There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and turned aside from evil.

And when they had gone around the day of feasting, Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. So Job did always.

And a day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah. And Satan also came among them.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you set your heart against My servant Job, because there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil?

And Satan answered Jehovah and said, Does Job fear God for nothing?

While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, The fire of God has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and destroyed them. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.

In all this Job did not sin, nor charge God foolishly.

And it happened that a day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah. And Satan also came among them to present himself before Jehovah.

And Jehovah said unto Satan, Have you set your heart on My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil? And still he is keeping hold of his integrity, although you moved Me against him to destroy him without cause.

And his wife said to him, Do you still hold to your integrity? Curse God and die!

But he said to her, You speak as one of the foolish ones speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Let that day be darkness. Let not God look upon it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

For now I should have lain still and been quiet; I should have slept. Then I would have been at rest

To a man whose way is hidden, God has made a hedge about him.

I was not in safety, nor did I have rest, nor was I quiet; yet trouble comes.

Remember, please, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off?

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of His nostrils they are destroyed.

Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, nor is there any to deliver them.

Truly, I would seek to God, and to God I would put my plea,

Behold, blessed is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, their fury is drinking my spirit; the terrors of God are set against me.

Oh that I might have my desire, and that God would grant the thing that I long for!

Even that it would please God to destroy me; that He would loose His hand and cut me off!

Remember that my life is a breath; my eye shall no more see good.

Does God pervert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice?

if you would seek earnestly to God and make your prayer to the Almighty;

While it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, it dries out before any other herb.

So are the paths of all who forget God; and the hope of the ungodly shall perish.

His hope shall be cut off, and his trust shall be in a spider's web.

Behold, God will not cast away the innocent, nor will He help the evildoers,

Truly I know it is so, but how can man be just with God?

God will not withdraw His anger; the helpers of pride stoop under Him.

Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will depart from my heaviness and be of good cheer,

I will say to God, Do not condemn me; make me know why You contend with me.

Is it good to You that You should press down, that You should despise the work of Your hands, and shine on the counsel of the wicked?

But who will grant that God would speak, and open His lips against you,

and would tell you the secrets of His wisdom, that sound wisdom is manifold? Know therefore that God forgets for you some of your iniquity.

Can you by searching find out God? Can you perfectly find out the Almighty?

I am a laughing-stock to his friends; who calls on God, and He answers him; the just, the upright one is a mockery;

The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, in whatever God brings to their hand.

Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case before God.

Would you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for Him?

Will you lift up His person, or contend for God?

Is it good that He should search you out? Or as one man mocks another, do you mock Him?

Be quiet. Let me alone so that I may speak, and let come on me what may.

Who is he that will plead for me, for now, I would be quiet and expire.

For there is hope of a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease.

But man dies and is cut off; and man expires, and where is he?

Yea, you do away with fear, and take away prayer before God.

Have you heard the secret counsel of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?

Are the comforts of God small with you, and a word dealing gently with you?

that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?

because he stretches out his hand against God, and sets himself against the Almighty.

And he lives in cut off cities, in houses where none are living, which are ready to become heaps.

God has delivered me to the perverse; and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God.

Oh that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleads for his neighbor!

Surely these are the dwellings of the perverse, and this the place that has not known God.

know now that God has overthrown me, and His net has closed on me.

Have pity on me! Have pity on me, my friends! For the hand of God has touched me.

Why do you, like God, persecute me and are not satisfied with my flesh?

Oh that they were cut with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever!

and even after they corrupt my skin, yet this: in my flesh I shall see God,

He swallows riches, but vomits it; God shall cast them out of his belly.

None of his food shall be left; therefore his good will not last.

It shall happen at the filling of his belly, God shall cast the fury of His wrath on him, and He shall rain on him while he is eating.

This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the inheritance of his word from God.

Their houses are in peace, without fear; nor is the rod of God on them.

They spend their days in good, and in a moment go down to the grave.

And they say to God, Depart from us; for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways;

Behold, their good is not in their hand; the wisdom of the wicked is far from me.

God lays up his iniquity for his children. He repays him, and he knows.

For what is his pleasure in his house after him, and the number of his months is cut off?

Shall any teach God knowledge, since He shall judge the exalted?

One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

Can a man be useful to God, as he who is wise may be useful to himself?

Is not God high in Heaven? And behold the leading stars, for they are high.

And you say, What does God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?

who said to God, Depart from us; and, What can the Almighty do to them?

Truly our foe is not cut down, and fire has eaten their wealth.

Now be of service with Him, and be at peace. Good shall come to you by them.

For then you shall have your delight in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face to God.

For God makes my heart soft, and the Almighty troubles me;

because I was not cut off before the darkness; yea, He covered the darkness from my face.

Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded cries for help; yet God does not charge foolishness.

He ill-treats the women who bear no children; and does no good to the widow.

They are lifted up for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are gathered in like all others, and are cut off like the heads of the ears of grain.

How then can man be justified with God? Or how can one who is born of a woman be clean?

As God lives, He has taken away my judgment; and the Almighty has made my soul bitter.

As long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,

For what is the hope of the ungodly when He cuts off, when God takes away his soul?

Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him?

Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call on God?

I will teach you by the hand of God; that which is with the Almighty I will not hide.

This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the inheritance of cruel men which they shall receive from the Almighty.

God understands the way of it, and He knows its place.

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

as I was in the days of my harvest, when the secret of God was on my tent;