Beginning

14 A man is born of a woman, and liveth (but a) short time, and he is full-filled with many wretchednesses (and he is filled full of many wretchednesses).

² And he goeth out, and is defouled as a flower; and he fleeth away as a shadow, and dwelleth never perfectly in that same state. (And he goeth out, and withereth like a flower; and then he fleeth away like a shadow, and never again dwelleth in that same state.)

³ And guessest thou (it a) worthy thing to open thine eyes upon such a man; and to bring him into doom with thee? (And thinkest thou that it is worthwhile to look upon such a person; and to bring him into court, or unto judgement, with thee?)

⁴ Who may make a man clean (who is) conceived of unclean seed? Whether not thou, Lord, that art alone? (Who can make someone clean who is conceived of unclean seed? No one.)

⁵ The days of a man be short, and the number of his months be with thee; thou hast set, either ordained, his terms, which may not be (over)passed.

⁶ Therefore go thou away from him a little, that he have rest; till his meed coveted come, and his day is as the day of an hired man. (And so go thou away from him for a little while, so that he can have some rest; until his desired reward come, and his day is like the day of a hired man.)

⁷ A tree hath hope, if it is cut down; and again it waxeth green, and his branches spread forth. (A tree hath hope, that if it is cut down, it shall grow green again, and its branches shall spread forth.)

⁸ If the root thereof is eld in the earth, and the stock thereof is nigh dead in (the) dust; (Yea, though its roots be old in the earth, and its stump is all but dead in the ground;)

⁹ it shall burgeon (again) at the odour of water, and it shall make hair, that is, leaves and branches/or take root, as when it was planted first (like when it was first planted).

¹⁰ But when a man is dead, and made naked, and wasted; I pray (thee), where is he?

¹¹ As if waters go away from the sea, and as a river made void of waters wax dry, (Like when waters go away from the sea, or a river made void, or empty, of water groweth dry,)

¹² so a man, when he hath slept, that is, died, he shall not rise again, till heaven be broken, or made new; he shall not wake, neither he shall rise altogether from his sleep. (so a man, when he hath slept, or died, shall not rise again, until the heavens be broken apart; he shall not awake, nor shall he ever rise again from his sleep.)

¹³ Who giveth this to me, that thou defend me in hell, and that thou hide me, till thy great vengeance pass; and that thou set to me a time, in which thou have mind on me? (I wish, that thou would hide me in Sheol, yea, that thou would hide me until thy great vengeance pass; and then that thou would set a time for me, in which thou would remember me!)

¹⁴ Guessest thou, whether a dead man shall live again? Now in all the days, in which I hold knighthood, I abide, till my changing come. (Thinkest thou, that someone dead shall live again? Then in all the days, in which I travail, or labour, I shall wait, for my changing to come.)

¹⁵ Thou shalt call me, and I shall answer thee; thou shalt (ad)dress the right half, that is, bless, to the work of thine hands (thou shalt direct thy right hand, that is, thou shalt bless the work of thy hands).

¹⁶ Soothly thou hast numbered my steps; but spare thou my sins (but please do not count up my sins).

¹⁷ Thou hast sealed as in a bag my trespasses, but thou hast cured my wickedness. (Thou hast sealed up my trespasses in a bag, and thou hast cured my wickedness.)

¹⁸ An hill falling droppeth down, and a rock of stone is borne over from his place. (A falling hill floweth downward, and a stone is carried over from its place.)

¹⁹ Waters make stones hollow, and the earth is wasted little and little by (the) washing away of (the) water; and thou shalt lose men in like manner (and thou shalt destroy people’s hopes in like manner).

²⁰ Thou madest a man strong (for) a little, that he should pass [into] without end; thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him out. (Thou makest a man strong for a little while, and then he passeth away forevermore; thou changeth his face, and then sendeth him away from thee.)

²¹ Whether his sons be noble, either unnoble, he shall not understand (he shall never know).

²² Nevertheless his flesh, while he liveth, shall have sorrow, and his soul shall mourn (thinking) upon himself.

15 Then Eliphaz (the) Temanite answered, and said,

² Whether a wise man shall answer, as speaking against the wind, and shall fill his stomach with burning, that is ire? (Would a wise man answer someone, whose speaking is merely wind, and who filleth his stomach with hot air?)

