1 A man there hath been in the land of Uz -- Job his name -- and that man hath been perfect and upright -- both fearing God, and turning aside from evil.

² And there are borne to him seven sons and three daughters,

³ and his substance is seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred pairs of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a service very abundant; and that man is greater than any of the sons of the east.

⁴ And his sons have gone and made a banquet -- the house of each [in] his day -- and have sent and called to their three sisters to eat and to drink with them;

⁵ and it cometh to pass, when they have gone round the days of the banquet, that Job doth send and sanctify them, and hath risen early in the morning, and caused to ascend burnt-offerings -- the number of them all -- for Job said, `Perhaps my sons have sinned, yet blessed God in their heart.' Thus doth Job all the days.

⁶ And the day is, that sons of God come in to station themselves by Jehovah, and there doth come also the Adversary in their midst.

⁷ And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Whence comest thou?' And the Adversary answereth Jehovah and saith, `From going to and fro in the land, and from walking up and down on it.'

⁸ And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Hast thou set thy heart against My servant Job because there is none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright, fearing God, and turning aside from evil?'

⁹ And the Adversary answereth Jehovah and saith, `For nought is Job fearing God?

¹⁰ Hast not Thou made a hedge for him, and for his house, and for all that he hath -- round about?

¹¹ The work of his hands Thou hast blessed, and his substance hath spread in the land, and yet, put forth, I pray Thee, Thy hand, and strike against anything that he hath -- if not: to Thy face he doth bless Thee!'

¹² And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Lo, all that he hath [is] in thy hand, only unto him put not forth thy hand.' And the Adversary goeth out from the presence of Jehovah.

¹³ And the day is, that his sons and his daughters are eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their brother, the first-born.

¹⁴ And a messenger hath come in unto Job and saith, `The oxen have been plowing, and the she-asses feeding by their sides,

¹⁵ and Sheba doth fall, and take them, and the young men they have smitten by the mouth of the sword, and I am escaped -- only I alone -- to declare [it] to thee.'

¹⁶ While this [one] is speaking another also hath come and saith, `Fire of God hath fallen from the heavens, and burneth among the flock, and among the young men, and consumeth them, and I am escaped -- only I alone -- to declare [it] to thee.'

¹⁷ While this [one] is speaking another also hath come and saith, `Chaldeans made three heads, and rush on the camels, and take them, and the young men they have smitten by the mouth of the sword, and I am escaped -- only I alone -- to declare [it] to thee.'

¹⁸ While this [one] is speaking another also hath come and saith, `Thy sons and thy daughters are eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their brother, the first-born.

¹⁹ And lo, a great wind hath come from over the wilderness, and striketh against the four corners of the house, and it falleth on the young men, and they are dead, and I am escaped -- only I alone -- to declare [it] to thee.'

²⁰ And Job riseth, and rendeth his robe, and shaveth his head, and falleth to the earth, and doth obeisance,

²¹ and he saith, `Naked came I forth from the womb of my mother, and naked I turn back thither: Jehovah hath given and Jehovah hath taken: let the name of Jehovah be blessed.'

²² In all this Job hath not sinned, nor given folly to God.

2 And the day is, that sons of God come in to station themselves by Jehovah, and there doth come also the Adversary in their midst to station himself by Jehovah.

² And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Whence camest thou?' And the Adversary answereth Jehovah and saith, `From going to and fro in the land, and from walking up and down in it.'

³ And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Hast thou set thy heart unto My servant Job because there is none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright, fearing God and turning aside from evil? and still he is keeping hold on his integrity, and thou dost move Me against him to swallow him up for nought!'

⁴ And the Adversary answereth Jehovah and saith, `A skin for a skin, and all that a man hath he doth give for his life.

⁵ Yet, put forth, I pray Thee, Thy hand, and strike unto his bone and unto his flesh -- if not: unto Thy face he doth bless Thee!'

⁶ And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Lo, he [is] in thy hand; only his life take care of.'

