2. Job's answer: He justifies himself and speaks of man's miserable lot on earth (Job 6-7)

1 And Job answered, and said, 2 Oh, that my cries were rightly weighed, and my affliction were put in the balances with them! 3 It would surely pull over the sand of the seas! That is why my words are fierce. 4 For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me. 5 Does a wild donkey roar on the grass? Does the bull moo at his mash? 6 Is tasteless eating without salt, and is there a taste in egg white? 7 To what my soul would not touch, that is my abominable food. 8 Oh, that my desire might be fulfilled, and my hope fulfilled by God! 9 Oh, that God would be pleased to crush me, and stretch out His hand, and smite me! 10 This would have been a joy to me, and I would have been strengthened in my merciless sickness, for I have not rejected the sayings of the Holy One. 11 What strength have I to hope? and what is the end that I may prolong my life? 12 Is the hardness of stones my hardness? and is my flesh brass? 13 Is there help in me for me, and is there any support for me? 14 For the afflicted there must be pity from his friend, unless he has forsaken the fear of the Almighty. 15 But my brethren are unfaithful as a stream, as swiftly flowing streams, 16 which are black with ice, and in which snow is hidden. 17 When it is warm, they are diminished, but when it is hot, they are removed from their places. 18 They deviate from the direction of their ways, and enter into the wilderness, and are lost; 19 The paths of Themae look upon them, the ways of Sheba trust in them, 20 but remain ashamed in their hope. They come there and blush with shame. 21 So now you also are nothing: you have seen the dreadful things, and are afraid. 22 Did I say, Give it to me, or out of your wealth pay for me; 23 And deliver me out of the hand of the enemy, and ransom me out of the hand of tormentors? 24 Teach me, and I will be silent; Point out where I have sinned. 25 How powerful are the words of righteousness! But what do your reproofs prove? 26 Do you make up speeches for reproof? You let your words go to the wind. 27 You attack the fatherless, and you dig a pit for your friend. 28 But I beseech you, look at me; Shall I speak a lie before you? E-29 Review, is there a lie? Reconsider, it's my truth. 30 Is there unrighteousness on my tongue? Can it be that my throat cannot distinguish bitterness?

1 Is not the time of the earth ordained unto man, and is not his days the same as the days of the hireling? 2 As a servant thirsts for shade, and as a hireling waits for the end of his work, 3 so I have received vain months for my inheritance, and nights of sorrow have been set aside for me. 4 When I go to bed, I say, "When will I get up?" and the evening goes on, and I toss and turn until dawn. 5 My body is clothed with worms and scabs of dust; My skin bursts and festers. 6 My days run faster than a shuttle, and end without hope. 7 Remember that my life is a breath, that my eye shall not return to see good. 8 The eye of him that has seen me shall not see me; Thy eyes are upon me, and I am not. 9 The cloud thins and departs; so he who has descended into hell will not go out, 10 he will not return to his house any more, and his place will no longer know him. 11 But I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the distress of my spirit; I will complain in the sorrow of my soul. 12 Am I the sea, or a monster of the sea, that thou hast set a guard over me? 13 When I think, 'My bed shall comfort me, my bed shall take away my sorrow,14 thou dost terrify me with dreams, and frighten me with visions; 15 And my soul desires rather the cessation of breathing, better death, than the preservation of my bones. 16 Life is disgusting to me. I will not live forever. Depart from me, for my days are vanity. 17 What is man, that you value him so much, and pay attention to him, 18 that you visit him every morning, that you test him every moment? 19 How long wilt thou not forsake, till thou depart from me, till wilt thou let me swallow my saliva? 20 If I have sinned, what shall I do to Thee, O keeper of men? Why hast Thou made me an adversary to Thyself, so that I have become a burden to myself? 21 And why not forgive me my sin, and take away my iniquity? for behold, I will lie down in the dust; Tomorrow you will look for me, and I am gone.

3. Bildad's Word: If Job is innocent, God will reward him according to his deeds in the future (Job 8)

1 And Bildad the Sabhean answered and said, 2 How long wilt thou speak thus? - The words of your mouth are a stormy wind! 3 Does God pervert judgment, and the Almighty pervert righteousness? 4 If thy sons have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their iniquity. 5 But if you seek God, and pray to the Almighty, 6 and if you are pure and upright, he will rise over you this very day, and give peace to the dwelling place of your righteousness. 7 And if in the beginning you had little, you will have very much afterwards. 8 For ask of the former generations, and take heed to the observations of their fathers; 9 But we are yesterday, and know nothing, for our days are a shadow on the earth. 10 Behold, they will teach you, they will tell you, and they will speak out of their hearts, 11 Does the reed rise without moisture? Do reeds grow without water? 12 Yet it is fresh and not cut off, but before all grass it withers. 13 Such are the ways of all those who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite shall perish; 14 His hope is cut off, and his confidence is the house of a spider. 15 He shall lean against his house, and shall not stand; he will grasp it and will not hold on. 16 It is green before the sun, its branches stretch out beyond the garden; 17 His roots are woven into a heap of stones, and are cut between the stones. 18 But when they pluck him out of his place, he will deny him: 'I have not seen you!' 19 Behold the joy of his way! and others grow out of the earth. 20 You see, God does not reject the blameless, nor uphold the hands of evildoers. 21 He will still fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with a shout of joy. 22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more.

If we consider the Prologue and Epilogue of the book separately from the main text, then Bildad turns out to be right. However, from the conversation it turns out that this promise and explanation is not enough for Job. He knows other examples when a righteous man on earth does not receive a reward.

