Therefore I will not restrain 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 whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

Will they not teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

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

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say to him, What doest thou?

If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

If I justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, that also will prove me perverse.

If the scourge shall slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

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

I will say to God, Do not condemn me; show me why thou contendest with me.

Thy hands have made me and fashioned me in all my parts; yet thou dost destroy me.

If I be wicked, woe to me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou my affliction;

For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yes, who knoweth not such things as these?

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

Lo, my eye hath seen all this, my ear hath heard and understood it.

But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

Though he shall slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain my own ways before him.

Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall expire.

Only do not two things to me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly to all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

For there is hope of a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender branch will not cease.

Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

If a man dieth, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change shall come.

Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thy hands.

I will show thee, hear me; and that which I have seen, I will declare;

The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.

I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.

Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shade.

But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who will see it?

How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:

All my intimate friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he will stand at the latter day upon the earth:

He shall fly away as a dream, and will not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they will be brought forth to the day of wrath.

The clods of the valley will be sweet to him, and every man will draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

Who make oil within their walls, and tread their wine-presses, and suffer thirst.

They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all others, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

And if it is not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech of no worth?

All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

Far be it from me that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove my integrity from me.

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?

He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shades of death.

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

Yet he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.

Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all my increase.

Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will show my opinion.

Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.

I said, I will answer also my part, I also will show my opinion.

I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.

Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.

He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.

His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he will return to the days of his youth:

He shall pray to God, and he will be favorable to him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render to man his righteousness.

He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.

Lo, all these things God often worketh with man,

Mark well, O Job, hearken to me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.

Yes, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

All flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.

How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.

Surely it is meet to be said to God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou shalt refuse, or whether thou shalt choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.

For thou saidst, What advantage will it be to thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

Suffer me a little, and I will show thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.

I will bring my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.