Job 10

1 My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; Show me wherefore thou contendest with me.

3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? Or seest thou as man seeth?

5 Are thy days as the days of man, Or thy years as man’s days,

6 That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin,

7 Although thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is none that can deliver out of thy hand?

8 Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?

10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, And curdled me like cheese?

11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews.

12 Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness; And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

13 Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart; I know that this is with thee:

14 If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head; Being filled with ignominy, And looking upon mine affliction.

16 And if my head exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion; And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.

17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me: Changes and warfare are with me.

18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me.

19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 Are not my days few? cease then, And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

21 Before I go whence I shall not return, Even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

22 The land dark as midnight, The land of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as midnight.

Job 11

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

2 Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be justified?

3 Should thy boastings make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

4 For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in thine eyes.

5 But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against thee,

6 And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

7 Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

8 It is high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?

9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, And broader than the sea.

10 If he pass through, and shut up, And all unto judgment, then who can hinder him?

11 For he knoweth false men: He seeth iniquity also, even though he consider it not.

12 But vain man is void of understanding, Yea, man is born as a wild ass’s colt.

13 If thou set thy heart aright, And stretch out thy hands toward him;

14 If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, And let not unrighteousness dwell in thy tents.

15 Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:

16 For thou shalt forget thy misery; Thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away,

17 And thy life shall be clearer than the noonday; Though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning.

18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; Yea, thou shalt search about thee, and shalt take thy rest in safety.

19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; Yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And they shall have no way to flee; And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.

Job 12

1 Then Job answered and said,

2 No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you.

3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

4 I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, I who called upon God, and he answered: The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.

5 In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; It is ready for them whose foot slippeth.

6 The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee:

8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9 Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,

10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

11 Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food?

12 With aged men is wisdom, And in length of days understanding.

13 With God is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.

14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

16 With him is strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh he fools.

18 He looseth the bond of kings, And he bindeth their loins with a girdle.

19 He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty.

20 He removeth the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the elders.

21 He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong.

22 He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

23 He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.

24 He taketh away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

25 They grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.