Now his sons were wont to go, and make a banquet, at the house of each one upon his day, - and to send and call their three sisters, to eat and to drink with them.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

So Yahweh said to Satan, "Have you {considered} my servant Job? Indeed, there is no one like him on the earth--a blameless man and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil."

But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Now the day came when Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,

and said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I turn thither again. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; now blessed be the name of the LORD."

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

So Yahweh {asked} Satan, "Have you {considered} my servant Job? Indeed, there is no one like him on the earth--a blameless man and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil. And still he persists in his blamelessness {even though} you incited me against him to destroy him for nothing."

But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

Then they sat with him on the ground [for] seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that {his} suffering was very great.

That day, be it darkness, - Let not God enquire after it from above, May there shine upon it no clear beam:

Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

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

With kings and counselors of the earth,
Who built up [now desolate] ruins for themselves;

O that I utterly had no being, or were as a thing born out of time that is put aside, either as young children, which never saw the light.

There, are those let out free which have been in prison, so that they hear no more the voice of the oppressor.

I cannot relax or be still;
I have no rest, for trouble comes.

But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

Where is now thy fear of God, thy steadfastness, thy patience, and the perfectness of thy ways?

"{Think} now, who has perished [who is] innocent? Or where [are] the upright destroyed?

The strong lion dies if it catches no prey,
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

It stood still, but I could not distinguish its appearance, I looked, but there was no form before mine eyes, - A whispering voice, I heard: - -

Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk;
they perish forever while no one notices.

Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

For wrath is the cause of death to the foolish, and he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion.

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is no deliverer:

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.

"Now as for me, I would seek God if I were you; I would commit my case to God.

Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, till there is no numbering.

He frustrates the schemes of the crafty
so that they achieve no success.

But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.

He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

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

You will make sport of destruction and need, and will have no fear of the beasts of the earth.

And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

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.

Can that which hath no savor be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

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

Is it not that I have no help in me, And that wisdom is driven quite from me?

For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.

My words may seem wrong to you, but the words of him who has no hope are for the wind.

No doubt you would cast lots for a fatherless child
and negotiate a price to sell your friend.

Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie.

Return, I pray you, let there be no injustice; Yea, return again, my cause is righteous.

So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.

My days were swift above a weaver's shuttle, and will finish with no more of hope.

O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.

The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.

And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

If thou wouldest now resort unto God betimes, and make thy humble prayer to the Almighty;

If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

Insomuch, that wherein soever thou hadst little afore, thou shouldest now have great abundance.

Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers:

(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)

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

No: but before it be shot forth, and before it be gathered, it withereth; before any other herb.

Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread.

But if it be taken out of its place, every man denieth it, saying, 'I know thee not.'

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.

I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.

See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.

He is God, whose wrath no man may withstand: but the proudest of all must stoop under him.

If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.

For he crushes me with a storm, and keeps on wounding me for no reason.

Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.

Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together.

If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.

The earth was given into the hand of the unjust one: he will cover the faces of her judges; if not now, who is it?

Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright;

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

There is no umpire betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both.

Let Him take His rod away from me
so His terror will no longer frighten me.

Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.

It grieveth my soul to live. Nevertheless, now will I put forth my words: I will speak out of the very heaviness of my soul,

I say unto God, 'Do not condemn me, Let me know why Thou dost strive with me.

For Thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is no deliverer from Thy hand.

“Your hands shaped me and formed me.
Will You now turn and destroy me?

Please remember that You formed me like clay.
Will You now return me to dust?

And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

You produce new witnesses against me
and multiply Your anger toward me.
Hardships assault me, wave after wave.

Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

If they had carried me to my grave as soon as I was born, then should I be now, as though I had never been.

A land of obscurity as thick darkness, Death-shade -- and no order, And the shining is as thick darkness.'

Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

For he knew men of vanity, and he will see iniquity; and will he not understand?