Let him not put his hope in what is false, falling into error: for he will get deceit as his reward.

His branch is cut off before its time, and his leaf is no longer green.

If I say what is in my mind, my pain becomes no less: and if I keep quiet, how much of it goes from me?

God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.

My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,

So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.

As for him who is false to his friend for a reward, light will be cut off from the eyes of his children.

How long will it be before you have done talking? Get wisdom, and then we will say what is in our minds.

Under the earth his roots are dry, and over it his branch is cut off.

Truly, these are the houses of the sinner, and this is the place of him who has no knowledge of God.

Be certain that it is God who has done me wrong, and has taken me in his net.

Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me.

My bones are joined to my skin, and I have got away with my flesh in my teeth.

Have pity on me, have pity on me, O my friends! for the hand of God is on me.

Why are you cruel to me, like God, for ever saying evil against me?

And with an iron pen and lead be cut into the rock for ever!

And ... without my flesh I will see God;

He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.

God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.

This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.

Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them.

Though they said to God, Go away from us, for we have no desire for the knowledge of your ways.

You say, God keeps punishment stored up for his children. Let him send it on the man himself, so that he may have the punishment of it!

Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.

One comes to his end in complete well-being, full of peace and quiet:

And another comes to his end with a bitter soul, without ever tasting good.

Is it possible for a man to be of profit to God? No, for a man's wisdom is only of profit to himself.

Is not God as high as heaven? and see the stars, how high they are!

And you say, What knowledge has God? is he able to give decisions through the deep dark?

Who said to God, Go away from us; and, What is the Ruler of all able to do to us?

Though he made their houses full of good things: but the purpose of the evil-doers is far from me!

Saying, Truly, their substance is cut off, and their wealth is food for the fire.

For then you will have delight in the Ruler of all, and your face will be lifted up to God.

For God makes low those whose hearts are lifted up, but he is a saviour to the poor in spirit.

For God has made my heart feeble, and my mind is troubled before the Ruler of all.

Like asses in the waste land they go out to their work, looking for food with care; from the waste land they get bread for their children.

They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth.

They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and get into the cracks of the rock for cover.

Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields.

From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer.

But God by his power gives long life to the strong; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life.

For a short time they are lifted up; then they are gone; they are made low, they are pulled off like fruit, and like the heads of grain they are cut off.

How then is it possible for man to be upright before God? or how may he be clean who is a son of woman?

By his power the sea was made quiet; and by his wisdom Rahab was wounded.

By his wind the heavens become bright: by his hand the quickly moving snake was cut through.

By the life of God, who has taken away my right; and of the Ruler of all, who has made my soul bitter;

(For all my breath is still in me, and the spirit of God is my life;)

For what is the hope of the sinner when he is cut off, when God takes back his soul?

Will his cry come to the ears of God when he is in trouble?

Will he take delight in the Ruler of all, and make his prayer to God at all times?

I will give you teaching about the hand of God; I will not keep secret from you what is in the mind of the Ruler of all.

This is the punishment of the evil-doer from God, and the heritage given to the cruel by the Ruler of all.

Though he may get silver together like dust, and make ready great stores of clothing;

He may get them ready, but the upright will put them on, and he who is free from sin will take the silver for a heritage.

God sends his arrows against him without mercy; he goes in flight before his hand.

He makes deep ways, cut through the rock, and his eye sees everything of value.

God has knowledge of the way to it, and of its resting-place;

If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!

As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;

The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;

The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;

Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.

After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;

They have to get a resting-place in the hollows of the valleys, in holes of the earth and rocks.

They make noises like asses among the brushwood; they get together under the thorns.

With great force he takes a grip of my clothing, pulling me by the neck of my coat.

Truly God has made me low, even to the earth, and I have become like dust.

For I was looking for good, and evil came; I was waiting for light, and it became dark.

I go about in dark clothing, uncomforted; I get up in the public place, crying out for help.

For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven?

(Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness:)

What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?

Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies?

(For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;)

For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.

If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store;

That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high.

For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door;

If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing!

And Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was angry, burning with wrath against Job, because he seemed to himself more right than God;

Now Elihu had kept quiet while Job was talking, because they were older than he;

Take care that you do not say, Wisdom is here; God may overcome him, but not man.

And am I to go on waiting while they have nothing to say? while they keep quiet and give no more answers?

My stomach is like wine which is unable to get out; like skins full of new wine, it is almost burst.

Let me say what is in my mind, so that I may get comfort; let me give answer with open mouth.

The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Ruler of all gives me life.

See, I am the same as you are in the eyes of God; I was cut off from the same bit of wet earth.

Truly, in saying this you are wrong; for God is greater than man.

For God gives his word in one way, even in two, and man is not conscious of it:

If now there may be an angel sent to him, one of the thousands which there are to be between him and God, and to make clear to man what is right for him;

He makes his prayer to God, and he has mercy on him; he sees God's face with cries of joy; he gives news of his righteousness to men;

Truly, God does all these things to man, twice and three times,

Take note O Job, give ear to me; keep quiet, while I say what is in my mind.

If not, give attention to me, and keep quiet, and I will give you wisdom.

Let us make the decision for ourselves as to what is right; let us have the knowledge among ourselves of what is good.

For Job has said, I am upright, and it is God who has taken away my right;

What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God,

For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.

Now then, you wise, take note; you men of knowledge, give ear to me. Let it be far from God to do evil, and from the Ruler of all to do wrong.

Truly, God does not do evil, and the Ruler of all is not a false judge.