Then his livestock came to be seven thousand sheep and goats and three thousand camels and five hundred pairs of oxen and five hundred female donkeys, and he had very many slaves, and that man was greater than all the people of the east.

Then the Sabeans {attacked}, and they took them, and they slew the servants {by the edge of the sword}. But I escaped, [even] I alone, to tell you."

While this one was still speaking, {another} came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three divisions, and they made a raid on the camels, and they carried them away, and they struck your servants {by the edge of the sword}, but I escaped, [even] I alone, to tell you."

Then he said, "Naked I came out from my mother's womb, and naked I will return there. Yahweh gives, and Yahweh takes. Let Yahweh's name be blessed."

Let the stars of its dawn be dark; let it hope for light but there be none, and let it not see [the] eyelids of dawn

For now I would lie down, and I would be at peace; I would be asleep; then {I would be at rest}

"[If] someone would test a word with you, would you be offended? But who can refrain from speaking?

By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they come to an end.

'Can a human being be more righteous than God, or can a man be more pure than his Maker?

From [the] scourge of [the] tongue you shall be hidden, and you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.

For your covenant [will be] with the stones of the field, and the wild animals of the field will be at peace with you.

And you shall know that your tent [is] safe, and you will inspect your fold, and you shall not be missing [anything].

"If only my vexation could be well weighed, and my calamity could be lifted up together [with it] in [the] balances,

for then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; therefore my words have been rash,

Can tasteless [food] be eaten without salt, or is there taste in the white of a marshmallow plant?

But it will still be my consolation, and I would recoil in {unrelenting} pain, for I have not denied [the] words of [the] Holy One.

Teach me, and I myself will be silent; and make me understand how I have gone astray.

"{Therefore} be prepared, turn to me, and I surely will not lie to your face.

The eye of [the one] seeing me will not see me; your eyes [are] upon me, but {I will be gone}.

And why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my guilt? For now I shall lie in the dust, and you will seek me, but {I will be no more}."

"{How long} will you say these [things], and the words of your mouth [be] a mighty wind?

Though your beginning was small, your end will be very great.

[Those] who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked {will be no more}."

"Truly I know that [it is] so, but how can a human being be just before God?

"{If} he passes by me, {I would not see him}; and [if] he should move on, {I would not recognize him}.

God will not turn back his anger; beneath him the helpers of Rahab bow.

They go by like papyrus skiffs, like an eagle swoops down on [its] prey.

[If] I shall be [declared] guilty, why then should I labor in vain?

If I had sinned, then you would be watching me, and you would not acquit me of my guilt.

"Should an abundance of words go unanswered, or {a man full of talk} be vindicated?

surely then you will lift up your face without blemish, and you will be firmly established and will not fear.

"{And your life will be brighter than noon}; [its] darkness will be like the morning.

And you will have confidence because there is hope; and you will be well protected--{you will sleep in safety}.

But [the] eyes of [the] wicked will fail; and refuge will be lost to them, and their hope [is] {to breathe their last breath}."

If he tears down, then it will not be rebuilt; if he shuts a man in, then he cannot be freed.

[Will it be] well, if he examines you? Or can you deceive him like deceiving a human being?

"Listen carefully [to] my words, and [let] my exposition [be] in your ears.

Please look, I have prepared [my] case; I know that I myself will be vindicated.

Who [is] he who will contend with me? For {then} I would be silent, and I would pass away.

{so} a man lies down, and he does not arise. {Until the heavens are no more}, they will not awaken, and they will not be roused out of their sleep.

My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and you would cover over my guilt.

"What [is] a human being, that he can be clean, or that [one] born of a woman can be righteous?

"He will not escape from darkness; a flame will dry up his new shoot, and by the wind of his mouth he shall be removed.

Let him not trust in emptiness--he will be deceiving himself-- for worthlessness will be his recompense.

It will be paid in full {before his time}, and his branch will not flourish.

"I was at ease, then he broke me in two, and he seized [me] by my neck; then he shattered me and set me up as a target for him.

"O earth, you should not cover my blood, and let there be no place for my cry for help.

