Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

But now that this has happened to you,
you have become exhausted.
It strikes you, and you are dismayed.

So this is what you have now become to me.
When you see something dreadful, you are afraid.

But now, please look at me;
would I lie to your face?

if you are pure and upright,
then He will move even now on your behalf
and restore the home where your righteousness dwells.

“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?

Hear now my argument,
and listen to my defense.

Now then, I have prepared my case;
I know that I am right.

Surely He has now exhausted me.
You have devastated my entire family.

Even now my witness is in heaven,
and my advocate is in the heights!

You have humiliated me ten times now,
and you mistreat me without shame.

For you say, “Where now is the nobleman’s house?”
and “Where are the tents the wicked lived in?”

But now they mock me,
men younger than I am,
whose fathers I would have refused to put
with my sheep dogs.

Now I am mocked by their songs;
I have become an object of scorn to them.

Now my life is poured out before my eyes,
and days of suffering have seized me.

Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were all older than he.

Should I continue to wait now that they are silent,
now that they stand there and no longer answer?

But now, Job, pay attention to my speech,
and listen to all my words.

But now, because God’s anger does not punish
and He does not pay attention to transgression,

Yet now you are obsessed with the judgment due the wicked;
judgment and justice have seized you.

Now men cannot even look at the sun
when it is in the skies,
after a wind has swept through and cleared them away.

I have spoken once, and I will not reply;
twice, but now I can add nothing.

You said, “Listen now, and I will speak.
When I question you, you will inform Me.”

I had heard rumors about You,
but now my eyes have seen You.

Now take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you. I will surely accept his prayer and not deal with you as your folly deserves. For you have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has.”