² “Indeed, I know that this is true.
    But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?^(A)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,^(B)
    they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.^(C)
4 His wisdom^(D) is profound, his power is vast.^(E)
    Who has resisted^(F) him and come out unscathed?^(G)
5 He moves mountains^(H) without their knowing it
    and overturns them in his anger.^(I)
6 He shakes the earth^(J) from its place
    and makes its pillars tremble.^(K)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;^(L)
    he seals off the light of the stars.^(M)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens^(N)
    and treads on the waves of the sea.^(O)
9 He is the Maker^(P) of the Bear^[a] and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.^(Q)
10 He performs wonders^(R) that cannot be fathomed,
    miracles that cannot be counted.^(S)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
    when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.^(T)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?^(U)
    Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’^(V)
13 God does not restrain his anger;^(W)
    even the cohorts of Rahab^(X) cowered at his feet.

¹⁴ “How then can I dispute with him?
    How can I find words to argue with him?^(Y)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;^(Z)
    I could only plead^(AA) with my Judge^(AB) for mercy.^(AC)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
    I do not believe he would give me a hearing.^(AD)
17 He would crush me^(AE) with a storm^(AF)
    and multiply^(AG) my wounds for no reason.^(AH)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
    but would overwhelm me with misery.^(AI)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!^(AJ)
    And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him^[b]?^(AK)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
    if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.^(AL)

²¹ “Although I am blameless,^(AM)
    I have no concern for myself;^(AN)
    I despise my own life.^(AO)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
    ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’^(AP)
23 When a scourge^(AQ) brings sudden death,
    he mocks the despair of the innocent.^(AR)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,^(AS)
    he blindfolds its judges.^(AT)
    If it is not he, then who is it?^(AU)

²⁵ “My days are swifter than a runner;^(AV)
    they fly away without a glimpse of joy.^(AW)
26 They skim past^(AX) like boats of papyrus,^(AY)
    like eagles swooping down on their prey.^(AZ)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,^(BA)
    I will change my expression, and smile,’
²⁸ I still dread^(BB) all my sufferings,
    for I know you will not hold me innocent.^(BC)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
    why should I struggle in vain?^(BD)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap^(BE)
    and my hands^(BF) with cleansing powder,^(BG)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit^(BH)
    so that even my clothes would detest me.^(BI)

³² “He is not a mere mortal^(BJ) like me that I might answer him,^(BK)
    that we might confront each other in court.^(BL)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,^(BM)
    someone to bring us together,^(BN)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,^(BO)
    so that his terror would frighten me no more.^(BP)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,^(BQ)
    but as it now stands with me, I cannot.^(BR)

10 “I loathe my very life;^(BS)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.^(BT)
2 I say to God:^(BU) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges^(BV) you have against me.^(BW)
3 Does it please you to oppress me,^(BX)
    to spurn the work of your hands,^(BY)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?^(BZ)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?^(CA)
5 Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,^(CB)
6 that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin^(CC)—
⁷ though you know that I am not guilty^(CD)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?^(CE)

⁸ “Your hands shaped^(CF) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?^(CG)
9 Remember that you molded me like clay.^(CH)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?^(CI)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
¹¹ clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together^(CJ) with bones and sinews?
¹² You gave me life^(CK) and showed me kindness,^(CL)
    and in your providence^(CM) watched over^(CN) my spirit.

¹³ “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:^(CO)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me^(CP)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.^(CQ)
15 If I am guilty^(CR)—woe to me!^(CS)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,^(CT)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in^[c] my affliction.^(CU)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion^(CV)
    and again display your awesome power against me.^(CW)
17 You bring new witnesses against me^(CX)
    and increase your anger toward me;^(CY)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.^(CZ)

¹⁸ “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?^(DA)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.^(DB)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!^(DC)
20 Are not my few days^(DD) almost over?^(DE)
    Turn away from me^(DF) so I can have a moment’s joy^(DG)
21 before I go to the place of no return,^(DH)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,^(DI)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness^(DJ) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”^(DK)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;^(C)
    his love endures forever.^(D)

² Who can proclaim the mighty acts^(E) of the Lord
    or fully declare his praise?
³ Blessed are those who act justly,^(F)
    who always do what is right.^(G)

⁴ Remember me,^(H) Lord, when you show favor^(I) to your people,
    come to my aid^(J) when you save them,
⁵ that I may enjoy the prosperity^(K) of your chosen ones,^(L)
    that I may share in the joy^(M) of your nation
    and join your inheritance^(N) in giving praise.

