And it was so, when the days of their feasting were ended, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose 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. Thus did Job continually.

And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yes, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only have escaped alone to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God hath fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only have escaped alone to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yes, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only have escaped alone to tell thee.

And behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only have escaped alone to tell thee.

Let the stars of its twilight be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:

For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

Thy words have upheld him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.

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

Then should I yet have comfort; yes, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;

Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand in what I have erred.

I have sinned; what shall I do to thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

If thy children have sinned against him, and he hath cast them away for their transgression;

If he shall destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.

Thy hands have made me and fashioned me in all my parts; yet thou dost destroy me.

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

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yes, who knoweth not such things as these?

Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thy hands.

But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

I will show thee, hear me; and that which I have seen, I will declare;

Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:

I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves against me.

I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

If I wait, the grave is my house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.

His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

And be it indeed that I have erred, my error remaineth with myself.

My kinsmen have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped with the skin of my teeth.

Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they who have seen him shall say, Where is he?

Suffer me that I may speak; and after I have spoken, mock on.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray to him?

Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face to God.

Even to-day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.

Drouth and heat consume the snow-waters: so doth the grave those who have sinned.

Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?

The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant: even the waters forgotten by the foot: they are dried up, they have gone away from men.

The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame of it with our ears.

But now they that are younger than I, have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.

Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.

They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.

And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

He hath cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

If my heart hath been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbor's door;

If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten of it;

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gained much;

If I have beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or have lifted up myself when evil found him:

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

If the men of my tabernacle have not said, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom:

If I have eaten the fruits of it without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life:

Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.

Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

Then he is gracious to him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

He looketh upon men, and if any shall say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear to me, ye that have knowledge.

Surely it is meet to be said to God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

For thou saidst, What advantage will it be to thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

Suffer me a little, and I will show thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.

Then he showeth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table would be full of fatness.

Have the gates of death been opened to thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shades of death?

Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.

Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yes, twice; but I will proceed no further.

Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that which I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye seeth thee.

And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.