² “Hear my words, you wise men.
    Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
³ For the ear tries words,
    as the palate tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose for us that which is right.
    Let us know among ourselves what is good.
⁵ For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
    God has taken away my right.
⁶ Notwithstanding my right I am considered a liar.
    My wound is incurable, though I am without disobedience.’
⁷ What man is like Job,
    who drinks scorn like water,
⁸ who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
    and walks with wicked men?
⁹ For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
    that he should delight himself with God.’

¹⁰ “Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
    far be it from God, that he should do wickedness,
    from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
¹¹ For the work of a man he will render to him,
    and cause every man to find according to his ways.
¹² Yes surely, God will not do wickedly,
    neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
¹³ Who put him in charge of the earth?
    Or who has appointed him over the whole world?
¹⁴ If he set his heart on himself,
    if he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath,
¹⁵ all flesh would perish together,
    and man would turn again to dust.

¹⁶ “If now you have understanding, hear this.
    Listen to the voice of my words.
¹⁷ Should even one who hates justice govern?
    Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
¹⁸ who says to a king, ‘Vile!’
    or to nobles, ‘Wicked!’?
¹⁹ He doesn’t respect the persons of princes,
    nor respect the rich more than the poor,
    for they all are the work of his hands.
²⁰ In a moment they die, even at midnight.
    The people are shaken and pass away.
    The mighty are taken away without a hand.

²¹ “For his eyes are on the ways of a man.
    He sees all his goings.
²² There is no darkness, nor thick gloom,
    where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
²³ For he doesn’t need to consider a man further,
    that he should go before God in judgment.
²⁴ He breaks mighty men in pieces in ways past finding out,
    and sets others in their place.
²⁵ Therefore he takes knowledge of their works.
    He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
²⁶ He strikes them as wicked men
    in the open sight of others;
²⁷ because they turned away from following him,
    and wouldn’t pay attention to any of his ways,
²⁸ so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him.
    He heard the cry of the afflicted.
²⁹ When he gives quietness, who then can condemn?
    When he hides his face, who then can see him?
    He is over a nation or a man alike,
³⁰ that the godless man may not reign,
    that there be no one to ensnare the people.

³¹ “For has any said to God,
    ‘I am guilty, but I will not offend any more.
³² Teach me that which I don’t see.
    If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
³³ Shall his recompense be as you desire, that you refuse it?
    For you must choose, and not I.
    Therefore speak what you know.
³⁴ Men of understanding will tell me,
    yes, every wise man who hears me:
³⁵ ‘Job speaks without knowledge.
    His words are without wisdom.’
³⁶ I wish that Job were tried to the end,
    because of his answering like wicked men.
³⁷ For he adds rebellion to his sin.
    He claps his hands among us,
    and multiplies his words against God.”