⁶ We have sinned,^(O) even as our ancestors^(P) did;
    we have done wrong and acted wickedly.^(Q)
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
    they gave no thought^(R) to your miracles;
they did not remember^(S) your many kindnesses,
    and they rebelled by the sea,^(T) the Red Sea.^[b]
8 Yet he saved them^(U) for his name’s sake,^(V)
    to make his mighty power^(W) known.
⁹ He rebuked^(X) the Red Sea, and it dried up;^(Y)
    he led them through^(Z) the depths as through a desert.
¹⁰ He saved them^(AA) from the hand of the foe;^(AB)
    from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.^(AC)
11 The waters covered^(AD) their adversaries;
    not one of them survived.
¹² Then they believed his promises
    and sang his praise.^(AE)

¹³ But they soon forgot^(AF) what he had done
    and did not wait for his plan to unfold.^(AG)
14 In the desert^(AH) they gave in to their craving;
    in the wilderness^(AI) they put God to the test.^(AJ)
15 So he gave them^(AK) what they asked for,
    but sent a wasting disease^(AL) among them.

¹⁶ In the camp they grew envious^(AM) of Moses
    and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord.
¹⁷ The earth opened^(AN) up and swallowed Dathan;^(AO)
    it buried the company of Abiram.^(AP)
18 Fire blazed^(AQ) among their followers;
    a flame consumed the wicked.
¹⁹ At Horeb they made a calf^(AR)
    and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
²⁰ They exchanged their glorious God^(AS)
    for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
²¹ They forgot the God^(AT) who saved them,
    who had done great things^(AU) in Egypt,
²² miracles in the land of Ham^(AV)
    and awesome deeds^(AW) by the Red Sea.
²³ So he said he would destroy^(AX) them—
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach^(AY) before him
    to keep his wrath from destroying them.

²⁴ Then they despised^(AZ) the pleasant land;^(BA)
    they did not believe^(BB) his promise.
²⁵ They grumbled^(BC) in their tents
    and did not obey the Lord.
²⁶ So he swore^(BD) to them with uplifted hand
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,^(BE)
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
    and scatter^(BF) them throughout the lands.

²⁸ They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor^(BG)
    and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
²⁹ they aroused the Lord’s anger^(BH) by their wicked deeds,^(BI)
    and a plague^(BJ) broke out among them.
³⁰ But Phinehas^(BK) stood up and intervened,
    and the plague was checked.^(BL)
31 This was credited to him^(BM) as righteousness
    for endless generations^(BN) to come.
³² By the waters of Meribah^(BO) they angered the Lord,
    and trouble came to Moses because of them;
³³ for they rebelled^(BP) against the Spirit^(BQ) of God,
    and rash words came from Moses’ lips.^[c](BR)

³⁴ They did not destroy^(BS) the peoples
    as the Lord had commanded^(BT) them,
³⁵ but they mingled^(BU) with the nations
    and adopted their customs.
³⁶ They worshiped their idols,^(BV)
    which became a snare^(BW) to them.
³⁷ They sacrificed their sons^(BX)
    and their daughters to false gods.^(BY)
38 They shed innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons^(BZ) and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
    and the land was desecrated by their blood.
³⁹ They defiled themselves^(CA) by what they did;
    by their deeds they prostituted^(CB) themselves.

⁴⁰ Therefore the Lord was angry^(CC) with his people
    and abhorred his inheritance.^(CD)
41 He gave them into the hands^(CE) of the nations,
    and their foes ruled over them.
⁴² Their enemies oppressed^(CF) them
    and subjected them to their power.
⁴³ Many times he delivered them,^(CG)
    but they were bent on rebellion^(CH)
    and they wasted away in their sin.
⁴⁴ Yet he took note of their distress
    when he heard their cry;^(CI)
45 for their sake he remembered his covenant^(CJ)
    and out of his great love^(CK) he relented.^(CL)
46 He caused all who held them captive
    to show them mercy.^(CM)

⁴⁷ Save us,^(CN) Lord our God,
    and gather us^(CO) from the nations,
that we may give thanks^(CP) to your holy name^(CQ)
    and glory in your praise.

⁴⁸ Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.

Let all the people say, “Amen!”^(CR)

Praise the Lord.