But where may wisdom be seen? and where is the resting-place of knowledge?

Gold may not be given for it, or a weight of silver in payment for it.

It may not be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the onyx of great price, or the sapphire.

Gold and glass are not equal to it in price, and it may not be exchanged for jewels of the best gold.

The topaz of Ethiopia is not equal to it, and it may not be valued with the best gold.

For it is kept secret from the eyes of all living, unseen by the birds of the air.

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

When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.

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

By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.

Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;

My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,

My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.

I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.

For he has made loose the cord of my bow, and put me to shame; he has sent down my flag to the earth before me.

As through a wide broken place in the wall they come on, I am overturned by the shock of their attack.

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

Lifting me up, you make me go on the wings of the wind; I am broken up by the storm.

I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?

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:)

Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted.

For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges:

It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.

(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;)

If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges;

May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.

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

Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown;

So these three men gave no more answers to Job, because he seemed to himself to be right.

Fear of me will not overcome you, and my hand will not be hard on you.

In order that man may be turned from his evil works, and that pride may be taken away from him;

His flesh is so wasted away, that it may not be seen, and his bones. ...

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;

If you have anything to say, give me an answer; for it is my desire that you may be judged free from sin.

For words are tested by the ear, as food is tasted by the mouth.

Though I am right, still I am in pain; my wound may not be made well, though I have done no wrong.

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.

How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil?

For he does not give man a fixed time to come before him to be judged.

The evil-doers are broken by his wrath, he puts his hand on them with force before the eyes of all onlookers.

May Job be tested to the end, because his answers have been like those of evil men.

Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,

Let your eyes be turned to the heavens, and lifted up to see the skies; they are higher than you.

Their ear is open to his teaching, and he gives them orders so that their hearts may be turned from evil.

He makes the wrong done to the poor the way of their salvation, opening their ears by their trouble.

Take care not to be turned to sin, for you have taken evil for your part in place of sorrow.

Truly, God is great, greater than all our knowledge; the number of his years may not be searched out.

For by these he gives food to the peoples, and bread in full measure.

He does wonders, more than may be searched out; great things of which we have no knowledge;

By the breath of God ice is made, and the wide waters are shut in.

And it goes this way and that, round about, turning itself by his guiding, to do whatever he gives orders to be done, on the face of his world of men,

Give ear to this, O Job, and keep quiet in your place; and take note of the wonders worked by God.

Have you knowledge of God's ordering of his works, how he makes the light of his cloud to be seen?

A bright light comes out of the north; God's glory is greatly to be feared.

Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?

By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?

And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?

By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;

Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?

Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?

Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?

By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,

Is the number of their months fixed by you? or is the time when they give birth ordered by you?

Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?

Will he be pulling your plough with cords, turning up the valleys after you?

Will you be looking for him to come back, and get in your seed to the crushing-floor?

Without a thought that they may be crushed by the foot, and broken by the beasts of the field?

Do you give strength to the horse? is it by your hand that his neck is clothed with power?

The bow is sounding against him; he sees the shining point of spear and arrow.

Or is it by your orders that the eagle goes up, and makes his resting-place on high?

His young have blood for their drink, and where the dead bodies are, there is he to be seen.

Put on the ornaments of your pride; be clothed with glory and power:

Let your wrath be overflowing; let your eyes see all the sons of pride, and make them low.

Let them be covered together in the dust; let their faces be dark in the secret place of the underworld.

He is the chief of the ways of God, made by him for his pleasure.

He is covered by the branches of the trees; the grasses of the stream are round him.

Is it possible for Leviathan to be pulled out with a fish-hook, or for a hook to be put through the bone of his mouth?

They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.

The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved.

Who is this who makes dark the purpose of God by words without knowledge? For I have been talking without knowledge about wonders not to be searched out.

And the Lord made up to Job for all his losses, after he had made prayer for his friends: and all Job had before was increased by the Lord twice as much.

He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time, whose leaves will ever be green; and he will do well in all his undertakings.

For this cause there will be no mercy for sinners when they are judged, and the evil-doers will have no place among the upright,

Let their chains be broken, and their cords taken from off us.

Then he whose seat is in the heavens will be laughing: the Lord will make sport of them.

Then will his angry words come to their ears, and by his wrath they will be troubled:

Make your request to me, and I will give you the nations for your heritage, and the farthest limits of the earth will be under your hand.

They will be ruled by you with a rod of iron; they will be broken like a potter's vessel.

So now be wise, you kings: take his teaching, you judges of the earth.

For fear that he may be angry, causing destruction to come on you, because he is quickly moved to wrath. Happy are all those who put their faith in him.

Let there be fear in your hearts, and do no sin; have bitter feelings on your bed, but make no sound. (Selah.)

You will send destruction on those whose words are false; the cruel man and the man of deceit are hated by the Lord.

Be my guide, O Lord, in the ways of your righteousness, because of those who are against me; make your way straight before my face.

For no faith may be put in their words; their inner part is nothing but evil; their throat is like an open place for the dead; smooth are the words of their tongues.

Send them to destruction, O Lord; let their evil designs be the cause of their fall; let them be forced out by all their sins; because they have gone against your authority.

But let all those who put their faith in you be glad with cries of joy at all times, and let all the lovers of your name be glad in you.

For you, Lord, will send a blessing on the upright man; your grace will be round him, and you will be his strength.

O Lord, do not be bitter with me in your wrath; do not send punishment on me in the heat of your passion.

The voice of my sorrow is a weariness to me; all the night I make my bed wet with weeping; it is watered by the drops flowing from my eyes.