Before whom hast thou spoken those words? Who made the breath to come out of the mouth?

He hath compassed the waters with certain bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

This is now a short sum of his doings. But who is able sufficiently to rehearse his works? Who can perceive and understand the thunder of his power?"

God forbid, that I should grant your cause to be right! As for me, until mine end come will I never go from my innocence.

Behold, ye stand in your own conceit, as though ye knew all things. Wherefore then do ye go about with such vain words,

Look, whom he leaveth behind him, they shall die and be buried, and no man shall have pity of his widows.

where iron is digged out of the ground, and stones resolved to metal.

The darkness shall once come to an end: he can seek out the ground of all things; the stones, the dark, and the shadow of death.

Out of drops bringeth he great floods together, and the thing that is hid bringeth he to light.

There is nothing so worthy, or so excellent, as once to be named unto her: for perfect wisdom goeth far beyond them all.

And unto man he said, 'Behold, to fear the LORD is wisdom: and to forsake evil, is understanding.'"

when the princes left of their talking, and laid their hand to their mouth;

when the mighty kept still their voice, and when their tongues cleaved to the roof of their mouths;

I was an eye unto the blind, and a foot to the lame;

For my root was spread out by the water's side, and the dew lay upon my corn.

They waited for me, as the earth doth for the rain; and gaped upon me, as the ground doth to receive the latter shower.

But now, they that are mine inferiors and younger than I, have me in derision; yea even they, whose fathers I would have thought scorn to have set with the dogs of my cattle.

The power and strength of their hands might do me no good, and as for their age, it is spent and past away without any profit.

Upon my right hand they rose together against me; they have hurt my feet, made a way to destroy me,

and my path have they clean marred. It was so easy for them to do me harm, that they needed no man to help them.

They fell upon me, as it had been the breaking in of waters, and came in by heaps to destroy me.

Now use not men to do violence unto them, that are destroyed already; but where hurt is done, there use they to help.

My skin upon me is turned to black, and my bones are burnt with heat;

my harp is turned to sorrow, and my pipe to weeping.

As for the ungodly and he that joineth himself to the company of wicked doers: shall not destruction and misery come upon him?

If I have cleaved unto vanity, or if my feet have run to deceive,

For this is a wickedness and sin, that is worthy to be punished;

Did I ever think scorn to do right unto my servants and maidens, when they had any matter against me?

But seeing that God will sit in judgment, what shall I do? And for so much as he will needs visit me, what answer shall I give him?

Did I ever lift up my hand to hurt the fatherless; yea, in the gates where I saw myself to be in authority?

For I have ever feared the vengeance and punishment of God, and knew very well that I was not able to bear his burden.

"Have I put my trust in gold? Or, have I said to the finest gold of all, 'Thou art my confidence?'

That were a wickedness worth to be punished, for then should I have denied the God that is above.

Have I ever rejoiced at the hurt of mine enemy? Or was I ever glad, that any harm happened to him? Oh no.

I never suffered my mouth to do such a sin, as to wish him evil.

Yet they of mine own household say, 'Who shall let us to have our belly full of his flesh?'

I have not suffered a stranger to lie without, but opened my doors unto him.

I have told the number of my goings, and delivered them unto him as to a prince.

And with Job's three friends he was angry also, because they had found no reasonable answer to overcome him.

So when Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, saw that these three men were not able to make Job answer, he was miscontent.

for I thought thus within myself: It becometh old men to speak, and the aged to teach wisdom.

lest ye should praise yourselves, to have found out wisdom: because it is God that hath cast him out, and no man.

I have a good hope for my part to shape him an answer, and to show him my meaning.

For if I would go about to please men, I know not how soon my maker would take me away.

If thou canst, then give me answer: prepare thyself to stand before me face to face.

Therefore, thou needest not be afraid of me, neither needest thou to fear that my authority shall be too heavy for thee.

For when God doth once command a thing, there should no man be curious to search whether it be right.

"He chasteneth him with sickness, and bringeth him to his bed: he layeth sore punishment upon his bones,

so that his life may away with no bread, and his soul abhorreth to eat any dainty meat:

His soul draweth on to destruction, and his life to death.

