He also possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke (pairs) of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great number of servants, so that this man was the greatest [and wealthiest and most respected] of all the men of the east (northern Arabia).

He said,

“Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother’s womb,
And naked I will return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God’s will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

“Behold this; we have investigated it, and it is true.
Hear and heed it, and know for yourself [for your own good].”

“Behold, this is the joy of His way;
And from out of the dust others will spring up and grow [to take his place].

“The earth is given into the hands of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice].
If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?

‘Yet these [present evils] You have hidden in Your heart [since my creation]:
I know that this was within You [in Your purpose and thought].

Or speak to the earth [with its many forms of life], and it will teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare [this truth] to you.

[Job continued:] “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.

“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before Him.

Withdraw Your hand from me and remove this bodily suffering,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.

“Is there no end to [your futile] words of wind?
Or what plagues you [so much] that you [so boldly] answer [me like this]?

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

“Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death],
Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God,

“Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me answer,
Because of the uneasiness that is within me.

“This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
And the heritage decreed and appointed to him by God.”

“Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be the consolation.

“Have you not asked those who travel this way,
And do you not recognize their witness?

“And if this is not so, who can prove me a liar
And make my speech worthless?”

“For what is the hope of the godless, even though he has gained [in this world],
When God takes his life?

“This [which I am about to explain] is the portion of a wicked man from God,
And the inheritance which tyrants and oppressors receive from the Almighty:

This also would have been [a heinous] sin calling for judgment,
For I would have denied God above.

“Look, let me answer you, in this you are not right or just;
For God is greater and far superior to man.

“If you now have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.

“Do you think this is according to [your] justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?

“Take heed and be careful, do not turn to wickedness,
For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.

“Listen to this, Job;
Stand still and consider the wonders of God.

“Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom]
By words without knowledge?

“Do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock give birth [to their young]?
Do you observe the calving of the deer?

“Will you have faith and depend on him to return your grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?

“[If you can do all this, Job, proving your divine power] then I [God] will also praise you and acknowledge
That your own right hand can save you.

“[You said to me] ‘Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge?’
Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations.