1Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech,And hearken to all my words.2Behold now, I have opened my mouth;My tongue hath spoken in my 1mouth.3My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart;And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.4The Spirit of God hath made me,And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.5If thou canst, answer thou me;Set thy words in order before me, stand forth.6Behold, 2I am toward God even as thou art:I also am formed out of the clay.7Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.
8Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing,And I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,9I am clean, without transgression;I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me:10Behold, he findeth 3occasions against me,He counteth me for his enemy;11He putteth my feet in the stocks,He marketh all my paths.12Behold, 4I will answer thee, in this thou art not just;For God is greater than man.
13Why dost thou strive against him,For that he giveth not account of any of his matters?14For God speaketh 5once,Yea twice, though man regardeth it not.15In a dream, in a vision of the night,When deep sleep falleth upon men,In slumberings upon the bed;16Then he 6openeth the ears of men,And sealeth their instruction,177That he may withdraw man from his purpose,And hide pride from man;188He keepeth back his soul from the pit,And his life from perishing by the 9sword.
19He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,10And with continual strife in his bones;20So that his life abhorreth bread,And his soul dainty food.21His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen;And his bones that were not seen stick out.22Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit,And his life to the destroyers.
23If there be with him 11an angel,An interpreter, one 12among a thousand,To show unto man 13what is right for him;2414Then God is gracious unto him, and saith,Deliver him from going down to the pit,I have found a ransom.25His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s;He returneth to the days of his youth.26He prayeth unto God, and he is favorable unto him,So that he seeth his face with joy:And he restoreth unto man his righteousness.27He 15singeth before men, and saith,I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,And 16it profited me not:28He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit,And my life shall behold the light.
29Lo, all these things doth God work,Twice, yea thrice, with a man,30To bring back his soul from the pit,That he may be enlightened with the light of 17the living.31Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me:Hold thy peace, and I will speak.32If thou hast anything to say, answer me:Speak, for I desire to justify thee.33If not, hearken thou unto me:Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.