Now if there be a messenger, one among a thousand sent for to speak unto man, and to show him the right way;

then the LORD is merciful unto him, and sayeth, 'He shall be delivered, that he fall not down to destruction, for I am sufficiently reconciled.'

But if thou hast anything to say, then answer me, and speak, for thy answer pleaseth me.

but he rewardeth the works of man, and causeth every man to find according to his ways.

Who ruleth the earth in his stead? Or whom hath he set to govern the whole world?

To whom hath he given his heart, for to draw his spirit and breath unto him?

"If thou now have understanding, hear what I say, and hearken to the voice of my words.

For he is even the same, that knoweth the rebellious kings, and sayeth to princes,

For no man shall be suffered to go into judgment with God.

Insomuch that they have caused the voice of the poor to come unto him, and now he heareth the complaint of such as are in necessity.

If he deliver and grant pardon, who will judge or condemn? But if he hide away his countenance, who will turn it about again, whether it be to the people or to any man?

From the wickedness and sin of the people, he maketh a hypocrite to reign over them.

"For so much as I have begun to talk of God, I will not hinder thee;

Wilt thou not give a reasonable answer? Art thou afraid of anything, seeing thou begannest first to speak, and not I?

As for Job he hath neither spoken to the purpose nor wisely.

O father let Job be well tried, because he hath turned himself to the wicked:

of such an ungodly person as thou, and of the son of man that is righteous - as thou pretendest to be?

"Hold thee still a little, and I shall show thee what I have yet to speak on God's behalf.

As for the ungodly, he preserveth them not, but helpeth the poor to their right.

He with punishing and nurturing of them, roundeth them in the ears, warneth them to leave off from their wickedness, and to amend.

Prolong not thou the time, till there come a night for thee, to set other people in thy stead.

But beware that thou turn not aside to wickedness and sin, which hitherto thou hast chosen more than meekness.

Behold, so great is God, that he passeth our knowledge; neither are we able to come to the experience of his years.

He turneth the water to small drops, he driveth his clouds

together for to rain, so that they pour down and drop upon men.

and cause his light to shine upon them, and to cover the bottom of the sea.

The rising up thereof showeth he to his friends and to the cattle.

The clouds do their labour in getting moistness, the clouds pour down the rain.

He distributeth also on every side, according as it pleaseth him to deal out his works, that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them through the whole world:

whether it be to punish any land, or to do good unto them, that seek him.

Art thou of counsel with God, when he doth these things? When he causeth the light to come forth of his clouds?

Hast thou helped him to spread out the heavens, which are strong and bright as a looking glass?

"For every man seeth not the light, that he keepeth clear in the clouds, which he cleanseth when he maketh the wind to blow.

When I made the clouds to be a covering for it, and swaddled it with the dark;

"Hast thou given the morning his charge, as soon as thou wast born, and showed the day spring his place,

that thou mayest bring us unto their quarters, if thou canst tell the way to their houses.

to make the grass grow in places where no body dwelleth, and in the wilderness where no man remaineth?

Who is the father of rain? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

Hast thou brought the seven stars together? Or art thou able to loose the bands of Orion?

Moreover, canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that they may pour down a great rain upon thee?

Who turneth the clots to dust, and then to be clots again?

Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth their young among the stony rocks? Or layest thou wait when the hinds use to fawn?

Unto whom I have given the wilderness to be their house, and the untilled land to be their dwelling place:

Will the unicorn be so tame as to do the service, or to abide still by thy crib?

Canst thou bind the yoke about him in thy furrows, to make him plow after thee in the valleys?

Mayest thou believe him, that he will bring home thy corn, or to carry anything unto thy barn?

So hard is she to her young ones, as though they were not hers, and laboureth in vain without any fear.

"Hast thou given the horse his strength? Or learned him to bow down his neck with fear:

He breaketh the ground with the hooves of his feet cheerfully in his strength, and runneth to meet the harness men.

"Behold, I am too vile a person to answer thee, therefore will I lay my hand upon my mouth.