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 came a certain day, when the sons of God entered in to present themselves unto Yahweh, - so the accuser also entered, in their midst.

Now when the three friends of Job heard of all this misfortune which had befallen him, - they came, every man from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, - for they had by appointment met together to come to shew sympathy 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 rent, every one his robe, and sprinkled dust upon their heads, toward the heavens.

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

Lo! that night, be it barren, Let no joyous shouting enter therein:

But, now, it cometh upon thee, and thou despairest, It smiteth even thee, and thou art dismayed.

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: - -

In six troubles, he will rescue thee, and, in seven, there shall smite thee no misfortune:

And thou shalt know that, at peace, is thy tent, and shalt visit thy fold, and miss nothing;

And thou shalt know, that numerous is thy seed, and, thine offspring, like the young shoots of the field.

Lo! as for this, we have searched it out - so, it is, Hear it, and know, thou, for thyself.

For, now, beyond the sand of the seas, would it be heavy, On this account, my words, have wandered.

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

For, now, ye have come to him, ye see something fearful, and fear.

But, now, be pleased to turn to me, that it may be, to your faces, if I speak falsehood,

Reply, I pray you, let there be no perversity, Yea reply even yet, my vindication is in it!

He shall not return again to his house, and his own place shall be acquainted with him no more.

And why wilt thou not remove my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For, now, in the dust, should I lie down, and thou shouldst seek me diligently, and I should not be.

If, pure and upright, thou thyself, art, surely, now, will he answer thy prayer, and will prosper thy righteous habitation:

For, of yesterday, are, we, and cannot know, for, a shadow, are our days upon earth:

Of a truth, I know that so it is, But how can a mortal be just with GOD?

I blameless? I should not know my own soul, I should despise my own life!

My days, therefore, are swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have seen no good.

I am afraid of all my pains, I know, that thou wilt not pronounce me innocent.

I say unto GOD, Do not hold me guilty, Let me know, on what account thou contendest with me!

Yet, these things, thou didst hide in thy heart, I know that, this, hath been with thee!

Wherefore then, from the womb, didst thou bring me forth? I might have breathed my last, and, no eye, have seen me.

That he would declare to thee the secrets of wisdom, for they are double to that which actually is, - -Know then that GOD could bring into forgetfulness for thee, a portion of thine iniquity.

The heights of the heavens, what canst thou do? Depths deeper than hades, what canst thou know?

For, now, shalt thou forget, sorrow, Like waters passed away, shalt thou remember it.

They grope about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.

Just as ye know, I too, know, I, fall not short, of you.

Lo! I pray you, I have set forth in order a plea, I know that, I, shall be found right.

Who is it that shall contend with me? For, now, if I should hold my peace, why! I should breathe my last!

How many are mine iniquities and sins? My transgression and my sin, let me know!

So, a man, hath lain down, and shall not arise, until there are no heavens, they shall not awake, nor be roused up out of their sleep.

For, now, my steps, thou countest, Thou wilt not pass over my sin:

Disputing with discourse that doth no good, or with speech, wherein is no profit?

What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, and the same, is not with us?

To them alone, was the earth given, and no alien passed through their midst:

He hath no confidence to come back out of darkness, he, being destined to the power oft the sword;

Let no one trust in him that - by vanity - is deceived, for, vanity, shall be his recompense;

But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;

Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.

O earth! do not cover my blood, and let there be no place for mine outcry.

Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,

His memorial, have perished out of the land, and let him have no name over the face of the open field;

Know, then, that, God, hath overthrown me, and, within his net, enclosed me.

Lo! I cry - out: Violence! but receive no answer, I cry aloud, but there is no vindication;

But, I, know that, my redeemer, liveth, and, as the Last over my dust, will he arise;

Be ye afraid - on your part - of the face of the sword, because, wrath, bringeth the punishments of the sword, to the end ye may know the Almighty.

Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, - With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:

Yet they said unto GOD, Depart from us, and, In the knowledge of thy ways, find we no pleasure.

Shall, GOD, reserve, for his children, his sorrow? Let him recompense him so that he may know it;

Lo! I know your plans, and the devices, wherewith ye would do me violence!

No water - to the weary, hast thou given to drink, and, from the hungry, thou hast withheld broad:

Wilt thou say then, What doth GOD know? Out through a thick cloud, can he judge?

Oh that I knew where I might find him! I would come even unto his dwelling-place;

Would he, with fulness of might, contend with me? Nay, surely, he, would give heed to me!

On the north, where he worketh, but I get no vision, He hideth himself on the south that I cannot see him.

Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?

Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;

With the sweeping rain of the mountains, are they wet, and, through having no shelter, they embrace a rock.

He breaketh, in the dark, into houses, - By day, they lock themselves in, They know not the light;

Maternal love shall forget him, the worm shall find him sweet, No more shall he be remembered, but perversity shall be shivered like a tree.

But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?

How hast thou given help to one of no-strength? given victory to an arm of no-power?

How hast thou given counsel to one of no-wisdom? or, effective wisdom, abundantly made known?

Naked is hades before him, and there is no covering to destruction;

Because I used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him that had no helper;

A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;

But, now, they who are of fewer days than I, have poured derision upon me; whose fathers I refused - to set with the dogs of my flock.

In want and hunger, they were lean, - who used to gnaw the dry ground, a dark night of desolation!

But, now, their song, have I become, Yea I serve them for a byword;

Now, therefore, over myself, my soul poureth itself out, There seize me days of affliction:

Night, boreth, my bones, all over me, - and, my sinews, find no rest;

For I know that, unto death, thou wilt bring me back, even unto the house of meeting for every one living.

If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

Howbeit, when Elihu saw that there was no response in the mouth of the three men, then was kindled his anger.

They were dismayed, they responded no more, they suffered speech to forsake them;

Though I waited, yet could they not speak, Surely they came to a stand, they responded no more.

Lo! my bosom, is like wine not opened, Like new wine-skins, it will burst.

Let me be partial to no man, and, unto no son of earth, give flattering titles,

Surely I know not how to give flattering titles, How soon might my Maker take me away!

Mine utterances come straight from mine own heart, and, what I know, my lips have truly spoken;

Pure am, I, without transgression, - Clean am, I, and have no iniquity;

Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;

What is right, let us choose for ourselves, Let us know, among ourselves, what is good;

Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, - nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.

For he hath shewn no respect of persons unto princes, neither hath he recognised the rich rather than the poor? For, the work of his hands, are they all.

No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.

For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, - in going unto GOD in judgment;

What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?

But, now, because it is not so, thou sayest - His anger hath punished, and yet hath he not at all known of transgression;

But, if they would not hearken, by a weapon, should they pass away, and breathe their last, no one knowing.

Yea he might even have allured thee - out of the mouth of straitness, into a wide space - no narrowness there, - and, the food set down on thy table, should have been full of fatness.

Will he value thy riches? Nay not precious ore, nor all the forces of strength.

Lo, GOD, is greater than we can know, The number of his years, even past finding out!

GOD thundereth with his voice, wonderfully, Doing great things, which we cannot know;