⁸ “But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
    I would lay my cause before him.^(A)
9 He performs wonders^(B) that cannot be fathomed,^(C)
    miracles that cannot be counted.^(D)
10 He provides rain for the earth;^(E)
    he sends water on the countryside.^(F)
11 The lowly he sets on high,^(G)
    and those who mourn^(H) are lifted^(I) to safety.
¹² He thwarts the plans^(J) of the crafty,
    so that their hands achieve no success.^(K)
13 He catches the wise^(L) in their craftiness,^(M)
    and the schemes of the wily are swept away.^(N)
14 Darkness^(O) comes upon them in the daytime;
    at noon they grope as in the night.^(P)
15 He saves the needy^(Q) from the sword in their mouth;
    he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.^(R)
16 So the poor^(S) have hope,
    and injustice shuts its mouth.^(T)

¹⁷ “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;^(U)
    so do not despise the discipline^(V) of the Almighty.^[a](W)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;^(X)
    he injures, but his hands also heal.^(Y)
19 From six calamities he will rescue^(Z) you;
    in seven no harm will touch you.^(AA)
20 In famine^(AB) he will deliver you from death,
    and in battle from the stroke of the sword.^(AC)

² I say to God:^(A) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges^(B) you have against me.^(C)
3 Does it please you to oppress me,^(D)
    to spurn the work of your hands,^(E)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?^(F)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?^(G)
5 Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,^(H)
6 that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin^(I)—
⁷ though you know that I am not guilty^(J)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?^(K)

⁸ “Your hands shaped^(L) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?^(M)
9 Remember that you molded me like clay.^(N)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?^(O)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
¹¹ clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together^(P) with bones and sinews?
¹² You gave me life^(Q) and showed me kindness,^(R)
    and in your providence^(S) watched over^(T) my spirit.

¹³ “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:^(U)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me^(V)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.^(W)
15 If I am guilty^(X)—woe to me!^(Y)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,^(Z)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in^[a] my affliction.^(AA)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion^(AB)
    and again display your awesome power against me.^(AC)
17 You bring new witnesses against me^(AD)
    and increase your anger toward me;^(AE)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.^(AF)

¹⁸ “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?^(AG)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.^(AH)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!^(AI)
20 Are not my few days^(AJ) almost over?^(AK)
    Turn away from me^(AL) so I can have a moment’s joy^(AM)
21 before I go to the place of no return,^(AN)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,^(AO)

⁶ The tents of marauders are undisturbed,^(A)
    and those who provoke God are secure^(B)—
    those God has in his hand.^[a]

⁷ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,^(C)
    or the birds in the sky,^(D) and they will tell you;^(E)
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^(F)
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?^(G)
10 In his hand is the life^(H) of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.^(I)
11 Does not the ear test words
    as the tongue tastes food?^(J)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?^(K)
    Does not long life bring understanding?^(L)

¹³ “To God belong wisdom^(M) and power;^(N)
    counsel and understanding are his.^(O)
14 What he tears down^(P) cannot be rebuilt;^(Q)
    those he imprisons cannot be released.^(R)
15 If he holds back the waters,^(S) there is drought;^(T)
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.^(U)
16 To him belong strength and insight;^(V)
    both deceived and deceiver are his.^(W)
17 He leads rulers away stripped^(X)
    and makes fools of judges.^(Y)
18 He takes off the shackles^(Z) put on by kings
    and ties a loincloth^[b] around their waist.^(AA)
19 He leads priests away stripped^(AB)
    and overthrows officials long established.^(AC)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
    and takes away the discernment of elders.^(AD)
21 He pours contempt on nobles^(AE)
    and disarms the mighty.^(AF)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness^(AG)
    and brings utter darkness^(AH) into the light.^(AI)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;^(AJ)
    he enlarges nations,^(AK) and disperses them.^(AL)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;^(AM)
    he makes them wander in a trackless waste.^(AN)

¹² “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.^(A)
13 Why do you complain to him^(B)
    that he responds to no one’s words^[a]?^(C)
14 For God does speak^(D)—now one way, now another^(E)—
    though no one perceives it.^(F)
15 In a dream,^(G) in a vision^(H) of the night,^(I)
    when deep sleep^(J) falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
¹⁶ he may speak^(K) in their ears
    and terrify them^(L) with warnings,^(M)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,^(N)
18 to preserve them from the pit,^(O)
    their lives from perishing by the sword.^[b](P)

¹⁹ “Or someone may be chastened^(Q) on a bed of pain^(R)
    with constant distress in their bones,^(S)
20 so that their body finds food^(T) repulsive
    and their soul loathes the choicest meal.^(U)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
    and their bones,^(V) once hidden, now stick out.^(W)
22 They draw near to the pit,^(X)
    and their life to the messengers of death.^[c](Y)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
    a messenger,^(Z) one out of a thousand,
    sent to tell them how to be upright,^(AA)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down to the pit;^(AB)
    I have found a ransom for them^(AC)—
²⁵ let their flesh be renewed^(AD) like a child’s;
    let them be restored as in the days of their youth’^(AE)—
²⁶ then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,^(AF)
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;^(AG)
    he will restore them to full well-being.^(AH)
27 And they will go to others and say,
    ‘I have sinned,^(AI) I have perverted what is right,^(AJ)
    but I did not get what I deserved.^(AK)
28 God has delivered^(AL) me from going down to the pit,^(AM)
    and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’^(AN)

²⁹ “God does all these things to a person^(AO)—
    twice, even three times^(AP)—
³⁰ to turn them back^(AQ) from the pit,^(AR)
    that the light of life^(AS) may shine on them.^(AT)