² “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
    Yet who can keep from speaking?
³ Behold, you have instructed many,
    and you have ^(A)strengthened the weak hands.
⁴ Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
    and you have ^(B)made firm the feeble knees.
⁵ But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
    it touches you, and you are dismayed.
^6 (C)Is not your fear of God^[a] your ^(D)confidence,
    and the integrity of your ways your hope?

⁷ “Remember: ^(E)who that was innocent ever perished?
    Or where were the upright cut off?
⁸ As I have seen, those who ^(F)plow iniquity
    and sow trouble reap the same.
⁹ By ^(G)the breath of God they perish,
    and by ^(H)the blast of his anger they are consumed.
¹⁰ The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,
    ^(I)the teeth of the young lions are broken.
¹¹ The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,
    and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

¹² “Now a word was brought to me stealthily;
    my ear received ^(J)the whisper of it.
¹³ Amid ^(K)thoughts from ^(L)visions of the night,
    when ^(M)deep sleep falls on men,
¹⁴ dread came upon me, and trembling,
    which made all my bones shake.
¹⁵ A spirit glided past my face;
    the hair of my flesh stood up.
¹⁶ It stood still,
    but I could not discern its appearance.
^(N)A form was before my eyes;
    there was silence, then I heard ^(O)a voice:
^17 (P)‘Can mortal man be in the right before^[b] God?
    Can a man be pure before his Maker?
¹⁸ Even in his servants ^(Q)he puts no trust,
    and his angels he charges with error;
¹⁹ how much more those who dwell in houses of ^(R)clay,
    whose foundation is in ^(S)the dust,
    who are crushed like^{[c] (T)}the moth.
²⁰ Between ^(U)morning and evening they are beaten to pieces;
    they perish forever ^(V)without anyone regarding it.
²¹ Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them,
    ^(W)do they not die, and that without wisdom?’

² “How long will you say these things,
    and the words of your mouth be a ^(B)great wind?
^3 (C)Does God pervert justice?
    Or does the Almighty pervert the right?
⁴ If your ^(D)children have sinned against him,
    he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression.
⁵ If you will seek God
    and ^(E)plead with the Almighty for mercy,
⁶ if you are pure and upright,
    surely then he will ^(F)rouse himself for you
    and ^(G)restore your rightful habitation.
⁷ And though your beginning was small,
    ^(H)your latter days will be very great.

⁸ “For ^(I)inquire, please, of bygone ages,
    and consider what ^(J)the fathers have searched out.
⁹ For we are but of yesterday and know nothing,
    for our days on earth are ^(K)a shadow.
¹⁰ Will they not teach you and tell you
    and utter words out of their understanding?

¹¹ “Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh?
    Can reeds flourish where there is no water?
¹² While yet in flower and not cut down,
    they ^(L)wither before any other plant.
¹³ Such are the paths of all who ^(M)forget God;
    ^(N)the hope of ^(O)the godless shall perish.
¹⁴ His confidence is severed,
    and his trust is ^(P)a spider's web.^[a]
15 He leans against his ^(Q)house, but it does not stand;
    he lays hold of it, but it does not endure.
¹⁶ He is a lush plant before the sun,
    and his ^(R)shoots spread over his garden.
¹⁷ His roots entwine the stone heap;
    he looks upon a house of stones.
¹⁸ If he is destroyed from his ^(S)place,
    then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have never ^(T)seen you.’
¹⁹ Behold, this is the joy of his way,
    and out of ^(U)the soil others will spring.

²⁰ “Behold, God will not reject a blameless man,
    nor take the hand of evildoers.
²¹ He will yet ^(V)fill your mouth with laughter,
    and your lips with shouting.
²² Those who hate you will be ^(W)clothed with shame,
    and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”

² “Should ^(B)a multitude of words go unanswered,
    and a man full of talk be judged right?
³ Should your babble silence men,
    and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
⁴ For ^(C)you say, ‘My ^(D)doctrine is pure,
    and I am clean in God's^[a] eyes.’
⁵ But oh, that God would speak
    and open his lips to you,
⁶ and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
    For he is manifold in ^(E)understanding.^[b]
Know then that God ^(F)exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

^7 (G)“Can you find out the deep things of God?
    Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
⁸ It is ^(H)higher than heaven^[c]—what can you do?
    Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
⁹ Its measure is longer than the earth
    and broader than the sea.
¹⁰ If he ^(I)passes through and ^(J)imprisons
    and summons the court, who can ^(K)turn him back?
¹¹ For he knows ^(L)worthless men;
    when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
¹² But a stupid man will get understanding
    when ^(M)a wild donkey's colt is ^(N)born a man!

¹³ “If you ^(O)prepare your heart,
    you will ^(P)stretch out your hands toward him.
¹⁴ If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
    and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
¹⁵ Surely then you will ^(Q)lift up your face without ^(R)blemish;
    you will be secure and will not fear.
¹⁶ You will ^(S)forget your misery;
    you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
¹⁷ And your life will be ^(T)brighter than the noonday;
    its darkness will be like the morning.
¹⁸ And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
    you will look around and ^(U)take your rest in security.
¹⁹ You will ^(V)lie down, and none will make you afraid;
    many will ^(W)court your favor.
²⁰ But ^(X)the eyes of the wicked will fail;
    all way of escape will be lost to them,
    and their hope is ^(Y)to breathe their last.”