1  Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said

2  Dominion and fear are with Him; He maketh peace in His high places.

2  What beginning or fear is his—even he that makes all things in the highest?

2  Power and terror are with him that makes a pact with those in high places.

3  Is there any number of His armies? And upon whom doth not His light arise?

3  For let none think that there is a respite for robbers: and upon whom will there not come a snare from him?

3  Is there any limit to the number of his soldiers or to the number of those over whom his light rises?

4  How then can man be just with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

4  For how shall a mortal be just before the Lord? or who that is born of a woman shall purify himself?

4  Is it right for man to compare himself to God, or to appear pure though he is born of woman?

5  Behold, even the moon hath no brightness, and the stars are not pure in His sight;

5  If he gives an order to the moon, then it shines not; and the stars are not pure before him.

6  How much less man, that is a worm! and the son of man, that is a maggot!

6  But alas! man is corruption, and the son of man a worm.

6  Is man much more than rottenness and the son of man much more than worms?

26:1  Then Job answered and said

1  But Job answered and said,

26:2  How hast thou helped him that is without power! How hast thou saved the arm that hath no strength!

2  Whose assistant are you? Is he weak-minded? And do you sustain the arm of him that is not strong?

26:3  How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge!

3  To whom hast thou given counsel? is it not to him who has all wisdom? whom wilt thou follow? is it not one who has the greatest power?

3  To whom have you given advice? Perhaps it is to him that has no wisdom or prudence that you have revealed your many ideas.

26:4  With whose help hast thou uttered words? And whose spirit came forth from thee?

4  Who is it that you wanted to teach? Was it not him that created the breath of life?

4  To whom have you uttered words? And whose soul has come forth from you?

26:5  The shades tremble beneath the waters and the inhabitants thereof.

5  Shall giants be born from under the water and the inhabitants thereof?

5  Behold, giant things groan under the waters, and they dwell with them.

26:6  The nether-world is naked before Him, and Destruction hath no covering.

6  Hell is naked before him, and destruction has no covering.

6  The underworld is naked before him, and there is no covering for perdition.

26:7  He stretcheth out the north over the empty space, and hangeth the earth over nothing.

7  He stretches out the north wind upon nothing, and he upon nothing hangs the earth;

7  He stretched out the North over emptiness, and he suspended the land over nothing.

26:8  He bindeth up the waters in His thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.

8  binding water in his clouds, and the cloud is not rent under it.

8  He secures the waters in his clouds, so that they do not burst forth downward all at once.

26:9  He closeth in the face of His throne, and spreadeth His cloud upon it.

9  He keeps back the face of his throne, stretching out his cloud upon it.

26:10  He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, unto the confines of light and darkness.

10  He has set limits around the waters, until light and darkness shall reach their limit.

26:11  The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at His rebuke.

26:12  He stirreth up the sea with His power, and by His understanding He smiteth through Rahab.

12  By his strength, the seas suddenly gather together, and his foresight has struck the arrogant.

12  He rebukes the sea with his power, and by his wisdom he saves many.

26:13  By His breath the heavens are serene; His hand hath pierced the slant serpent.

13  And the barriers of heaven fear him, and by a command he has slain the apostate dragon.

13  His spirit has adorned the heavens, and his birthing hand has brought forth the winding serpent.

26:14  Lo, these are but the outskirts of His ways; and how small a whisper is heard of Him! But the thunder of His mighty deeds who can understand?

14  Behold, these are parts of his way; and we will hearken to him at the least intimation of his word: but the strength of his thunder who knows, when he shall employ it?

27:1  And Job again took up his parable, and said

1  Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said

1  MOREOVER Job continued his parable, and said,

27:2  As God liveth, who hath taken away my right; and the Almighty, who hath dealt bitterly with me;

2  As God lives, who has thus judged me; and the Almighty, who has embittered my soul;

27:3  All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,

3  verily, while my breath is yet in me, and the breath of God which remains to me is in my nostrils,

3  as long as my breath remains in me and the breath of God remains in my nostrils,

27:4  Surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, neither shall my tongue utter deceit;

4  my lips shall not speak evil words, neither shall my soul meditate unrighteous thoughts.

4  my lips will not speak iniquity, nor will my tongue devise lies.

27:5  Far be it from me that I should justify you; till I die I will not put away mine integrity from me.

5  God forbid that I should do evil, till I die I will not remove my innocence from me.

27:6  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

6  but keeping fast to my righteousness I will by no means let it go: for I am not conscious to myself of having done any thing amiss.

6  I will not forsake my justification, which I have just begun to grasp, for my heart does not find blame for me in my whole life.

27:7  Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and let him that riseth up against me be as the unrighteous.

