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And I have heard the voice of thy words;

⁹'I 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 answer thee: In this thou art not right,

That God is too great for man;

¹³Why hast thou striven against Him?

Seeing that He will not answer any of his words.

¹⁴For God speaketh in one way,

Yea in two, though man perceiveth 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 by their chastisement sealeth the decree,

¹⁷That men may put away their purpose,

And that He may hide pride from man;

¹⁸That He may keep back his soul from the pit,

And his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,

And all his bones grow stiff;

²⁰So that his life maketh him to abhor bread,

And his soul dainty food.

²¹His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen;

And his bones corrode to unsightliness.

²²Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit,

And his life to the destroyers.

²³If there be for him an angel,

An intercessor, one among a thousand,

To vouch for a man's uprightness;

²⁴Then He is gracious unto him, and saith:

'Deliver him from going down to the pit,

I have found a ransom.'

²⁵His flesh is tenderer than a child's;

He returneth to the days of his youth;

²⁶He prayeth unto God, and He is favourable unto him;

So that he seeth His face with joy;

And He restoreth unto man his righteousness.

²⁷He cometh before men, and saith:

'I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,

And it profited me not.'

²⁸So He redeemeth his soul from going into the pit,

And his life beholdeth 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 any thing 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.

34 Moreover Elihu answered and said:

²Hear my words, ye wise men;

And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

³For the ear trieth words,

As the palate tasteth food.

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