¹⁷ You bring new witnesses against me^(A)
    and increase your anger toward me;^(B)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.^(C)

¹⁸ “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?^(D)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.^(E)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!^(F)
20 Are not my few days^(G) almost over?^(H)
    Turn away from me^(I) so I can have a moment’s joy^(J)
21 before I go to the place of no return,^(K)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,^(L)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness^(M) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”^(N)

² “Are all these words to go unanswered?^(P)
    Is this talker to be vindicated?^(Q)
3 Will your idle talk^(R) reduce others to silence?
    Will no one rebuke you when you mock?^(S)
4 You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawless^(T)
    and I am pure^(U) in your sight.’
⁵ Oh, how I wish that God would speak,^(V)
    that he would open his lips against you
⁶ and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom,^(W)
    for true wisdom has two sides.
    Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.^(X)

⁷ “Can you fathom^(Y) the mysteries of God?
    Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
⁸ They are higher^(Z) than the heavens^(AA) above—what can you do?
    They are deeper than the depths below^(AB)—what can you know?^(AC)
9 Their measure^(AD) is longer than the earth
    and wider than the sea.^(AE)

¹⁰ “If he comes along and confines you in prison
    and convenes a court, who can oppose him?^(AF)
11 Surely he recognizes deceivers;
    and when he sees evil, does he not take note?^(AG)
12 But the witless can no more become wise
    than a wild donkey’s colt^(AH) can be born human.^[a](AI)

¹³ “Yet if you devote your heart^(AJ) to him
    and stretch out your hands^(AK) to him,^(AL)