There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and this man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and abstained from evil.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil?

Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is spread abroad in the land.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil? and still he remaineth firm in his integrity, though thou movedst me against him, to swallow him up without cause.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.

But he said to her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. We have also received good from God, and should we not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, There is a man child conceived.

Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that have not seen the light.

Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,

To the man whose way is hidden, and whom +God hath hedged in?

But now it is come upon thee, and thou grievest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow mischief, reap the same.

How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed as the moth!

Is not their tent-cord torn away in them? they die, and without wisdom.

Call, I pray thee! Is there any that answereth thee? and to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn?

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is no deliverer:

Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh even out of the thorns; and the snare gapeth for his substance.

For man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upwards.

But as for me I will seek unto God, and unto God commit my cause;

He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; and the counsel of the wily is carried headlong:

They meet with darkness in a the daytime, and grope at midday as in the night.

Behold, happy is the man whom +God correcteth; therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty.

And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; and thou wilt survey thy fold, and miss nothing.

And thou shalt know that thy seed is numerous, and thine offspring as the herb of the earth.

Thou shalt come to the grave in a ripe age, as a shock of corn is brought in in its season.

Behold this, we have searched it out, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thyself.

Doth the wild ass bray by the grass? loweth an ox over his fodder?

Shall that which is insipid be eaten without salt? Is there any taste in the white of an egg?

What my soul refuseth to touch, that is as my loathsome food.

What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should have patience?

Is my strength the strength of stones? is my flesh of brass?

Is it not that there is no help in me, and soundness is driven away from me?

For him that is fainting kindness is meet from his friend; or he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a stream, as the channel of streams which pass away,

Which are turbid by reason of the ice, in which the snow hideth itself:

Do ye imagine to reprove words? The speeches of one that is desperate are indeed for the wind.

Is there wrong in my tongue? cannot my taste discern mischievous things?

As a bondman earnestly desireth the shadow, and a hireling expecteth his wages,

My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and suppurates.

Remember thou that my life is wind; mine eye shall no more see good.

What is man, that thou makest much of him? and that thou settest thy heart upon him?

Have I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden to myself?

Whilst it is yet in its greenness and not cut down, it withereth before any other grass.

Whose confidence shall be cut off, and his reliance is a spider's web.

He is full of sap before the sun, and his sprout shooteth forth over his garden;

Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the dust shall others grow.

Of a truth I know it is so; but how can man be just with God?

He is wise in heart and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and had peace?

Be it a question of strength, lo, he is strong; and be it of judgment, who will set me a time?

It is all one; therefore I said, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

The earth is given over into the hand of the wicked man; he covereth the faces of its judges. If not, who then is it?

They pass by like skiffs of reed; as an eagle that swoops upon the prey.

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him; that we should come together in judgment.

There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.

Then I will speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

My soul is weary of my life: I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

Are thy days as the days of a mortal? are thy years as a man's days,

Since thou knowest that I am not wicked, and that there is none that delivereth out of thy hand?

Thy hands have bound me together and made me as one, round about; yet dost thou swallow me up!

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as clay, and wilt bring me into dust again.

Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

And it increaseth: thou huntest me as a fierce lion; and ever again thou shewest thy marvellous power upon me.

I should be as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

A land of gloom, as darkness itself; of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is as thick darkness.

For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, how that they are the double of what is realised; and know that +God passeth by much of thine iniquity!

It is as the heights of heaven; what wilt thou do? deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?

The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

Yet a senseless man will make bold, though man be born like the foal of a wild ass.

If thou put far away the iniquity which is in thy hand, and let not wrong dwell in thy tents;

For thou shalt forget misery; as waters that are passed away shalt thou remember it;

And life shall arise brighter than noonday; though thou be enshrouded in darkness, thou shalt be as the morning,

I also have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who knoweth not such things as these?

I am to be one that is a derision to his friend, I who call upon +God, and whom he will answer: a derision is the just upright man.

He that is ready to stumble with the foot is a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

The tents of desolators are in peace, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand +God bringeth.

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man.

Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food?

With the aged is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.

With him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding.

Behold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening.

With him is strength and effectual knowledge; the deceived and the deceiver are his.

Will it be well if he should search you out? or as one mocketh at a man, will ye mock at him?

Who is he that contendeth with me? For if I were silent now, I should expire.

One who, as a rotten thing consumeth, as a garment that the moth eateth.

Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; and he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not.

If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, and thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass,

Look away from him; and let him rest, till he accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

For there is hope for a tree: if it be cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease;

But a man dieth, and is prostrate; yea, man expireth, and where is he?

My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou heapest up mine iniquity.

And indeed a mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of its place;

Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind,

What knowest thou that we know not? what understandest thou which is not in us?

Both the greyheaded and the aged are with us, older than thy father.

What is man, that he should be pure? and he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hidden;