when the Almighty was yet with me, and my sons were about me,

The voice of the ranking men was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

The blessing of him who 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 diadem.

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

I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the case of him whom I did not know.

Did I not weep for him who was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

if I have 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 the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was kindled. His anger was kindled against Job because he justified himself rather than God.

His anger was also kindled against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his anger was kindled.

Yea, I attended to you. And, behold, there was none who convinced Job, or who answered his words among you.

He sings before men, and says, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it did not profit me.

And it was so, that, after LORD had spoken these words to Job, LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends. For ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Jo

if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me, (yea, I have delivered him without cause who was my adversary),

Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken because he was angry.

He also bowed the heavens, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.

They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but LORD was my stay.

I was also perfect with him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

They cried, but there was none to save, even to LORD, but he answered them not.

I was cast upon thee from the womb. Thou are my God since my mother bore me.

I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will encompass thine altar, O LORD,

Thou, LORD, of thy favor had made my mountain to stand strong. Thou hid thy face; I was troubled.

For I have heard the slander of many. Fear [was] on every side, while they took counsel together against me. They devised to take away my life.

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me. My moisture was changed [as] with the drought of summer. Selah.

For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast.

But as for me, when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into my own bosom.

But I passed by, and, lo, he was not. Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good, and my sorrow was stirred.

My heart was hot within me. While I was musing the fire burned. [Then] I spoke with my tongue:

I was mute. I opened not my mouth, because thou did it.

These things thou have done, and I kept silence. Thou thought that I was altogether such a one as thyself. [But] I will reprove thee, and set [them] in order before thine eyes.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

There they were in great fear, where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against thee. Thou have put them to shame because God has rejected them.

For it was not an enemy who reproached me. Then I could have borne it. Neither was it he who hated me that magnified himself against me. Then I would have hid myself from him.

But it was thou, a man my equal, my companion, and my familiar friend.

He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many by me.

His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

A righteous man shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,

Moab is my wash pot. Upon Edom I will cast my shoe. Philistia, shout thou because of me.

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

I cried to him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

Thou, O God, sent a plentiful rain. Thou confirmed thine inheritance when it was weary.

LORD gave the word. Great [was] the company of those who published [it].

When the Almighty scattered kings in it, [it was as] it snows in Zalmon.

When I wept in my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. And I looked for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.

For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

When I thought how I might understand this, it was too painful for me,

For my soul was grieved, and I was pricked in my heart.

So I was brutish, and ignorant. I was a beast before thee.

Thou caused sentence to be heard from heaven. The earth feared and was still

In the day of my trouble I sought LORD. My hand was stretched out in the night, and slacked not. My soul refused to be comforted.

The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lightened the world. The earth trembled and shook.

Thy way was in the sea, and thy paths in the great waters. And thy footsteps were not known.

and might not be as their fathers: a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

Therefore LORD heard, and was angry. And a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel,

They were not estranged from that which they desired. Their food was yet in their mouths

And they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.

For their heart was not right with him, nor were they faithful in his covenant.

When God heard, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,

He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.

So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

They have shed their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among those who know me. Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: This [man] was born there.

Yea, of Zion it shall be said, this and that man was born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.

LORD will count when he writes up the peoples: This [man] was born there. Selah.

Forty years long I was grieved with [that] generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways.

Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced, because of thy judgments, O LORD.

He sent a man before them. Joseph was sold for a servant.

They hurt his feet with fetters. He was placed in iron.

And he brought them forth with silver and gold, and there was not a feeble [soul] among his tribes.

Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen upon them.

He also rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up. So he led them through the depths as through a wilderness.

And the waters covered their adversaries; there was not one of them left.

And a fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked [men].

Then Phinehas stood up, and executed judgment, and so the plague was stayed.

And that was reckoned to him for righteousness to all generations for evermore.

and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. And the land was polluted with blood.

Therefore the wrath of LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his inheritance.

Therefore he brought down their heart with labor. They fell down, and there was none to help.

Moab is my wash pot. Upon Edom I will cast my shoe. Over Philistia I will shout.

Yea, he loved cursing, and it came to him. And he did not delight in blessing, and it was far from him.

The sea saw it, and fled. The Jordan was driven back.

LORD preserves the simple. I was brought low, and he saved me.

I believed, therefore I have spoken, but I was greatly afflicted.

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I observe thy word.

I beheld the treacherous, and was grieved because they do not observe thy word.

I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of LORD.

If it had not been LORD who was on our side, let Israel now say,

if it had not been LORD who was on our side when men rose up against us,

then they would have swallowed us up alive when their wrath was kindled against us,

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, LORD has done great things for them.

My frame was not hidden from thee, when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes saw my unformed substance, and in thy book they were all written, [even] the days that were ordained, when as yet there was none of them.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, thou knew my path. In the way in which I walk they have hidden a snare for me.

For I was a son to my father, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.