² “How long will you speak these things?
    Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
³ Does God pervert justice?
    Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?
⁴ If your children have sinned against him,
    he has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience.
⁵ If you want to seek God diligently,
    make your supplication to the Almighty.
⁶ If you were pure and upright,
    surely now he would awaken for you,
and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.
⁷     Though your beginning was small,
yet your latter end would greatly increase.

⁸ “Please inquire of past generations.
    Find out about the learning of their fathers.
⁹ (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing,
    because our days on earth are a shadow.)
¹⁰ Shall they not teach you, tell you,
    and utter words out of their heart?

¹¹ “Can the papyrus grow up without mire?
    Can the rushes grow without water?
¹² While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down,
    it withers before any other reed.
¹³ So are the paths of all who forget God.
    The hope of the godless man will perish,
¹⁴ whose confidence will break apart,
    whose trust is a spider’s web.
¹⁵ He will lean on his house, but it will not stand.
    He will cling to it, but it will not endure.
¹⁶ He is green before the sun.
    His shoots go out along his garden.
¹⁷ His roots are wrapped around the rock pile.
    He sees the place of stones.
¹⁸ If he is destroyed from his place,
    then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
¹⁹ Behold, this is the joy of his way.
    Out of the earth, others will spring.

²⁰ “Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man,
    neither will he uphold the evildoers.
²¹ He will still fill your mouth with laughter,
    your lips with shouting.
²² Those who hate you will be clothed with shame.
    The tent of the wicked will be no more.”