41:1Is it possible for Leviathan to be pulled out with a fish-hook, or for a hook to be put through the bone of his mouth? 41:2Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue? 41:3Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you? 41:4Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever? 41:5Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women? 41:6Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders? 41:7Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head? 41:8Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again! 41:9Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him! 41:10He is so cruel that no one is ready to go against him. Who then is able to keep his place before me? 41:11Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven! 41:12I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame. 41:13Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron? 41:14Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth. 41:15His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp. 41:16One is so near to the other that no air may come between them. 41:17They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted. 41:18His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn. 41:19Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up. 41:20Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire. 41:21His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth. 41:22Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him. 41:23The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved. 41:24His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone. 41:25When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear. 41:26The sword may come near him but is not able to go through him; the spear, or the arrow, or the sharp-pointed iron. 41:27Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood. 41:28The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems. 41:29A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear. 41:30Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth. 41:31The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel. 41:32After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white. 41:33On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear. 41:34Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
42:1And Job said in answer to the Lord, 42:2I see that you are able to do every thing, and to give effect to all your designs. 42:3Who is this who makes dark the purpose of God by words without knowledge? For I have been talking without knowledge about wonders not to be searched out. 42:4Give ear to me, and I will say what is in my mind; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers. 42:5Word of you had come to my ears, but now my eye has seen you. 42:6For this cause I give witness that what I said is false, and in sorrow I take my seat in the dust. 42:7And it came about, after he had said these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, I am very angry with you and your two friends, because you have not said what is right about me, as my servant Job has. 42:8And now, take seven oxen and seven sheep, and go to my servant Job, and give a burned offering for yourselves, and my servant Job will make prayer for you, that I may not send punishment on you; because you have not said what is right about me, as my servant Job has. 42:9And Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, went and did as the Lord had said. And the Lord gave ear to Job. 42:10And the Lord made up to Job for all his losses, after he had made prayer for his friends: and all Job had before was increased by the Lord twice as much. 42:11And all his brothers and sisters, and his friends of earlier days, came and took food with him in his house; and made clear their grief for him, and gave him comfort for all the evil which the Lord had sent on him; and they all gave him a bit of money and a gold ring. 42:12And the Lord's blessing was greater on the end of Job's life than on its start: and so he came to have fourteen thousand sheep and goats, and six thousand camels, and two thousand oxen, and a thousand she-asses. 42:13And he had seven sons and three daughters. 42:14And he gave the first the name of Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch; 42:15And there were no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job in all the earth: and their father gave them a heritage among their brothers. 42:16And after this Job had a hundred and forty years of life, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. 42:17And Job came to his end, old and full of days.
Psalms
1:1Happy is the man who does not go in the company of sinners, or take his place in the way of evil-doers, or in the seat of those who do not give honour to the Lord. 1:2But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and whose mind is on his law day and night. 1:3He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time, whose leaves will ever be green; and he will do well in all his undertakings. 1:4The evil-doers are not so; but are like the dust from the grain, which the wind takes away. 1:5For this cause there will be no mercy for sinners when they are judged, and the evil-doers will have no place among the upright, 1:6Because the Lord sees the way of the upright, but the end of the sinner is destruction.
2:1Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish? 2:2The kings of the earth have taken their place, and the rulers are fixed in their purpose, against the Lord, and against the king of his selection, saying, 2:3Let their chains be broken, and their cords taken from off us. 2:4Then he whose seat is in the heavens will be laughing: the Lord will make sport of them. 2:5Then will his angry words come to their ears, and by his wrath they will be troubled: 2:6But I have put my king on my holy hill of Zion. 2:7I will make clear the Lord's decision: he has said to me, You are my son, this day have I given you being. 2:8Make your request to me, and I will give you the nations for your heritage, and the farthest limits of the earth will be under your hand. 2:9They will be ruled by you with a rod of iron; they will be broken like a potter's vessel. 2:10So now be wise, you kings: take his teaching, you judges of the earth. 2:11Give worship to the Lord with fear, kissing his feet and giving him honour, 2:12For fear that he may be angry, causing destruction to come on you, because he is quickly moved to wrath. Happy are all those who put their faith in him.
