14:1¤ Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.

14:2Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.

14:3And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?

14:4Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?

14:5The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.

14:6Depart a little from him, that he may rest until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.

14:7A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.

14:8If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:

14:9At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.

14:10But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?

14:11As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up;

14:12So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.

14:13Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me?

14:14Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.

14:15Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.

14:16Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.

14:17Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.

14:18A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.

14:19Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.

14:20Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.

14:21Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.

14:22But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.

15:1¤ And Eliphaz the Themanite, answered, and said:

15:2Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking in the wind, and fill his stomach with burning heat?

15:3Thou reprovest him by words, who is not equal to thee, and thou speakest that which is not good for thee.

15:4As much as is in thee, thou hast made void fear, and hast taken away prayers from before God.

15:5For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou imitatest the tongue of blasphemers.

15:6Thy own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: and thy own lips shall answer thee.

15:7Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills?

15:8Hast thou heard God's counsel, and shall his wisdom be inferior to thee?

15:9What knowest thou that we are ignorant of? what dost thou understand that we know not?

15:10There are with us also aged and ancient men, much elder than thy fathers.

15:11Is it a great matter that God should comfort thee? but thy wicked words hinder this.

15:12Why doth thy heart elevate thee, and why dost thou stare with thy eyes, as if they were thinking great things?

15:13Why doth thy spirit swell against God, to utter such words out of thy mouth?

15:14What is man that he should be without spot, and he that is born of a woman that he should appear just?

15:15Behold among his saints none is unchangeable, and the heavens are not pure in his sight.

15:16How much more is man abominable, and unprofitable, who drinketh iniquity like water?

15:17I will shew thee, hear me: and I will tell thee what I have seen.

15:18Wise men confess and hide not their fathers.

15:19To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger hath passed among them.

15:20The wicked man is proud all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.

15:21The sound of dread is always in his ears: and when there is peace, he always suspecteth treason.

15:22He believeth not that he may return from darkness to light, looking round about for the sword on every side.

15:23When he moveth himself to seek bread, he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

15:24Tribulation shall terrify him, and distress shall surround him, as a king that is prepared for the battle.

15:25For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and hath strengthened himself against the Almighty.

15:26He hath run against him with his neck raised up, and is armed with a fat neck.

15:27Fatness hath covered his face, and the fat hangeth down on his sides.

15:28He hath dwelt in desolate cities, and in desert houses that are reduced into heaps.

15:29He shall not be enriched, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he push his root in the earth.

15:30He shall not depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall be taken away by the breath of his own mouth.

15:31He shall not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he may be redeemed with any price.

15:32Before his days be full he shall perish: and his hands shall wither away.

15:33He shall be blasted as a vine when its grapes are in the first flower, and as an olive tree that casteth its flower.

15:34For the congregation of the hypocrite is barren, and fire shall devour their tabernacles, who love to take bribes.

15:35He hath conceived sorrow, and hath brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepareth deceits.

16:1¤ Then Job answered, and said:

16:2I have often heard such things as these: you are all troublesome comforters.

16:3Shall windy words have no end? or is it any trouble to thee to speak?

16:4I also could speak like you: and would God your soul were for my soul. I would comfort you also with words, and would wag my head over you.

16:5I would strengthen you with my mouth, and would move my lips, as sparing you.

16:6But what shall I do? If I speak, my pain will not rest: and if I hold my peace, it will not depart from me.

16:7But now my sorrow hath oppressed me, and all my limbs are brought to nothing.

16:8My wrinkles bear witness against me, and a false speaker riseth up against my face, contradicting me.

16:9He hath gathered together his fury against me, and threatening me he hath gnashed with his teeth upon me: my enemy hath beheld me with terrible eyes.

16:10They have opened their mouths upon me, and reproaching me they have struck me on the cheek, they are filled with my pains.

16:11God hath shut me up with the unjust man, and hath delivered me into the hands of the wicked.

16:12I that was formerly so wealthy, am all on a sudden broken to pieces: he hath taken me by my neck, he hath broken me, and hath set me up to be his mark.

16:13He hath compassed me round about with his lances, he hath wounded my loins, he hath not spared, and hath poured out my bowels on the earth,

16:14He hath torn me with wound upon wound, he hath rushed in upon me like a giant.

16:15I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin, and have covered my flesh with ashes.

16:16My face is swollen with weeping, and my eyelids are dim.

16:17These things have I suffered without the iniquity of my hand, when I offered pure prayers to God.

16:18O earth, cover not thou my blood, neither let my cry find a hiding place in thee.

16:19For behold my witness is in heaven, and he that knoweth my conscience is on high.

16:20My friends are full of words: my eye poureth out tears to God.

16:21And O that a man might so be judged with God, as the son of man is judged with his companion!

16:22For behold short years pass away, and I am walking in a path by which I shall not return.

17:1¤ My spirit shall be wasted, my days shall be shortened and only the grave remaineth for me.

17:2I have not sinned, and my eye abideth in bitterness.

17:3Deliver me, O Lord, and set me beside thee, and let any man's hand fight against me.

17:4Thou hast set their heart far from understanding, therefore they shall not be exalted.

17:5He promiseth a prey to his companions, and the eyes of his children shall fail.

17:6He hath made me as it were a byword of the people, and I am an example before them.

17:7My eye is dim through indignation, and my limbs are brought as it were to nothing.

17:8The just shall be astonished at this, and the innocent shall be raised up against the hypocrite.

17:9And the just man shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

17:10Wherefore be you all converted, and come, and I shall not find among you any wise man.

17:11My days have passed away, my thoughts are dissipated, tormenting my heart.

17:12They have turned night into day, and after darkness I hope for light again.

17:13If I wait hell is my house, and I have made my bed in darkness.

17:14I have said to rottenness: Thou art my father; to worms, my mother and my sister.

17:15Where is now then my expectation, and who considereth my patience?

17:16All that I have shall go down into the deepest pit: thinkest thou that there at least I shall have rest?