His possessions included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household. Thus he was the greatest of all the people in the east.

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!"

While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword! And I -- only I alone -- escaped to tell you!"

While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,

Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape himself with while he was sitting among the ashes.

Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.

"Let the day on which I was born perish, and the night that said, 'A man has been conceived!'

Or why was I not buried like a stillborn infant, like infants who have never seen the light?

"Now a word was secretly brought to me, and my ear caught a whisper of it.

If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands clean with lye,

as water wears away stones, and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope.

to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.

I was in peace, and he has shattered me. He has seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target;

"Surely you know that it has been from old, ever since humankind was placed on the earth,

People who had seen him will not see him again, and the place where he was will recognize him no longer.

men who were carried off before their time, when the flood was poured out on their foundations?

But it was he who filled their houses with good things -- yet the counsel of the wicked was far from me.

He has searched the sources of the rivers and what was hidden he has brought into the light.

"O that I could be as I was in the months now gone, in the days when God watched over me,

just as I was in my most productive time, when God's intimate friendship was experienced in my tent,

when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me;

I put on righteousness and it clothed me, my just dealing was like a robe and a turban;

I was eyes for the blind and feet for the lame;

I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;

I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I lived like a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners.

Moreover, the strength of their hands -- what use was it to me? Men whose strength had perished;

By the brush they would gather herbs from the salt marshes, and the root of the broom tree was their food.

Have I not wept for the unfortunate? Was not my soul grieved for the poor?

For the calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his majesty I was powerless.

if I looked at the sun when it was shining, and the moon advancing as a precious thing,

so that my heart was secretly enticed, and my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth,

because I was terrified of the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I remained silent and would not go outdoors --

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

Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. He was angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.

With Job's three friends he was also angry, because they could not find an answer, and so declared Job guilty.

Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job, because the others were older than he was.

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.

Now I was paying you close attention, yet there was no one proving Job wrong, not one of you was answering his statements!

That person sings to others, saying: 'I have sinned and falsified what is right, but I was not punished according to what I deserved.

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was delivered from my enemies.

The earth heaved and shook; the roots of the mountains trembled; they heaved because he was angry.

He made the sky sink as he descended; a thick cloud was under his feet.

He brought me out into a wide open place; he delivered me because he was pleased with me.

I was innocent before him, and kept myself from sinning.

O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure. Then you rejected me and I was terrified.

The Lord deserves praise for he demonstrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies.

I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen a godly man abandoned, or his children forced to search for food.

I was stone silent; I held back the urge to speak. My frustration grew;

I will remember and weep! For I was once walking along with the great throng to the temple of God, shouting and giving thanks along with the crowd as we celebrated the holy festival.

When you did these things, I was silent, so you thought I was exactly like you. But now I will condemn you and state my case against you!

Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin!

Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.

Sprinkle me with water and I will be pure; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

For the music director; a well-written song by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: "David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech." Why do you boast about your evil plans, O powerful man? God's loyal love protects me all day long!

"Look, here is the man who would not make God his protector! He trusted in his great wealth and was confident about his plans to destroy others."

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: "David is hiding with us." O God, deliver me by your name! Vindicate me by your power!

For the music director; according to the shushan-eduth style; a prayer of David written to instruct others. It was written when he fought against Aram Naharaim and Aram-Zobah. That was when Joab turned back and struck down 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. O God, you have rejected us. You suddenly turned on us in your anger. Please restore us!

A psalm of David, written when he was in the Judean wilderness. O God, you are my God! I long for you! My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

which my lips uttered and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.

For you give me confidence, O Lord; O Lord, I have trusted in you since I was young.

O God, you have taught me since I was young, and I am still declaring your amazing deeds.

When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me.

Yes, my spirit was bitter, and my insides felt sharp pain.

I was ignorant and lacked insight; I was as senseless as an animal before you.

From heaven you announced what their punishment would be. The earth was afraid and silent

You held my eyelids open; I was troubled and could not speak.

I said, "During the night I will remember the song I once sang; I will think very carefully." I tried to make sense of what was happening.

Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind; the lightning bolts lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.

Then they will not be like their ancestors, who were a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that was not committed and faithful to God.

When the Lord heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger flared up against Israel,

They were not yet filled up, their food was still in their mouths,

They remembered that God was their protector, and that the sovereign God was their deliverer.

God heard and was angry; he completely rejected Israel.

He delivered his people over to the sword, and was angry with his chosen nation.

But then the Lord awoke from his sleep; he was like a warrior in a drunken rage.

I mention Rahab and Babylon to my followers. Here are Philistia and Tyre, along with Ethiopia. It is said of them, "This one was born there."

But it is said of Zion's residents, "Each one of these was born in her, and the sovereign One makes her secure."

The Lord writes in the census book of the nations, "This one was born there." (Selah)

For forty years I was continually disgusted with that generation, and I said, 'These people desire to go astray; they do not obey my commands.'

Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel was one of those who prayed to him. They prayed to the Lord and he answered them.

He sent a man ahead of them -- Joseph was sold as a servant.

The shackles hurt his feet; his neck was placed in an iron collar,

Their land was overrun by frogs, which even got into the rooms of their kings.

He sent hail along with the rain; there was lightning in their land.

Egypt was happy when they left, for they were afraid of them.

They shed innocent blood -- the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted by bloodshed.

So the Lord was angry with his people and despised the people who belong to him.

They reached up to the sky, then dropped into the depths. The sailors' strength left them because the danger was so great.

Moab is my wash basin. I will make Edom serve me. I will shout in triumph over Philistia."

The ropes of death tightened around me, the snares of Sheol confronted me. I was confronted with trouble and sorrow.

The Lord protects the untrained; I was in serious trouble and he delivered me.

Before I was afflicted I used to stray off, but now I keep your instructions.

It was good for me to suffer, so that I might learn your statutes.

A song of ascents, by David. I was glad because they said to me, "We will go to the Lord's temple."

my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and sewed together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence.

A well-written song by David, when he was in the cave; a prayer. To the Lord I cry out; to the Lord I plead for mercy.

By his knowledge the primordial sea was broken open, and the clouds drip down dew.