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¹ Hear therefore, O Job, my speeches, and hearken to all my words.² Behold now I have opened my mouth, let my tongue speak within my jaws.³ My words are from my upright heart, and my lips shall speak a pure sentence.⁴ The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life.⁵ If thou canst, answer me, and stand up against my face.⁶ Behold God hath made me as well as thee, and of the same clay I also was formed.⁷ But yet let not my wonder terrify thee, and let not my eloquence be burdensome to thee.

⁸ Now thou hast said in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words:⁹ I am clean, and without sin: I am unspotted, and there is no iniquity in me.¹⁰ Because he hath found complaints against me, therefore he hath counted me for his enemy.¹¹ He hath put my feet in the stocks, he hath observed all my paths.¹² Now this is the thing in which thou art not justified: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.¹³ Dost thou strive against him, because he hath not answered thee to all words?

¹⁴ God speaketh once, and repeateth not the selfsame thing the second time.¹⁵ By a dream in a vision by night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, and they are sleeping in their beds:¹⁶ Then he openeth the ears of men, and teaching instructeth them in what they are to learn.¹⁷ That he may withdraw a man from the things he is doing, and may deliver him from pride.¹⁸ Rescuing his soul from corruption: and his life from passing to the sword.

¹⁹ He rebuketh also by sorrow in the bed, and he maketh all his bones to wither.²⁰ Bread becometh abominable to him in his life, and to his soul the meat which before he desired.²¹ His flesh shall be consumed away, and his bones that were covered shall be made bare.²² His soul hath drawn near to corruption, and his life to the destroyers.²³ If there shall be an angel speaking for him, one among thousands, to declare man’s uprightness,²⁴ He shall have mercy on him, and shall say: Deliver him, that he may not go down to corruption: I have found wherein I may be merciful to him.²⁵ His flesh is consumed with punishments, let him return to the days of his youth.²⁶ He shall pray to God, and he will be gracious to him: and he shall see his face with joy, and he will render to man his justice.²⁷ He shall look upon men, and shall say: I have sinned, and indeed I have offended, and I have not received what I have deserved.²⁸ He hath delivered his soul from going into destruction, that it may live and see the light.

²⁹ Behold, all these things God worketh three times within every one.³⁰ That he may withdraw their souls from corruption, and enlighten them with the light of the living.³¹ Attend, Job, and hearken to me, and hold thy peace, whilst I speak.³² But if thou hast any thing to say, answer me, speak: for I would have thee to appear just.³³ And if thou have not, hear me: hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.