² “My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
    because I am greatly disturbed.^(B)
3 I hear a rebuke^(C) that dishonors me,
    and my understanding inspires me to reply.

⁴ “Surely you know how it has been from of old,^(D)
    ever since mankind^[a] was placed on the earth,
⁵ that the mirth of the wicked^(E) is brief,
    the joy of the godless^(F) lasts but a moment.^(G)
6 Though the pride^(H) of the godless person reaches to the heavens^(I)
    and his head touches the clouds,^(J)
7 he will perish forever,^(K) like his own dung;
    those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’^(L)
8 Like a dream^(M) he flies away,^(N) no more to be found,
    banished^(O) like a vision of the night.^(P)
9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;
    his place will look on him no more.^(Q)
10 His children^(R) must make amends to the poor;
    his own hands must give back his wealth.^(S)
11 The youthful vigor^(T) that fills his bones^(U)
    will lie with him in the dust.^(V)

¹² “Though evil^(W) is sweet in his mouth
    and he hides it under his tongue,^(X)
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
    and lets it linger in his mouth,^(Y)
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;^(Z)
    it will become the venom of serpents^(AA) within him.
¹⁵ He will spit out the riches^(AB) he swallowed;
    God will make his stomach vomit^(AC) them up.
¹⁶ He will suck the poison^(AD) of serpents;
    the fangs of an adder will kill him.^(AE)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
    the rivers^(AF) flowing with honey^(AG) and cream.^(AH)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;^(AI)
    he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.^(AJ)
19 For he has oppressed the poor^(AK) and left them destitute;^(AL)
    he has seized houses^(AM) he did not build.

²⁰ “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;^(AN)
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.^(AO)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.^(AP)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;^(AQ)
    the full force of misery will come upon him.^(AR)
23 When he has filled his belly,^(AS)
    God will vent his burning anger^(AT) against him
    and rain down his blows on him.^(AU)
24 Though he flees^(AV) from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.^(AW)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors^(AX) will come over him;^(AY)
26     total darkness^(AZ) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire^(BA) unfanned will consume him^(BB)
    and devour what is left in his tent.^(BC)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.^(BD)
28 A flood will carry off his house,^(BE)
    rushing waters^[b] on the day of God’s wrath.^(BF)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”^(BG)

² “Listen carefully to my words;^(BH)
    let this be the consolation you give me.^(BI)
3 Bear with me while I speak,
    and after I have spoken, mock on.^(BJ)

⁴ “Is my complaint^(BK) directed to a human being?
    Why should I not be impatient?^(BL)
5 Look at me and be appalled;
    clap your hand over your mouth.^(BM)
6 When I think about this, I am terrified;^(BN)
    trembling seizes my body.^(BO)
7 Why do the wicked live on,
    growing old and increasing in power?^(BP)
8 They see their children established around them,
    their offspring before their eyes.^(BQ)
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;^(BR)
    the rod of God is not on them.^(BS)
10 Their bulls never fail to breed;
    their cows calve and do not miscarry.^(BT)
11 They send forth their children as a flock;^(BU)
    their little ones dance about.
¹² They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;^(BV)
    they make merry to the sound of the pipe.^(BW)
13 They spend their years in prosperity^(BX)
    and go down to the grave^(BY) in peace.^[c](BZ)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!^(CA)
    We have no desire to know your ways.^(CB)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
    What would we gain by praying to him?’^(CC)
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.^(CD)

¹⁷ “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?^(CE)
    How often does calamity^(CF) come upon them,
    the fate God allots in his anger?^(CG)
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
    like chaff^(CH) swept away^(CI) by a gale?^(CJ)
19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’^(CK)
    Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!^(CL)
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;^(CM)
    let them drink^(CN) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.^(CO)
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind^(CP)
    when their allotted months^(CQ) come to an end?^(CR)

²² “Can anyone teach knowledge to God,^(CS)
    since he judges even the highest?^(CT)
23 One person dies in full vigor,^(CU)
    completely secure and at ease,^(CV)
24 well nourished^(CW) in body,^[d]
    bones^(CX) rich with marrow.^(CY)
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,^(CZ)
    never having enjoyed anything good.
²⁶ Side by side they lie in the dust,^(DA)
    and worms^(DB) cover them both.^(DC)

