¹Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, ²Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself. ³Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? ⁴Is it for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment? ⁵Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities. ⁶For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing. ⁷Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. ⁸But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it. ⁹Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken. ¹⁰Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee, ¹¹Or darkness, so that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee. ¹²Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are! ¹³And thou sayest, What doth God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness? ¹⁴Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven. ¹⁵Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden? ¹⁶Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream, ¹⁷Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, What can the Almighty do for us? ¹⁸Yet he filled their houses with good things: But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. ¹⁹The righteous see it, and are glad; And the innocent laugh them to scorn, ²⁰Saying, Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed. ²¹Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee. ²²Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart. ²³If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents. ²⁴And lay thou thy treasure in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks; ²⁵And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee. ²⁶For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God. ²⁷Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee; And thou shalt pay thy vows. ²⁸Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways. ²⁹When they cast thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting up; And the humble person he will save. ³⁰He will deliver even him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.

¹Then Job answered and said, ²Even to-day is my complaint rebellious: My stroke is heavier than my groaning. ³Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat! ⁴I would set my cause in order before him, And fill my mouth with arguments. ⁵I would know the words which he would answer me, And understand what he would say unto me. ⁶Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me. ⁷There the upright might reason with him; So should I be delivered for ever from my judge. ⁸Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; And backward, but I cannot perceive him; ⁹On the left hand, when he doth work, but I cannot behold him; He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. ¹⁰But he knoweth the way that I take; When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. ¹¹My foot hath held fast to his steps; His way have I kept, and turned not aside. ¹²I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. ¹³But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. ¹⁴For he performeth that which is appointed for me: And many such things are with him. ¹⁵Therefore am I terrified at his presence; When I consider, I am afraid of him. ¹⁶For God hath made my heart faint, And the Almighty hath terrified me; ¹⁷Because I was not cut off before the darkness, Neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.