Chapter 7

¹ Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? and his existence as that of a hireling by the day? ² Or as a servant that fears his master, and one who has grasped a shadow? or as a hireling waiting for his pay? ³ So have I also endured months of vanity, and nights of pain have been appointed me. ⁴ Whenever I lie down, I say, When will it be day? and whenever I rise up, again I say when will it be evening? and I am full of pains from evening to morning. ⁵ And my body is covered with ¹loathsome worms; and I waste away, scraping off clods of dust from my eruption. ⁶ And my life is lighter than a word, and has perished in vain hope. ⁷ Remember then that my life is breath, and mine eye shalt not yet again see good. ⁸ The eye of him that sees me shall not see me again: thine eyes are upon me, and I am no more. ⁹ I am as a cloud that is cleared away from the sky: for if a man go down to the grave, he shall not come up again: ¹⁰ and he shall surely not return to his own house, neither shall his place know him any more. ¹¹ Then neither will I refrain my mouth: I will speak being in distress; being in ²anguish I will disclose the bitterness of my soul.

¹² Am I a sea, or a serpent, that thou hast set a watch over me? ¹³ I said that my bed should comfort me, and I would privately counsel with myself on my couch. ¹⁴ Thou scarest me with dreams, and dost terrify me with visions. ¹⁵ Thou wilt separate life from my spirit; and yet keep my bones from death. ¹⁶ For I shall not live for ever, that I should patiently endure:

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depart from me, for my life is vain. ¹⁷ For what is man, that thou hast magnified him? or that thou givest heed to him? ¹⁸ Wilt thou visit him till the morning, and judge him till the time of rest? ¹⁹ How long dost thou not let me alone, nor let me go, until I shall swallow down my spittle? ²⁰ If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do, O thou that understandest the mind of men? why hast thou made me as thine accuser, and why am I a burden to thee? ²¹ Why hast thou not forgotten my iniquity, and purged my sin? but now I shall depart to the earth; and in the morning I am no more.

Chapter 8

¹ Then Baldad the Sauchite answered, and said,

² How long wilt thou speak these things, how long shall the breath of thy mouth be abundant in words? ³ Will the Lord be unjust when he judges; or will he that has made all things ³pervert justice? ⁴ If thy sons have sinned before him, he has cast them away because of their transgression.

⁵ But be thou early in prayer to the Lord Almighty. ⁶ If thou art pure and true, he will hearken to thy supplication, and will restore to thee the habitation of righteousness. ⁷ Though then thy beginning should be small, yet thy end should be unspeakably great.

⁸ For ask of the former generation, and search diligently among the race of our fathers: ⁹ (for we are of yesterday, and know ⁴nothing; for our life upon the earth is a shadow:) ¹⁰ shall not these teach thee, and report to thee, and bring out words from their heart? ¹¹ Does the rush flourish without water, or shall the flag grow up without moisture? ¹² When it is yet on the root, and though it has not been cut down, does not any herb wither before it has received moisture? ¹³ Thus then shall be the end of all that forget ⁵the Lord: for the hope of the ungodly shall perish. ¹⁴ For his house shall be without inhabitants, and his tent shall prove a spider's web. ¹⁵ If he should prop up his house, it shall not stand: and when he has taken hold of it, it shall not remain. ¹⁶ For it is moist under the sun, and his branch shall come forth out of his ⁶dung-heap. ¹⁷ He lies down upon a gathering of stones, and shall live in the mist of flints. ¹⁸ If God should destroy him, his place shall deny him. Hast thou not seen such things, ¹⁹ that such is the overthrow of the ungodly? and out of the earth another shall grow.

²⁰ For the Lord will by no means reject the harmless man; but he will not receive any gift of the ungodly. ²¹ But he will fill with laughter the mouth of the sincere, and their lips with thanksgiving. ²² But their adversaries shall clothe themselves with shame; and the habitation of the ungodly shall perish.