In them He has set a ^[d]tabernacle for the sun,
⁵ Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
^(D)And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
⁶ Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

^7 (E)The law of the Lord is perfect, ^[e]converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making ^(F)wise the simple;
⁸ The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than ^(G)gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the ^[f]honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can understand his errors?
^(H)Cleanse me from secret faults.
¹³ Keep back Your servant also from ^(I)presumptuous sins;
Let them not have ^(J)dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of ^[g]great transgression.

^14 (K)Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my ^[h]strength and my ^(L)Redeemer.

^5 (A)I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

“I am ^(D)young in years, and you are very old;
Therefore I was afraid,
And dared not declare my opinion to you.
⁷ I said, ^[b]‘Age should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
⁸ But there is a spirit in man,
And ^(E)the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
^9 (F)Great^[c] men are not always wise,
Nor do the aged always understand justice.

¹⁰ “Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,
I also will declare my opinion.’
¹¹ Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.
¹² I paid close attention to you;
And surely not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered his words—
^13 (G)Lest you say,
‘We have found wisdom’;
God will vanquish him, not man.
¹⁴ Now he has not ^[d]directed his words against me;
So I will not answer him with your words.

¹⁵ “They are dismayed and answer no more;
Words escape them.
¹⁶ And I have waited, because they did not speak,
Because they stood still and answered no more.
¹⁷ I also will answer my part,
I too will declare my opinion.
¹⁸ For I am full of words;
The spirit within me compels me.
¹⁹ Indeed my ^[e]belly is like wine that has no ^[f]vent;
It is ready to burst like new wineskins.
²⁰ I will speak, that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and answer.
²¹ Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;
Nor let me flatter any man.
²² For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me ^(H)away.

⁸ “Surely you have spoken ^[h]in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
⁹ ‘I^(L) am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
¹⁰ Yet He finds occasions against me,
^(M)He counts me as His enemy;
^11 (N)He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.’

¹² “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
¹³ Why do you ^(O)contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
^14 (P)For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
^15 (Q)In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
^16 (R)Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
¹⁷ In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
¹⁸ He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from ^[i]perishing by the sword.

¹⁹ “Man is also chastened with pain on his ^(S)bed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
^20 (T)So that his life abhors ^(U)bread,
And his soul ^[j]succulent food.
²¹ His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
²² Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the executioners.

²³ “If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one among a thousand,
To show man His uprightness,
²⁴ Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found ^[k]a ransom’;
²⁵ His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
²⁶ He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.
²⁷ Then he looks at men and ^(V)says,
‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it ^(W)did not profit me.’
²⁸ He will ^(X)redeem ^[l]his soul from going down to the Pit,
And his life shall see the light.

²⁹ “Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
^30 (Y)To bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

³¹ “Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
³² If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
³³ If not, ^(Z)listen to me;
^[m]Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”

² “Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
^3 (AA)For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵ “For Job has said, ^(AB)‘I am righteous,
But ^(AC)God has taken away my justice;
^6 (AD)Should I lie concerning my right?
My ^[n]wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
⁷ What man is like Job,
^(AE)Who drinks ^[o]scorn like water,
⁸ Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
⁹ For ^(AF)he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
That he should delight in God.’

¹⁰ “Therefore listen to me, you ^[p]men of understanding:
^(AG)Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
^11 (AH)For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.
¹² Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty ^(AI)pervert justice.
¹³ Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world?
¹⁴ If He should set His heart on it,
If He should ^(AJ)gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
^15 (AK)All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.

¹⁶ “If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words:
^17 (AL)Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you ^(AM)condemn Him who is most just?
^18 (AN)Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’
And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
¹⁹ Yet He ^(AO)is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For ^(AP)they are all the work of His hands.
²⁰ In a moment they die, ^(AQ)in the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.

²¹ “For^(AR) His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps.
^22 (AS)There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
²³ For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
^24 (AT)He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
²⁵ Therefore He knows their works;
He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
²⁶ He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of others,
²⁷ Because they ^(AU)turned back from Him,
And ^(AV)would not consider any of His ways,
²⁸ So that they ^(AW)caused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He ^(AX)hears the cry of the afflicted.
²⁹ When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—
³⁰ That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.

