Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

Why does he give light to him who is in trouble, and life to the bitter in soul;

to those who wait for death that does not come, and search for it more than for hidden treasures,

[Why does he give light] to a man whose way is hidden, and God has fenced him in [all] around?

Look, he does not trust in his servants and he charges his angels with error.

how much less confidence does he have in those who dwell in houses of clay; who were formed from a foundation in dust and can perish like a moth?

Does not their excellence which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.

“For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

Who does great and unsearchable things,
Wonders without number.

“Does the wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his fodder?

Be it still my consolation, yes, let me exult in pain that doesn't spare, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

“How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?

"Does not humanity have hard service on earth? Are not their days also like the days of a hired man?

“When a cloud vanishes, it is gone,
So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up.

He returns no more to his house, nor does his place of residence know him any more.

Thou visitest him early, and every day: and suddenly doest thou try him.

“Does God pervert justice?
Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?

Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh?
Do reeds flourish without water?

“He trusts in his house, but it does not stand;
He holds fast to it, but it does not endure.

"Surely, God does not reject a blameless man, nor does he grasp the hand of the evildoers.

Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.

Who does great things, unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.

Behold, he taketh away: who will hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?

God does not restrain his anger; under him the helpers of Rahab lie crushed.

He does not allow me to recover my breath, for he fills me with bitterness.

“It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.’

‘Does it indeed seem right to You to oppress,
To despise and reject the work of Your hands,
And to look with favor on the schemes of the wicked?

Hast thou fleshly eyes then, or doest thou look as a man looketh?

For he knows false men. He sees iniquity also, even though he doesn't consider it.

“But I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And who does not know such things as these?

“Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character];
And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;

“Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,

“Does not the ear test words,
As the palate tastes its food?

Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?

“Like a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

Doest thou open thine eyes upon such one, and bringest me in thy judgment?

“[O God] turn your gaze from him so that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day [on earth] like a hired man.

So man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens are no longer,
He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.

“His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.

"Does a wise man answer with blustery knowledge, or fill his belly with the east wind?

Does he argue with useless talk, with words that have no value in them?

Yea, thou doest away with fear, And hinderest devotion before God.

“Why does your heart carry you away?
And why do your eyes flash,

"What is mankind, that he can be blameless? Or does being born of a woman mean he'll be in the right?

Look, he does not trust his holy ones, and [the] heavens are not clean in his eyes.

“He does not believe that he will return from darkness,
And he is destined for the sword.

He does not get wealth for himself, and is unable to keep what he has got; the heads of his grain are not bent down to the earth.

He does not come out of the dark; his branches are burned by the flame, and the wind takes away his bud.

“His arrows surround me.
He pierces my kidneys (vital organs) without mercy;
He pours out my gall on the ground.

crying for him to arbitrate between this man and God; as a human being does with his fellow neighbor.

Are there not mockers with me? and does not my eye continue in their provocation?

"Yes, the lamp of the wicked is extinguished; his flame of fire does not shine.

“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who does not know God.”

“I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore him with my mouth.

“Why do you persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?

Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;

“He does not look at the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.

He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it;
he doesn’t enjoy the profits from his trading.

“Because he knew no quiet within him,
He does not retain anything he desires.

“Nothing remains for him to devour,
Therefore his prosperity does not endure.

Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them.

“His ox mates without fail;
His cow calves and does not abort.

“How often is the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their calamity fall on them?
Does God apportion destruction in His anger?

“For what does he care for his household after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?

Does it delight the Almighty if you are righteous?
Does He profit if you perfect your behavior?

Does He correct you and take you to court
because of your piety?

“You say, ‘What does God know?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?

Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us, as he goes back and forth in the vault of heaven.'

On the left hand, where he does work, but I cannot behold him: he hides himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

“But He is unique and who can turn Him?
And what His soul desires, that He does.

“Why does the Almighty not set seasons for judgment?
Why do those who know Him not see His days [for punishment of the wicked]?

“From the city men groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry out;
Yet God does not pay attention to folly.

He is swift on the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; he does not behold the way of the vineyards.

“Drought and heat consume the snow waters,
So does Sheol those who have sinned.

“He wrongs the barren woman
And does no good for the widow.

“Is there any number to His troops?
And upon whom does His light not rise?

If even the moon does not shine
and the stars are not pure in His sight,

“He wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not burst under them.

Truly, there is no deceit in my lips, and my tongue does not say what is false.

“I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not reproach any of my days.

For what hope does the godless have when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

Does God listen to his cry when distress overtakes him?

He goes to rest full of wealth, but does so for the last time: on opening his eyes, he sees it there no longer.

For it hurls at him, and does not spare, as he flees away from his hand.

"[It is] a path a bird of prey does not know and [the] black kite's eye has not seen.

“Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.

“Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is the place of understanding?

When I cry unto thee, thou doest not hear me: and though I stand before thee, yet thou regardest me not.

“Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand,
Or in his disaster therefore cry out for help?

“I am seething within and my heart is troubled and cannot rest;
Days of affliction come to meet me.

“Does not tragedy fall [justly] on the unjust
And disaster to those who work wickedness?

He watches my life, observing every one of my actions, does he not?"

Why are you arguing with him? He doesn't have to give explanations for what he does to you!

"For God speaks, the first time in one way, the second time in another, though a person does not perceive it.

Indeed God does all these things again and again with a person

Doesn’t the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?

For he says, 'It does not profit a man when he makes his delight with God.'

Truly, God doesn't practice wickedness, and the Almighty doesn't pervert justice.

Who isn't partial to princes? Who doesn't give preference to the nobles over the poor? Nevertheless, all of them are his handiwork.