⁷ And the Adversary goeth forth from the presence of Jehovah, and smiteth Job with a sore ulcer from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

⁸ And he taketh to him a potsherd to scrape himself with it, and he is sitting in the midst of the ashes.

⁹ And his wife saith to him, `Still thou art keeping hold on thine integrity: bless God and die.'

¹⁰ And he saith unto her, `As one of the foolish women speaketh, thou speakest; yea, the good we receive from God, and the evil we do not receive.' In all this Job hath not sinned with his lips.

¹¹ And three of the friends of Job hear of all this evil that hath come upon him, and they come in each from his place -- Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite -- and they are met together to come in to bemoan him, and to comfort him;

¹² and they lift up their eyes from afar and have not discerned him, and they lift up their voice and weep, and rend each his robe, and sprinkle dust on their heads -- heavenward.

¹³ And they sit with him on the earth seven days and seven nights, and there is none speaking unto him a word when they have seen that the pain hath been very great.

3 After this hath Job opened his mouth, and revileth his day.

² And Job answereth and saith: --

³ Let the day perish in which I am born, And the night that hath said: `A man-child hath been conceived.'

⁴ That day -- let it be darkness, Let not God require it from above, Nor let light shine upon it.

⁵ Let darkness and death-shade redeem it, Let a cloud tabernacle upon it, Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days.

⁶ That night -- let thick darkness take it, Let it not be united to days of the year, Into the number of months let it not come.

⁷ Lo! that night -- let it be gloomy, Let no singing come into it.

⁸ Let the cursers of day mark it, Who are ready to wake up Leviathan.

⁹ Let the stars of its twilight be dark, Let it wait for light, and there is none, And let it not look on the eyelids of the dawn.

¹⁰ Because it hath not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from mine eyes.

¹¹ Why from the womb do I not die? From the belly I have come forth and gasp!

¹² Wherefore have knees been before me? And what [are] breasts, that I suck?

¹³ For now, I have lain down, and am quiet, I have slept -- then there is rest to me,

¹⁴ With kings and counsellors of earth, These building wastes for themselves.

¹⁵ Or with princes -- they have gold, They are filling their houses [with] silver.

¹⁶ (Or as a hidden abortion I am not, As infants -- they have not seen light.)

¹⁷ There the wicked have ceased troubling, And there rest do the wearied in power.

¹⁸ Together prisoners have been at ease, They have not heard the voice of an exactor,

¹⁹ Small and great [are] there the same. And a servant [is] free from his lord.

²⁰ Why giveth He to the miserable light, and life to the bitter soul?

²¹ Who are waiting for death, and it is not, And they seek it above hid treasures.

²² Who are glad -- unto joy, They rejoice when they find a grave.

²³ To a man whose way hath been hidden, And whom God doth shut up?

²⁴ For before my food, my sighing cometh, And poured out as waters [are] my roarings.

²⁵ For a fear I feared and it meeteth me, And what I was afraid of doth come to me.

²⁶ I was not safe -- nor was I quiet -- Nor was I at rest -- and trouble cometh!

4 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --

² Hath one tried a word with thee? -- Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?

³ Lo, thou hast instructed many, And feeble hands thou makest strong.

⁴ The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.

⁵ But now, it cometh in unto thee, And thou art weary; It striketh unto thee, and thou art troubled.

⁶ Is not thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope -- the perfection of thy ways?

⁷ Remember, I pray thee, Who, being innocent, hath perished? And where have the upright been cut off?

⁸ As I have seen -- ploughers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!

⁹ From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.

¹⁰ The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.

¹¹ An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness do separate.

¹² And unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear a little of it.

¹³ In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,

¹⁴ Fear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.

¹⁵ And a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh;

¹⁶ It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude [is] over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:

¹⁷ `Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner?

¹⁸ Lo, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.'

¹⁹ Also -- the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.)

²⁰ From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish.

²¹ Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!