1 T hen Job answered and said:

Then Job answered and said,

2 “ Listen carefully to my speech, And let this be your consolation.

Hear diligently my speech; And let this be your consolations.

3 B ear with me that I may speak, And after I have spoken, keep mocking.

Suffer me, and I also will speak; And after that I have spoken, mock on.

4 “ As for me, is my complaint against man? And if it were, why should I not be impatient?

As for me, is my complaint to man? And why should I not be impatient?

5 L ook at me and be astonished; Put your hand over your mouth.

Mark me, and be astonished, And lay your hand upon your mouth.

6 E ven when I remember I am terrified, And trembling takes hold of my flesh.

Even when I remember I am troubled, And horror taketh hold on my flesh.

7 W hy do the wicked live and become old, Yes, become mighty in power?

Wherefore do the wicked live, Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?

8 T heir descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes.

Their seed is established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes.

9 T heir houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them.

Their houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them.

10 T heir bull breeds without failure; Their cow calves without miscarriage.

Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

11 T hey send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance.

They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance.

12 T hey sing to the tambourine and harp, And rejoice to the sound of the flute.

They sing to the timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

13 T hey spend their days in wealth, And in a moment go down to the grave.

They spend their days in prosperity, And in a moment they go down to Sheol.

14 Y et they say to God, ‘Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

And they say unto God, Depart from us; For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

15 W ho is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

16 I ndeed their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand: The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

17 “ How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? How often does their destruction come upon them, The sorrows God distributes in His anger?

How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity cometh upon them? That God distributeth sorrows in his anger?

18 T hey are like straw before the wind, And like chaff that a storm carries away.

That they are as stubble before the wind, And as chaff that the storm carrieth away?

19 T hey say, ‘God lays up one’s iniquity for his children’; Let Him recompense him, that he may know it.

Ye say, God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it:

20 L et his eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

Let his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21 F or what does he care about his household after him, When the number of his months is cut in half?

For what careth he for his house after him, When the number of his months is cut off?

22 “ Can anyone teach God knowledge, Since He judges those on high?

Shall any teach God knowledge, Seeing he judgeth those that are high?

23 O ne dies in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and secure;

One dieth in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and quiet:

24 H is pails are full of milk, And the marrow of his bones is moist.

His pails are full of milk, And the marrow of his bones is moistened.

25 A nother man dies in the bitterness of his soul, Never having eaten with pleasure.

And another dieth in bitterness of soul, And never tasteth of good.

26 T hey lie down alike in the dust, And worms cover them.

They lie down alike in the dust, And the worm covereth them.

27 “ Look, I know your thoughts, And the schemes with which you would wrong me.

Behold, I know your thoughts, And the devices wherewith ye would wrong me.

28 F or you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent, The dwelling place of the wicked?’

For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?

29 H ave you not asked those who travel the road? And do you not know their signs?

Have ye not asked wayfaring men? And do ye not know their evidences,

30 F or the wicked are reserved for the day of doom; They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.

That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity? That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

31 W ho condemns his way to his face? And who repays him for what he has done?

Who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done?

32 Y et he shall be brought to the grave, And a vigil kept over the tomb.

Yet shall he be borne to the grave, And men shall keep watch over the tomb.

33 T he clods of the valley shall be sweet to him; Everyone shall follow him, As countless have gone before him.

The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, And all men shall draw after him, As there were innumerable before him.

34 H ow then can you comfort me with empty words, Since falsehood remains in your answers?”

How then comfort ye me in vain, Seeing in your answers there remaineth only falsehood?