1 T hen Job answered and said:

And Job answereth and saith: --

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

Hear ye diligently my word, And this is your consolation.

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

Bear with me, and I speak, And after my speaking -- ye may deride.

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

I -- to man my complaint? and if, wherefore May not my temper become short?

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

Turn unto me, and be astonished, And put hand to mouth.

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

Yea, if I have remembered, then I have been troubled. And my flesh hath taken fright.

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

Wherefore do the wicked live? They have become old, Yea, they have been mighty in wealth.

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

Their seed is established, Before their face with them, And their offspring before their eyes.

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

Their houses peace without fear, Nor a rod of God upon them.

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

His bullock hath eaten corn, and doth not loath. His cow bringeth forth safely, And doth not miscarry.

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

They send forth as a flock their sucklings, And their children skip,

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

They lift up at timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of an organ.

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

They wear out in good their days, And in a moment Sheol go down.

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

And they say to God, `Turn aside from us, And the knowledge of Thy ways We have not desired.

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

What the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?'

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

Lo, not in their hand their good, (The counsel of the wicked Hath been 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 the lamp of the wicked extinguished, And come on them doth their calamity? Pangs He apportioneth in His anger.

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

They are as straw before wind, And as chaff a hurricane hath stolen away,

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

God layeth up for his sons his sorrow, He giveth recompense unto him -- and he knoweth.

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

His own eyes see his destruction, And of the wrath of the Mighty he drinketh.

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

For what his delight in his house after him, And the number of his months cut off?

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

To God doth teach knowledge, And He the high doth judge?

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

This dieth in his perfect strength, Wholly at ease and quiet.

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

His breasts have been full of milk, And marrow his bones doth moisten.

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

And this dieth with a bitter soul, And have not eaten with gladness.

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

Together -- on the dust they lie down, And the worm doth cover them over.

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

Lo, I have known your thoughts, And the devices against me ye do wrongfully.

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 the house of the noble? And where the tent -- The tabernacles of the wicked?'

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

Have ye not asked those passing by the way? And their signs do ye not know?

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

That to a day of calamity is the wicked spared. To a day of wrath they are brought.

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

Who doth declare to his face his way? And that which he hath done, Who doth give recompence to him?

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

And he -- to the graves he is brought. And over the heap a watch is kept.

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

Sweet to him have been the clods of the valley, And after him every man he draweth, And before him there is no numbering.

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

And how do ye comfort me vanity, And in your answers hath been left trespass?