3:1<A Psalm. Of David. When he went in flight from Absalom his son.> Lord, how greatly are they increased who make attacks on me! in great numbers they come against me. 3:2Unnumbered are those who say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. (Selah.) 3:3But your strength, O Lord, is round me, you are my glory and the lifter up of my head. 3:4I send up a cry to the Lord with my voice, and he gives me an answer from his holy hill. (Selah.) 3:5I took my rest in sleep, and then again I was awake; for the Lord was my support. 3:6I will have no fear, though ten thousand have come round me, putting themselves against me. 3:7Come to me, Lord; keep me safe, O my God; for you have given all my haters blows on their face-bones; the teeth of the evil-doers have been broken by you. 3:8Salvation comes from the Lord; your blessing is on your people. (Selah.)
4:1<To the chief music-maker on corded instruments. A Psalm. Of David.> Give answer to my cry, O God of my righteousness; make me free from my troubles; have mercy on me, and give ear to my prayer. 4:2O you sons of men, how long will you go on turning my glory into shame? how long will you give your love to foolish things, going after what is false? (Selah.) 4:3See how the Lord has made great his mercy for me; the Lord will give ear to my cry. 4:4Let there be fear in your hearts, and do no sin; have bitter feelings on your bed, but make no sound. (Selah.) 4:5Give the offerings of righteousness, and put your faith in the Lord. 4:6There are numbers who say, Who will do us any good? the light of his face has gone from us. 4:7Lord, you have put joy in my heart, more than they have when their grain and their wine are increased. 4:8I will take my rest on my bed in peace, because you only, Lord, keep me safe.
5:1<To the chief music-maker on wind instruments. A Psalm. Of David.> Give ear to my words, O Lord; give thought to my heart-searchings. 5:2Let the voice of my cry come to you, my King and my God; for to you will I make my prayer. 5:3My voice will come to you in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I send my prayer to you, and keep watch. 5:4For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wrongdoing; there is no evil with you. 5:5The sons of pride have no place before you; you are a hater of all workers of evil. 5:6You will send destruction on those whose words are false; the cruel man and the man of deceit are hated by the Lord. 5:7But as for me, I will come into your house, in the full measure of your mercy; and in your fear I will give worship, turning my eyes to your holy Temple. 5:8Be my guide, O Lord, in the ways of your righteousness, because of those who are against me; make your way straight before my face. 5:9For no faith may be put in their words; their inner part is nothing but evil; their throat is like an open place for the dead; smooth are the words of their tongues. 5:10Send them to destruction, O Lord; let their evil designs be the cause of their fall; let them be forced out by all their sins; because they have gone against your authority. 5:11But let all those who put their faith in you be glad with cries of joy at all times, and let all the lovers of your name be glad in you. 5:12For you, Lord, will send a blessing on the upright man; your grace will be round him, and you will be his strength.
6:1<To the chief music-maker on corded instruments, on the Sheminith. A Psalm. Of David.> O Lord, do not be bitter with me in your wrath; do not send punishment on me in the heat of your passion. 6:2Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am wasted away: make me well, for even my bones are troubled. 6:3My soul is in bitter trouble; and you, O Lord, how long? 6:4Come back, O Lord, make my soul free; O give me salvation because of your mercy. 6:5For in death there is no memory of you; in the underworld who will give you praise? 6:6The voice of my sorrow is a weariness to me; all the night I make my bed wet with weeping; it is watered by the drops flowing from my eyes. 6:7My eyes are wasting away with trouble; they are becoming old because of all those who are against me. 6:8Go from me, all you workers of evil; for the Lord has given ear to the voice of my weeping. 6:9The Lord has given ear to my request; the Lord has let my prayer come before him. 6:10Let all those who are against me be shamed and deeply troubled; let them be turned back and suddenly put to shame.
