✧Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech, And hearken to all my words. ✧2Behold now, I have opened my mouth; My tongue hath spoken in my mouth. ✧3My words [shall utter] the uprightness of my heart; And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely. ✧4The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life. ✧5If thou canst, answer thou me; Set [thy words] in order before me, stand forth. ✧6Behold, I am toward God even as thou art: I also am formed out of the clay. ✧7Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee. ✧8Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the voice of [thy] words, [saying], ✧9I am clean, without transgression; I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me: ✧10Behold, he findeth occasions against me, He counteth me for his enemy; ✧11He putteth my feet in the stocks, He marketh all my paths. ✧12Behold, I will answer thee, in this thou art not just; For God is greater than man. ✧13Why dost thou strive against him, For that he giveth not account of any of his matters? ✧14For God speaketh once, Yea twice, [though man] regardeth it not. ✧15In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falleth upon men, In slumberings upon the bed; ✧16Then he openeth the ears of men, And sealeth their instruction, ✧17That he may withdraw man [from his] purpose, And hide pride from man; ✧18He keepeth back his soul from the pit, And his life from perishing by the sword. ✧19He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, And with continual strife in his bones; ✧20So that his life abhorreth bread, And his soul dainty food. ✧21His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; And his bones that were not seen stick out. ✧22Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit, And his life to the destroyers. ✧23If there be with him an angel, An interpreter, one among a thousand, To show unto man what is right for him; ✧24Then [God] is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom. ✧25His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s; He returneth to the days of his youth. ✧26He prayeth unto God, and he is favorable unto him, So that he seeth his face with joy: And he restoreth unto man his righteousness. ✧27He singeth before men, and saith, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, And it profited me not: ✧28He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit, And my life shall behold the light. ✧29Lo, all these things doth God work, Twice, [yea] thrice, with a man, ✧30To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of the living. ✧31Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: Hold thy peace, and I will speak. ✧32If thou hast anything to say, answer me: Speak, for I desire to justify thee. ✧33If not, hearken thou unto me: Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.
American Standard Version (ASV). American Standard Version (1901). Public domain.