O that ye would altogether hold your peace and it would be your wisdom.

Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

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

Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

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

And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth-eaten.

Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

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.

O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave, that thou wouldst keep me secret, until thy wrath is past, that thou wouldst appoint me a set time, and remember me!

Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?

What knowest thou that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?

With us are both the gray headed and very aged men, much older than thy father.

That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

What is man, that he should be clean? and he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

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

He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for by the sword.

He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompense.

Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbor!

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

He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

They that come after him shall be astonished at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.

Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

And be it indeed that I have erred, my error remaineth with myself.

Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath encompassed me with his net.

He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

That they were graven with an iron pen in lead, in the rock for ever!

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

Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice in it.

Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.

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.

Suffer me that I may speak; and after I have spoken, mock on.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray to him?

They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

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

Can a man be profitable to God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself?

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.

Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

Even to-day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

Why, seeing times are not hid from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?

They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.

They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor abide in its paths.

He oppresseth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.

How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

How much less man, that is a worm; and the son of man, who is a worm?

How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?

How hast thou counseled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou abundantly declared the thing as it is?

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

Let my enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

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

Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.

He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.

He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid he bringeth forth to light.

And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

But now they that are younger than I, have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.

They were children of fools, yes, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.

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

Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.

Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity.

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

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or have lifted up myself when evil found him:

If the men of my tabernacle have not said, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that my adversary had written a book.

Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.

Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken because they were older than he.

When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

Yes, I attended to you, and behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:

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

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

That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty food.

His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.

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

He looketh upon men, and if any shall say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;