4. Job's answer: a cry to God for justice; rebukes addressed to Him (Job 9-10)

1 And Job answered and said, 2 It is true! I know that it is so; but how will man be justified before God? 3 If he will enter into dispute with him, he will not answer him one of a thousand. 4 Wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who rebelled against Him and remained at rest? 5 He moveth mountains, and they shall not know them: he maketh them in his wrath; 6 He hath moved the earth out of its place, and its pillars trembled; 7 He will speak to the sun, and he will not rise, and he will put a seal on the stars. 8 He alone stretches out the heavens, and walketh on the heights of the sea; 9 He made As, Keshil, and Hima,109 and the hiding places of the south; 10 doeth the great, the unsearchable, and the wondrous without number! 11 Behold, he shall pass before me, and I shall not see him; he will pass by, and I will not notice Him. 12 He will take, and who will forbid Him? who will say to Him, What are you doing? 13 God will not turn away his wrath; before Him the champions of pride will fall. 14 How much more can I answer him, and seek words for myself before him? 15 Though I be right, I will not answer, but will beseech my Judge. 16 If I had called, and he answered me, I would not have believed that he had heard my voice, 17 Who in a whirlwind smites me, and multiplies my wounds without guilt, 18 does not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with sorrows. 19 If He works by force, He is mighty; if by judgment, who shall bring me to Him? 20 If I make excuses, my own mouth will accuse me; if I am innocent, then He will find me guilty. 21 I am innocent; I do not want to know my soul, I despise my life. 22 All are one; therefore I said that He destroys both the blameless and the guilty. 23 If he smites him with a whip suddenly, he laughs at the torture of the innocent. 24 The land is given into the hands of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If not He, then who? 25 My days are faster than a messenger, they run, they see no good, 26 They rush like light boats, like an eagle rushing after prey. 27 If you say to me, 'I will forget my complaints, I will put off my gloomy countenance, and I will be of good cheer; 28 then I tremble at all my afflictions, knowing that thou wilt not declare me innocent. 29 But if I am guilty, why do I languish in vain? 30 Though I be washed with the water of the snow, and cleanse my hands perfectly, 31 then also Thou shalt plunge me into the mud, and my garments shall abhor me. 32 For he is not a man like me, that I may answer him, and go with him to judgment. 33 There is no mediator between us, who would lay his hand on both of us. 34 Let him take away his rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me, 35 and then I will speak, and will not fear him, for I am not so in myself.

1 My life is abhorrent to my soul; I will give myself over to my sorrow; I will speak in the sorrow of my soul. 2 I will say to God, Do not accuse me; tell me why you are fighting with me? 3 Is it good for thee that thou oppressest, that thou despise the work of thy hands, and that thou dost send light upon the counsel of the wicked? 4 Hast thou the eyes of flesh, and lookest as man looketh? 5 Are your days like the days of a man, or your years like the days of a man, 6 that you seek iniquity in me, and search for sin in me, 7 though you know that I am not a lawless man, and that there is no one to deliver me out of your hand? 8 Thy hands have laboured over me, and have formed me all round about, and thou hast destroyed me? 9 Remember that thou hast worked me as clay, and hast turned me to dust? 10 Hast thou not poured me out like milk, and thickened me like curd, 11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, Thou hast bound me together with bones and sinews, 12 Thou hast bestowed upon me life and mercy, and thy care hath preserved my spirit? 13 But even these things thou hast hid in thy heart, I know that it was with thee, 14 that if I sin, thou shalt take heed, and wilt not let my sin go unpunished. 15 If I am guilty, woe is me! if I am right, I will not dare to lift up my head. I am satiated with humiliation; Look at my affliction: 16 it increases. Thou hast pursued me like a lion, and hast come upon me again, and hast appeared wondrous in me. 17 Thou hast brought forth new Thy witnesses against me; Thou hast increased Thy wrath against me; and troubles, one after another, are arrayed against me. 18 And why hast thou brought me out of the womb? let me die when no eye had seen me; 19 That I might be carried from the womb to the tomb as one who had not been! 20 Are not my days short? Leave, depart from me, that I may be of a little cheer, 21 before I depart, and return no more, to the land of darkness and the shadow of death, 22 to the land of darkness, such as is the darkness of the shadow of death, where there is no order, where it is dark as darkness itself.

5. Zophar's Word: A Call to Humility Before God (Job 11)

1 And Zophar the Naamathite answered, and said, 2 Is it not possible to give an answer to many words, and is a man of many words right? 3 Shall thy idle talk cause men to be silent, that thou mayest mock, and there shall be no one to shame thee? 4 Thou hast said, My judgment is right, and I am pure in thy sight. 5 But if God had spoken, and opened his mouth to you, 6 and revealed to you the mysteries of wisdom, what would you have to bear twice as much? Therefore know that God has forgotten some of your iniquities for you. 7 Can You Find God by Searching? Can you fully comprehend the Almighty? 8 He is above the heavens, what can you do? deeper than hell, what can you know? 9 His measure is longer than the earth, and wider than the sea. 10 If he pass by, and put someone in chains, and bring him to judgment, who will reject him? 11 For he knoweth men that lie and sees iniquity, and will he leave it unattended? 12 But the empty man is wise, though man is born like a wild colt. 13 If thou shalt straighten thy heart, and stretch out thy hands unto him, 14 and if there be a blemish in thy hand, and thou wilt remove it, and let iniquity not dwell in thy tents, 15 thou shalt lift up thy unblemished face, and shalt be strong, and shalt not be afraid. 16 Then shalt thou forget the sorrow: thou shalt remember it as of water that has flowed. 17 And thy life shall go brighter than noonday; You'll brighten up like the morning. 18 And thou shalt be at rest, for there is hope; You are fenced off, and you can sleep safely. 19 Thou shalt lie down, and there shall be no one to be afraid, and many shall ingratiate themselves with thee. 20 The eyes of the wicked will fade, and their refuge will be lost, and their hope will be gone.