² Will the wise respond with windy knowledge
    and fill their belly with the east wind?
³ Will they argue with a word that has no benefit
    and with unprofitable words?
⁴ You are truly making religion ineffective
    and restraining meditation before God.
⁵ Your mouth multiplies your sins a thousand times;
    you opt for a clever tongue.
⁶ Your mouth condemns you, not I;
    your lips argue against you.
⁷ Were you born the first Adam,
    brought forth before the hills?
⁸ Did you listen in God’s council;
    is wisdom limited to you?
⁹ What do you know that we don’t know;
    what do you understand that isn’t among us?
¹⁰ Both the graybeard and the aged are with us;
    those much older than your father.
¹¹ Are God’s comforts not enough for you,
    a word spoken gently with you?
¹² Why has your mind seized you,
    why have your eyes flashed,
¹³     so that you return your breath to God
    and utter such words from your mouth?
¹⁴ What are humans that they might be pure,
    and those born of woman that they might be innocent?
¹⁵ If he doesn’t trust his holy ones
    and the heavens aren’t pure in his eyes,
¹⁶     how much less those who are abominable and corrupt,
        for they drink sin like water.

¹⁷ Listen to me; I will argue with you;
    what I’ve seen, I will declare to you;
¹⁸     what the wise have told and have not concealed from their family,
¹⁹     to whom alone the earth was given
        and no stranger passed in their midst.
²⁰ All the days of the wicked are painful;
    the number of years reserved for the hateful;
²¹ a sound of terror pierces^[a] their ears;
    when safe, raiders overtake them.
²² They can’t count on turning away from darkness;
    they are destined for a sword.
²³ They wander about for bread. “Where is it?”
    They know that their day of darkness is fixed.
²⁴ Adversity and stress scare them,
    master them like a king ready to strike;
²⁵     for they raise a fist against God
        and try to overpower the Almighty.
²⁶ They run toward him aggressively,
    with a massive and strong shield.
²⁷ They cover their face with grease
    and make their loins gross.
²⁸ They lived in ruined cities,
    unoccupied houses that turn to rubble.
²⁹ They won’t get rich; their wealth won’t last;
    their property won’t extend over the earth.
³⁰ They can’t turn away from darkness;
    a flame will dry out their shoots,
        and they will be taken away by the wind from his mouth.
³¹ They shouldn’t trust in what has no worth,
    for their reward will be worthless.
³² Before their branch is formed,
        before it is green,
³³     like the vine, they will drop early grapes
        and cast off their blossoms like the olive.
³⁴ The ruthless gang is barren,
        and fire consumes the tents of bribers.
³⁵     They conceive toil and give birth to sorrow;
        their belly establishes deceit.