cast them off for their iniquity.

But if thou turn in time unto God, and beseech the Almighty,

And if thou be pure and upright, he will awake unto thee, and will set up the tabernacle again for thy righteousness’ sake;

And what at first thou hadst little, hereafter thou shalt almost increase.

For inquire of the former generations, and take upon thee to inquire of their fathers.

(For we are of old, and know nothing; our life is a shadow upon the earth.) 10. They shall teach thee, and tell thee, and bring forth their speech out of their heart.

Can the reed grow up where it is not wet, or grass grow without water?

Or else, if it be yet in the flower, before it be cut down, it withereth before they make hay.

So it is with all those who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrites will be lost.

For his confidence is gone, and his hope is a cobweb.

He shall rely upon his house, and yet shall not stand: he shall keep it, and yet shall not stand.

It is fruitful before the sun: and the branches of his garden grow up.

His seed is thick by the springs, and his house is built upon the stones.

But if he swallow him up out of his place, he shall stand against him, as if he knew him not.

Behold, this is the joy of his being; and others shall grow out of the dust.

Therefore, behold, God does not reject the righteous, nor does He uphold the hand of the wicked,

Until thy mouth be full of laughter, and thy lips of rejoicing.

But they that hate thee shall be put to shame, and the tabernacle of the wicked shall not stand.
(Job)
Chapter 9
Job’s defense against Bildad.

Job answered and said:

Yea, I know almost well that therefore a man may not stand justified against God.

If he desire to dispute with him, he cannot answer him one to a thousand.

He is wise and mighty: who hath ever succeeded that hath set himself against him?

He removeth mountains before they know it, whom he turneth back in his wrath.

He causeth a land to depart out of her place, and her pillars to shake.

He saith unto the sun, let it not rise, and seal up the stars.

He spreadeth out the heavens alone, and walketh upon the waves of the sea.

He maketh the chariot in the heavens, and Orion, and the mother hen, and the stars toward the south.

He doeth great things which cannot be searched out, and wonders of which there is no number.

Behold, he passeth over before me before I know it, and is changed before I know it.

Behold, if he go quickly, who shall repeat him? Who shall say unto him, What doest thou?

He is GOD, his wrath no man can quench; under him the proud lords must bow down.

How then shall I answer him, and find words against him?

Though I be right, yet cannot I answer him, but I must plead my right.

Though I call upon him, and he heareth me, yet will I not believe that he heareth my voice.

For he hath overtaken me with violence, and hath given me many wounds without cause.

He restoreth not my spirit, but maketh me full of sorrow.

If I desire power, he is too mighty: if I desire judgment, who will be my witness?

If I say that I am righteous, he condemneth me: if I am righteous, he maketh me unrighteous.

If then I be godly, my soul shall not take it. I desire no more life.

This is the one thing that I have said: He killeth both the upright and the wicked.

When he begineth to scourge, he soon presseth on unto death, and maketh a mockery of the imputation of the innocent.

And the land shall be given into the hand of the wicked, to oppress their judges. Is it not so?
How shall it be otherwise?

My days have been swifter than a runner; they have fled, and have seen no good thing.

They are passed away as the strong ships, as an eagle fleeth for meat.

When I remember, I will forget my lamentation, and leave off my strife, and be refreshed, 28. Then I will fear all my pains, because I know that thou wilt not let me be innocent.

Am I then ungodly, why do I suffer such vain plagues?

when I immediately wish with snow water and cleaned my hands with the well,

But thou shalt drench me in dung, and my garments shall be put to shame.

For he is not like unto me, to whom I would answer that we should come into judgment together.

There is no arbitrator among us, neither shall he put his hand between us both.

He taketh away his rod from me, and leaveth his terror from me, 35. That I may speak, and not be afraid of him: otherwise I can do nothing that is for me.
(Job)
Chapter 10
Job complains about his misery.

My soul perverteth my life: I will let my lamentation go with me, and speak of the affliction of my soul.

And say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you dispute with me.

Dost thou delight thyself to do violence, and to cast me off whom thine hands have made, and to make the wicked to glory?

Hast thou then eyes of flesh, or seest thou as a man seeth?

Or is thy time as the time of a man, or thy years as the years of a man, 6. That thou inquireest after my iniquity, and seekest my sin?

If thou knowest how I am not ungodly; if there be none to deliver out of thine hand.

Thy hands have wrought me, and made all that I am round about; and even sunk me!

Remember that thou hast made me of glue, and wilt make me again of the earth.

Hast thou not milked me like milk, and curdled me like cheese?
11; Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, with legs and veins hast thou joined me together.

Life and mercy hast thou done unto me; and thy reverence keepeth my breath.

And though thou hide these things in thine heart, yet I know that thou rememberest them.

If I sin, thou knowest it quickly, and wilt not suffer my iniquity to go unpunished.

If I be wicked, woe is me: if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head, as I am full of shame, and see my affliction.

And like a roaring lion thou huntest me, and dealest abominably with me again.

Thou hast renewed thy witnesses against me, and hast made much of thine anger against me: one by one thou hast afflicted me with heaps.

Why hast thou brought me forth from my mother’s womb? Oh that I had perished, and that no eye had seen me!

Thus would I, when they were never, be brought from the womb to the grave.

Will not then my short life come to an end, and let me be refreshed a little?

Before I go, and come not again, even into the land of darkness and gloom, 22. Into the land that is as thick as darkness, and there is no order, because it seemeth as darkness?
(Job)
Chapter 11.
Job is accused of hypocrisy by Zophar.

Then Zophar of Naema answered and said:

If a man speak long, must he not also hear? Must a washer always be right?

Shall men be silent unto thy great babblings, that thou mock thee, and that no man put thee to shame?

Thou sayest, My speech is pure, and I am loud in thine eyes.

Oh that God would speak unto thee, and open his lips unto thee!

And shewed the secret wisdom. For he would have more to do for thee, that thou mightest know that he remembereth not all thy sins.

Thinkest thou that thou knowest as much as God knoweth, and wilt do all things as perfectly as the Almighty?

He is higher than heaven; what wilt thou do? lower than hell; what canst thou know?

longer than the earth and wider than the sea.

If he turn them back, or make them sure, or cast them into a heap, who shall prevent him?

For he knoweth the loose men, he seeth iniquity, and should not know it?

A useless man is puffed up: and a man that is born is as a young game.

If thou hadst set thy heart, and spread out thy hands unto him; 14. If thou hadst put away from thee the iniquity that is in thine hand, that there should be no iniquity in thy tabernacle,

Then wouldst thou lift up thy countenance without reproach, and be steadfast, and fear not.

Then shalt thou forget the trouble, and remember it as little as the waters that pass by.

And the days of thy life shall rise as the noonday, and the darkness shall become the light of the morning.

And thou shalt be comforted in that there is hope; thou shalt enter into the grave with peace.

And would lie down, and no man would startle thee; and many would plead before thee.

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and shall not escape: for their hope shall fail from their soul.
(Job)
Chapter 12
Job to answer against Zophar and the rest of his friends.

Then Job answered and said:

Ye are the people; wisdom shall die with you!

I have as good a heart as ye, and am not less than ye: and who is he that knoweth not these things?

He that is laughed at by his neighbour shall call upon God, and he shall hear him. The righteous and the pious must be laughed at.

And is a despised light in the sight of the proud, and they are offended at it.

The dens of the spoilers are full, and rage against God, though God hath delivered it into their