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.

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.

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.

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.

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 there came a certain day, - when his sons and his daughters were eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their eldest brother.

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, - 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.

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.

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.

Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell to the earth and worshipped;

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, Whence comest thou? And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from wandering about therein.

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.

And he took him a potsherd, to scrape himself therewith; he being seated in the midst of ashes.

Then said his wife unto him, Art thou still holding fast thine integrity? Curse God, and die!

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.

After this, opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

Perish, the day wherein I was born, and the night it was said, Lo! a manchild!

That day, be it darkness, - Let not God enquire after it from above, May there shine upon it no clear beam:

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:

Let day-cursers denounce it, Those skilled in rousing the dragon of the sky:

Wherefore, in the womb, did I not die? From the womb, come forth and cease to breathe?

Wherefore give, to the wretched, light? Or, life, to the embittered in soul? -

To a man, whose way is concealed, And GOD hath straitly enclosed him?

If one attempt a word unto thee, wilt thou be impatient? But, to restrain speech, who, can endure?

Lo! thou hast admonished many, and, slack hands, hast thou been wont to uphold:

Betwixt morning and evening, are they broken in pieces, With none to save, they utterly perish:

Is not their tent-rope within them, torn away? They die, disrobed of wisdom!

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.

His children are far removed from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is none to deliver:

Though, man, to trouble, were born, as, sparks, on high, do soar,

Setting the lowly on high, and, mourners, are uplifted to safety;

By day, they encounter darkness, and, as though it were night, they grope at high noon.

Thus to the poor hath come hope, and, perversity, hath shut her mouth.

Lo! how happy is the man whom God correcteth! Therefore, the chastening of the Almighty, do not thou refuse;

Thou shalt come, yet robust, to the grave, as a stack of sheaves mounteth up in its season.

My soul hath refused to touch, Those things, are like disease in my food.

That it would please GOD to crush me, That he would set free his hand, and cut me off!

By the time they begin to thaw, they are dried up, as soon as it is warm, they have vanished out of their place.

They are ashamed that they had trusted, They have come up to one of them, and are confounded.

For, now, ye have come to him, ye see something fearful, and fear.

Show me, and, I, will hold my peace, And, wherein I have erred, cause me to understand.

To decide words, do ye intend, When, to the wind, are spoken the sayings of one in despair?

But, now, be pleased to turn to me, that it may be, to your faces, if I speak falsehood,

Is there not a warfare to a mortal, upon earth? And, as the days of a hireling, are not his days?

So, have I been made to inherit months of calamity, and, nights of weariness, have been appointed me.

Nor shall see me - the eye that used to behold me, Thine eyes, are upon me, and I am not.

A cloud faileth, and is gone, So, he that descendeth to hades, shall not come up:

He shall not return again to his house, and his own place shall be acquainted with him no more.

When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall help to carry my complaint,

I am wasted away, Not, to times age-abiding, can I live, Let me alone, for, a breath, are my days.

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?

If he choose to contend with him, he cannot answer him, one of a thousand:

Lo! he snatcheth away, who can bring it back? Who shall say unto him, What wouldst thou do?

Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, to be absolved, I would make supplication.

Though I had called, and he had answered me, I could not believe, that he would lend an ear to my voice.

He would not suffer me to recover my breath, for he would surfeit me with bitter things.

One thing, there is, for which cause, I have said it, The blameless and the lawless, he bringeth to an end.

I say unto GOD, Do not hold me guilty, Let me know, on what account thou contendest with me!

Remember, I pray thee, that, as clay, thou didst make me, and, unto dust, thou wilt cause me to return.

As though I had not been, should I have become, - from the womb to the grave, might I have been borne.

Shall, thy pratings, cause men to hold their peace? When thou hast mocked, shall there be none to put thee to shame?

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.

The heights of the heavens, what canst thou do? Depths deeper than hades, what canst thou know?

And shalt rest, with none to put thee in terror, - and many shall entreat thy favour.

Of a truth, ye, are the people, and, with you, wisdom, will die.

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 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.

Or address the earth, and it will teach thee, and the fishes of the sea, will recount it to thee:

With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain counsel and understanding.

With Him, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.

Laying open deep things, out of darkness, and bringing out to light, the death-shade:

Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:

Who taketh away the sense of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and hath caused them to wander in a pathless waste:

They grope about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.

Just as ye know, I too, know, I, fall not short, of you.

But indeed, I, unto the Almighty, would speak, and, to direct my argument unto GOD, would I be well pleased.

For, in truth, ye, do besmear with falsehood, Worthless physicians, all of you!

Hear, I pray you, the argument of my mouth, and, to the pleadings of my lips, give heed: -

Lo! he may slay me, yet , for him, will I wait, - Nevertheless, my ways - unto his face, will I show to be right:

Only, two things, do thou not with me, then, from thy face, will I not hide me: -

Wherefore, thy face, shouldst thou hide? Or count me, as an enemy to thee?

A driven leaf, wilt thou cause to tremble? Or, dry stubble, wilt thou pursue?

Look sway from him, that he may rest, Till he shall pay off, as a hireling, his day.

If its root, should become old in the earth, and, in the dust, its stock should die:

Yet, man, dieth, and is prostrate, Yea the son of earth doth cease to breathe, and where is he?

If a man die, can he live again? All the days of my warfare, would I wait, until my relief should come: -

His sons, come to honour, and he knoweth it not, Or they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not of them.

In the secret council of GOD, hast thou been wont to hearken? Or canst thou attain for thyself unto wisdom?

Too small for thee, are the consolations of GOD? or a word spoken gently with thee?

How doth thine own heart carry thee away, and how thine eyes do roll!

To them alone, was the earth given, and no alien passed through their midst:

He hath no confidence to come back out of darkness, he, being destined to the power oft the sword;

A wanderer, he, for bread, saying Where is it ? He knoweth that, prepared by his own hand, is the day of darkness;

Because he had stretched out - against GOD - his hand, and, against the Almighty, had been wont to behave himself proudly;

He used to run against him with uplifted neck, with the stout bosses of his bucklers;

And had inhabited demolished cities, houses, wherein men would not dwell, that were destined to become heaps.

Before his day, shall it be accomplished, with, his palm-top, not covered with leaves;