7  Let the impious be as my enemy, and the sinful, as my adversary.

27:8  For what is the hope of the godless, though he get him gain, when God taketh away his soul?

8  For what hope is there for the hypocrite, if he greedily plunders and God does not free his soul?

8  For though he has accumulated riches, what is the hope of the godless at the time when God takes away his life?

27:9  Will God hear his cry, when trouble cometh upon him?

9  Will God pay attention to his cry, when anguish overcomes him?

9  For God will not hear his prayer when trouble comes upon him.

27:10  Will he have his delight in the Almighty, and call upon God at all times?

10  has he any confidence before him? or will God hear him as he calls upon him?

10  But if he should trust in the Almighty, and always call upon God, God will hear him and answer him.

27:11  I will teach you concerning the hand of God; that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

11  Yet now I will tell you what is in the hand of the Lord: I will not lie concerning the things which are with the Almighty.

11  But as for you, I will deliver you into the hand of God; so that your works may not be hid from him.

27:12  Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye become altogether vain?

12  Behold, ye all know that ye are adding vanity to vanity.

12  Behold, you know all this, and so why do you speak vain things without a reason?

27:13  This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.

13  This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of oppressors shall come upon them from the Almighty.

27:14  If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword; and his offspring shall not have bread enough.

14  And if their children be many, they shall be for slaughter: and if they grow up, they shall beg.

14  If his sons should happen to increase, they will be for the sword, and his grandsons will not be satisfied with bread.

27:15  Those that remain of him shall be buried by pestilence, and his widows shall make no lamentation.

15  And they that survive of him shall utterly perish, and no one shall pity their widows.

15  Whatever will remain of him will be buried in the ruins, and his widows will not weep.

27:16  Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;

16  If he will amass silver as if it were dirt and fabricate garments as if they were clay,

27:17  He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

17  All these things shall the righteous gain, and the truehearted shall possess his wealth.

17  then yes, he will gather, but the just will be clothed with it and the innocent will divide the silver.

27:18  He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth which the keeper maketh.

18  And his house is gone like moths, and like a spider’s web.

18  For the wicked has built his house upon a spider's web, and like a booth he had made his shelter.

27:19  He lieth down rich, but there shall be not to gather; he openeth his eyes, and his wealth is not.

19  The rich man shall lie down, and shall not continue: he has opened his eyes, and he is not.

19  When he falls asleep, the rich man will leave him with nothing; he will open his eyes and find nothing.

27:20  Terrors overtake him like waters; a tempest stealeth him away in the night.

20  Pains have come upon him as water, and darkness has carried him away by night.

20  Destitution will surround him like water; a storm will overwhelm him in the night.

27:21  The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth; and it sweepeth him out of his place.

21  And a burning wind shall catch him, and he shall depart, and it shall utterly drive him out of his place.

21  A burning wind will pick him up and carry him away, and, like a whirlwind, it will rush him from his place.

27:22  Yea, it hurleth at him, and spareth not; he would fain flee from its power.

22  And God shall cast trouble upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

22  And it will hurl over him and will not spare him; fleeing from its power, he will go into exile.

27:23  Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

23  He will clasp his hands over himself, and he will hiss at himself, while considering his situation.

23  He shall smite him with his hand, and shall hiss against him from his dwelling place.

28:1  For there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.

1  Silver has its fissures where it is first found, and gold has a place where it is melted.

1  SURELY there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined.

28:2  Iron is taken out of the dust, and brass is molten out of the stone.

2  For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.

28:3  Man setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out to the furthest bound the stones of thick darkness and of the shadow of death.

3  He has established a time for darkness, and he has settled on an end for all things, as well as for the stone that is in the gloom and shadow of death.

3  God sets an end to darkness, and knows the end of everything, the deep and dark mine and the shadow of death.

28:4  He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot that passeth by; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.

4  There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from among men.

4  They have inherited a ruined mine from an alien people; they are gone astray from the right path and their number has diminished from among men.

28:5  As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

5  The land, where bread appeared in its place, has been destroyed by fire.

5  They lay open the earth, out of which comes sustenance; and from under it is turned up material as if it were burned with fire.

28:6  The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.

6  Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and her dust supplies man with gold.

6  Its stones are embedded with sapphires, and its soil, with gold.

28:7  That path no bird of prey knoweth, neither hath the falcon's eye seen it;

7  There is a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it

7  The bird does not know its path, nor has the eye of the vulture beheld it.

28:8  The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor hath the lion passed thereby.

28:9  He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots.

9  He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp rock, and turned up mountains by the roots

9  The miner puts forth his hand upon the hard rock to break it; he overturns the mountains from their foundations.

28:10  He cutteth out channels among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

10  and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.

