When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's customary practice.

While this one was still speaking, another messenger arrived and said, "The fire of God has fallen from heaven and has burned up the sheep and the servants -- it has consumed them! And I -- only I alone -- escaped to tell you!"

Then Job got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head, and then he threw himself down with his face to the ground.

Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly to his integrity, so that you stirred me up to destroy him without reason."

But Satan answered the Lord, "Skin for skin! Indeed, a man will give up all that he has to save his life!

But when they gazed intently from a distance but did not recognize him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads.

Job spoke up and said:

Then a breath of air passes by my face; it makes the hair of my flesh stand up.

The hungry eat up his harvest, and take it even from behind the thorns, and the thirsty swallow up their fortune.

For evil does not come up from the dust, nor does trouble spring up from the ground,

They are dark because of ice; snow is piled up over them.

When they are scorched, they dry up, when it is hot, they vanish from their place.

As a cloud is dispersed and then disappears, so the one who goes down to the grave does not come up again.

Then Bildad the Shuhite spoke up and said:

whose trust is in something futile, whose security is a spider's web.

He leans against his house but it does not hold up, he takes hold of it but it does not stand.

Indeed, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth others spring up.

he who commands the sun and it does not shine and seals up the stars;

If I lift myself up, you hunt me as a fierce lion, and again you display your power against me.

Then Zophar the Naamathite spoke up and said:

For then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be securely established and will not fear.

If he holds back the waters, then they dry up; if he releases them, they destroy the land.

He grows up like a flower and then withers away; he flees like a shadow, and does not remain.

As water disappears from the sea, or a river drains away and dries up,

My offenses would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover over my sin.

All his days the wicked man suffers torment, throughout the number of the years that are stored up for the tyrant.

I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could pile up words against you and I could shake my head at you.

You have seized me, and it has become a witness; my leanness has risen up against me and testifies against me.

Make then my pledge with you. Who else will put up security for me?

Below his roots dry up, and his branches wither above.

His troops advance together; they throw up a siege ramp against me, and they camp around my tent.

Even youngsters have scorned me; when I get up, they scoff at me.

The wealth that he consumed he vomits up, God will make him throw it out of his stomach.

The heavens reveal his iniquity; the earth rises up against him.

You may say, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his children!' Instead let him repay the man himself so that he may know it!

Accept instruction from his mouth and store up his words in your heart.

If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent,

Surely then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face toward God.

When people are brought low and you say 'Lift them up!' then he will save the downcast;

Before daybreak the murderer rises up; he kills the poor and the needy; in the night he is like a thief.

But God drags off the mighty by his power; when God rises up against him, he has no faith in his life.

And Job took up his discourse again:

If he piles up silver like dust and stores up clothing like mounds of clay,

what he stores up a righteous man will wear, and an innocent man will inherit his silver.

the young men would see me and step aside, and the old men would get up and remain standing;

On my right the young rabble rise up; they drive me from place to place, and build up siege ramps against me.

I cry out to you, but you do not answer me; I stand up, and you only look at me.

You pick me up on the wind and make me ride on it; you toss me about in the storm.

I go about blackened, but not by the sun; in the assembly I stand up and cry for help.

then let thorns sprout up in place of wheat, and in place of barley, weeds!" The words of Job are ended.

So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up: "I am young, but you are elderly; that is why I was fearful, and afraid to explain to you what I know.

He shatters the great without inquiry, and sets up others in their place.

If they obey and serve him, they live out their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness.

He draws up drops of water; they distill the rain into its mist,

Should he be informed that I want to speak? If a man speaks, surely he would be swallowed up!

"Who shut up the sea with doors when it burst forth, coming out of the womb,

Do you know the laws of the heavens, or can you set up their rule over the earth?

Their young grow strong, and grow up in the open; they go off, and do not return to them.

But as soon as she springs up, she laughs at the horse and its rider.

If the river rages, it is not disturbed, it is secure, though the Jordan should surge up to its mouth.

Will partners bargain for it? Will they divide it up among the merchants?

Its back has rows of shields, shut up closely together as with a seal;

When it rises up, the mighty are terrified, at its thrashing about they withdraw.

It makes the deep boil like a cauldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment,

After the Lord had spoken these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My anger is stirred up against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has.