Chronological

6 And Job answered, and said,

² I would (I wish), that my sins, by which I have deserved the wrath of God, and the wretchedness which I suffer, were weighed in a balance.

³ As the gravel of the sea, this wretchedness should appear more grievous; wherefore and my words be full of sorrow. (For this wretchedness of mine, would weigh more than all the sand of the sea; and so my words be full of sorrow.)

⁴ For (now) the arrows of the Lord be in me, the indignation of which drinketh up my spirit; and the dreads of the Lord fight against me (and the terrors from the Lord fight against me).

⁵ Whether a field ass shall roar, when he hath grass? Either whether an ox shall low, when he standeth before a full cratch? (Will a donkey bray, when he hath grass? Or shall an ox low, when he standeth before a full feed box?)

⁶ Either whether a thing unsavory may be eaten, which is not made savory by salt? (Or can an unsavory thing be eaten, which is not first made savory with salt?) Either whether any man may taste a thing, which (once) tasted bringeth death? For why to an hungry soul, yea, bitter things seem to be sweet;

⁷ those things which my soul would not touch before, be now my meats for anguish. (those things which I enjoyed before, now be the foods which make me sick.)

⁸ Who giveth, or granteth, that mine asking come to me; and that God give to me that thing, that I abide? (and that God give me that thing, that I wait for?)

⁹ And he that hath begun to punish, all-break he me; loose he his hand, and cut he me down? (And he who hath begun to punish me, now all-break he me; let him loose his hand, and cut me down!)

¹⁰ And this be comfort to me, that he torment me with sorrow, and spare not, and that I against-say not the words of the Holy. (And this be my comfort, that though he torment me with sorrow, and spare me not, I have not said anything against the words of the Holy One.)

¹¹ For what is my strength, that I suffer? either which is mine end, that I suffer it patiently? (For what is my strength, so that I can endure? and what is my end, so that I can endure it patiently?)

¹² Neither my strength is the strength of stones, neither my flesh is of brass. (Neither my strength is like the strength of stones, nor my flesh is like that of bronze.)

¹³ Lo! none help is to me in me (Lo! there is no help for me in me); and also my necessary friends (have) parted from me.

¹⁴ He that taketh away mercy from his friend, forsaketh the dread of the Lord. (He who taketh away love from his friend, forgetteth the fear of the Lord/abandoneth reverence for the Lord.)

¹⁵ My brethren passed from me, as a strand doeth, that passeth (by) rushingly in great valleys. (My brothers, that is, my kinsmen, have passed by me, like a stream doeth, which rusheth through great valleys.)

¹⁶ Snow shall come upon them, that dread frost.

¹⁷ In the time wherein they be scattered, they shall perish; and when they shall wax hot, they shall be loosed from their place.

¹⁸ The paths of their steps be (en)wrapped; they shall go in vain, and shall perish.

¹⁹ Behold ye the paths of Tema, and the ways of Sheba; and abide ye a little.

²⁰ They be shamed, for I hoped (They be ashamed, for they had hoped); and they came unto me, and they be covered with shame.

²¹ Now ye be come, and now ye see my wound, and dread (and ye fear it).

²² Whether I (ever) said, Bring ye to me, and give ye of your chattel to me?

²³ either said, Deliver ye me from the hand of mine enemy, and draw away ye me from the hand of strong men? (or I said, Rescue ye me from the hands of my enemy, or draw ye me away from the hands of the strong?)

²⁴ Teach ye me, and I shall be still (and I shall be quiet); and if in hap I unknew anything, teach ye me.

²⁵ Why have ye contraried the words of truth? since there is none of you, that may reprove me (since there is none of you, who can rebuke me).

²⁶ Ye make ready speeches only for to blame, and ye bring forth words into wind. (Ye only open your mouths to blame, and ye bring forth words like so much wind.)

²⁷ Ye fall in on a fatherless child, and endeavour to pervert your friend.

²⁸ Nevertheless fulfill ye that, that ye have begun; and give ye your ear, or hearing, and see ye, whether I lie.

²⁹ I beseech you, answer ye me without strife, and speak ye, and deem ye that, that is just. (I beseech you, answer ye me without arguing, and say ye, and judge ye, what is fair.)

³⁰ And ye shall not find wickedness in my tongue, neither folly shall sound in my cheeks. (And ye shall not find wickedness on my tongue, nor shall foolishness come out of my mouth.)

7 Knighthood, that is, continual travail, and fighting against vices, is the life of a man upon (the) earth, and his days be as the days of an hired man.

² As an hart desireth shadow, and as an hired man abideth the end of his work; (Like a servant desireth the shade, and like a hired man waiteth for the end of his work day;)

³ so I have had void months (so I have had empty months), and I have numbered travailous nights to me.

⁴ If I shall sleep, I shall say, When shall I rise? and again I shall abide the eventide, and I shall be full-filled with sorrows unto darknesses come (and I shall be filled full with sorrow until the darknesses come).

⁵ My flesh is clothed with rot, and filths of dust; my skin dried up, and is drawn together (my skin is dried up, and is altogether drawn/and my skin is covered with running sores).

