“They drive away the donkeys of the orphans;
They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

“Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness
They go forth seeking food in their activity,
As bread for their children in the desert.

“They are wet with the mountain rains
And hug the rock for want of a shelter.

“The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’
And he disguises his face.

“For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness,
For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.

“He wrongs the barren woman
And does no good for the widow.

For as long as life is in me,
And the breath of God is in my nostrils,

“Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

“For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off,
When God requires his life?

“Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword;
And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread.

“The east wind carries him away, and he is gone,
For it whirls him away from his place.

“For it will hurl at him without sparing;
He will surely try to flee from its power.

“Surely there is a mine for silver
And a place where they refine gold.

“He sinks a shaft far from habitation,
Forgotten by the foot;
They hang and swing to and fro far from men.

“The earth, from it comes food,
And underneath it is turned up as fire.

“Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.

“Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.

“For He looks to the ends of the earth
And sees everything under the heavens.

When He set a limit for the rain
And a course for the thunderbolt,

“And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

When my steps were bathed in butter,
And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

“For when the ear heard, it called me blessed,
And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,

Because I delivered the poor who cried for help,
And the orphan who had no helper.

“The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me,
And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.

“To me they listened and waited,
And kept silent for my counsel.

“They waited for me as for the rain,
And opened their mouth as for the spring rain.

“I chose a way for them and sat as chief,
And dwelt as a king among the troops,
As one who comforted the mourners.

“I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me.

“For I know that You will bring me to death
And to the house of meeting for all living.

“Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand,
Or in his disaster therefore cry out for help?

“Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard?
Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

“When I expected good, then evil came;
When I waited for light, then darkness came.

“I go about mourning without comfort;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.

May my wife grind for another,
And let others kneel down over her.

“For that would be a lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges.

“For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon,
And would uproot all my increase.

If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering,

“For calamity from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty I can do nothing.

That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment,
For I would have denied God above.

“No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in a curse.

“The alien has not lodged outside,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler.

“Behold, I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings,
While you pondered what to say.

“For he has not arranged his words against me,
Nor will I reply to him with your arguments.

“For I am full of words;
The spirit within me constrains me.

“For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me away.

“Behold, no fear of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.

“Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this,
For God is greater than man.

“If there is an angel as mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To remind a man what is right for him,

“He will sing to men and say,
‘I have sinned and perverted what is right,
And it is not proper for me.

“Then if you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.

“For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.

“Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.

“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my right;

“For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
When he is pleased with God.’

“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.

“For He pays a man according to his work,
And makes him find it according to his way.

Who shows no partiality to princes
Nor regards the rich above the poor,
For they all are the work of His hands?

“For His eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And He sees all his steps.

“For He does not need to consider a man further,
That he should go before God in judgment.

Because they turned aside from following Him,
And had no regard for any of His ways;

“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastisement;
I will not offend anymore;

“Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore declare what you know.

‘For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’”

“For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’

“Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,
And your righteousness is for a son of man.

“Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry for help because of the arm of the mighty.

“How much less when you say you do not behold Him,
The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

“Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.

“For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

“But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.

“Do not long for the night,
When people vanish in their place.

“Be careful, do not turn to evil,
For you have preferred this to affliction.

“For He draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain from the mist,

“For by these He judges peoples;
He gives food in abundance.

“For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’

“Whether for correction, or for His world,
Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

“Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;
And here shall your proud waves stop’?

“You know, for you were born then,
And the number of your days is great!

Which I have reserved for the time of distress,
For the day of war and battle?

“Who has cleft a channel for the flood,
Or a way for the thunderbolt,

“Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

“Who prepares for the raven its nourishment
When its young cry to God
And wander about without food?

“Who sent out the wild donkey free?
And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,

To whom I gave the wilderness for a home
And the salt land for his dwelling place?

“He explores the mountains for his pasture
And searches after every green thing.

“Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes,
Or will he harrow the valleys after you?

For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,

“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.

“Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him for a servant forever?

“Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you bind him for your maidens?

“Out of his mouth go burning torches;
Sparks of fire leap forth.

“When he raises himself up, the mighty fear;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

“The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones are turned into stubble for him.

“Nothing on earth is like him,
One made without fear.

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”

The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.

Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.