³ For thou reprovest him by words, which is not like thee, and thou speakest that, that speedeth not to thee. (For thou rebukest him with worthless words, and thou speakest, what profiteth thee not.)

⁴ As much as is in thee, thou hast avoided dread; and thou hast taken away thy prayers before God. (As much as is possible, thou hast avoided fearing God/revering God; and thou hast not presented thy prayers to God.)

⁵ For [thy] wickedness hath taught thy mouth, and thou followest the tongue of blasphemers.

⁶ Thy tongue [Thy mouth], and not I, shall condemn thee, and thy lips shall answer (against) thee.

⁷ Whether thou art born the first man, and whether thou art formed before (the) little hills? (Art thou the first man born, and wast thou formed before the little hills?)

⁸ Whether thou hast heard the counsel of God, and whether his wisdom is lower than thou? (and is his wisdom less than thine?)

⁹ What thing knowest thou, which we know not? What thing understandest thou, which we know not?

¹⁰ Both wise men and eld (men), much elder than thy fathers (much older than thy father), be among us.

¹¹ Whether it is great, that God comfort thee? But thy shrewd words forbid this. (Is it not wonderful, that God comforteth thee? But thy depraved words forbid this.)

¹² What raiseth thine heart thee, and thou as thinking great things hast eyes astonished? (What raiseth up thy heart, to think such great things? and why be thine eyes astonished?)

¹³ What swelleth thy spirit against God, that thou bring forth of thy mouth such words? (What swelleth thy spirit against God, so that thou bring forth such words out of thy mouth?)

¹⁴ What is a man, that he be without wem, and that he, born of a woman, appear just? (What is a man, is he ever pure, or without fault? yea, he, who is born of a woman, is he ever truly right before God?)

¹⁵ Lo! none among his saints is unchangeable (Lo! no one among his saints is trustworthy), and (even the) heavens be not clean in his sight.

¹⁶ How much more is a man abominable and unprofitable, that drinketh wickedness as water? (Then how much more abominable and unprofitable is man, who drinketh wickedness like water?)

¹⁷ I shall show to thee, hear thou me; I shall tell to thee that, that I saw (I shall tell thee, what I saw).

¹⁸ Wise men acknowledge, and hide (it) not their fathers. (The wise acknowledge it, and their forefathers hide it not.)

¹⁹ To which wise men alone the earth is given, and an alien shall not pass by them. (To whom alone the land was given; and no foreigner lived among them.)

²⁰ A wicked man is proud in all his days; and the number of his years and of his tyranny is uncertain.

²¹ The sound of dread is ever[more] in his ears, and when peace is, he supposeth ever[more] treasons. (A fearful sound is forever in his ears, and even when there is peace, he always expecteth an attack.)

²² He believeth not that he may turn again from darknesses to light; and he beholdeth about on each side (for) a sword.

²³ When he stirreth him[self] to seek bread, he knoweth, that the day of darknesses is made ready in his hand (he knoweth that the day of darkness is at hand).

²⁴ Tribulation shall make him afeared, and anguish shall (en)compass him, as a king which is made ready to battle. (Tribulation shall make him afraid, and anguish shall surround him, like a king who is made ready for battle.)

²⁵ For he held forth his hand against God, and he was made strong against Almighty God. (For he put forth his hand against God, and he made himself strong against Almighty God.)

²⁶ He ran with his neck raised up against God, and he was armed with a fat noll. (He ran with his head raised up against God, and he was armed with a stiff neck, or he was stubborn.)

²⁷ Fatness, that is, pride of temporal abundance, covered his face, or understanding, and outward fatness, that is, unshamefastness, hangeth down of his sides (hangeth down on his sides). [Fatness covered his face, and of his sides grease hangeth. (Fatness covered his face, and grease hangeth down on his sides.)]

²⁸ He shall dwell in desolate cities (He shall live in empty cities), and in deserted houses, that be turned into burials.

²⁹ He shall not be made rich, neither his chattel shall dwell steadfastly (nor shall his substance, or his possessions, endure); neither he shall send his root into the earth,

³⁰ neither he shall go away from darknesses. Flame shall make dry his branches, and he shall be taken away by the spirit of his mouth (The flame shall dry up his branches, and then he shall be taken away by the wind).