7:1<Shiggaion of David; a song which he made to the Lord, about the words of Cush the Benjamite.> O Lord my God, I put my faith in you; take me out of the hands of him who is cruel to me, and make me free; 7:2So that he may not come rushing on my soul like a lion, wounding it, while there is no one to be my saviour. 7:3O Lord my God, if I have done this; if my hands have done any wrong; 7:4If I have given back evil to him who did evil to me, or have taken anything from him who was against me without cause; 7:5Let my hater go after my soul and take it; let my life be crushed to the earth, and my honour into the dust. (Selah.) 7:6Come up, Lord, in your wrath; be lifted up against my haters; be awake, my God, give orders for the judging. 7:7The meeting of the nations will be round you; take your seat, then, over them, on high. 7:8The Lord will be judge of the peoples; give a decision for me, O Lord, because of my righteousness, and let my virtue have its reward. 7:9O let the evil of the evil-doer come to an end, but give strength to the upright: for men's minds and hearts are tested by the God of righteousness. 7:10God, who is the saviour of the upright in heart, is my breastplate. 7:11God is the judge of the upright, and is angry with the evil-doers every day. 7:12If a man is not turned from his evil, he will make his sword sharp; his bow is bent and ready. 7:13He has made ready for him the instruments of death; he makes his arrows flames of fire. 7:14That man is a worker of evil; the seed of wrongdoing has given birth to deceit. 7:15He has made a hole deep in the earth, and is falling into the hole which he has made 7:16His wrongdoing will come back to him, and his violent behaviour will come down on his head. 7:17I will give praise to the Lord for his righteousness; I will make a song to the name of the Lord Most High.
8:1<To the chief music-maker on the Gittith. A Psalm. Of David.> O Lord, our Lord, whose glory is higher than the heavens, how noble is your name in all the earth! 8:2You have made clear your strength even out of the mouths of babies at the breast, because of those who are against you; so that you may put to shame the cruel and violent man. 8:3When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have put in their places; 8:4What is man, that you keep him in mind? the son of man, that you take him into account? 8:5For you have made him only a little lower than the gods, crowning him with glory and honour. 8:6You have made him ruler over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet; 8:7All sheep and oxen, and all the beasts of the field; 8:8The birds of the air and the fish of the sea, and whatever goes through the deep waters of the seas. 8:9O Lord, our Lord, how noble is your name in all the earth!
9:1<To the chief music-maker on Muthlabben. A Psalm. Of David.> I will give you praise, O Lord, with all my heart; I will make clear all the wonder of your works. 9:2I will be glad and have delight in you: I will make a song of praise to your name, O Most High. 9:3When my haters are turned back, they will be broken and overcome before you. 9:4For you gave approval to my right and my cause; you were seated in your high place judging in righteousness. 9:5You have said sharp words to the nations, you have sent destruction on the sinners, you have put an end to their name for ever and ever. 9:6You have given their towns to destruction; the memory of them has gone; they have become waste for ever. 9:7But the Lord is King for ever: he has made ready his high seat for judging. 9:8And he will be the judge of the world in righteousness, giving true decisions for the peoples. 9:9The Lord will be a high tower for those who are crushed down, a high tower in times of trouble; 9:10And those who have knowledge of your name will put their faith in you; because you, Lord, have ever given your help to those who were waiting for you. 9:11Make songs of praise to the Lord, whose house is in Zion: make his doings clear to the people. 9:12When he makes search for blood, he has them in his memory: he is not without thought for the cry of the poor. 9:13Have mercy on me, O Lord, and see how I am troubled by my haters; let me be lifted up from the doors of death; 9:14So that I may make clear all your praise in the house of the daughter of Zion: I will be glad because of your salvation. 9:15The nations have gone down into the hole which they made: in their secret net is their foot taken. 9:16The Lord has given knowledge of himself through his judging: the evil-doer is taken in the net which his hands had made. (Higgaion. Selah.) 9:17The sinners and all the nations who have no memory of God will be turned into the underworld. 9:18For the poor will not be without help; the hopes of those in need will not be crushed for ever. 9:19Up! O Lord; let not man overcome you: let the nations be judged before you. 9:20Put them in fear, O Lord, so that the nations may see that they are only men. (Selah.)
