I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

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

After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

But now those who are younger than I make sport of me; those whose fathers I would not have put with the dogs of my flocks.

Emaciated from poverty and hunger,
they gnawed the dry land,
the desolate wasteland by night.

They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.

They tear up my pathways; they profit from my destruction, and they need no help to do this!

My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.

I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.

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

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

My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation.

I made a covenant with mine eyes, that I would not look upon a damsel.

Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

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

Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: -

Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, - and let GOD take note of mine integrity!

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

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him;

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

If I shook - against the fatherless - my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,

For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

(Yea, I have not suffered by mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);

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

The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.

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?

Would I not take it upon my shoulder? I would bind it on to me as a crown;

and against his three friends hath his anger burned, because that they have not found an answer, and condemn Job.

But when he saw that the three men could not answer Job, he became angry.

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.

Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.

“I even paid close attention to [what] you [said],
Indeed, not one of you convinced Job [nor could you refute him],
Not one of you supplied [satisfactory] answers to his words.

Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.

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

They are amazed, they answer no more: They have not a word to say.

When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;)

Lo, my breast is as wine not opened, Like new bottles it is broken up.

"Let me speak! I need relief! Let me open my lips and respond.

Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.

For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.

And now, O Job, give ear to my words, and take note of all I say.

Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

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

Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

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

And if he has mercy on him, and says, Let him not go down to the underworld, I have given the price for his life:

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

Take note O Job, give ear to me; keep quiet, while I say what is in my mind.

If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.

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

saying, I have not sinned, nor committed unrighteousness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity to go with the profane.

For he hath said, It profiteth not a man if he delight himself in God.

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.

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

If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.

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.

[In] a moment they die, and [in] the middle of [the] night [the] people are shaken, and they pass away, and they take away [the] mighty {effortlessly}.

There's no such thing as darkness to him not even deep darkness that can conceal those who practice evil.

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

He shatters valiant men without a need to investigate, and he raises others in their place.

Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:

So that the cry of the poor might come up to him, and the prayer of those in need come to his ears.

That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.

Surely it is meet to be said unto 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 refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.

Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were not with intelligence.

But surely not. Learn thou Job not to still give an answer like the foolish,

so that we may not add to our sins, and lawlessness will be reckoned against us, speaking many words before LORD.

For you ask, “What does it profit You,
and what benefit comes to me, if I do not sin?”

But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

There they cry, and he answereth not, because of the pride of evil men.

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

Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:

For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.

But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.

And He also would have lured you from the mouth of distress to a wide place not cramped; and the setting of your table would be full of fatness.

For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.

Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.

Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

“Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds
Or the thundering of His pavilion?

With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.

After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.

God thundereth marvellously with his voice, doing great things which we do not comprehend.

On the hand of every man, he setteth a seal, that all men may take note of his doing.

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

Let us know what we say to Him, We set not in array because of darkness.