²⁷ “I know full well what you are thinking,
    the schemes by which you would wrong me.
²⁸ You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,^(DD)
    the tents where the wicked lived?’^(DE)
29 Have you never questioned those who travel?
    Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
³⁰ that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,^(DF)
    that they are delivered from^[e] the day of wrath?^(DG)
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?
    Who repays them for what they have done?^(DH)
32 They are carried to the grave,
    and watch is kept over their tombs.^(DI)
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;^(DJ)
    everyone follows after them,
    and a countless throng goes^[f] before them.^(DK)

³⁴ “So how can you console me^(DL) with your nonsense?
    Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”^(DM)

² “Can a man be of benefit to God?^(DO)
    Can even a wise person benefit him?^(DP)
3 What pleasure^(DQ) would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?^(DR)
    What would he gain if your ways were blameless?^(DS)

⁴ “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
    and brings charges against you?^(DT)
5 Is not your wickedness great?
    Are not your sins^(DU) endless?^(DV)
6 You demanded security^(DW) from your relatives for no reason;^(DX)
    you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.^(DY)
7 You gave no water^(DZ) to the weary
    and you withheld food from the hungry,^(EA)
8 though you were a powerful man, owning land^(EB)—
    an honored man,^(EC) living on it.^(ED)
9 And you sent widows^(EE) away empty-handed^(EF)
    and broke the strength of the fatherless.^(EG)
10 That is why snares^(EH) are all around you,^(EI)
    why sudden peril terrifies you,^(EJ)
11 why it is so dark^(EK) you cannot see,
    and why a flood of water covers you.^(EL)

¹² “Is not God in the heights of heaven?^(EM)
    And see how lofty are the highest stars!
¹³ Yet you say, ‘What does God know?^(EN)
    Does he judge through such darkness?^(EO)
14 Thick clouds^(EP) veil him, so he does not see us^(EQ)
    as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’^(ER)
15 Will you keep to the old path
    that the wicked^(ES) have trod?^(ET)
16 They were carried off before their time,^(EU)
    their foundations^(EV) washed away by a flood.^(EW)
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    What can the Almighty do to us?’^(EX)
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,^(EY)
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.^(EZ)
19 The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;^(FA)
    the innocent mock^(FB) them, saying,
²⁰ ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,^(FC)
    and fire^(FD) devours their wealth.’

²¹ “Submit to God and be at peace^(FE) with him;^(FF)
    in this way prosperity will come to you.^(FG)
22 Accept instruction from his mouth^(FH)
    and lay up his words^(FI) in your heart.^(FJ)
23 If you return^(FK) to the Almighty, you will be restored:^(FL)
    If you remove wickedness far from your tent^(FM)
24 and assign your nuggets^(FN) to the dust,
    your gold^(FO) of Ophir^(FP) to the rocks in the ravines,^(FQ)
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,^(FR)
    the choicest silver for you.^(FS)
26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty^(FT)
    and will lift up your face^(FU) to God.^(FV)
27 You will pray to him,^(FW) and he will hear you,^(FX)
    and you will fulfill your vows.^(FY)
28 What you decide on will be done,^(FZ)
    and light^(GA) will shine on your ways.^(GB)
29 When people are brought low^(GC) and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
    then he will save the downcast.^(GD)
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,^(GE)
    who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”^(GF)

² “Even today my complaint^(GG) is bitter;^(GH)
    his hand^[g] is heavy in spite of^[h] my groaning.^(GI)
3 If only I knew where to find him;
    if only I could go to his dwelling!^(GJ)
4 I would state my case^(GK) before him
    and fill my mouth with arguments.^(GL)
5 I would find out what he would answer me,^(GM)
    and consider what he would say to me.
⁶ Would he vigorously oppose me?^(GN)
    No, he would not press charges against me.^(GO)
7 There the upright^(GP) can establish their innocence before him,^(GQ)
    and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.^(GR)

⁸ “But if I go to the east, he is not there;
    if I go to the west, I do not find him.
⁹ When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
    when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.^(GS)
10 But he knows the way that I take;^(GT)
    when he has tested me,^(GU) I will come forth as gold.^(GV)
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;^(GW)
    I have kept to his way without turning aside.^(GX)
12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;^(GY)
    I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.^(GZ)

¹³ “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?^(HA)
    He does whatever he pleases.^(HB)
14 He carries out his decree against me,
    and many such plans he still has in store.^(HC)
15 That is why I am terrified before him;^(HD)
    when I think of all this, I fear him.^(HE)
16 God has made my heart faint;^(HF)
    the Almighty^(HG) has terrified me.^(HH)
17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,^(HI)
    by the thick darkness that covers my face.