There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil.

His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

And it was so, when the days of their feasting were finished, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God has fallen from heaven, and has burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone am escaped to tell you.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone am escaped to tell you.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

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

So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a male child conceived.

For the thing which I greatly feared has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of has come unto me.

I was not at ease, neither had I quiet, neither was I at rest; yet trouble came.

Your words have upheld him that was falling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees.

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it.

It stood still, but I could not discern its form: an image was before my eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end should greatly increase.

If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands ever so clean;

The waters wear the stones: you wash away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and you destroy the hope of man.

Are you the first man that was born? or were you made before the hills?

Unto whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them.

I was at ease, but he has broken me asunder: he has also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

He has made me also a byword of the people; and I was as one before whom men spit.

Know you not this of old, since man was placed upon the earth,

Who were cut down before their time, whose foundation was swept away with a flood:

Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither has he covered the darkness from my face.

As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tent;

When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my justice was as a robe and a turban.

I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

My root was spread out to the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

Did I not weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided him from my mother's womb;)

If his heart has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his majesty I could not endure.

If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram: against Job was his wrath aroused, because he justified himself rather than God.

Also against his three friends was his wrath aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was aroused.

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and you are very old; therefore I was afraid, and dared not show you my opinion.

Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:

He looks upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends: for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.