28:11  He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

11  And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.

11  The depths of rivers he has also examined, and he has brought hidden things into the light.

28:12  But wisdom, where shall it be found? And where is the place of understanding?

12  But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?

12  But, in truth, where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?

28:13  Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

13  A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.

13  Man does not know its price, nor is it found in the land of those who live in sweetness.

28:14  The deep saith: 'It is not in me'; and the sea saith: 'It is not with me.'

14  The abyss declares, “It is not in me.” And the sea says, “It is not with me.”

14  The depth says, It is not in me, and the sea says, It is not with me.

28:15  It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

15  One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.

15  The finest gold will not be paid for it, nor will silver be weighed in exchange for it.

28:16  It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

16  Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.

16  It will not be compared with the dyed colors of India, nor with the very costly stone sardonyx, nor with the sapphire.

28:17  Gold and glass cannot equal it; neither shall the exchange thereof be vessels of fine gold.

17  Neither gold nor crystal will be its equal; neither will vessels of gold be fitted for it.

17  The gold and the crystal cannot equal it; nor can precious pearls, jewels, and emeralds equal it.

28:18  No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.

18  The exalted and the eminent will not be remembered in comparison with it. Yet wisdom is drawn out of concealment.

28:19  The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

19  For the price of wisdom is above everything, and nothing can equal it. The pearls of Ethiopia and the topaz cannot equal it.

28:20  Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?

20  So then, where does wisdom begin, and where is the place of understanding?

28:21  Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

21  It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.

21  It has been hidden from the eyes of all living things, just as the birds of the heavens escape notice.

28:22  Destruction and Death say: 'We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.'

22  Perdition and death have said, “With our ears, we have heard its fame.”

28:23  God understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof.

23  God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.

23  Because only God understands the way of it, and he knows the place thereof.

28:24  For He looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

24  For he surveys the whole earth under heaven, knowing the things in the earth

24  For he beholds the limits of the world, and he looks upon all things that are under heaven.

28:25  When He maketh a weight for the wind, and meteth out the waters by measure.

28:26  When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the storm of thunders;

26  At that time, he gave a law to the rain and a path to the resounding storms.

28:27  Then did He see it, and declare it; He established it, yea, and searched it out.

27  Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it and traced it out.

27  Then he saw and explained it, and he made ready and examined it.

28:28  And unto man He said: 'Behold, the fear of YHWH, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'

28  And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.

29:1  And Job again took up his parable, and said

1  Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said

1  MOREOVER Job continued his parable, and said,

29:2  Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

2  Who will grant to me that I might be as I was in former months, according to the days when God kept watch over me?

2  O that I were as in months past, as in the days when God took care of me;

29:3  When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness;

3  At that time, his lamp shined over my head, and by his light, I walked through the darkness.

3  When he put his worship high upon my head, when his lamp shone over me; and when by his light I walked through darkness.

29:4  As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse of God was upon my tent;

4  As when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.

4  O, that I were as in the days when I was in favor, when God abode in my tabernacle;

29:5  When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me;

5  When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;

5  At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.

29:6  When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

6  when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.

6  Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.

29:7  When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the broad place,

7  When I went out to the gate of the city and called on the people; and sat down like a poor man in the street,

29:8  The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood;

8  The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.

29:9  The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;

9  And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.

9  The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.

29:10  The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

10  And they that heard me blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.

10  The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.

29:11  For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me;

11  For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.

11  The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.

29:12  Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.

12  For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.

12  This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.

29:13  The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

13  Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yea, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.

29:14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; my justice was as a robe and a diadem.

14  Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgement like a mantle.

14  I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.

29:15  I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

15  I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.

29:16  I was a father to the needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

16  I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.

16  I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.

29:17  And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

17  I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.

29:18  Then I said: 'I shall die with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix;

18  And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm-tree; I shall live a long while.

18  Then I said, I shall become straight like a reed, I shall deliver the poor and multiply my days like the sand of the seas.

29:19  My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew shall lie all night upon my branch;

19  My roots are planted by the waters, and the dew lies all night upon my boughs, and at the harvest season I shall be invited to the feast.

29:20  My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow shall be renewed in my hand.'

20  I shall take my bow with me, and renew it in my hand.

29:21  Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

21  Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.

29:22  After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

22  At my word they spoke not again, and they were very glad whenever I spoke to them.

22  To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.

29:23  And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

23  As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they waited for my speech.

23  They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.

29:24  If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

24  Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe it; and the light of my face has not failed.

24  If I had ever laughed at them, they would not have believed it, and the light of my face was not cast down towards the ground.

29:25  I chose out their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

25  If I wished to go to them, I sat down first, and, though I sat like a king surrounded by an army, yet I was a comforter to whose who mourned.

25  I searched out their ways, and then returned and dwelt as a king in his army, like one who comforts the mourners.