His substance was seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she-asses, and a very great household: so that he was one of the most principal men among all them of the east country.

And the LORD said unto Satan, "Lo, all that he hath, be in thy power: only upon himself see that thou lay not thine hand." Then went Satan forth from the LORD.

Now upon a certain day when his sons and daughters were eating, and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,

While he was speaking, there came yet another, and said, "Thy sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,

and suddenly there came a mighty great wind out of the South, and smote the four corners of the house: which fell upon thy children, so that they are dead, and I alone am gotten away, to tell thee."

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."

So went Satan forth from the LORD, and smote Job with marvelous sore boils, from the sole of the foot unto his crown;

so that he sat upon the ground in the ashes, and scraped off the filth of his sores with a potsherd.

Now when Job's friends heard of all the trouble that happened to him, there came three of them, every one from his own place: namely, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they were agreed together to come, to shew their compassion on him, and to comfort him.

So when they lift up their eyes afar off, they knew him not. Then they cried, and wept: then every one of them rent his clothes, and sprinkled dust upon their heads in the air.

They sat them down by him also upon the ground seven days and seven nights. Neither was there any of them that spake one word unto him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Let the stars of that night be dim through darkness of it. Let it look for light, but let it see none, neither the raising up of the fair morning:

"Alas, why died I not in the birth? Why did not I perish, as soon as I came out of my mother's womb?

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.

For, as I have proved by experience, they that plow iniquity and sow wretchedness, reap the same.

The roaring of the lion, the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the lion's whelps are broken.

The lion perisheth, for lack of prey, and the lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

Which destroyeth the devices of the subtle, so that they are not able to perform the things that they take in hand;

And so he delivereth the poor from the sword, from the threatenings of the ungodly, and from the hand of the cruel;

He delivereth thee out of six troubles, so that in the seventh there can no harm touch thee.

He shall keep thee from the perilous tongue so that when trouble cometh, thou shalt not need to fear.

Thou shalt see also, that thy seed shall increase, and that thy posterity shall be as the grass upon the earth.

For then should it be heavier than the sand of the sea.

This is the cause, that my words are so sorrowful.

Even so are ye also come unto me: but now that ye see my misery, ye are afraid.

To deliver me from the enemy's hand, or to save me from the power of the mighty?

Do ye take deliberacy to check men's sayings, and judge a poor word spoken in vain?

Even so have I laboured whole months long - but in vain - and many a careful night have I told.

my days pass over more speedily than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

"O remember that my life is but a wind, and that mine eye shall no more see the pleasures thereof;

yea, and that none other man's eye shall see me anymore.

For if thou fasten thine eyes upon me, I come to naught like as a cloud is consumed and vanisheth away. Even so, he that goeth down to hell, cometh no more up,

Am I a sea, or a whalefish, that thou keepest me so in prison?

then troublest thou me with dreams - and makest me so afraid through visions

I can see no remedy. I shall live no more. O spare me then, for my days are but vain.

Why goest thou not from me, nor lettest me alone, so long till I swallow down my spittle?

I have offended; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Why hast thou made me to stand in thy way, and am so heavy a burden unto myself?

"How long wilt thou talk of such things? How long shall thy mouth speak so proud words?

Even so goeth it with all them that forget God: and even thus also shall the hypocrite's hope come to naught.

His confidence shall be destroyed, for he trusteth in a spider's web.

"I know it is so of a truth: for how may a man, compared unto God, be justified?

He, himself, alone, spreadeth out the heavens, and goeth upon the waves of the sea.

If he be hasty to take anything away, who will make him restore it again? Who will say unto him, 'What doest thou?'

He troubleth me so with the tempest, and woundeth me out of measure without a cause.

"This one thing will I say: He destroyeth both the righteous and ungodly.

As for the world, he giveth it over into the power of the wicked; and he shall cover the faces of the judges thereof. Is it not so? Where is he - or who is he - that can show the contrary?

Though I washed my self with snowy water, and made mine hands never so clean,

and will say unto God: O do not condemn me; but show me the cause, wherefore thou contendest so with me.

