The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

For a fire it [is], to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root,

If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,

Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do I answer Him?

Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.

If I withhold from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume,

And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it,

(But from my youth He grew up with me as [with] a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.)

If I see [any] perishing without clothing, And there is no covering to the needy,

If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,

If I have waved at the fatherless my hand, When I see in [him] the gate of my court,

My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken.

For a dread unto me [is] calamity [from] God, And because of His excellency I am not able.

If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, 'My trust,'

If I rejoice because great [is] my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found,

If I see the light when it shineth, And the precious moon walking,

And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth,

It also [is] a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.

If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,

Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.

If not — say ye, O men of my tent, 'O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'

In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.

If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity,

Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.

Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written.

If not — on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it a crown on myself.

The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.

If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep,

If its strength I consumed without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,

Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.

And these three men cease from answering Job, for he [is] righteous in his own eyes,

and burn doth the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram; against Job hath his anger burned, because of his justifying himself more than God;

and against his three friends hath his anger burned, because that they have not found an answer, and condemn Job.

And Elihu hath waited earnestly beside Job with words, for they are older than he in days.

And Elihu seeth that there is no answer in the mouth of the three men, and his anger burneth.

And Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answereth and saith: — Young I [am] in days, and ye [are] age Therefore I have feared, And am afraid of shewing you my opinion.

I said: Days do speak, And multitude of years teach wisdom.

Surely a spirit is in man, And the breath of the Mighty One Doth cause them to understand.

The multitude are not wise, Nor do the aged understand judgment.

Therefore I have said: Hearken to me, I do shew my opinion — even I.

Lo, I have waited for your words, I give ear unto your reasons, Till ye search out sayings.

And unto you I attend, And lo, there is no reasoner for Job, [Or] answerer of his sayings among you.

Lest ye say, We have found wisdom, God doth thrust him away, not man.

And he hath not set in array words for me, And with your sayings I do not answer him.

(They have broken down, They have not answered again, They removed from themselves words.

And I have waited, but they do not speak, For they have stood still, They have not answered any more.)

I answer, even I — my share, I shew my opinion — even I.

For I have been full of words, Distressed me hath the spirit of my breast,

Lo, my breast [is] as wine not opened, Like new bottles it is broken up.

I speak, and there is refreshment to me, I open my lips and answer.

Let me not, I pray you, accept the face of any, Nor unto man give flattering titles,

For I have not known to give flattering titles, In a little doth my Maker take me away.

And yet, I pray thee, O Job, Hear my speech and [to] all my words give ear.

Lo, I pray thee, I have opened my mouth, My tongue hath spoken in the palate.

Of the uprightness of my heart [are] my sayings, And knowledge have my lips clearly spoken.

The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Mighty doth quicken me.

If thou art able — answer me, Set in array before me — station thyself.

Lo, I [am], according to thy word, for God, From the clay I — I also, have been formed.

Lo, my terror doth not frighten thee, And my burden on thee is not heavy.

Surely — thou hast said in mine ears, And the sounds of words I hear:

'Pure [am] I, without transgression, Innocent [am] I, and I have no iniquity.

Lo, occasions against me He doth find, He doth reckon me for an enemy to Him,

He doth put in the stocks my feet, He doth watch all my paths.'

Lo, [in] this thou hast not been righteous, I answer thee, that greater is God than man.

Wherefore against Him hast thou striven, When [for] all His matters He answereth not?

For once doth God speak, and twice, (He doth not behold it.)

In a dream — a vision of night, In the falling of deep sleep on men, In slumberings on a bed.

Then He uncovereth the ear of men, And for their instruction sealeth:

To turn aside man [from] doing, And pride from man He concealeth.

He keepeth back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.

And he hath been reproved With pain on his bed, And the strife of his bones [is] enduring.

And his life hath nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food.

His flesh is consumed from being seen, And high are his bones, they were not seen!

And draw near to the pit doth his soul, And his life to those causing death.

If there is by him a messenger, An interpreter — one of a thousand, To declare for man his uprightness:

Then He doth favour him and saith, 'Ransom him from going down to the pit, I have found an atonement.'

Fresher [is] his flesh than a child's, He returneth to the days of his youth.

He maketh supplication unto God, And He accepteth him. And he seeth His face with shouting, And He returneth to man His righteousness.

He looketh on men, and saith, 'I sinned, And uprightness I have perverted, And it hath not been profitable to me.

He hath ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life on the light looketh.'

Lo, all these doth God work, Twice — thrice with man,

To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living.

Attend, O Job, hearken to me, Keep silent, and I — I do speak.

If there are words — answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify thee.

If there are not — hearken thou to me, Keep silent, and I teach thee wisdom.

And Elihu answereth and saith:

Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.

For the ear doth try words, And the palate tasteth to eat.

Judgment let us choose for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.

For Job hath said, 'I have been righteous, And God hath turned aside my right,

Against my right do I lie? Mortal [is] mine arrow — without transgression.'

Who [is] a man like Job? He drinketh scoffing like water,

And he hath travelled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.

For he hath said, 'It doth not profit a man, When he delighteth himself with God.'

Therefore, O men of heart, hearken to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And [from] the Mighty to do perverseness:

For the work of man he repayeth to him, And according to the path of each He doth cause him to find.

Yea, truly, God doth not do wickedly, And the Mighty doth not pervert judgment.

Who hath inspected for Himself the earth? And who hath placed all the habitable world?

If He doth set on him His heart, His spirit and his breath unto Him He gathereth.

Expire doth all flesh together, And man to dust returneth.

And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.