I have offended; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Why hast thou made me to stand in thy way, and am so heavy a burden unto myself?

Insomuch, that wherein soever thou hadst little afore, thou shouldest now have great abundance.

"Enquire, I pray thee, of them that have been before thee; and search diligently among thy forefathers.

"My days are more swift than a runner: they are gone, and have seen no good thing.

If I be then a wicked doer, why have I laboured in vain?

"Thy hands have made me, and fashioned me altogether round about. Wilt thou then destroy me suddenly?

If I have done wickedly, woe is me therefore. If I have done righteously, yet dare I not lift up my head; so full am I of confusion, and see mine own misery.

Then mightest thou lift up thy face without shame! Then shouldest thou be sure, and have no need to fear.

Then mightest thou have comfort, in the hope that thou hast; and sleep quietly, when thou art buried.

But I have understanding as well as ye, and am no less than ye. Yea who knoweth not these things?

Have not the ears pleasure in hearing, and the mouth in tasting the thing that it eateth?

He poureth out confusion upon princes, and comforteth them that have been oppressed.

Lo, all this have I seen with mine eye, heard with mine ear, and understand it.

Behold, now have I prepared my judgment, and know that I shall be found righteous.

While he liveth, his flesh must have travail: And while the soul is in him, he must be in sorrow."

With us are old and aged men; yea, such as have lived longer than thy forefathers.

which wise men have told, and hath not been hid from their fathers:

"I have oft times heard such things. Miserable givers of comfort are ye, all the sort of you.

They have opened their mouths wide upon me, and smitten me upon the cheek despitefully, they have eased themselves through mine adversity.

I have sewed a sackcloth upon my skin, and lie with my strength in the dust.

My days are past, my thoughts are vanished away, which have vexed my heart,

All that I have, shall go down into the pit, and lie with me in the dust."

He shall neither have children nor kinfolks among his people, no nor any posterity in his country:

Lo, ten times have ye reproved me: are ye not ashamed, for to laugh me to scorn?

Mine own kinfolk have forsaken me, and my friends have put me out of remembrance.

Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends! For the hand of God hath touched me.

I have sufficiently heard thy checking and reproof; therefore am I purposed to make answer after mine understanding.

yet he perisheth at the last, like dung. Insomuch that they which have seen him, say, 'Where is he?'

But he shall labour, and yet have nothing to eat. Great travail shall he make for riches, but he shall not enjoy them.

"For though the wicked have never so much to fill his belly, yet God shall send his wrath upon him, and cause his indignation to rain over him:

This is the portion that the wicked shall have of God, and the heritage that he may look for of the LORD."

They bear with them tabrets and harps, and have instruments of music at their pleasure.

What manner of fellow is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, to submit ourselves unto him?'

Lo, there is utterly no goodness in them, therefore will not I have to do with the counsel of the ungodly.

"Well, thou wilt keep the old way, that all wicked men have gone:

Then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and lift up thy face unto God.

My foot doth keep his path; his highway have I holden, and will not go out of it.

I have not forsaken the commandment of his lips; but look, what he charged me with his mouth, that have I shut up in my heart.

So that when the showers in the mountains have rained upon them, and they be all wet, they have none other succour, but to embrace the rock for want of a covering.

O that they, for the wickedness which they have done, were drawn to the hell, sooner than snow melteth at the heat.

What hope hath the hypocrite, though he have great good, and though God give him riches after his heart's desire?

"I will teach you in the name of God: and the thing that I have of the Almighty, will I not keep from you.

saying, 'This is that portion that the wicked shall have of God, and the heritage that Tyrants shall receive of the Almighty'?

If he get many children, they shall perish with the sword, and his posterity shall have scarceness of bread.

Look, whom he leaveth behind him, they shall die and be buried, and no man shall have pity of his widows.

Though he have as much money as the dust of the earth, and raiment as ready as the clay,

Destruction and death say, 'We have heard tell of her with our ears.'

He that should have been lost, gave me a good word, and the widow's heart praised me.

"Therefore, I thought verily that I should have died in my nest: and that my days should have been as many as the sands of the sea.

If I had spoken, they would have it none other ways, my words were so well taken among them.

But now, they that are mine inferiors and younger than I, have me in derision; yea even they, whose fathers I would have thought scorn to have set with the dogs of my cattle.