10:1Why do you keep far away, O Lord? why are you not to be seen in times of trouble? 10:2The evil-doer in his pride is cruel to the poor; let him be taken by the tricks of his invention. 10:3For the evil-doer is lifted up because of the purpose of his heart, and he whose mind is fixed on wealth is turned away from the Lord, saying evil against him. 10:4The evil-doer in his pride says, God will not make a search. All his thoughts are, There is no God. 10:5His ways are ever fixed; your decisions are higher than he may see: as for his haters, they are as nothing to him. 10:6He has said in his heart, I will not be moved: through all generations I will never be in trouble. 10:7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and false words: under his tongue are evil purposes and dark thoughts. 10:8He is waiting in the dark places of the towns: in the secret places he puts to death those who have done no wrong: his eyes are secretly turned against the poor. 10:9He keeps himself in a secret place like a lion in his hole, waiting to put his hands on the poor man, and pulling him into his net. 10:10The upright are crushed and made low, and the feeble are overcome by his strong ones. 10:11He says in his heart, God has no memory of me: his face is turned away; he will never see it. 10:12Up! O Lord; let your hand be lifted: give thought to the poor. 10:13Why has the evil-doer a low opinion of God, saying in his heart, You will not make search for it? 10:14You have seen it; for your eyes are on sorrow and grief, to take it into your hand: the poor man puts his faith in you; you have been the helper of the child who has no father. 10:15Let the arm of the sinner and the evil-doer be broken; go on searching for his sin till there is no more. 10:16The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations are gone from his land. 10:17Lord, you have given ear to the prayer of the poor: you will make strong their hearts, you will give them a hearing: 10:18To give decision for the child without a father and for the broken-hearted, so that the man of the earth may no longer be feared.
11:1<For the chief music-maker. Of David.> In the Lord put I my faith; how will you say to my soul, Go in flight like a bird to the mountain? 11:2See, the bows of the evil-doers are bent, they make ready their arrows on the cord, so that they may send them secretly against the upright in heart. 11:3If the bases are broken down, what is the upright man to do? 11:4The Lord is in his holy Temple, the Lord's seat is in heaven; his eyes are watching and testing the children of men. 11:5The Lord puts the upright and the sinner to the test, but he has hate in his soul for the lover of violent acts. 11:6On the evil-doer he will send down fire and flames, and a burning wind; with these will their cup be full. 11:7For the Lord is upright; he is a lover of righteousness: the upright will see his face.
12:1<For the chief music-maker on the Sheminith. A Psalm. Of David.> Send help, Lord, for mercy has come to an end; there is no more faith among the children of men. 12:2Everyone says false words to his neighbour: their tongues are smooth in their talk, and their hearts are full of deceit. 12:3The smooth lips and the tongue of pride will be cut off by the Lord. 12:4They have said, With our tongues will we overcome; our lips are ours: who is lord over us? 12:5Because of the crushing of the poor and the weeping of those in need, now will I come to his help, says the Lord; I will give him the salvation which he is desiring. 12:6The words of the Lord are true words: like silver tested by fire and burned clean seven times. 12:7You will keep them, O Lord, you will keep them safe from this generation for ever. 12:8The sinners are walking on every side, and evil is honoured among the children of men.
