Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.

Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?

Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:

Even so have I laboured whole months long - but in vain - and many a careful night have I told.

When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end {without hope}.

O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good.

The eye of [the one] seeing me will not see me; your eyes [are] upon me, but {I will be gone}.

As a cloud fades away and vanishes,
so the one who goes down to Sheol will never rise again.

He shall not return again to his house, and his own place shall be acquainted with him no more.

Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

Am I a sea, or a whalefish, that thou keepest me so in prison?

When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

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

"What [is] a human being that you make him great and that {you fix your mind on him},

And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?

Why won't you look away from me? Why don't you leave me alone so I can swallow my saliva?

Have I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden to myself?

And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

Then in response, Bildad from Shuah said:

Till when dost thou speak these things? And a strong wind -- sayings of thy mouth?

Doth God pervert judgment? And doth the Mighty One pervert justice?

When thy sons sinned against him, did not he punish them for their wickedness?

if you are pure and upright,
then He will move even now on your behalf
and restore the home where your righteousness dwells.

So shall thy beginning appear small, - when, thy latter end, he shall greatly increase!

"Inquire of the previous generation, won't you please? Consider what their forefathers searched out.

(For of yesterday we are, and we know not, For a shadow are our days on earth.)

Won't they instruct you, and tell you, and bring out words from the heart?

Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water?

Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:

Whose confidence shall break in sunder, And whose trust is a spider's web.

He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand; he shall lay hold on it, but it shall not endure.

He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them.

If one doth destroy him from his place, Then it hath feigned concerning him, I have not seen thee!

Lo, thus is it with him that rejoiceth in his own doings: and as for others, they grow out of the earth.

Lo, God doth not reject the perfect, Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers.

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

Those hating thee do put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!

“In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?

If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

[He is the one] who shakes [the] earth from its place, and its pillars tremble.

[He is the one] who commands the sun, and it does not rise, {and he seals up the stars}.

Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

[He is the one] who made [the] Bear [and] Orion, [the] Pleiades and [the] constellations of [the] south.

[He is the one] who does great things {beyond understanding} and marvelous things {beyond number}.

Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

God does not hold back His anger;
Rahab’s assistants cringe in fear beneath Him!

How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him?

Even if I were in the right, I could not answer.
I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

Though I had called, and he had answered me, I could not believe, that he would lend an ear to my voice.

For he crushes me with a storm, and keeps on wounding me for no reason.

He won't let me catch my breath; instead, he fills me with bitterness.

If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment -- who doth convene me?

If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

I blameless? I should not know my own soul, I should despise my own life!

This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

“When [His] scourge kills suddenly,
He mocks at the despair of the innocent.

Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not -- where, who is he?

My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good.

They are passed away as the swift ships; As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.

If I were to say, "Let me forget my complaint,' change the expression on my face, and look cheerful,

I would still live in terror of all my pains.
I know You will not acquit me.

If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

If I washed myself with snow-water, and cleansed my hands in purity,

Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.

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

Then would I speak, and not fear him; For I am not so in myself.

My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

I say unto GOD, Do not hold me guilty, Let me know, on what account thou contendest with me!

Is it good for Thee that Thou dost oppress? That Thou despisest the labour of Thy hands, And on the counsel of the wicked hast shone?

even though You know that I am not wicked
and that there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?

Thy hands have bound me together and made me as one, round about; yet dost thou swallow me up!

O keep in mind that you made me out of earth; and will you send me back again to dust?

Skin and flesh Thou dost put on me, And with bones and sinews dost fence me.

And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

If I sin, you watch me and won't acquit me for my iniquity.

That, if I was an evil-doer, the curse would come on me; and if I was upright, my head would not be lifted up, being full of shame and overcome with trouble.

And it riseth -- as a lion Thou huntest me. And Thou turnest back -- Thou shewest Thyself wonderful in me.

You renew your witnesses against me, and increase your indignation on me. Changes and warfare are with me.

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,

"Should an abundance of words go unanswered, or {a man full of talk} be vindicated?

Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

But if only God would take up the word, opening his lips in argument with you;

And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

By searching dost thou find out God? Unto perfection find out the Mighty One?

“It is longer in measure [and scope] than the earth,
And broader than the sea.

If He pass on, and shut up, and assemble, Who then dost reverse it?

For he knoweth vain men, and seeth wickedness when man doth not consider it;

“But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise
[Only] when the colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.

As for you, if you redirect your heart
and lift up your hands to Him in prayer—

If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

Then truly your face will be lifted up, with no mark of sin, and you will be fixed in your place without fear: