² “Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
    and wisdom will die with you!^(A)
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know all these things?^(B)

⁴ “I have become a laughingstock^(C) to my friends,^(D)
    though I called on God and he answered^(E)—
    a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!^(F)
5 Those who are at ease have contempt^(G) for misfortune
    as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.^(H)
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed,^(I)
    and those who provoke God are secure^(J)—
    those God has in his hand.^[a]

⁷ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,^(K)
    or the birds in the sky,^(L) and they will tell you;^(M)
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish in the sea inform you.
⁹ Which of all these does not know^(N)
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?^(O)
10 In his hand is the life^(P) of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.^(Q)
11 Does not the ear test words
    as the tongue tastes food?^(R)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?^(S)
    Does not long life bring understanding?^(T)

¹³ “To God belong wisdom^(U) and power;^(V)
    counsel and understanding are his.^(W)
14 What he tears down^(X) cannot be rebuilt;^(Y)
    those he imprisons cannot be released.^(Z)
15 If he holds back the waters,^(AA) there is drought;^(AB)
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.^(AC)
16 To him belong strength and insight;^(AD)
    both deceived and deceiver are his.^(AE)
17 He leads rulers away stripped^(AF)
    and makes fools of judges.^(AG)
18 He takes off the shackles^(AH) put on by kings
    and ties a loincloth^[b] around their waist.^(AI)
19 He leads priests away stripped^(AJ)
    and overthrows officials long established.^(AK)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
    and takes away the discernment of elders.^(AL)
21 He pours contempt on nobles^(AM)
    and disarms the mighty.^(AN)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness^(AO)
    and brings utter darkness^(AP) into the light.^(AQ)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;^(AR)
    he enlarges nations,^(AS) and disperses them.^(AT)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;^(AU)
    he makes them wander in a trackless waste.^(AV)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;^(AW)
    he makes them stagger like drunkards.^(AX)

13 “My eyes have seen all this,^(AY)
    my ears have heard and understood it.
² What you know, I also know;
    I am not inferior to you.^(AZ)
3 But I desire to speak to the Almighty^(BA)
    and to argue my case with God.^(BB)
4 You, however, smear me with lies;^(BC)
    you are worthless physicians,^(BD) all of you!^(BE)
5 If only you would be altogether silent!^(BF)
    For you, that would be wisdom.^(BG)
6 Hear now my argument;
    listen to the pleas of my lips.^(BH)
7 Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?
    Will you speak deceitfully for him?^(BI)
8 Will you show him partiality?^(BJ)
    Will you argue the case for God?
⁹ Would it turn out well if he examined you?^(BK)
    Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?^(BL)
10 He would surely call you to account
    if you secretly showed partiality.^(BM)
11 Would not his splendor^(BN) terrify you?
    Would not the dread of him fall on you?^(BO)
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
    your defenses are defenses of clay.^(BP)

¹³ “Keep silent^(BQ) and let me speak;^(BR)
    then let come to me what may.^(BS)
14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy
    and take my life in my hands?^(BT)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope^(BU) in him;^(BV)
    I will surely^[c] defend my ways to his face.^(BW)
16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,^(BX)
    for no godless^(BY) person would dare come before him!^(BZ)
17 Listen carefully to what I say;^(CA)
    let my words ring in your ears.
¹⁸ Now that I have prepared my case,^(CB)
    I know I will be vindicated.^(CC)
19 Can anyone bring charges against me?^(CD)
    If so, I will be silent^(CE) and die.^(CF)

²⁰ “Only grant me these two things, God,
    and then I will not hide from you:
²¹ Withdraw your hand^(CG) far from me,
    and stop frightening me with your terrors.^(CH)
22 Then summon me and I will answer,^(CI)
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.^(CJ)
23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?^(CK)
    Show me my offense and my sin.^(CL)
24 Why do you hide your face^(CM)
    and consider me your enemy?^(CN)
25 Will you torment^(CO) a windblown leaf?^(CP)
    Will you chase^(CQ) after dry chaff?^(CR)
26 For you write down bitter things against me
    and make me reap the sins of my youth.^(CS)
27 You fasten my feet in shackles;^(CT)
    you keep close watch on all my paths^(CU)
    by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

²⁸ “So man wastes away like something rotten,
    like a garment^(CV) eaten by moths.^(CW)

14 “Mortals, born of woman,^(CX)
    are of few days^(CY) and full of trouble.^(CZ)
2 They spring up like flowers^(DA) and wither away;^(DB)
    like fleeting shadows,^(DC) they do not endure.^(DD)
3 Do you fix your eye on them?^(DE)
    Will you bring them^[d] before you for judgment?^(DF)
4 Who can bring what is pure^(DG) from the impure?^(DH)
    No one!^(DI)
5 A person’s days are determined;^(DJ)
    you have decreed the number of his months^(DK)
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.^(DL)
6 So look away from him and let him alone,^(DM)
    till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.^(DN)