Are thy days as the days of man, and thy years as man's years,

If I have done wickedly, woe is me therefore. If I have done righteously, yet dare I not lift up my head; so full am I of confusion, and see mine own misery.

Wherefore hast thou brought me out of my mother's womb? O that I had perished, and that no eye had seen me.

Shall not my short life come so soon to an end? O hold thee from me, let me alone, that I may ease myself a little

Wilt thou say unto God, 'The thing that I take in hand is perfect, and I am clean in thy sight'?

His length exceedeth the length of the earth, and his breadth the breadth of the sea.

A vain body exalteth himself, and man, newborn, is like a wild ass's colt.

if thou wouldst put away the wickedness which thou hast in hand, so that no ungodliness dwelt in thy house;

So Job answered, and said,

Speak to the earth, and it shall show thee; or to the fishes of the sea, and they shall certify thee.

He changeth the heart of the princes and kings of the earth, and disapointeth them; so that they go wandering out of the way,

Wilt thou be so cruel and extreme unto a flying leaf, and follow upon dry stubble?

The floods when they be dried up, and the rivers when they be empty, are filled again through the flowing waters of the sea:

the waters pierce through the very stones by little and little, the floods wash away the gravel and the earth. Even so destroyest thou the hope of man in like manner.

Thou prevailest against him, so that he passeth away; thou changes his estate, and puttest him from thee.

"Should a wise man's answer be as the science of the wind, and fill his belly with the wind of the east?

As for shame, thou hast set it aside - else wouldest thou not make so many words before God.

But thy wickedness teacheth thy mouth, and so thou hast chosen thee a crafty tongue.

Why doth thine heart make thee so proud? Why standest thou so greatly in thine own conceit? Where unto look thine eyes,

that thy mind is so puffed up against God and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

The ungodly despaireth all the days of his life, and the number of a tyrant's years is unknown.

He will never apply himself to faithfulness and truth, so sore is he deceived with vanity.

Shall not thy vain words come yet to an end? Or, hast thou yet any more to say?

I could speak as ye do also. But would God, that your soul were in my soul's stead: then should I heap up words against you, and shake my head at you.

My breath faileth, my days are shortened. I am hard at death's door.

"As for you, turn you, and get you hence, I pray you - seeing I cannot see one wise man among you.

Though I tarry never so much, yet the grave is my house, and I must make my bed in the dark.

Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed so vile in your sight?

know this then: that it is God which hath handled me so violently, and hath compassed me about with his net.

that I shall be clothed again with this skin, and see God in my flesh.

Did not ye say, "Why doth he suffer persecution?" Is there found an occasion against me?

Though he be magnified up to the heaven, so that his head reacheth into the clouds:

yet he perisheth at the last, like dung. Insomuch that they which have seen him, say, 'Where is he?'

He vanisheth as a dream, so that he can no more be found, and passeth away as a vision in the night.

So that the eye which saw him before, getteth now no sight of him, and his place knoweth him no more.

He shall suck the serpent's gall, and the adder's tongue shall slay him:

so that he shall no more see the rivers, and brooks of honey and butter.

He devoured so greedily that he left nothing behind; therefore his goods shall not prosper.

"For though the wicked have never so much to fill his belly, yet God shall send his wrath upon him, and cause his indignation to rain over him:

so that if he flee the iron weapons, he shall be shot with the steel bow.

The substance that he hath in his house, shall be taken away and perish, in the day of the LORD's wrath.

Is it with a man, that I make this disputation? Which if it were so, should not my spirit be then in sore trouble?

Their children's children live in their sight, and their generation before their eyes.

They say unto God, 'Go from us: we desire not the knowledge of thy ways!

And though God save their children from such sorrow, yet will he so reward themselves, that they shall know it.

Their own destruction and misery shall they see with their eyes, and drink of the fearful wrath of the Almighty.

For ye say, 'Where is the prince's palace? Where is the dwelling of the ungodly?

So Eliphaz the Temanite gave answer, and said,

Shouldest thou then see no darkness? Should not the water flood run over thee?

Now because that God is higher than the heavens, and because thou seest the stars are so high,

wilt thou therefore say, 'Tush, how should God know? Doth his dominion reach beyond the clouds?