There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God [with reverence] and abstained from and turned away from evil [because he honored God].

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God].”

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God]. And still he maintains and holds tightly to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.”

Because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,
Nor hide trouble from my eyes.

Because the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
My spirit drinks their poison;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

“They were put to shame and disappointed because they had trusted [that they would find water];
They came there and were ashamed.

“For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are [like] a shadow [just a breath or a vapor].

“But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise
[Only] when the colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.

“Then you would trust [with confidence], because there is hope;
You would look around you and rest securely.

“Even though He kills me;
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless, I will argue my ways to His face.

“He does not believe that he will return out of the darkness [for fear of being murdered],
And he is destined for the sword [of God’s vengeance].

“Because he has stretched out his hand against God
And behaves arrogantly against the Almighty,

For he has covered his face with his fat,
Adding layers of fat to his thighs [giving himself up to pleasures],

“My eye has grown dim (unexpressive) because of grief,
And all my [body’s] members are [wasted away] like a shadow.

“These [thoughts try to] make the night into the day;
‘The light is near,’ they say in the presence of darkness [but they pervert the truth].

If I call out to the pit (grave), ‘You are my father’;
And to the worm [that feeds on decay], ‘You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you],’

“Because he knew no quietness or calm within him [because of his greed],
He does not retain anything he desires.

But I am not silenced by the darkness [of these woes that fell on me],
Nor by the thick darkness which covers my face.

Because I rescued the poor who cried for help,
And the orphan who had no helper.

“For tragedy from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty and exaltation I can do nothing [nor endure facing Him].

If I gloated and rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my [powerful] hand [alone] had obtained so much,

Because I feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
So that I kept silence and did not acknowledge my sin and did not go out of the door?

So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them].

But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became indignant. His indignation was kindled and burned and he became upset with Job because he justified himself rather than God [and even expressed doubts about God’s character].

Elihu’s anger burned against Job’s three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job’s error], and yet they had condemned Job and declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions].

Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were years older than he.

“And shall I wait, because they say nothing,
But stand still and say no more?

“Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too was formed out of the clay.

Because they turned aside from following Him
And would not consider or show regard for any of His ways,

‘Job ought to be tried to the limit
Because he answers like wicked men!

“Because of the multitudes of oppressions the people cry out;
They cry for help because of the [violent] arm of the mighty.

“The people cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil men.

“And now, because He has not [quickly] punished in His anger,
Nor has He acknowledged transgression and arrogance well [and seems unaware of the wrong of which a person is guilty],

“Tell us [Job] what words [of man] shall we say to such a Being;
We cannot state our case because of darkness [that is, our ignorance in the presence of the unsearchable God].

“You [must] know, since you were born then,
And because you are so extremely old!

“Will you trust him because his strength is great
And leave your labor to him?

“She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor is in vain because she is unconcerned [for the safety of her brood],

“When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.