⁷ “At least there is hope for a tree:^(DO)
    If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
    and its new shoots^(DP) will not fail.^(DQ)
8 Its roots may grow old in the ground
    and its stump^(DR) die in the soil,
⁹ yet at the scent of water^(DS) it will bud
    and put forth shoots like a plant.^(DT)
10 But a man dies and is laid low;^(DU)
    he breathes his last and is no more.^(DV)
11 As the water of a lake dries up
    or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,^(DW)
12 so he lies down and does not rise;^(DX)
    till the heavens are no more,^(DY) people will not awake
    or be roused from their sleep.^(DZ)

¹³ “If only you would hide me in the grave^(EA)
    and conceal me till your anger has passed!^(EB)
If only you would set me a time
    and then remember^(EC) me!^(ED)
14 If someone dies, will they live again?
    All the days of my hard service^(EE)
    I will wait for my renewal^[e](EF) to come.
¹⁵ You will call and I will answer you;^(EG)
    you will long for the creature your hands have made.^(EH)
16 Surely then you will count my steps^(EI)
    but not keep track of my sin.^(EJ)
17 My offenses will be sealed^(EK) up in a bag;^(EL)
    you will cover over my sin.^(EM)

¹⁸ “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles^(EN)
    and as a rock is moved from its place,^(EO)
19 as water wears away stones
    and torrents^(EP) wash away the soil,^(EQ)
    so you destroy a person’s hope.^(ER)
20 You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;^(ES)
    you change their countenance and send them away.^(ET)
21 If their children are honored, they do not know it;
    if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.^(EU)
22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies^(EV)
    and mourn only for themselves.^(EW)”

² “Would a wise person answer with empty notions
    or fill their belly with the hot east wind?^(EY)
3 Would they argue with useless words,
    with speeches that have no value?^(EZ)
4 But you even undermine piety
    and hinder devotion to God.^(FA)
5 Your sin^(FB) prompts your mouth;^(FC)
    you adopt the tongue of the crafty.^(FD)
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
    your own lips testify against you.^(FE)

⁷ “Are you the first man ever born?^(FF)
    Were you brought forth before the hills?^(FG)
8 Do you listen in on God’s council?^(FH)
    Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?^(FI)
9 What do you know that we do not know?
    What insights do you have that we do not have?^(FJ)
10 The gray-haired and the aged^(FK) are on our side,
    men even older than your father.^(FL)
11 Are God’s consolations^(FM) not enough for you,
    words^(FN) spoken gently to you?^(FO)
12 Why has your heart^(FP) carried you away,
    and why do your eyes flash,
¹³ so that you vent your rage^(FQ) against God
    and pour out such words^(FR) from your mouth?^(FS)

¹⁴ “What are mortals, that they could be pure,
    or those born of woman,^(FT) that they could be righteous?^(FU)
15 If God places no trust in his holy ones,^(FV)
    if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,^(FW)
16 how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt,^(FX)
    who drink up evil^(FY) like water!^(FZ)

¹⁷ “Listen to me and I will explain to you;
    let me tell you what I have seen,^(GA)
18 what the wise have declared,
    hiding nothing received from their ancestors^(GB)
19 (to whom alone the land^(GC) was given
    when no foreigners moved among them):
²⁰ All his days the wicked man suffers torment,^(GD)
    the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.^(GE)
21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears;^(GF)
    when all seems well, marauders attack him.^(GG)
22 He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness;^(GH)
    he is marked for the sword.^(GI)
23 He wanders about^(GJ) for food like a vulture;^(GK)
    he knows the day of darkness^(GL) is at hand.^(GM)
24 Distress and anguish^(GN) fill him with terror;^(GO)
    troubles overwhelm him, like a king^(GP) poised to attack,
²⁵ because he shakes his fist^(GQ) at God
    and vaunts himself against the Almighty,^(GR)
26 defiantly charging against him
    with a thick, strong shield.^(GS)

²⁷ “Though his face is covered with fat
    and his waist bulges with flesh,^(GT)
28 he will inhabit ruined towns
    and houses where no one lives,^(GU)
    houses crumbling to rubble.^(GV)
29 He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure,^(GW)
    nor will his possessions spread over the land.^(GX)
30 He will not escape the darkness;^(GY)
    a flame^(GZ) will wither his shoots,^(HA)
    and the breath of God’s mouth^(HB) will carry him away.^(HC)
31 Let him not deceive^(HD) himself by trusting what is worthless,^(HE)
    for he will get nothing in return.^(HF)
32 Before his time^(HG) he will wither,^(HH)
    and his branches will not flourish.^(HI)
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,^(HJ)
    like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.^(HK)
34 For the company of the godless^(HL) will be barren,
    and fire will consume^(HM) the tents of those who love bribes.^(HN)
35 They conceive trouble^(HO) and give birth to evil;^(HP)
    their womb fashions deceit.”