There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God [with reverence] and abstained from and turned away from evil [because he honored God].

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God].”

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God]. And still he maintains and holds tightly to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.”

“Remember now, who, being innocent, ever perished?
Or where [and in what circumstances] were those upright and in right standing with God destroyed?

“The lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

“For man is born for trouble,
[As naturally] as sparks fly upward.

Then, if you are pure and upright,
Surely now He will awaken for you
And restore your righteous place.

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

“I am a joke to my friends;
I, one whom God answered when he called upon Him—
A just and blameless man is a joke [and laughed to scorn].

“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already at hand.

“I was [living] at ease, but He crushed me and broke me apart,
And He has seized me by the neck and has shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His target.

“The upright will be [astonished and] appalled at this,
And the innocent will stir himself up against the godless and polluted.

“Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways,
And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

“Is it any pleasure or joy to the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect?

“There the righteous and upright could reason with Him;
So I would be acquitted forever by my Judge.

So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them].

“If there is an angel as a mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To explain to a man what is right for him [that is, how to be in right standing with God],

“He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous [those in right standing with Him];
But with kings upon the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.