³¹ “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastening;
I will offend no more;
³² Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
³³ Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you disavow it?
You must choose, and not I;
Therefore speak what you know.

³⁴ “Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who listen to me:
³⁵ ‘Job^(AY) speaks without knowledge,
His words are without wisdom.’
³⁶ Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men!
³⁷ For he adds ^(AZ)rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.”

² “Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
³ For ^(BA)you say,
‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’

⁴ “I will answer you,
And ^(BB)your companions with you.
^5 (BC)Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.
⁶ If you sin, what do you accomplish ^(BD)against Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
^7 (BE)If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?
⁸ Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.

⁹ “Because^(BF) of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
¹⁰ But no one says, ^(BG)‘Where is God my Maker,
^(BH)Who gives songs in the night,
¹¹ Who ^(BI)teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
^12 (BJ)There they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
^13 (BK)Surely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
^14 (BL)Although you say you do not see Him,
Yet justice is before Him, and ^(BM)you must wait for Him.
¹⁵ And now, because He has not ^(BN)punished in His anger,
Nor taken much notice of folly,
^16 (BO)Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;
He multiplies words without knowledge.”

² “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
³ I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
⁴ For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ “Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
^(BP)He is mighty in strength ^[q]of understanding.
⁶ He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the ^(BQ)oppressed.
^7 (BR)He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But ^(BS)they are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.
⁸ And ^(BT)if they are bound in ^[r]fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
⁹ Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
That they have acted ^[s]defiantly.
^10 (BU)He also opens their ear to ^[t]instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.
¹¹ If they obey and serve Him,
They shall ^(BV)spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures.
¹² But if they do not obey,
They shall perish by the sword,
And they shall die ^[u]without ^(BW)knowledge.

¹³ “But the hypocrites in heart ^(BX)store up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
^14 (BY)They^[v] die in youth,
And their life ends among the ^[w]perverted persons.
¹⁵ He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears in oppression.

¹⁶ “Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
^(BZ)Into a broad place where there is no restraint;
And ^(CA)what is set on your table would be full of ^(CB)richness.
¹⁷ But you are filled with the judgment due the ^(CC)wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
¹⁸ Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;
For ^(CD)a large ransom would not help you avoid it.
^19 (CE)Will your riches,
Or all the mighty forces,
Keep you from distress?
²⁰ Do not desire the night,
When people are cut off in their place.
²¹ Take heed, ^(CF)do not turn to iniquity,
For ^(CG)you have chosen this rather than affliction.

²² “Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
^23 (CH)Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, ‘You have done ^(CI)wrong’?

²⁶ “Behold, God is great, and we ^(CK)do not know Him;
^(CL)Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
²⁷ For He ^(CM)draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
^28 (CN)Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
²⁹ Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
³⁰ Look, He ^(CO)scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
³¹ For ^(CP)by these He judges the peoples;
He ^(CQ)gives food in abundance.
^32 (CR)He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to ^[x]strike.
^33 (CS)His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning ^[y]the rising storm.

¹⁴ “Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and ^(DE)consider the wondrous works of God.
¹⁵ Do you know when God ^[ae]dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
^16 (DF)Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of ^(DG)Him who is perfect in knowledge?
¹⁷ Why are your garments hot,
When He quiets the earth by the south wind?
¹⁸ With Him, have you ^(DH)spread out the ^(DI)skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?

¹⁹ “Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
²⁰ Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
²¹ Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
²² He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome majesty.
²³ As for the Almighty, ^(DJ)we cannot find Him;
^(DK)He is excellent in power,
In judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
²⁴ Therefore men ^(DL)fear Him;
He shows no partiality to any who are ^(DM)wise of heart.”

² “Who^(DP) is this who darkens counsel
By ^(DQ)words without knowledge?
^3 (DR)Now ^[af]prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

⁴ “Where^(DS) were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the ^[ag]line upon it?
⁶ To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ When the morning stars sang together,
And all ^(DT)the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸ “Or^(DU) who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
⁹ When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
¹⁰ When ^(DV)I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
¹¹ When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves ^(DW)must stop!’

