² “Bear with me a little, and I will show you;
    for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.
³ I will get my knowledge from afar,
    and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
⁴ For truly my words are not false.
    One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ “Behold, God is mighty, and doesn’t despise anyone.
    He is mighty in strength of understanding.
⁶ He doesn’t preserve the life of the wicked,
    but gives justice to the afflicted.
⁷ He doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous,
    but with kings on the throne,
    he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
⁸ If they are bound in fetters,
    and are taken in the cords of afflictions,
⁹ then he shows them their work,
    and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
¹⁰ He also opens their ears to instruction,
    and commands that they return from iniquity.
¹¹ If they listen and serve him,
    they will spend their days in prosperity,
    and their years in pleasures.
¹² But if they don’t listen, they will perish by the sword;
    they will die without knowledge.

¹³ “But those who are godless in heart lay up anger.
    They don’t cry for help when he binds them.
¹⁴ They die in youth.
    Their life perishes among the unclean.
¹⁵ He delivers the afflicted by their affliction,
    and opens their ear in oppression.
¹⁶ Yes, he would have allured you out of distress,
    into a wide place, where there is no restriction.
    That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.

¹⁷ “But you are full of the judgment of the wicked.
    Judgment and justice take hold of you.
¹⁸ Don’t let riches entice you to wrath,
    neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.
¹⁹ Would your wealth sustain you in distress,
    or all the might of your strength?
²⁰ Don’t desire the night,
    when people are cut off in their place.
²¹ Take heed, don’t regard iniquity;
    for you have chosen this rather than affliction.
²² Behold, God is exalted in his power.
    Who is a teacher like him?
²³ Who has prescribed his way for him?
    Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness?’

²⁴ “Remember that you magnify his work,
    about which men have sung.
²⁵ All men have looked on it.
    Man sees it afar off.
²⁶ Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him.
    The number of his years is unsearchable.
²⁷ For he draws up the drops of water,
    which distill in rain from his vapor,
²⁸ which the skies pour down
    and which drop on man abundantly.
²⁹ Yes, can any understand the spreading of the clouds,
    and the thunderings of his pavilion?
³⁰ Behold, he spreads his light around him.
    He covers the bottom of the sea.
³¹ For by these he judges the people.
    He gives food in abundance.
³² He covers his hands with the lightning,
    and commands it to strike the mark.
³³ Its noise tells about him,
    and the livestock also concerning the storm that comes up.