Whenever a round of banqueting was over, Job would send for his children and purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought: Perhaps my children have sinned, having cursed God in their hearts. This was Job’s regular practice.

saying:

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will leave this life.
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.
Praise the name of Yahweh.

Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.

“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.

Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

After this, Job began to speak and cursed the day he was born.

But now that this has happened to you,
you have become exhausted.
It strikes you, and you are dismayed.

We have investigated this, and it is true!
Hear it and understand it for yourself.

So this is what you have now become to me.
When you see something dreadful, you are afraid.

so that I prefer strangling—
death rather than life in this body.

Surely this is the joy of his way of life;
yet others will sprout from the dust.

“Yet You concealed these thoughts in Your heart;
I know that this was Your hidden plan:

Should this stream of words go unanswered
and such a talker be acquitted?

The tents of robbers are safe,
and those who provoke God are secure;
God’s power provides this.

Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?

Look, my eyes have seen all this;
my ears have heard and understood it.

Yes, this will result in my deliverance,
for no godless person can appear before Him.

Do You really take notice of one like this?
Will You bring me into judgment against You?

The upright are appalled at this,
and the innocent are roused against the godless.

Indeed, such is the dwelling of the unjust man,
and this is the place of the one who does not know God.

This is why my unsettling thoughts compel me to answer,
because I am upset!

This is the wicked man’s lot from God,
the inheritance God ordained for him.

Pay close attention to my words;
let this be the consolation you offer.

The righteous see this and rejoice;
the innocent mock them, saying,

Come to terms with God and be at peace;
in this way good will come to you.

Therefore I am terrified in His presence;
when I consider this, I am afraid of Him.

From the city, men groan;
the mortally wounded cry for help,
yet God pays no attention to this crime.

If this is not true, then who can prove me a liar
and show that my speech is worthless?

All of you have seen this for yourselves,
why do you keep up this empty talk?

This is a wicked man’s lot from God,
the inheritance the ruthless receive from the Almighty.

this would also be a crime deserving punishment,
for I would have denied God above.

But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,
since God is greater than man.

If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I have to say.

My heart pounds at this
and leaps from my chest.

He causes this to happen for punishment,
for His land, or for His faithful love.

Listen to this, Job.
Stop and consider God’s wonders.

Who is this who obscures My counsel
with ignorant words?

when I declared: “You may come this far, but no farther;
your proud waves stop here”?

Have you comprehended the extent of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

You asked, “Who is this who conceals My counsel with ignorance?”
Surely I spoke about things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

Job lived 140 years after this and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.