"[You who] are tearing {yourself} in your anger, will [the] earth be forsaken because of you? Or will [the] rock be removed from its place?

for he is thrust into a net by his feet, and he walks into a pitfall.

A trap seizes [him] by [the] heel; a snare takes hold of him.

My bones cling to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

"{O that} my words could be written down! {O that they could be inscribed in a scroll}!

[That] with a pen of iron and [with] lead they might be engraved on a rock forever!

be afraid for yourselves {because of the sword}, for wrath [brings] punishment by [the] sword, so that you may know that [there is] judgment."

He will fly away like a dream, and they will not find him, and he will be chased away like a vision of [the] night.

In the fullness of his excess {he will be in distress}; all of misery's power will come [upon] him.

{Total darkness} is hidden for his treasures; {an unfanned fire} will devour him; [the] remnant {will be consumed} in his tent.

The products of his house will be carried away [like] gushing waters on the day of his wrath.

"Listen carefully to my words, and let this be your consolation.

[As for] me, [is] my complaint for human beings? And if [so], why cannot I be impatient?

Turn to me and be appalled, and place [your] hand on [your] mouth.

"Can a man be of use to God? Yes, can [the] wise be of use to him?

who were snatched away {before their time}, whose foundation was washed away [by] a current?

"Please reconcile yourself with him, and be at peace; {in this way}, good will come to you.

If you return to Shaddai, you will be restored; [if] you remove wickedness from your tent,

then Shaddai will be your gold ore and {your precious silver}.

Indeed, then you will delight yourself in Shaddai, and {you will expect that God will be good to you}.

You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows.

And you will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.

There an upright person could reason with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.

"Why are not times kept by Shaddai, and [why] do not [those who] know him see his days?

He digs through houses in the darkness; by day they shut themselves in-- they do not know [the] light

Yet he carries off [the] tyrants by his strength; [if] he rises up, then he cannot be certain of life.

"Indeed, how can a human being be righteous before God? And how will he who is born of a woman be pure?

By his power he stilled the sea, and by his understanding he struck down Rahab.

By his breath {the heavens were made clear}; his hand pierced [the] fleeing snake.

Far be it from me that {I would say that you are right}; until I pass away, I will not put away from me my blamelessness.

"Let my enemy be like [the] wicked and my opponent like [the] unrighteous,

"Indeed, there is a mine for silver and a place {for gold to be refined}.

He breaks open a mine shaft {away from where people dwell}; [those] who are forgotten {by travelers}, they dangle, they sway [far away] from human beings.

[As for the] earth, from it comes food, but underneath it, it is turned up as [by] fire.

He puts his hand on the hard rock; he overturns mountains by [the] roots.

"But from where will wisdom be found? And {where in the world} [is the] place of understanding?

"Refined gold cannot be gotten in its place, and silver cannot be weighed out [as] its price.

It cannot be bought for the gold of Ophir, for precious onyx or sapphire.

Gold and glass cannot be compared with it, and its substitution [cannot be] an ornament of refined gold.

Black corals and crystal will not be mentioned, and wisdom's price [is] more than red corals.

The topaz of Cush cannot be compared with it; it cannot be bought for pure gold.

{When he gave} weight to the wind and he apportioned [the] waters by measure,

when his shining lamp [was] over my head-- by his light I walked through darkness--

Terrors are turned upon me; my honor is pursued as [by] the wind, and my hope of deliverance passed by like a cloud.

He seizes my clothing with {great power}; he grasps me by my tunic's collar.

So my lyre came to be [used] for mourning, and my flute [for the] voice of [those who] weep.

let me sow, and let another eat, and let my crops be rooted out.

"If my heart has been enticed by a woman, and at my neighbor's doorway I have lain in wait,

if his loins have not blessed me, or by means of my sheep's fleece he has warmed himself,

[then] let my shoulder blade fall from [my] shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket.

this also [is] an iniquity [to be] judged, for I have deceived God above.

Look, dread of me should not terrify you, and my hand will not be heavy upon you.

"Listen attentively, Job; listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.