Study Desk

I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. Three dots are used where it is no longer possible to be certain of the true sense of the Hebrew words, and for this reason no attempt has been made to put them into Basic English.

The lines of his men of war put themselves in order, and make high their ways of destruction against me:

They have made waste my roads, with a view to my destruction; his bowmen come round about me;

Has not my hand been stretched out in help to the poor? have I not been a saviour to him in his trouble?

What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?

If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;

For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.

(For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;)

If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?

The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey;

And he was angry with his three friends, because they had been unable to give him an answer, and had not made Job's sin clear.

I was taking note; and truly not one of you was able to make clear Job's error, or to give an answer to his words.

See, he is looking for something against me; in his eyes I am as one of his haters;

For God gives his word in one way, even in two, and man is not conscious of it:

Then he makes his secrets clear to men, so that they are full of fear at what they see;

In order that man may be turned from his evil works, and that pride may be taken away from him;

To keep back his soul from the underworld, and his life from destruction.

Pain is sent on him as a punishment, while he is on his bed; there is no end to the trouble in his bones;

He has no desire for food, and his soul is turned away from delicate meat;

His flesh is so wasted away, that it may not be seen, and his bones. Three dots are used where it is no longer possible to be certain of the true sense of the Hebrew words, and for this reason no attempt has been made to put them into Basic English.