There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil?

And the Lord said to the Satan, See, I give all he has into your hands, only do not put a finger on the man himself. And the Satan went out from before the Lord.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil? and he still keeps his righteousness, though you have been moving me to send destruction on him without cause.

And the Satan went out from before the Lord, and sent on Job an evil disease covering his skin from his feet to the top of his head.

And he said to her, You are talking like one of the foolish women. If we take the good God sends us, are we not to take the evil when it comes? In all this Job kept his lips from sin.

And Job's three friends had word of all this evil which had come on him. And they came every one from his place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. So they came together to a meeting-place, in order that they might go and make clear to Job their grief for him, and give him comfort.

That day--let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;

Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes.

The small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master.

In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.

If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind?

In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men,

Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly; there was a form before my eyes: a quiet voice came to my ears, saying:

Their produce is taken by him who has no food, and their grain goes to the poor, and he who is in need of water gets it from their spring.

But trouble is man's fate from birth, as the flames go up from the fire.

But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.

Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.

He will keep you safe from six troubles, and in seven no evil will come near you.

When there is need of food he will keep you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.

He will keep you safe from the evil tongue; and you will have no fear of wasting when it comes.

I have no help in myself, and wisdom is completely gone from me.

Or, Get me out of the power of my hater? or, Give money so that I may be free from the power of the cruel ones?

When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.

So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.

When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;

I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.

How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?

If your children have done evil against him, then their punishment is from his hand.

If he is taken away from his place, then it will say, I have not seen you.

The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.

Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.

Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.

I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.

Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me:

That, if I did wrong, you would take note of it, and would not make me clear from sin:

And for me to have been as if I had not been; to have been taken from my mother's body straight to my last resting-place.

Are not the days of my life small in number? Let your eyes be turned away from me, so that I may have a little pleasure,

Before I go to the place from which I will not come back, to the land where all is dark and black,

You may say, My way is clean, and I am free from sin in your eyes.

If he goes on his way, shutting a man up and putting him to death, who may make him go back from his purpose?

For your sorrow will go from your memory, like waters flowing away:

But put now a question to the beasts, and get teaching from them; or to the birds of the heaven, and they will make it clear to you;

Take your hand far away from me; and let me not be overcome by fear of you.

Why is your face veiled from me, as if I was numbered among your haters?

Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.

The waters go from a pool, and a river becomes waste and dry;

But truly a mountain falling comes to dust, and a rock is moved from its place;

(The things which wise men have got from their fathers, and have not kept secret from us;

If I say what is in my mind, my pain becomes no less: and if I keep quiet, how much of it goes from me?

For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.

You have kept their hearts from wisdom: for this cause you will not give them honour.

As for him who is false to his friend for a reward, light will be cut off from the eyes of his children.

His memory is gone from the earth, and in the open country there is no knowledge of his name.

He is sent away from the light into the dark; he is forced out of the world.

He has put off my glory from me, and taken the crown from my head.

He has taken my brothers far away from me; they have seen my fate and have become strange to me.

I am strange to my women-servants, and seem to them as one from another country.

All the men of my circle keep away from me; and those dear to me are turned against me.

Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,

Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?

Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;

He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;

Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them.

Though they said to God, Go away from us, for we have no desire for the knowledge of your ways.

Truly, is not their well-being in their power? (The purpose of the evil-doers is far from me.)

You do not give water to the tired traveller, and from him who has no food you keep back bread.

Who said to God, Go away from us; and, What is the Ruler of all able to do to us?

Though he made their houses full of good things: but the purpose of the evil-doers is far from me!

Be pleased to take teaching from his mouth, and let his words be stored up in your heart.

If you come back to the Ruler of all, making yourself low before him; if you put evil far away from your tents;

He makes safe the man who is free from sin, and if your hands are clean, salvation will be yours.

There an upright man might put his cause before him; and I would be free for ever from my judge.

Like asses in the waste land they go out to their work, looking for food with care; from the waste land they get bread for their children.

They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth.

The child without a father is forced from its mother's breast, and they take the young children of the poor for debt.

Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields.

From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer.

The public place of his town has no more knowledge of him, and his name has gone from the memory of men: he is rooted up like a dead tree.

To whom have your words been said? and whose spirit came out from you?

Let it be far from me! I will certainly not say that you are right! I will come to death before I give up my righteousness.

I will give you teaching about the hand of God; I will not keep secret from you what is in the mind of the Ruler of all.

This is the punishment of the evil-doer from God, and the heritage given to the cruel by the Ruler of all.

He may get them ready, but the upright will put them on, and he who is free from sin will take the silver for a heritage.

Men make signs of joy because of him, driving him from his place with sounds of hissing.

He makes a deep mine far away from those living in the light of day; when they go about on the earth, they have no knowledge of those who are under them, who are hanging far from men, twisting from side to side on a cord.

He keeps back the streams from flowing, and makes the secret things come out into the light.

From where then does wisdom come, and where is the resting-place of knowledge?

For it is kept secret from the eyes of all living, unseen by the birds of the air.

Then he saw it, and put it on record; he gave it its fixed form, searching it out completely.

And he said to man, Truly the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to keep from evil is the way to knowledge.

The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;

Of what use is the strength of their hands to me? all force is gone from them.

They are pulling off the salt leaves from the brushwood, and making a meal of roots.

They are sent out from among their townsmen, men are crying after them as thieves

I am disgusting to them; they keep away from me, and put marks of shame on me.