² “How long will you say such things?^(B)
    Your words are a blustering wind.^(C)
3 Does God pervert justice?^(D)
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?^(E)
4 When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.^(F)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead^(G) with the Almighty,^(H)
6 if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf^(I)
    and restore you to your prosperous state.^(J)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous^(K) will your future be.^(L)

⁸ “Ask the former generation^(M)
    and find out what their ancestors learned,
⁹ for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,^(N)
    and our days on earth are but a shadow.^(O)
10 Will they not instruct^(P) you and tell you?
    Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?^(Q)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?^(R)
    Can reeds^(S) thrive without water?
¹² While still growing and uncut,
    they wither more quickly than grass.^(T)
13 Such is the destiny^(U) of all who forget God;^(V)
    so perishes the hope of the godless.^(W)
14 What they trust in is fragile^[a];
    what they rely on is a spider’s web.^(X)
15 They lean on the web,^(Y) but it gives way;
    they cling to it, but it does not hold.^(Z)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
    spreading its shoots^(AA) over the garden;^(AB)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
    and looks for a place among the stones.
¹⁸ But when it is torn from its spot,
    that place disowns^(AC) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’^(AD)
19 Surely its life withers^(AE) away,
    and^[b] from the soil other plants grow.^(AF)

²⁰ “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless^(AG)
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.^(AH)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter^(AI)
    and your lips with shouts of joy.^(AJ)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,^(AK)
    and the tents^(AL) of the wicked will be no more.”^(AM)

² “Indeed, I know that this is true.
    But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?^(AN)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,^(AO)
    they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.^(AP)
4 His wisdom^(AQ) is profound, his power is vast.^(AR)
    Who has resisted^(AS) him and come out unscathed?^(AT)
5 He moves mountains^(AU) without their knowing it
    and overturns them in his anger.^(AV)
6 He shakes the earth^(AW) from its place
    and makes its pillars tremble.^(AX)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;^(AY)
    he seals off the light of the stars.^(AZ)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens^(BA)
    and treads on the waves of the sea.^(BB)
9 He is the Maker^(BC) of the Bear^[c] and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.^(BD)
10 He performs wonders^(BE) that cannot be fathomed,
    miracles that cannot be counted.^(BF)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
    when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.^(BG)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?^(BH)
    Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’^(BI)
13 God does not restrain his anger;^(BJ)
    even the cohorts of Rahab^(BK) cowered at his feet.

¹⁴ “How then can I dispute with him?
    How can I find words to argue with him?^(BL)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;^(BM)
    I could only plead^(BN) with my Judge^(BO) for mercy.^(BP)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
    I do not believe he would give me a hearing.^(BQ)
17 He would crush me^(BR) with a storm^(BS)
    and multiply^(BT) my wounds for no reason.^(BU)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
    but would overwhelm me with misery.^(BV)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!^(BW)
    And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him^[d]?^(BX)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
    if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.^(BY)

²¹ “Although I am blameless,^(BZ)
    I have no concern for myself;^(CA)
    I despise my own life.^(CB)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
    ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’^(CC)
23 When a scourge^(CD) brings sudden death,
    he mocks the despair of the innocent.^(CE)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,^(CF)
    he blindfolds its judges.^(CG)
    If it is not he, then who is it?^(CH)

²⁵ “My days are swifter than a runner;^(CI)
    they fly away without a glimpse of joy.^(CJ)
26 They skim past^(CK) like boats of papyrus,^(CL)
    like eagles swooping down on their prey.^(CM)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,^(CN)
    I will change my expression, and smile,’
²⁸ I still dread^(CO) all my sufferings,
    for I know you will not hold me innocent.^(CP)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
    why should I struggle in vain?^(CQ)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap^(CR)
    and my hands^(CS) with cleansing powder,^(CT)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit^(CU)
    so that even my clothes would detest me.^(CV)

³² “He is not a mere mortal^(CW) like me that I might answer him,^(CX)
    that we might confront each other in court.^(CY)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,^(CZ)
    someone to bring us together,^(DA)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,^(DB)
    so that his terror would frighten me no more.^(DC)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,^(DD)
    but as it now stands with me, I cannot.^(DE)