13:1<To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David.> Will you for ever put me out of your memory, O Lord? will your face for ever be turned away from me? 13:2How long is my soul to be in doubt, with sorrow in my heart all the day? how long will he who is against me be given power over me? 13:3Let my voice come before you, and give me an answer, O Lord my God; let your light be shining on me, so that the sleep of death may not overtake me; 13:4And he who is against me may not say, I have overcome him; and those who are troubling me may not be glad when I am moved. 13:5But I have had faith in your mercy; my heart will be glad in your salvation. 13:6I will make a song to the Lord, because he has given me my reward.
14:1<To the chief music-maker. Of David.> The foolish man has said in his heart, God will not do anything. They are unclean, they have done evil works; there is not one who does good. 14:2The Lord was looking down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who had wisdom, searching after God. 14:3They have all gone out of the way together; they are unclean, there is not one who does good, no, not one. 14:4Have all the workers of evil no knowledge? they take my people for food as they would take bread; they make no prayer to the Lord. 14:5Then were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the upright. 14:6You have put to shame the thoughts of the poor, but the Lord is his support. 14:7May the salvation of Israel come out of Zion! when the fate of his people is changed by the Lord, Jacob will have joy and Israel will be glad.
15:1<A Psalm. Of David.> Lord, who may have a resting-place in your tent, a living-place on your holy hill? 15:2He who goes on his way uprightly, doing righteousness, and saying what is true in his heart; 15:3Whose tongue is not false, who does no evil to his friend, and does not take away the good name of his neighbour; 15:4Who gives honour to those who have the fear of the Lord, turning away from him who has not the Lord's approval. He who takes an oath against himself, and makes no change. 15:5He who does not put out his money at interest, or for payment give false decisions against men who have done no wrong. He who does these things will never be moved.
16:1<Michtam. Of David.> Keep me safe, O God: for in you I have put my faith. 16:2O my soul, you have said to the Lord, You are my Lord: I have no good but you. 16:3As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the noble in whom is all my delight. 16:4Their sorrows will be increased who go after another god: I will not take drink offerings from their hands, or take their names on my lips. 16:5The Lord is my heritage and the wine of my cup; you are the supporter of my right. 16:6Fair are the places marked out for me; I have a noble heritage. 16:7I will give praise to the Lord who has been my guide; knowledge comes to me from my thoughts in the night. 16:8I have put the Lord before me at all times; because he is at my right hand, I will not be moved. 16:9Because of this my heart is glad, and my glory is full of joy: while my flesh takes its rest in hope. 16:10For you will not let my soul be prisoned in the underworld; you will not let your loved one see the place of death. 16:11You will make clear to me the way of life; where you are joy is complete; in your right hand there are pleasures for ever and ever.
17:1<A Prayer. Of David.> Let my cause come to your ears, O Lord, give attention to my cry; give ear to my prayer which goes not out from false lips. 17:2Be my judge; for your eyes see what is right. 17:3You have put my heart to the test, searching me in the night; you have put me to the test and seen no evil purpose in me; I will keep my mouth from sin. 17:4As for the works of men, by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. 17:5I have kept my feet in your ways, my steps have not been turned away. 17:6My cry has gone up to you, for you will give me an answer, O God: let your ear be turned to me, and give attention to my words. 17:7Make clear the wonder of your mercy, O saviour of those who put their faith in your right hand, from those who come out against them. 17:8Keep me as the light of your eyes, covering me with the shade of your wings, 17:9From the evil-doers who are violent to me, and from those who are round me, desiring my death. 17:10They are shut up in their fat: with their mouths they say words of pride. 17:11They have made a circle round our steps: their eyes are fixed on us, forcing us down to the earth; 17:12Like a lion desiring its food, and like a young lion waiting in secret places. 17:13Up! Lord, come out against him, make him low, with your sword be my saviour from the evil-doer. 17:14With your hand, O Lord, from men, even men of the world, whose heritage is in this life, and whom you make full with your secret wealth: they are full of children; after their death their offspring take the rest of their goods. 17:15As for me, I will see your face in righteousness: when I am awake it will be joy enough for me to see your form.