³¹ Believe he not vainly which is deceived by error, that he shall be again-bought by any price. (He, who is deceived by error, vainly believeth that he shall be bought back, or redeemed, at any price.)

³² Before that his days be [ful]filled, he shall perish, and his hands shall wax dry;

³³ he shall be hurt as a vine in the first flower of his grape, and as an olive tree casting away his flower. (he shall be like a vine that droppeth off its unripe grapes, or like an olive tree that casteth away its flowering buds.)

³⁴ For the gathering together of an hypocrite is barren, and fire shall devour the tabernacles of them, that take gifts willfully. (For hypocrites, one and all, be barren, and fire shall devour the tents of those, who willingly take gifts.)

³⁵ He conceived sorrow, and childed wickedness, and his womb maketh ready treacheries.

16 Forsooth Job answered, and said,

² I have oft heard such things; all ye be heavy comforters (the only comfort that all of ye offer is more torment).

³ Whether words full of wind shall have an end? either anything is dis-easeful to thee, if thou speakest (it)?

⁴ Also I might speak things like to you, and I would, that your soul were for my soul; and I would comfort you by words, and I would move mine head on you; (I could also speak words like you, and if you were in my place, I could discomfort you with such words, and I could wag my head at you.)

⁵ I would (rather) make you strong by my mouth, and I would move my lips as sparing you. (But I would rather make you strong with my mouth, yea, with encouraging words, and I would rather move my lips to say things to comfort you.)

⁶ But what shall I do? If I speak, my sorrow resteth not; and if I am still, it goeth not away from me.

⁷ But now my sorrow hath oppressed me, and all my limbs be driven into nought.

⁸ My rivellings say witnessing against me, and a false speaker is raised up against my face, and against-saith me. (My wrinkles testify against me, and a liar is raised up before me, and speaketh against me.)

⁹ He gathered together his strong vengeance in me, and he menaced me, and he gnashed against me with his teeth; mine enemy hath beheld me with fearedful eyes. (He gathered together his strong vengeance against me, and he threatened me, and he gnashed against me with his teeth; my enemy hath looked at me with eyes full of hatred.)

¹⁰ They opened their mouths upon me, and they said shame to me, and they smote my cheek; and they be filled with my pains (and they gathered themselves together against me).

¹¹ God hath closed me together at the wicked, and hath given me to the hands of wicked men. (God hath enclosed me with the wicked, and hath given me into the hands of the wicked.)

¹² I, that rich man and famous sometime, am all-broken suddenly; he held my noll; he hath broken me, and hath set me as into a sign. (I, that rich and sometimes famous man, am suddenly all-broken; he held me by the neck; he hath altogether broken me, and hath set me up like a target.)

¹³ And he hath (en)compassed me with his spears, he hath wounded altogether my loins; he hath not spared me, and he hath shed out mine entrails into the earth. (And he hath surrounded me with his spears, he hath deeply wounded my loins; he hath not spared me, and he hath poured out my bowels upon the ground.)

¹⁴ He hath beaten me with wound upon wound; and he as a giant hath fallen in upon me (and he hath fallen in on me like a giant).

¹⁵ I sewed together a sackcloth upon my skin; and I covered my flesh with ashes.

¹⁶ My face swelled of weeping (My face swelled from weeping), and mine eyelids waxed dark.

¹⁷ I suffered these things without (any) wickedness of mine hand, or work, (and) when I had clean prayers to God.

¹⁸ Earth, cover thou not my blood, and my cry find not in thee a place of hiding. (O earth, do not thou cover up my blood, and let not my cry for justice find any place of rest.)

¹⁹ For, lo! my witness is in heaven; and the Knower of my conscience is in high places.

²⁰ O! my friends, full of words; mine eye droppeth (out tears) to God.

²¹ And I would, that a man were deemed so with God, as the son of man is deemed with his fellow. (And I wish, that there was someone to plead with God for me, like the son of a man who pleadeth for his fellow, or for his friend.)

²² For lo! short years pass, and I go a path, by which I shall not turn again (by which I shall not return).