⁶ My days have passed swifter than a web is cut down from the looms; and those days be wasted without any hope of coming again.

⁷ God, have thou mind, for my life is wind, and mine eye shall not turn again, that it see goods. (God, remember that my life is but a breath, and I shall no longer see any good days.)

⁸ Neither the sight of man shall behold me; but thine eyes be in me (but thy eyes be upon me), and I shall not be in deadly life, that is, I shall not abide (alive).

⁹ As a cloud is wasted, and passeth soon away, so he that goeth down to hell, shall not go up (from) thence; (Like a cloud that fadeth, and soon passeth away, is he who goeth down to the Sheol, or the grave, and shall never come up from there;)

¹⁰ neither he shall turn again more into his house, and his place shall no more know him. (nor shall he return to his house, and his place shall know him no more.)

¹¹ Wherefore and I shall not spare my mouth; I shall speak in the tribulation of my spirit, I shall talk (al)together with the bitterness of my soul (I shall speak out of the bitterness of my soul).

¹² Whether I am a sea, either a whale, for thou hast (en)compassed me with a prison? (Am I a sea, or a whale, for thou hast surrounded me with a prison?)

¹³ If I shall say, My bed shall comfort me, and I shall be relieved, or quieted, speaking with me in my bed; (If I shall say, My bed shall comfort me, and I shall be relieved, or quieted, talking to myself in my bed;)

¹⁴ thou shalt make me afeared by dreams, and thou shalt shake me with horror, either hideousness, by sights. (then thou shalt make me afraid with dreams, and thou shalt make me shake with visions of horror, or of hideousness.)

¹⁵ Wherefore my soul chose hanging, and my bones have chosen death.

¹⁶ I despaired, (and) now I shall no more live; Lord, spare thou me, for my days be nought.

¹⁷ What is a man, for thou magnifiest him? either what settest thou thine heart toward him? (or why settest thou thy heart toward him?)

¹⁸ Thou visitest him early, and suddenly thou provest him. (And then thou punishest him early in the morning, and suddenly thou triest him.)

¹⁹ How long sparest thou not me, neither sufferest me, that I swallow my spittle? (How long sparest thou me not, nor allowest me to swallow my own spittle?)

²⁰ I have sinned; O! thou keeper of men, what shall I do to thee? Why hast thou set me contrary to thee, and I am made grievous to myself? (I have sinned; O! thou keeper of men, but what have I done to thee? Why hast thou put me contrary to thee, so that I am even made a burden to thee?)

²¹ Why doest thou not away my sin, and why takest thou not away my wickedness? Lo! now I shall sleep in dust, and if thou seekest me early, I shall not abide (Lo! now I shall sleep in the dust, and when thou seekest me in the morning, I shall already be dead).

8 Then Bildad (the) Shuhite answered, and said,

² How long shalt thou speak such things? The spirit of the word of thy mouth is manyfold (The many words from thy mouth be just so much wind).

³ Whether God supplanteth, either deceiveth, doom, and whether Almighty God destroyeth that, that is just? (Did God ever pervert judgement, and did Almighty God ever destroy what is fair?)

⁴ Yea, though thy sons sinned against him, and he left them in the hand of their wickedness;

⁵ nevertheless, if thou risest early to God, and beseechest Almighty God,

⁶ if thou goest clean and rightful, anon he shall wake fully to thee, and shall make peaceable the dwelling place of thy rightfulness; (if thou goest clean and upright, at once he shall watch over thee, and he shall make the dwelling place of thy righteousness prosperous;)

⁷ in so much that thy former things were little, and that thy last things be multiplied greatly. (in so much that though thy first things were few, but thy last things shall be greatly multiplied.)

⁸ For why, ask thou the former generations, and seek thou diligently the mind of [the] fathers (and diligently seek thou the wisdom of the forefathers).

⁹ For we be men of yesterday, and know not (anything); for our days be as (a) shadow on the earth.

¹⁰ And they shall teach thee, [and] they shall speak to thee, and (out) of their heart they shall bring forth true speeches (and they shall bring forth truth from their hearts).

¹¹ Whether a (bul)rush may grow without moisture? either a reed (can grow) without water?

¹² When it is yet in the flower, neither it is taken with hand, it waxeth dry before all herbs. (When it is still flowering, and it hath not yet been picked by hand, it groweth dry before all the other plants.)

¹³ So be the ways of all men, that forget God (who forget God); and the hope of an hypocrite shall perish.

¹⁴ His cowardice shall not please God, and his trust shall be as a web of spiders.

¹⁵ He shall lean, either rest, upon his house, and it shall not stand; he shall underset it, and it shall not rise up altogether. (He shall lean, or shall rest, upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall undergird it, but it shall not endure.)

¹⁶ The (bul)rush seemeth moist, before that the sun come; and in the rising of the sun, the seed thereof shall go out.

¹⁷ The roots thereof shall be made thick upon an heap of stones, and it shall dwell among [the] stones.

¹⁸ If a man draweth it out of the place thereof, that place shall deny it, and it shall say (in effect), I know thee not.

¹⁹ For this is the gladness of his way, that again other rushes spring out of the earth. (For this is the joy of its way, that other bulrushes shall spring out of the earth.)

