And his sons went and made banquets - one day in one house, another day in another - and sent for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

And it fortuned that when they had passed over the time of their banqueting round about; Job sent for them, and sanctified them, and gat up early, and offered for every one a burnt offering. For Job thought thus: "Peradventure my sons have done some offense, and have been unthankful to God in their hearts." And thus did Job everyday.

But lay thine hand upon him a little, touch once all that he hath, and, I hold, he shall curse thee to thy face."

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

the Sabeans came in violently, and took them all away: yea, they have slain thy servants with the sword, and I only ran my way, to tell thee."

And while he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "The fire of God is fallen from heaven, it hath consumed, and burnt up all thy sheep and servants: and I only ran my way, to tell thee."

In the mean season while he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "The Chaldeans made three armies, and fell upon thy camels, which they have carried away: yea, and slain thy servants with the sword, and I only am gotten away, to tell thee."

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."

Then said the LORD unto Satan, "Hast thou not considered my servant Job, how that he is an innocent and virtuous man such one as feareth God, and escheweth evil, and that there is none like him in the land? But thou movedst me against him, to punish him: yet is it in vain, for he continueth still in his godliness."

But lay thine hand upon him, touch him once upon the bone and flesh, and, I hold, he shall curse thee to thy face."

Then said his wife unto him, "Dost thou yet continue in thy perfectness? Curse God, and die."

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.

After this, opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day,

and said, "Let the day perish, wherein I was born,

The same day be turned to darkness, and not regarded of God from above, neither let the light shine upon it:

Despised be that night, and discommended: let them that curse the day,

give it their curse also, even those that be ready to raise vp Leviathan.

"Wherefore is the light given to him that is in misery? And life unto them that have heavy hearts?

That should be joy to the man whose way is hid, which God keepeth back from him.

"If we begin to commune with thee, peradventure thou wilt be discontent; but who can withhold himself from speaking?

Fear came upon me, and dread, and made all my bones to shake.

Is not their dignity taken away with them? They shall die - and not in wisdom.'

that his children were without prosperity or health; that they were slain in the door, and no man to deliver them;

which setteth up them of low degree, and sendeth prosperity to those that are in heaviness;

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

Insomuch that they run into darkness by fair day, and grope about them at the noonday, like as in the night.

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

Thou shalt come to thy grave in a fair age, like as the corn sheaves are brought in to the barn in due season.

Lo, this we ourselves have proved by experience, and even this it is. Hearken thou to it also, that thou mayest take heed to thyself."

What power have I to endure? Or, what is mine end, that my soul might be patient?

Am I able to help my self? Is not my strength gone from me,

Confounded are they that put any confidence in them: For when they came to obtain the things that they looked for, they were brought to confusion.

"Did I desire you to come hither? Or to give me any of your substance?

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

Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and wherein I have erred, cause me to understand.

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

Ye fall upon the fatherless, and go about to overthrow your own friend.

When I laid me down to sleep, I said, 'O when shall I rise?' Again, I longed sore for the night. Thus am I full of sorrow, till it be dark.

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,

When I think, 'My bed shall comfort me; I shall have some refreshing by talking to myself upon my couch,'

that my soul wisheth rather to be strangled, and my bones to be dead.

Thou visitest him early, and every day: and suddenly doest thou try him.

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?

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

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

They that hate thee, shall be confounded, and the dwellings of the ungodly shall come to naught."

If he will argue with him, he shall not be able to answer him unto one among a thousand.

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

Yea though I be righteous, yet will I not give him one word again, but meekly submit myself to my judge.

They are passed away, as the ships that be good under sail, and as the Eagle that hasteth to the prey.

When I am purposed to forget my complainings, to change my countenance, and to comfort myself;

For he that I must give answer unto, and with whom I go to law, is not a man as I am.

Neither is there any daysman to lay his hand between us.

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,

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

Thinkest thou it well done, to oppress me, to cast me off - being a work of thine hands - and to maintain the counsel of the ungodly?

Whereas, notwithstanding, thou knowest that I am no wicked person, and that there is no man able to deliver me out of thine hand.

Hast thou not turned me, as it were milk: and turned me to cruddes like cheese?

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.

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

before I go thither, from whence I shall not turn again. Namely, to that land of darkness and shadow of death:

Should men give ear unto thee only? Thou wilt laugh other men to scorn; and shall nobody mock thee again?

"Wilt thou find out God with thy seeking? Wilt thou attain to the perfectness of the Almighty?

He is higher than heaven; what wilt thou do? Deeper than hell; how wilt thou then know him?

Then mightest thou lift up thy face without shame! Then shouldest thou be sure, and have no need to fear.

Then should the residue of thy life be as clear as the noon day, and spring forth as the morning.

Then shouldest thou take thy rest, and no man to make thee afraid, yea many one should set much by thee.

Thus, he that calleth upon God, and whom God heareth, is mocked of his neighbour; the godly and innocent man is laughed to scorn.

Godliness is a light despised in the hearts of the rich, and is set for them to stumble upon.

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

"Look: what lieth hid in darkness, he declareth it openly! And the very shadow of death bringeth he to light!

He both increaseth the people and destroyeth them; He maketh them to multiply, and driveth them away.

and grope in the dark without light, staggering to and fro like drunken men.

Look what ye know, that same do I know also, neither am I inferior unto you.

Nevertheless I am purposed to talk with the almighty, and my desire is to commune with God.

Shall that help you, when he calleth you to reckoning? Think ye to beguile him, as a man is beguiled?

He shall punish you, and reprove you, if ye do secretly accept any person.

Your remembrance shall be like unto the dust, and your pride shall be turned to clay.

Wherefore do I bear my flesh in my teeth, and put my soul in my hands?

What is he that will go to law with me? For if I hold my tongue, I shall die.

Nevertheless, grant me two things, and then will I not hide myself from thee.

And then send for me to the law, that I may answer for myself: or else, let me speak, and give thou the answer.

For thou layest sharply to my charge, and punisheth me, for the sins of my youth.

Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of divers miseries.

The days of man are short, the number of his months are known only to thee. Thou hast appointed him his bounds; he cannot go beyond them.

Go from him, that he may rest until his day come: which he looketh for, like as a hireling doth.

O that thou wouldest keep me, and hide me in the hell, until thy wrath were stilled: and to appoint me a time, wherein thou mightest remember me.

"For thou hast numbered all my goings, yet be not thou too extreme upon my sins.

Whether his children come to worship or no, he cannot tell: And if they be men of low degree, he knoweth not.

Thou reprovest with words, that are worth nothing; and speakest the things which can do no good!

Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God, that all wisdom is too little for thee?

What is man, that he should be clean? What hath he, which is born of a woman, whereby he might be known to be righteous?

He believeth never to be delivered out of darkness; the sword is always before his eyes.

When he goeth forth to get his living, he thinketh plainly, that the day of darkness is at hand.

Sorrow and carefulness make him afraid, and compass him round about, like as it where a king with his host ready to the battle.

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

For the congregation of hypocrites is unfruitful, and the fire shall consume the houses of such as are greedy to receive gifts.

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.

"But what shall I do? For all my words, my sorrow will not cease: and though I hold my tongue, yet will it not depart from me.