Have You not put a hedge [of protection] around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands [and conferred prosperity and happiness upon him], and his possessions have increased in the land.

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your power, only do not put your hand on the man himself.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God’s will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.

“Let the day on which I was born perish,
And the night which announced: ‘There is a man-child conceived.’

“May that day be darkness;
Let God above not care about it,
Nor light shine on it.

“As for that night, let darkness seize it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not be counted in the number of the months.

“Behold, let that night be barren [and empty];
Let no joyful voice enter it.

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

“Why did I not die at birth,
Come forth from the womb and expire?

“Or like a miscarriage which is hidden and put away, I would not exist,
Like infants who never saw light.

“There the prisoners rest together;
They do not hear the taskmaster’s voice.

Who wait for death, but it does not come,
And dig (search) for death more [diligently] than for hidden treasures,

“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, and yet trouble still comes [upon me].”

“Is not your fear of God your confidence,
And [is not] the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope?

“Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,

“The spirit stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, and then I heard a voice, saying:

‘Is not their tent-cord drawn up within them [so that the tent collapses]?
Do they not die, and yet without [acquiring] wisdom?’

“For affliction does not come forth from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring forth from the ground.

“In the daytime they meet in darkness,
And at noon they grope as in the night.

“Behold, how happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise or reject the discipline of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering].

“Then I would still have consolation,
And I would jump for joy amid unsparing pain,
That I have not denied or hidden the words of the Holy One.

“Is it that I have no help within myself,
And that success and wisdom have been driven from me?

“Now please look at me,
And see if I lie to your face [for you know that I would not].

“Is not man forced to labor on earth?
And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

“When I lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise [and the night be gone]?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until the dawning of day.

“Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul [O Lord].

“I waste away and loathe my life; I will not live forever.
Let me alone, for my days are but a breath [futile and without substance].

“Will You never turn Your gaze away from me [it plagues me],
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?

“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my sin and guilt?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me [diligently], but I will not be.”

“Will they (the fathers) not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their hearts [the deepest part of their nature]?

“While it is still green (in flower) and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant [when without water].

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

“It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it,
When He overturns them in His anger;

Who commands the sun, and it does not shine;
Who seals up the stars [from view];

“Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him;
He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him.

“God will not turn back His anger;
The [proud] helpers of Rahab [the arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him.

For though I were righteous, I could not answer.
I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge.

“If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

“He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills and saturates me with bitterness.

“[Though] I am blameless,
I do not care about myself;
I despise my life.

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

“The earth is given into the hands of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice].
If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?

I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come];
I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.

“For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court and judgment together.

“Let Him take His rod away from me,
And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.

“Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.

“I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me [and declare me guilty]!
Show me why You contend and argue and struggle with me.

‘Although You know that I am not guilty or wicked,
Yet there is no one who can rescue me from Your hand.

‘Have You not poured me out like milk
And curdled me like cheese?

‘[You have] clothed me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews.

‘If I sin, then You would take note and observe me,
And You would not acquit me of my guilt.

‘If I am wicked, woe to me [for judgment comes]!
And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
For I am sated and filled with disgrace and the sight of my misery.

‘I should have been as though I had not existed;
[I should have been] carried from the womb to the grave.’

“Would He not let my few days alone,
Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer

Before I go—and I shall not return—
To the land of darkness and the deep shadow [of death],

“Shall a multitude of words not be answered?
And should a talkative man [making such a long-winded defense] be acquitted?

“For He recognizes and knows false and worthless men,
And He sees wickedness, will He not consider it?

If sin is in your hand, put it far away [from you],
And do not let wrongdoing dwell in your tents;

Then, indeed, you could lift up your face [to Him] without moral defect,
And you would be firmly established and secure and not fear.

“But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they will not escape [the justice of God];
And their hope is to breathe their last [and die].”

“But I have intelligence and understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these [of God’s wisdom and might]?

“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 recognize [in all these things that good and evil are randomly scattered throughout nature and human life]
That the hand of the Lord has done this,

“Does the ear not put words to the test,
Just as the palate tastes its food [distinguishing between the desirable and the undesirable]?

“What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.

“Will not His majesty terrify you,
And will not the dread of Him fall upon you?

“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before Him.

“Only [O Lord,] do not do two things to me,
And then I will not hide myself from Your face:

Withdraw Your hand from me and remove this bodily suffering,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.

“You also put my feet in the stocks [as punishment]
And [critically] observe all my paths;
You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep],

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

“For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that the shoots of it will not cease nor fail, [but there is no such hope for man].

So man lies down and does not rise [again].
Until the heavens are no longer,
The dead will not awake nor be raised from their sleep.

“But now You number [each of] my steps;
You do not observe nor take note of my sin.

“His sons achieve honor, and he does not know it;
They become insignificant, and he is not aware of it.

“Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
Yes, your own lips testify against you.

“What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not equally clear to us?

“Are the consolations of God [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you,
[Or] were we too gentle toward you [in our first speech] to be effective?

“Behold, God puts no trust in His holy ones (angels);
Indeed, the heavens are not pure in His sight—

What wise men have [freely] told,
And have not hidden [anything passed on to them] from their fathers,

“A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears;
While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].

“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].

He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his grain will not bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth.

“He will not escape from darkness [fleeing disaster];
The flame [of God’s wrath] will wither his branch,
And by the blast of His mouth he will go away.

“Let him not trust in vanity (emptiness, futility) and be led astray;
For emptiness will be his reward [for such living].

“It will be fulfilled while he still lives,
And his branch will not be green [but shall wither away].

“If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved;
And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?

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

“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no [resting] place for my cry [where it will cease being heard].

“For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way of no return.

“But You [Lord] have closed their hearts to understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them [by giving a verdict against me].

“But as for all of you, come back again,
Even though I do not find a wise man among you.

“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].

“Indeed, the light of the wicked will be put out,
And the flame of his fire will not shine.

“For the wicked is thrown into a net by his own feet (wickedness),
And he steps on the webbing [of the lattice-covered pit].

“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked and the ungodly,
And such is the place of him who does not know or recognize or honor God.”

“These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me [and harden your hearts against me].

Know then that God has wronged me and overthrown me
And has closed His net around me.

“Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not heard;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.