²⁰ Forsooth God shall not cast away a simple man, neither he shall address his hand to (help) wicked men; (But God shall not throw away a person who is without guile, nor shall he direct his hand to help the wicked;)

²¹ till thy mouth be filled with laughter, and thy lips with hearty song.

²² They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the tabernacle of wicked men shall not stand (and the tents, or the homes, of the wicked shall not stand).

9 And Job answered, and said,

² Verily I know, that it is so, and that a man comparisoned to God shall not be made just. (Truly I know, that this is so, and that a man shall not be seen as just, when compared to God.)

³ If he will strive with God, he may not answer to God one for a thousand. (And if he will argue with God, he cannot answer to God one question out of a thousand.)

⁴ (For) He is wise in heart, and strong in might; who hath against-stood him, and had peace? (who hath stood against him, and hath prevailed?)

⁵ He bare over hills from one place to another, and they knew not (what had happened); which he destroyed in his strong vengeance (yea, he destroyed them in his strong vengeance).

⁶ Which stirreth the earth from his place, and the pillars thereof shall shake together. (Who stirreth the earth from its place, and its pillars shall altogether shake.)

⁷ He commandeth to the sun, and it riseth not; and he closeth (up) the stars, as under a signet.

⁸ He alone stretcheth forth (the) heavens, and he goeth upon the waves of the sea.

⁹ He maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Pleiades, that is, the seven stars, and the inner things of the south.

¹⁰ He maketh great things, and that may not be sought out, and also wonderful things, of which there is none number.

¹¹ If he cometh to me, I shall not see him; if he goeth away from me, I shall not understand (I shall not know it).

¹² If he asketh suddenly (If he suddenly asketh), who shall answer to him? either who may say to him, Why doest thou so?

¹³ He is God, whose wrath no man may withstand; and under whom they be bowed, that bear the world (who carry the world).

¹⁴ How great am I, that I answer to him, and speak by my words with him? (How great am I, that I answer him, and say my words to him?)

¹⁵ Which also (I) shall not answer to him, though I have anything just; but I shall beseech my judge to spare me. (Which even though I am just, I shall not answer him; but I shall still beseech my judge to spare me.)

¹⁶ And (even) when he hath heard me inwardly calling him, I believe not, that he hath heard my voice.

¹⁷ For in a whirlwind he shall all-break me, and he shall multiply my wounds, yea, without cause. (For he shall all-break me with a whirlwind, and he shall multiply my wounds, yea, for no reason.)

¹⁸ He granteth not, that my spirit have rest (He granteth not, that I catch my breath), and he filleth me with bitternesses.

¹⁹ If strength is sought, he is most strong; and if equity of doom is sought, no man dare yield witnessing for me (and if justice is sought, no one shall dare give testimony for me).

²⁰ If I will make me just, my own mouth shall condemn me; if I shall show me innocent, he shall prove me a shrew. (If I will declare myself just, or right, my own mouth shall condemn me; if I shall declare myself innocent, it shall prove me a depraved man.)

²¹ Yea, though I be simple, my soul shall not know this same thing; and it shall annoy me of my life. (Yea, though I be without guile, I shall not know it; and my life shall vex my soul.)

²² One thing is, which I spake, he shall waste by death also the innocent (man) and [the] wicked man. (One thing is, which I have always said, that by death he shall surely destroy the innocent and the wicked alike.)

²³ If he beateth, slay he once, and laugh he not of the pains of innocent men (and laugh he not at the pains of the innocent).

²⁴ The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; he covereth the face(s) of (the) judges; that if he is not, who therefore is? (and if he did it not, then who did?)

²⁵ My days were swifter than a courier; they fled away, and saw not good.

²⁶ They passed away as [the] ships bearing apples, as an eagle flying to (its) meat (like an eagle flying to its food).

²⁷ When I say, I shall not speak so; I change my face, and I am tormented with sorrow. (If I say, I shall not speak thus; I shall change my face, and shall comfort myself.)

²⁸ I dread all my works, witting that thou sparest not the trespasser. (I fear all that I must suffer, for I know that thou sparest not the trespasser.)

²⁹ And if I am also thus wicked, why have I travailed in vain? (And if I am held to be wicked, then why travail I in vain?)

³⁰ (Even) Though I am washed as with waters of snow, and (even) though mine hands shine as most clean,

³¹ nevertheless thou shalt dip me in filths, and my clothes shall hold, or show, me abominable.

³² Truly I shall not answer a man, that is like me; neither that may be heard evenly with me in doom. (Truly I shall not be able to answer him, for he is not a man who is like me; nor is he someone who can equally be heard with me in court, or at the judgement.)

³³ There is none, that may reprove ever either, and set his hand in both. (There is no one, who can rebuke both of us, or who can put his hand upon both of us.)

³⁴ Do he away his rod from me, and his dread make not me afeared. (Let him take his rod away from me, and let not the fear of him, or his terrors, make me afraid.)

³⁵ I shall speak, and I shall not dread him; for I may not answer dreading. (I shall speak, and I shall not fear him; for I cannot answer if I am afraid.)