² “Should ^(B)a multitude of words go unanswered,
    and a man full of talk be judged right?
³ Should your babble silence men,
    and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
⁴ For ^(C)you say, ‘My ^(D)doctrine is pure,
    and I am clean in God's^[a] eyes.’
⁵ But oh, that God would speak
    and open his lips to you,
⁶ and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
    For he is manifold in ^(E)understanding.^[b]
Know then that God ^(F)exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

^7 (G)“Can you find out the deep things of God?
    Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
⁸ It is ^(H)higher than heaven^[c]—what can you do?
    Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
⁹ Its measure is longer than the earth
    and broader than the sea.
¹⁰ If he ^(I)passes through and ^(J)imprisons
    and summons the court, who can ^(K)turn him back?
¹¹ For he knows ^(L)worthless men;
    when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
¹² But a stupid man will get understanding
    when ^(M)a wild donkey's colt is ^(N)born a man!

¹³ “If you ^(O)prepare your heart,
    you will ^(P)stretch out your hands toward him.
¹⁴ If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
    and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
¹⁵ Surely then you will ^(Q)lift up your face without ^(R)blemish;
    you will be secure and will not fear.
¹⁶ You will ^(S)forget your misery;
    you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
¹⁷ And your life will be ^(T)brighter than the noonday;
    its darkness will be like the morning.
¹⁸ And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
    you will look around and ^(U)take your rest in security.
¹⁹ You will ^(V)lie down, and none will make you afraid;
    many will ^(W)court your favor.
²⁰ But ^(X)the eyes of the wicked will fail;
    all way of escape will be lost to them,
    and their hope is ^(Y)to breathe their last.”

² “No doubt you are the people,
    and wisdom will die with you.
³ But I have ^(Z)understanding as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know ^(AA)such things as these?
⁴ I am ^(AB)a laughingstock to my friends;
    I, who ^(AC)called to God and he answered me,
    a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
⁵ In the thought of one who is ^(AD)at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
    it is ready for those whose feet slip.
^6 (AE)The tents of robbers are at peace,
    and those who provoke God are secure,
    who bring their god in their hand.^[d]

⁷ “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
    the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
⁸ or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;^[e]
    and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
⁹ Who among all these does not know
    that ^(AF)the hand of the Lord has done this?
¹⁰ In ^(AG)his hand is the life of every living thing
    and the breath of all mankind.
¹¹ Does not ^(AH)the ear test words
    as the palate tastes food?
¹² Wisdom is with ^(AI)the aged,
    and understanding in length of days.

^13 (AJ)“With God^[f] are wisdom and might;
    he has counsel and understanding.
¹⁴ If he tears down, none can rebuild;
    if he ^(AK)shuts a man in, none can open.
¹⁵ If he ^(AL)withholds the waters, they dry up;
    if he ^(AM)sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
¹⁶ With him are strength and ^(AN)sound wisdom;
    the deceived and the deceiver are his.
¹⁷ He leads ^(AO)counselors away stripped,
    and ^(AP)judges he makes fools.
¹⁸ He ^(AQ)looses the bonds of kings
    and binds a waistcloth on their hips.
¹⁹ He leads priests away stripped
    and overthrows the mighty.
²⁰ He deprives of speech those who are trusted
    ^(AR)and takes away the discernment of the elders.
²¹ He ^(AS)pours contempt on princes
    and loosens the belt of the strong.
²² He ^(AT)uncovers the deeps out of darkness
    and brings ^(AU)deep darkness to light.
²³ He ^(AV)makes nations great, and he destroys them;
    he enlarges nations, and ^(AW)leads them away.
²⁴ He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
    and ^(AX)makes them wander in a trackless waste.
²⁵ They ^(AY)grope in the dark without light,
    and he makes them ^(AZ)stagger like a drunken man.

¹³ “Let me have silence, and I will speak,
    and let come on me what may.
¹⁴ Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
    and ^(BN)put my life in my hand?
^15 (BO)Though he slay me, I will ^(BP)hope in him;^[g]
    yet I will ^(BQ)argue my ways to his face.
¹⁶ This will be my salvation,
    that the godless shall not come before him.
^17 (BR)Keep listening to my words,
    and let my declaration be in your ears.
¹⁸ Behold, I have ^(BS)prepared my case;
    I know that I shall be in the right.
^19 (BT)Who is there who will contend with me?
    For then I would be silent and die.
²⁰ Only grant me two things,
    then I will not ^(BU)hide myself from your face:
^21 (BV)withdraw your hand far from me,
    and let not ^(BW)dread of you terrify me.
^22 (BX)Then call, and I will answer;
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.
²³ How many are my iniquities and my sins?
    ^(BY)Make me know my transgression and my sin.
²⁴ Why ^(BZ)do you hide your face
    and ^(CA)count me as your enemy?
²⁵ Will you frighten ^(CB)a driven leaf
    and pursue dry ^(CC)chaff?
²⁶ For you ^(CD)write bitter things against me
    and make me inherit ^(CE)the iniquities of my youth.
²⁷ You put my feet in ^(CF)the stocks
    and ^(CG)watch all my paths;
    you set a limit for^[h] the soles of my feet.
²⁸ Man^[i] wastes away like ^(CH)a rotten thing,
    like a garment that is ^(CI)moth-eaten.