Beginning
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, and said,
2 “How long will you talk of these things? And how long shall the words of your mouth be as a mighty wind?
3 “Does God pervert judgment? Or does the Almighty subvert justice?
4 “If your sons have sinned against Him, and He has sent them into the place of their iniquity,
5 “if you will seek God early, and pray to the Almighty,
6 “if you are pure and upright, then surely He will be stirred up. And He will make the habitation of your righteousness peaceful.
7 “And though your beginning was small, your future shall greatly increase.
8 “Please inquire, therefore, of the previous age, and prepare yourself to search their fathers.
9 “(For we are but from yesterday and are ignorant. For our days upon Earth are but a shadow).
10 “Shall they not teach you and tell you and utter the words of their heart?
11 “Can a reed grow without a marsh? Or can the grass grow without water?
12 “Though it is green and not cut down, it shall still wither before any other herb.
13 “So are the paths of all who forget God. And the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.
14 “His confidence also shall be cut off. And his trust shall be as the web of a spider.
15 “He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand. He shall hold himself fast to it, yet it shall not endure.
16 “He is green before the Sun, and his branches spread over his garden.
17 “His roots are wrapped around the heap and are folded around the stones.
18 “If anyone pulls him from his place, it denies him, saying, ‘I have not seen you’.
19 “Behold, he will rejoice by this means, so that others may grow out of the earth.
20 “Behold, God will not cast away an upright man. Nor will He take the wicked by the hand
21 “until He has filled your mouth with laughter, and your lips with joy.
22 “Those who hate you shall be clothed with shame. And the dwelling of the wicked shall not remain.”
9 Then Job answered, and said,
2 “I know truly that it is so. For how should man be justified with God?
3 “If he would dispute with Him, he could not answer Him one thing of a thousand.
4 “He is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has been fierce against him and has prospered?
5 “He removes the mountains and they do not feel when He overthrows them in His wrath.
6 “He shakes the Earth out of its place, so that its pillars tremble.
7 “He Commands the Sun, and it does not rise. He seals up the stars.
8 “He alone spreads out the heavens and walks upon the height of the sea.
9 “He makes Arcturus, Orion, Pleiades, and the chambers of the South.
10 “He does great things, and unsearchable, indeed, marvelous things, without number.
11 “Lo, when He passes by me, I do not see Him. And when He passes by, I do not perceive Him.
12 “Behold, when He takes away, who can make Him restore it? Who shall say to Him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 “God will not withdraw His anger. The helpers of the proud stoop under Him.
14 “How shall I answer Him? Or how should I find my words with Him?
15 “For though I were just, yet I could not answer, only make supplication to my Judge.
16 “If I cry and He answers me, I do not believe that He heard my voice.
17 “For He destroys me with a storm, and wounds me without cause.
18 “He will not allow me to take my breath but fills me with bitterness.
19 “If we speak of strength, behold, He is strong. If we speak of judgment, who shall bring me in to plead?
20 “If I should justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me. If I wish to be upright, He shall judge me wicked.
21 “I am upright, yet I do not know my soul. I reject life.
22 “These are the same thing. Therefore, I said, ‘He destroys the upright and the wicked.’
23 “If the scourge should suddenly kill, God will mock the trial of the innocent.
24 “The Earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If not Him, then Who?
25 “My days have been more swift than a runner. They have fled, and have seen no good thing.
26 “They have passed as the swiftest ships, and as the eagle that flies to the prey.
27 “If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint. I will cease looking sad and put on a smile,’
28 “then I am afraid of my sorrows, knowing that You will not judge me innocent.
29 “If I am wicked, why do I labor in vain?
30 “If I wash myself with snow water, and purge my hands most clean,
31 “You shall still plunge me into the pit. And my own clothes shall make me filthy.
32 “For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him if we met in court.
33 “Nor is there any umpire that might lay his hand upon us both.
34 “Let Him take His rod away from me. And do not let my fear of Him terrify me.
35 “Then I would speak, and not fear Him. But it is not so with me.
10 “My soul loathes my life. I will leave my complaint upon myself and will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 “I will say to God, “Do not condemn me. Show me why You contend with me.
3 “Do You think it good to oppress me and to cast off the labor of Your hands, and to favor the counsel of the wicked?
4 “Have You carnal eyes? Or do You see as man sees?
5 “Are Your days as man’s days or Your years as the time of man,
6 “that You inquire of my iniquity and search out my sin?
7 “You know that I cannot do wickedly. For no one can deliver me out of Your Hand.
8 “Your Hands have made me and fashioned me, wholly, all around. And will You destroy me?
9 “Please remember that You have made me as the clay. And will You bring me to dust again?
10 “Have You not poured me out as milk and turned me to curds like cheese?
11 “You have clothed me with skin and flesh and joined me together with bones and sinews.
12 “You have given me life and grace. And the visitation has preserved my spirit.
13 “Though You have hidden these things in Your Heart, I know that it is so with You.
14 “If I have sinned, then You will mark me and will not hold me guiltless of my iniquity.
15 “If I have done wickedly, woe to me. If I have done righteously, I will not lift up my head, being full of dishonor because I see my affliction.
16 “But let it increase. Hunt me as a lion. Return and show Yourself marvelous upon me.
17 “You renew Your plagues against me. And You increase Your wrath against me. Changes and armies are against me.
18 “Why, then, have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished, and that no eye had seen me,
19 “that I were as I had not been, brought from the womb to the grave!
20 “Are not my days few? Let him cease. Let me be, so that I may take a little comfort
21 “before I go and do not return, to the land of darkness and shadow of death,
22 “into a land dark as darkness itself, into the shadow of death, where is no order, but the light as darkness.”
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