone else eat what I have sown,
and let my crops be uprooted.

If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;

then let my wife turn the millstone for another man, and may other men have sexual relations with her.

For I would have committed a shameful act, an iniquity to be judged.

Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.

If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me;

What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?

If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

For I'm terrified of what calamity God may have in store for me; and I cannot endure his grandeur."

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much;

If I have beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness,

And my heart have been secretly enticed, so that my mouth kissed my hand:

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him;

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?

(The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the traveller);

If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,

Have I feared large crowds? Has my family's contempt ever terrified me so that I remained silent and wouldn't go outside?"

I have told the number of my goings, and delivered them unto him as to a prince.

“For if my land has cried out against me,
And its furrows weep together;

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

and against his three friends hath his anger burned, because that they have not found an answer, and condemn Job.

Elihu waited to have a word with Job, since the others were older than he,

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.

It is not the old who are wise, and those who are full of years have not the knowledge of what is right.

Therefore I have said: Hearken to me, I do shew my opinion -- even I.

Lo, I have waited for your words, I give ear unto your reasons, Till ye search out sayings.

Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.

“Now Job has not directed his words against me [therefore I have no reason to be offended],
Nor will I answer him with arguments like yours. [I speak for truth, not for revenge.]

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

And I have waited, but they do not speak, For they have stood still, They have not answered any more.)

I have a good hope for my part to shape him an answer, and to show him my meaning.

For I have been full of words, Distressed me hath the spirit of my breast,

Therefore will I speak, that I may have vent: I will open my lips, and make answer.

For I have not known to give flattering titles, In a little doth my Maker take me away.

“However, Job, please listen to my words,
And pay attention to everything I say.

Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

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

Lo, I am, according to thy word, for God, From the clay I -- I also, have been formed.

Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

Pure am I, without transgression, Innocent am I, and I have no iniquity.

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

Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

He hath ransomed my soul from passing away into the pit, - and, my life, in the light, shall have vision.

Mark well, O Job, and hear me: hold thee still until I have spoken.

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

“If not [and you have nothing to say], listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

Let us make the decision for ourselves as to what is right; let us have the knowledge among ourselves of what is good.

For Job hath said, 'I have been righteous, And God hath turned aside my right,

Though I am right, still I am in pain; my wound may not be made well, though I have done no wrong.

saying, I have not sinned, nor committed unrighteousness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity to go with the profane.

"Therefore, listen to me, {people who have sense}: far be it from God {that he should commit wickedness} and that Shaddai {should do wrong}.

“If you now have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.

Who has no respect for rulers, and who gives no more attention to those who have wealth than to the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.

Because they turned aside from following him, And would not have regard in any of his ways:

As a result, the cries of the poor have reached him and he has heard the cry of the afflicted.

Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

Should God repay you on your terms
when you have rejected His?
You must choose, not I!
So declare what you know.

{Those who have sense} say to me, and [the] wise man hearing me [says]:

May Job be tested to the end, because his answers have been like those of evil men.

For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

Behold attentively the heavens -- and see, And behold the clouds, They have been higher than thou.

If thou hast sinned, what dost thou against Him? And thy transgressions have been multiplied, What dost thou to Him?

Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on a son of man.

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

Job uselessly opens his mouth
And multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked].”

Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.

because what I have to say isn't deceptive, and the one who has perfect knowledge is with you."

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.