¹² “Have you ^(DX)commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
¹³ That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And ^(DY)the wicked be shaken out of it?
¹⁴ It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
¹⁵ From the wicked their ^(DZ)light is withheld,
And ^(EA)the ^[ah]upraised arm is broken.

¹⁶ “Have you ^(EB)entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
¹⁷ Have ^(EC)the gates of death been ^[ai]revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
¹⁸ Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

¹⁹ “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
²⁰ That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
²¹ Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?

²² “Have you entered ^(ED)the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
^23 (EE)Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
²⁴ By what way is light ^[aj]diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?

²⁵ “Who ^(EF)has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
²⁶ To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
^27 (EG)To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
^28 (EH)Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
²⁹ From whose womb comes the ice?
And the ^(EI)frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
³⁰ The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is ^(EJ)frozen.^[ak]

³¹ “Can you bind the cluster of the ^(EK)Pleiades,^[al]
Or loose the belt of Orion?
³² Can you bring out ^[am]Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide ^[an]the Great Bear with its cubs?
³³ Do you know ^(EL)the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?

³⁴ “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
³⁵ Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
^36 (EM)Who has put wisdom in ^[ao]the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
³⁷ Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
³⁸ When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?

³⁹ “Can^(EN) you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
⁴⁰ When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
^41 (EO)Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?

⁵ “Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the ^[aq]onager,
^6 (ER)Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the ^[ar]barren land his dwelling?
⁷ He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
⁸ The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after ^(ES)every green thing.

⁹ “Will the ^(ET)wild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
¹⁰ Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
¹¹ Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
¹² Will you trust him to bring home your ^[as]grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?

¹³ “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
¹⁴ For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
¹⁵ She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
¹⁶ She ^(EU)treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without ^[at]concern,
¹⁷ Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not ^(EV)endow her with understanding.
¹⁸ When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.

¹⁹ “Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with ^[au]thunder?
²⁰ Can you ^[av]frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
²¹ He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
^(EW)He gallops into the clash of arms.
²² He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
²³ The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
²⁴ He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
²⁵ At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.

²⁶ “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
²⁷ Does the ^(EX)eagle mount up at your command,
And ^(EY)make its nest on high?
²⁸ On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
²⁹ From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
³⁰ Its young ones suck up blood;
And ^(EZ)where the slain are, there it is.”

² “Shall ^(FB)the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who ^(FC)rebukes God, let him answer it.”

⁴ “Behold,^(FD) I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
^(FE)I lay my hand over my mouth.
⁵ Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”

⁷ “Now^{(FG) [aw]}prepare yourself like a man;
^(FH)I will question you, and you shall answer Me:

⁸ “Would^(FI) you indeed ^[ax]annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
⁹ Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with ^(FJ)a voice like His?
^10 (FK)Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.
¹¹ Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
¹² Look on everyone who is ^(FL)proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
¹³ Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
¹⁴ Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.

¹⁵ “Look now at the ^[ay]behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
¹⁶ See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
¹⁷ He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
¹⁸ His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
¹⁹ He is the first of the ^(FM)ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
²⁰ Surely the mountains ^(FN)yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
²¹ He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
²² The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
²³ Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
²⁴ Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.

¹² “I will not ^[bc]conceal his limbs,
His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
¹³ Who can ^[bd]remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him with a double bridle?
¹⁴ Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible teeth all around?
¹⁵ His rows of ^[be]scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as with a seal;
¹⁶ One is so near another
That no air can come between them;
¹⁷ They are joined one to another,
They stick together and cannot be parted.
¹⁸ His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
¹⁹ Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot out.
²⁰ Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
²¹ His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes out of his mouth.
²² Strength dwells in his neck,
And ^[bf]sorrow dances before him.
²³ The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
²⁴ His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the lower millstone.
²⁵ When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they ^[bg]are beside themselves.
²⁶ Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
²⁷ He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten wood.
²⁸ The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.
²⁹ Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.
³⁰ His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
³¹ He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
³² He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.
³³ On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.
³⁴ He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride.”

² “I know that You ^(FS)can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
³ You asked, ^(FT)‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
^(FU)Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
⁴ Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ^(FV)‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’

⁵ “I have ^(FW)heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
⁶ Therefore I ^(FX)abhor^[bh] myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”

^6 (A)Seek the Lord while He may be ^(B)found,
Call upon Him while He is near.