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I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.

They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.

They push the needy off the road and force all the poor of the land into hiding.

They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.

Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter.

The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.

From the city, men groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out, yet God charges no one with wrongdoing.

The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers his face.

For to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!

They are but foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one turns toward their vineyards.

They are but foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one turns toward their vineyards.

Yet by His power, God drags away the mighty; though rising up, they have no assurance of life.

He gives them a sense of security, but His eyes are on their ways.

They are exalted for a moment, then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain.

“Dominion and awe belong to God; He establishes harmony in the heights of heaven.

How then can a man be just before God? How can one born of woman be pure?

…how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!”

He covers the face of the full moon, spreading over it His cloud.

He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

The foundations of heaven quake, astounded at His rebuke.

Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”

Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”

Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”

“As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice—the Almighty, who has embittered my soul—

…as long as my breath is still within me and the breath of God remains in my nostrils,

For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

I will instruct you in the power of God. I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty.

I will instruct you in the power of God. I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty.

Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves. Why then do you keep up this empty talk?

The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.

It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.

Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.

Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.

Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.

No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.

He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.

No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.

It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.

Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.

Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.

Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.

It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.

It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.

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

When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,

And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

…when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,

…when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.

The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.

I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.

I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.

If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.

I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.

What use to me was the strength of their hands, since their vigor had left them?

They plucked mallow among the shrubs, and the roots of the broom tree were their food.

…so that they lived on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground.

And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction grip me.

With great force He grasps my garment; He seizes me by the collar of my tunic.

I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me.

I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.

I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.

My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.

For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high?

Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?

If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,

If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,

…if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,

…if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,

…if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—

…because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—

I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—

…if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,

…then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.

…then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.

…then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.

This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God,

This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God,

This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God,

This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God,

So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite declared: “I am young in years, while you are old; that is why I was timid and afraid to tell you what I know.

But there is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.

I paid you full attention. But no one proved Job wrong; not one of you rebutted his arguments.

For I am full of words, and my spirit within me compels me.

Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue.

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.

He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death.

…then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.

…to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

“Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning.

For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.

Therefore listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly.

…who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.

They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.

For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.

There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.

…because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.

They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.