Upon my right hand they rose together against me; they have hurt my feet, made a way to destroy me,

and my path have they clean marred. It was so easy for them to do me harm, that they needed no man to help them.

Therefore is my mind poured full of heaviness, and the days of trouble have taken hold upon me.

With all their power have they changed my garment, and girded me therewith, as it were with a coat.

For how great a portion shall I have of God from above? And what inheritance from the Almighty on high?

If I have cleaved unto vanity, or if my feet have run to deceive,

If so be that I have withdrawn my foot out of the right way, if my heart hath followed mine eyesight, if I have stained or defiled my hands,

"If my heart hath lusted after my neighbour's wife, or if I have laid wait at his door:

"When the poor desireth anything of me, have I denied it them? Have I caused the widow stand waiting for me in vain?

Have I eaten my portion alone, that the fatherless hath had no part with me?

Have I seen any man perish through nakedness and want of clothing? Or any poor man for lack of raiment,

For I have ever feared the vengeance and punishment of God, and knew very well that I was not able to bear his burden.

"Have I put my trust in gold? Or, have I said to the finest gold of all, 'Thou art my confidence?'

Have I rejoiced because my substance was great, and because my hand gat so much?

That were a wickedness worth to be punished, for then should I have denied the God that is above.

Have I ever rejoiced at the hurt of mine enemy? Or was I ever glad, that any harm happened to him? Oh no.

Yet they of mine own household say, 'Who shall let us to have our belly full of his flesh?'

I have not suffered a stranger to lie without, but opened my doors unto him.

"Have I kept secret my sin, and hid mine iniquity as Adam did?

For if I had feared any great multitude of people, or if I had been despised of the simple; Oh then should I have been afraid. Thus have I quietly spent my life, and not gone out at the door.

I have told the number of my goings, and delivered them unto him as to a prince.

if I have eaten the fruits thereof unpaid for, yea if I have grieved any of the plowmen;

lest ye should praise yourselves, to have found out wisdom: because it is God that hath cast him out, and no man.

Nevertheless, seeing he hath not spoken unto me, therefore will not I answer him as ye have done."

I have a good hope for my part to shape him an answer, and to show him my meaning.

Therefore will I speak, that I may have vent: I will open my lips, and make answer.

"Now hast thou spoken in mine ears, and I have heard the voice of thy words:

Mark well, O Job, and hear me: hold thee still until I have spoken.

"Hear my words, O ye wise men: hearken unto me, ye that have understanding.

"Therefore hearken unto me, ye that have understanding. Far be it from God, that he should meddle with wickedness: and far be it from the Almighty, that he should meddle with unrighteous dealing:

"If thou now have understanding, hear what I say, and hearken to the voice of my words.

Insomuch that they have caused the voice of the poor to come unto him, and now he heareth the complaint of such as are in necessity.

"For so much as I have begun to talk of God, I will not hinder thee;

If I have gone amiss, inform me: if I have done wrong, I will leave off.

For else the men of understanding and wisdom, that have heard me, might say: 'What canst thou speak?'

For thou sayest, 'What advantage will it be unto thee, and what profit shall thou have of my sin?'

"Hold thee still a little, and I shall show thee what I have yet to speak on God's behalf.

then sheweth he them their works and deeds and the sins wherewith they have used cruel violence.

"When he commandeth the snow, it falleth upon the earth: As soon as he giveth the rain a charge, immediately the showers have their strength, and fall down.

Have the gates of death been open unto thee, or hast thou seen the door of everlasting treasure?

which I have prepared against the time of trouble, against the time of battle and war?

Unto whom I have given the wilderness to be their house, and the untilled land to be their dwelling place:

Once or twice have I spoken, but I will say no more."

For when thou thinkest to have hold upon him, he shall beguile thee: Every man also that seeth him, shall go back.

For who can keep his own counsel so secret, but it shall be known? Therefore have I spoken unwisely, seeing these things are so high, and pass mine understanding.

I have given diligent ear unto thee, and now I see thee with mine eyes.

Now when the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, he said unto Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am displeased with thee and thy two friends, for ye have not spoken the thing that is right before me, like as my servant Job hath done.

Therefore take seven oxen and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, offer up also for yourselves a burnt offering: and let my servant Job pray for you. Him will I accept, and not deal with you after your foolishness: in that ye have not spoken the thing which is right, like as my servant Job hath done."

He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn: the Lord shall have them in derision.