The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head; Being filled with ignominy, And looking upon mine affliction.

And if [my head] exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion; And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.

Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me: Changes and warfare are with me.

Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me.

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

Are not my days few? cease then, And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

Before I go whence I shall not return, [Even] to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

The land dark as midnight, [The land] of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as midnight.

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be justified?

Should thy boastings make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in thine eyes.

But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against thee,

And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

It is high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?

The measure thereof is longer than the earth, And broader than the sea.

If he pass through, and shut up, And call unto judgment, then who can hinder him?

For he knoweth false men: He seeth iniquity also, even though he consider it not.

But vain man is void of understanding, Yea, man is born [as] a wild ass’s colt.

If thou set thy heart aright, And stretch out thy hands toward him;

If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, And let not unrighteousness dwell in thy tents.

Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:

For thou shalt forget thy misery; Thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away,

And [thy] life shall be clearer than the noonday; Though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning.

And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; Yea, thou shalt search [about thee], and shalt take thy rest in safety.

Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; Yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And they shall have no way to flee; And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.

Then Job answered and said,

No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you.

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, I who called upon God, and he answered: The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.

In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; It is ready for them whose foot slippeth.

The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth [abundantly].

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee:

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food?

With aged men is wisdom, And in length of days understanding.

With [God] is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.

Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

With him is strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.

He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh he fools.

He looseth the bond of kings, And he bindeth their loins with a girdle.

He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty.

He removeth the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the elders.

He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong.

He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.

He taketh away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

They grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

Lo, mine eye hath seen all [this], Mine ear hath heard and understood it.

What ye know, [the same] do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

Surely I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God.

But ye are forgers of lies; Ye are all physicians of no value.

Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom.

Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

Will ye speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him?

Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God?

Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him?

He will surely reprove you, If ye do secretly show partiality.

Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall upon you?

Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defences are defences of clay.

Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak; And let come on me what will.

Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand?

Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him.

This also shall be my salvation, That a godless man shall not come before him.

Hear diligently my speech, And let my declaration be in your ears.

Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I am righteous.

Who is he that will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the ghost.

Only do not two things unto me; Then will I not hide myself from thy face:

Withdraw thy hand far from me; And let not thy terror make me afraid.

Then call thou, and I will answer; Or let me speak, and answer thou me.

How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.

Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And holdest me for thine enemy?

Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me to inherit the iniquities of my youth:

Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, And markest all my paths; Thou settest a bound to the soles of my feet:

Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Man, that is born of a woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.

He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

And dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, And bringest me into judgment with thee?

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

Seeing his days are determined, The number of his months is with thee, And thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Look away from him, that he may rest, Till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

For there is hope of a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, And the stock thereof die in the ground;

Yet through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs like a plant.

But man dieth, and is laid low: Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

[As] the waters fail from the sea, And the river wasteth and drieth up;

So man lieth down and riseth not: Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep.

Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

If a man die, shall he live [again]? All the days of my warfare would I wait, Till my release should come.

Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee: Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands.

But now thou numberest my steps: Dost thou not watch over my sin?

My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And thou fastenest up mine iniquity.

But the mountain falling cometh to nought; And the rock is removed out of its place;