There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.

His sons regularly went to one another's houses, and every one on his day gave a feast: and at these times they sent for their three sisters to take part in their feasts with them.

And at the end of their days of feasting, Job sent and made them clean, getting up early in the morning and offering burned offerings for them all. For, Job said, It may be that my sons have done wrong and said evil of God in their hearts. And Job did this whenever the feasts came round.

And there was a day when the sons of the gods came together before the Lord, and the Satan came with them.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil?

And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Is it for nothing that Job is a god-fearing man?

Have you yourself not put a wall round him and his house and all he has on every side, blessing the work of his hands, and increasing his cattle in the land?

And the Lord said to the Satan, See, I give all he has into your hands, only do not put a finger on the man himself. And the Satan went out from before the Lord.

And there was a day when his sons and daughters were feasting in the house of their oldest brother,

And the men of Sheba came against them and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The Chaldaeans made themselves into three bands, and came down on the camels and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, Your sons and your daughters were feasting together in their oldest brother's house,

When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

Then Job got up, and after parting his clothing and cutting off his hair, he went down on his face to the earth, and gave worship, and said,

In all this Job did no sin, and did not say that God's acts were foolish.

And there was a day when the sons of the gods came together before the Lord, and the Satan came with them.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil? and he still keeps his righteousness, though you have been moving me to send destruction on him without cause.

And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Skin for skin, all a man has he will give for his life.

But now, if you only put your hand on his bone and his flesh, he will certainly be cursing you to your face.

And the Lord said to the Satan, See, he is in your hands, only do not take his life.

And the Satan went out from before the Lord, and sent on Job an evil disease covering his skin from his feet to the top of his head.

And he took a broken bit of a pot, and, seated in the dust, was rubbing himself with the sharp edge of it.

And his wife said to him, Are you still keeping your righteousness? Say a curse against God, and put an end to yourself.

And he said to her, You are talking like one of the foolish women. If we take the good God sends us, are we not to take the evil when it comes? In all this Job kept his lips from sin.

And Job's three friends had word of all this evil which had come on him. And they came every one from his place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. So they came together to a meeting-place, in order that they might go and make clear to Job their grief for him, and give him comfort.

And lifting up their eyes when they were still far off, it did not seem that the man they saw was Job because of the change in him. And they gave way to bitter weeping, with signs of grief, and put dust on their heads.

And they took their seats on the earth by his side for seven days and seven nights: but no one said a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Let destruction take the day of my birth, and the night on which it was said, A man child has come into the world.

That day--let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;

Let the dark and the black night take it for themselves; let it be covered with a cloud; let the dark shades of day send fear on it.

As for that night, let it have no fruit; let no voice of joy be sounded in it;

Let it be cursed by those who put a curse on the day; who are ready to make Leviathan awake.

Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath?

For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,

There the passions of the evil are over, and those whose strength has come to an end have rest.

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

Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place;

To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?

In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.

For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled.

I have no peace, no quiet, and no rest; nothing but pain comes on me.

If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind?

But now it has come on you and it is a weariness to you; you are touched by it and your mind is troubled.

Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off?

The old lion comes to his end for need of food, and the young of the she-lion go wandering in all directions.

In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men,

Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble;

Truly, he puts no faith in his servants, and he sees error in his angels;

How much more those living in houses of earth, whose bases are in the dust! They are crushed more quickly than an insect;

Between morning and evening they are completely broken; they come to an end for ever, and no one takes note.

If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom?

Give now a cry for help; is there anyone who will give you an answer? and to which of the holy ones will you make your prayer?

I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly the curse came on his house.

Now his children have no safe place, and they are crushed before the judges, for no one takes up their cause.

Their produce is taken by him who has no food, and their grain goes to the poor, and he who is in need of water gets it from their spring.

Who gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields:

Lifting up those who are low, and putting the sad in a safe place;

He takes the wise in their secret designs, and the purposes of the twisted are cut off suddenly.

In the daytime it becomes dark for them, and in the sunlight they go feeling about as if it was night.

He will keep you safe from six troubles, and in seven no evil will come near you.

When there is need of food he will keep you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.

He will keep you safe from the evil tongue; and you will have no fear of wasting when it comes.

For you will be in agreement with the stones of the earth, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

You will come to your last resting-place in full strength, as the grain is taken up to the crushing-floor in its time.

For the arrows of the Ruler of all are present with me, and their poison goes deep into my spirit: his army of fears is put in order against me.

Does the ass of the fields give out his voice when he has grass? or does the ox make sounds over his food?

Will a man take food which has no taste without salt? or is there any taste in the soft substance of purslain?

My soul has no desire for such things, they are as disease in my food.

If only I might have an answer to my prayer, and God would give me my desire!

If only he would be pleased to put an end to me; and would let loose his hand, so that I might be cut off!

So I would still have comfort, and I would have joy in the pains of death, for I have not been false to the words of the Holy One.

Have I strength to go on waiting, or have I any end to be looking forward to?

I have no help in myself, and wisdom is completely gone from me.

My friends have been false like a stream, like streams in the valleys which come to an end:

So have you now become to me; you see my sad condition and are in fear.

How pleasing are upright words! but what force is there in your arguments?

Let your minds be changed, and do not have an evil opinion of me; yes, be changed, for my righteousness is still in me.

Is there evil in my tongue? is not the cause of my trouble clear to me?

Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment?

When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.

My days go quicker than the cloth-worker's thread, and come to an end without hope.

O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good.

A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again.

So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.

When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;

What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him,

And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute?

Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?

(For we are but of yesterday, and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are gone like a shade:)

Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water?

When it is still green, without being cut down, it becomes dry and dead before any other plant.

So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:

He is looking to his family for support, but it is not there; he puts his hope in it, but it comes to nothing.

His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them.

The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.

If a man was desiring to go to law with him, he would not be able to give him an answer to one out of a thousand questions.

He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?