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¹ WHEREFORE, hear my speech, O Job, and hearken to all my sayings.² Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue speaks in my mouth.³ The words of my mouth are upright, and the utterances of my lips are pure.⁴ The Spirit of God has stirred me up, and the breath of the Almighty has given me life.⁵ If you can answer me, then prepare yourself and stand up before me.⁶ For I am also like you before God; I also am formed out of clay.⁷ Therefore my admonishings will not make you to tremble, neither will my rebuke be heavy upon you.

⁸ Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of your words, saying,⁹ I am blameless without transgressions, I am righteous; and there is no iniquity in me, and I am far removed from wickedness.¹⁰ Behold, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy.¹¹ He puts my feet in the stocks, he watches all my paths.¹² Behold, in this you cannot justify yourself; I will answer you, that God is greater than man.¹³ Why do you strive with him, seeing that he does not give an account of any of his matters?

¹⁴ For God speaks once; he does not speak a second time;¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering upon the bed;¹⁶ Then he opens the ears of men, and humbles them according to their rebelliousness.¹⁷ That he may cause man to depart from his evil-doings, and remove pride from him;¹⁸ He spares his soul from corruption, and his life from perdition.

¹⁹ Man is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain;²⁰ So that his flesh fails because of his fear, and his soul is not satisfied with bread, and covets food.²¹ His flesh is wasted away because of his fear, so that a greater part of his bones can he seen.²² Yea, his soul draws near to corruption, and his life to death.²³ If a man have an angel to whom one would listen once in a thousand times, the angel would show him the way of uprightness²⁴ And be gracious to him and say, Deliver this man lest he go down to corruption; he has found salvation;²⁵ Then his flesh will change to that of his childhood; and he shall return to the days of his youth;²⁶ And he shall pray to God, and he will hear him and be pleased with him, and God shall appear before him with glory; for he will render to men his righteousness.²⁷ Then the uprightness will bear witness concerning the man; and he shall say, I have truly sinned and I am at fault; and it profiteth me not;²⁸ Deliver my soul from perdition, and my life shall see the light.

²⁹ Lo, all these things God does three times with a man,³⁰ To bring back his soul from corruption, to see the light of the living.³¹ Incline your ear, O Job, hearken to me; be silent, and I will speak.³² If you have anything to say, answer me; for I desire that you may be justified.³³ But if you will not listen, then be silent, and I shall teach you wisdom.