There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and turned aside from evil.

And his possessions were seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

And when they had gone around the day of feasting, Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. So Job did always.

Have You not made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock have increased in the land.

But put forth Your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only do not lay your hand upon him. And Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.

And it happened that a day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah. And Satan also came among them to present himself before Jehovah.

And Jehovah said unto Satan, Have you set your heart on My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil? And still he is keeping hold of his integrity, although you moved Me against him to destroy him without cause.

And Satan answered Jehovah and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man has he will give for his life.

And Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, and they each one came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had met together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

And they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights. And no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Let that day be darkness. Let not God look upon it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

As for that night, let darkness seize upon it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year, Let it not come into the number of the months.

Lo, let that night be barren; let no joyful voice come in it.

Why did the knees go before me; or why the breasts, that I should suck?

For the thing which I greatly feared has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of has come to me.

to set on high those who are low, so that those who mourn may be lifted up to safety;

And you shall know that your tent is in peace; and you shall visit your fold, and shall miss nothing.

And you shall know that your seed will be numerous, and your offspring as the grass of the earth.

Oh that my grief were but weighed, and my ruin laid in the balances together!

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

Oh that I might have my desire, and that God would grant the thing that I long for!

Even that it would please God to destroy me; that He would loose His hand and cut me off!

What is my strength, that I should hope? And what is my end, that I should be patient?

Do you intend to criticize words, and the speeches of one who is hopeless, that are as wind?

Remember that my life is a breath; my eye shall no more see good.

Am I like the sea, or a whale, that You set a watch over me?

so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my life.

What is man, that You should magnify him, and that You should set Your heart on him,

I have sinned. What shall I do to You, O Watcher of men? Why have You set me as a target for You, so that I am a burden to myself?

If I had called and He had answered me, yet would I not believe that He had listened to my voice;

I am afraid of all my sorrows; I know that You will not hold me innocent.

For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in judgment;

Is it good to You that You should press down, that You should despise the work of Your hands, and shine on the counsel of the wicked?

that You seek out my iniquity, and search for my sin?

You know that I am not wicked; and there is none who can deliver out of Your hand.

Remember, I beseech You, that You have formed me as the clay; and will You bring me into the dust again?

And these have You hidden in Your heart; I know that this was with You.

Why then have You brought me from the womb? Oh that I had given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me!

Are not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

But who will grant that God would speak, and open His lips against you,

and would tell you the secrets of His wisdom, that sound wisdom is manifold? Know therefore that God forgets for you some of your iniquity.

for you shall forget your misery, and you shall remember it as waters that pass away.

who of all these does not know that the hand of Jehovah has done this?

Oh that you would stop speaking entirely! And it would be your wisdom.

Is it good that He should search you out? Or as one man mocks another, do you mock Him?

Be quiet. Let me alone so that I may speak, and let come on me what may.

Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I shall be justified.

Who is he that will plead for me, for now, I would be quiet and expire.

And he wears out like a rotten thing, like a garment that a moth eats.

For his days are fixed, the number of his months is with You, and You have set his bounds so that he cannot pass;

look away from him, so that he may rest until he shall finish his day, as a hireling.

For there is hope of a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease.

Who will grant that You would hide me in the grave, that You would keep me secret, until Your wrath is past, that You would set me a fixed time and remember me?

Should he reason with talk that is not useful, or with speeches which have no profit?

What do you know that we do not know, or understand that is not with us?

that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?

What is man, that he should be clean? And what is he born of a woman that he should be righteous?

that which wise men have told, and have not hidden from their fathers;

He wanders for bread, saying, Where is it? He knows that the day of darkness is ready at hand.

Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you should answer?

Oh that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleads for his neighbor!

For the years that are few will come, and I shall go the way from where I shall not return.

Surely these are the dwellings of the perverse, and this the place that has not known God.

And this, ten times you have blamed me; you are not ashamed that you have wronged me.

know now that God has overthrown me, and His net has closed on me.

He has fenced up my way so that I cannot pass, and He has set darkness in my paths.

Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were engraved in a book!

Oh that they were cut with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever!

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall rise on the earth at the last;

Fear for yourselves because of the sword; for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, so that you may know there is a judgment.

that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the ungodly is for a moment?

what is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have if we pray to Him?

they are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm steals away.

that the wicked is kept for the day of calamity? They shall be brought to the day of wrath.

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous, or gain to Him that you make your ways perfect?

or darkness, so that you cannot see; and a flood of waters covers you.

Clouds are a covering to Him, so that He does not see; and He walks in the circuit of Heaven.

Oh that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come even to His seat!

But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

How have you helped the powerless, or saved the arm that has no strength?

Far be it from me that I should justify you; until I die I will not retract my integrity from me.

I will teach you by the hand of God; that which is with the Almighty I will not hide.

He builds his house like a moth, and like a booth that a watchman makes.

And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom! And to depart from evil is understanding!

Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God watched over me;

For I know that You will bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

let me be weighed in an even balance so that God may know my uprightness.

For that would be an evil purpose; yea, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

For it is a fire that devours to the Place of Ruin, and it would root out all my gain.

Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold my mark. Let the Almighty answer me, and my Accuser write an indictment.

When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

It is not the great that are wise, nor the aged who understand judgment.

that you do not say, We have found out wisdom. God has pushed him down, not man.

I will speak so that I may be refreshed; I will open my lips and answer.

so that He may turn man from his act, that He might hide pride from man.

so that his life is sick of bread, and his soul desirable food.

Therefore He knows their works, and He overturns in the night, so that they are destroyed.

Would that Job may be tried to the end because his answers are like men of iniquity.

Do you think this to be right, you that say, I am more just than God?