If one assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.

Call now; is there any that will answer thee? And to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn?

But as for me, I would seek unto God, And unto God would I commit my cause;

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas: Therefore have my words been rash.

Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder?

Oh that I might have my request; And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

Even that it would please God to crush me; That he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

Yea, ye would cast lots upon the fatherless, And make merchandise of your friend.

I loathe my life ; I would not live alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity.

How long wilt thou not look away from me, Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; And thou wilt seek me diligently, but I shall not be.

How long wilt thou speak these things? And how long'shall the words of thy mouth be like a mighty wind?

If thou wert pure and upright: Surely now he would awake for thee, And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

And though thy beginning was small, Yet thy latter end would greatly increase.

Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge.

If I had called, and he had answered me, Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice.

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me.

Then would I speak, and not fear him; For I am not so in myself.

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?

If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against thee,

And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

But vain man is void of understanding, Yea, man is born as a wild ass's colt.

Surely I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God.

Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom.

Who is he that will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the ghost.

Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, And the stock thereof die in the ground;

If a man die, shall he live again ? All the days of my warfare would I wait, Till my release should come.

Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee: Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands.

But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips would assuage your grief .

That he would maintain the right of a man with God, And of a son of man with his neighbor!

Knowest thou not this of old time, Since man was placed upon earth,

Wherefore do the wicked live, Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?

Behold, I know your thoughts, And the devices wherewith ye would wrong me.

Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden?

I would set my cause in order before him, And fill my mouth with arguments.

I would know the words which he would answer me, And understand what he would say unto me.

Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me.

Behold, as wild asses in the desert They go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; The wilderness yieldeth them bread for their children.

For God'shall hurl at him, and not spare: He would fain flee out of his hand.

Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;

For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, And to the house appointed for all living.

For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase.

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown:

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him.

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; Wherefore I held back, and durst not show you mine opinion.

For I know not to give flattering titles; Else would my Maker soon take me away.

Shall even one that hateth justice govern? And wilt thou condemn him that is righteous and mighty?-

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

Shall his recompense be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it? For thou must choose, and not I: Therefore speak what thou knowest.

Would that Job were tried unto the end, Because of his answering like wicked men.

Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress Into a broad place, where there is no straitness; And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness.

Shall it be told him that I would speak? Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up?

Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bonds of the swift ass,

Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?

Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave to him thy labor?

Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed, And gather the grain of thy threshing-floor?

And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them.

Wilt thou even annul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified?

Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

He maketh a path to shine after him; One would think the deep to be hoary.

So Job died, being old and full of days.