And his sons used to go and hold a feast {at each other's house} on his day, and they would send, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

Then the Sabeans {attacked}, and they took them, and they slew the servants {by the edge of the sword}. But I escaped, [even] I alone, to tell you."

While this one was still speaking, {another} came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three divisions, and they made a raid on the camels, and they carried them away, and they struck your servants {by the edge of the sword}, but I escaped, [even] I alone, to tell you."

And behold, a great wind came from across the desert, and it struck the four corners of the house {so that} it fell upon the young people, and they died. But I escaped, [even] I alone, to tell you."

Thus Job's three friends heard of this calamity that had come upon him. So each set out from his [own] place: Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite. And they met together to come to console him and to comfort him.

Thus they lifted up their eyes from afar, but they did not recognize him, so they raised their voice, and they wept, and each man tore his outer garment and threw dust on their heads {toward the sky}.

Then they sat with him on the ground [for] seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that {his} suffering was very great.

[the] prisoners are at ease together; they do not hear [the] oppressor's voice.

who rejoice {exceedingly}, [and] they are glad when they find [the] grave?

By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they come to an end.

How much more dwellers in clay houses, whose foundation [is] in the dust? They are crushed like a moth.

{Between morning and evening} they are destroyed; without [anyone] regarding [it] they perish forever.

[Is] not their tent cord pulled up within them? They die, but not in wisdom.'

His children are far from deliverance, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is no deliverer--

But a human being is born to trouble, and {they soar aloft} [like] {sparks}.

In the daytime they meet [with] darkness, and they grope at noon as [in] the night.

{I refused} to touch [them]; they [are] like {food that will make me ill}.

My companions are treacherous like a torrent-bed; like a streambed of wadis they flow away,

In time they dry up, they disappear; when it [is] hot, they vanish from their place.

The paths of their way wind [around]; they go up into the wasteland, and they perish.

They are disappointed, because they trusted; they came {here} and they are confounded.

"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end {without hope}.

Will they themselves not teach you [and] {tell you} and {utter} words from their heart?

"[He is the one] who moves mountains, and they do not know [how], who overturns them in his anger.

"And my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they do not see good.

They go by like papyrus skiffs, like an eagle swoops down on [its] prey.

"But ask [the] animals, and they will teach you, and the birds of the heaven, and they will tell you;

Look, [if] he withholds the water, then they dry up; and [if] he sends them out, then they overwhelm [the] land.

They grope [in] the dark {without} light, and he makes them stagger like a drunkard.

{so} a man lies down, and he does not arise. {Until the heavens are no more}, they will not awaken, and they will not be roused out of their sleep.

His children may [come to] honor, but he does not know [it]; or they may become lowly, but he does not realize it.

what wise men have told, and they have not hidden [that which is] from their ancestors,

Anguish and distress terrify him; they overpower him like a king ready for the battle.

{he will dwell} [in] desolate cities, in houses that they should not inhabit, which are destined for rubble.

[They] conceive trouble and bring forth mischief, and their womb prepares deceit."

They gaped at me with their mouth; they struck my cheeks with disgrace; they have massed themselves together against me.

They make night into day, [saying], 'Light [is] {near to darkness}.'

Will they go down [to] the bars of Sheol? Or shall we descend together into the dust?"

"Sudden terrors terrify him all around, and they chase him at his heels.

"They thrust him from light into darkness, and they drive him out from [the] world.

Little boys also despise me; [when] I rise, then they talk against me.

"{O that} my words could be written down! {O that they could be inscribed in a scroll}!

[That] with a pen of iron and [with] lead they might be engraved on a rock forever!

He will fly away like a dream, and they will not find him, and he will be chased away like a vision of [the] night.

They send out their little ones like the flock, and their children dance around.

They {sing} to [the] tambourine and lyre, and they rejoice to [the] sound of [the] long flute.

They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol.

And they say to God, 'Turn away from us, for we do not desire to know your ways.

[How often] are they like straw {before} the wind, and like chaff that [the] storm carries away?

They lie down together in [the] dust, and maggots cover them.

[The] clods of [the] valley are sweet to him; everyone will follow after him, and {before} him {they are innumerable}.

[The] righteous see, and they rejoice, but [the] innocent [one] mocks at them.

When they are humiliated, {you say}, '[It is] pride,' for he saves {the humble}.

They remove border [stones]; they seize flocks, and they pasture [them].

They drive away [the] donkey of orphans; they take [the] widow's ox as a pledge.

They thrust [the] poor off the road; [the] needy of [the] earth hide themselves together.

"Look, [like] wild donkeys in the desert they go out to their labor [as] searchers for the prey; [the] wilderness [is] {their} food for the young.

They reap their fodder in the field, and they glean [in the] vineyard of [the] wicked.

They spend the night naked, {without} clothing, and [they] have no garment in the cold.

They are wet from the rainstorm of the mountains, and they cling to the rock {without} refuge.

"They snatch [the] orphan from [the] breast, and they take a pledge against [the] needy.

They go about naked, without clothing, and hungry, they carry [the] sheaves.

Between their terraces they press out oil; they tread [the] presses, but they are thirsty.

"Those are among [the ones] rebelling [against the] light; they do not recognize his ways, and they do not stay in his paths.

He digs through houses in the darkness; by day they shut themselves in-- they do not know [the] light

because morning likewise is to them deep darkness; indeed, they know about [the] terrors of deep darkness.

They are exalted a little while, then {they are gone}. And they are brought low; they are cut off like all [others], and like [the] heads of grain they wither away.

"[The] pillars of heaven tremble, and they are astounded at his rebuke.

"This [is the] portion of [the] wicked human being with God, and they receive from Shaddai [the] inheritance of [the] ruthless.

He breaks open a mine shaft {away from where people dwell}; [those] who are forgotten {by travelers}, they dangle, they sway [far away] from human beings.

Officials refrained from talking, and they laid [their] hand on their mouth.

"They listened to me and waited, and they kept silent for my counsel.

After my word, they did not speak again, and my word dropped down [like dew] upon them.

And they waited for me as [for] the rain, and they opened their mouth wide [as] for [the] spring rain.

I smiled for them [when] they had no confidence [in anything], and they did not extinguish the light of my face.

Through want and through barren hunger they are gnawing [in the] dry region [in the] darkness of desolation and waste.

They are picking salt herbs, the leaves of bushes, and [the] roots of broom trees to warm themselves.

They were driven out from fellow people; they shout at them as [at] a thief,

{so that they dwell} [in] holes of [the] ground and [in the] rocks.

They bray among [the] bushes; they are gathered under [the] nettles.

{A senseless crowd}, yes, {a disreputable brood}, they were cast out from the land.

They abhor me; they keep aloof from me, and they do not withhold spit from my face

because he has loosened his bowstring and humbled me, and they have thrown off restraint {in my presence}.

On [the] right hand the brood rises up; {they put me to flight}, and they build up their {siege ramps} against me.

They destroy my path; they promote my destruction; they have no helper.

As [through] a wide breach they come; amid a crash they rush on.

My bowels are in turmoil, and they are not still; days of misery come to confront me.

and {he became angry} at his three friends because they had not found an answer, and they had declared Job guilty.

Thus Elihu had waited for Job {to speak} because {they were older than he}.

"They are dismayed; they no longer answer; {they have nothing to say}.

And I have waited because they do not speak, because they stand [there] [and] no longer answer.

[In] a moment they die, and [in] the middle of [the] night [the] people are shaken, and they pass away, and they take away [the] mighty {effortlessly}.

Therefore he knows their works, and he overturns [them] [in the] night {so that} they are crushed.

because they have turned aside from him and have not understood any of his ways,

so that [they] cause [the] cry of distress from [the] helpless to come to him, and he hears [the] cry of distress from [the] needy,

"Because of [the] multitude of oppressions, they cry out; they cry for help because of [the] arm of [the] mighty.

There they cry out, but he does not answer {because of the pride of evildoers}.

He does not withdraw his eyes from [the] righteous, but he sets them forever with kings on the throne, and they are exalted.

"And if [they] are tied up with fetters, [if] they are caught in [the] cords of misery,

then he declares their work to them, and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.