² “Hear my words, O you wise men;
    and give ear unto me, you that have knowledge.
³ For the ear tests words,
    as the mouth tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose justice for ourselves;
    let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵ “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
    but God has taken away my judgment.
⁶ Should I lie concerning my right?
    My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
⁷ What man is like Job,
    who drinks scorn like water,
⁸ who goes in company with the workers of iniquity
    and walks with wicked men?
⁹ For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
    that he should delight himself in God.’

¹⁰ “Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
    Far be it from God that He should do wickedness,
    and from the Almighty that He should commit iniquity.
¹¹ He will repay a man for his work,
    and cause every man to find what is according to his ways.
¹² Yes, surely God will not do wickedly,
    nor will the Almighty pervert judgment.
¹³ Who has given Him charge over the earth?
    Or who has set in order the whole world?
¹⁴ If He sets His heart on man,
    if He gathers unto Himself His Spirit and His breath,
¹⁵ all flesh will perish together,
    and man will turn again to dust.

¹⁶ “If now you have understanding, hear this;
    listen to the voice of my words:
¹⁷ Should he who hates justice govern?
    And will you condemn Him who is most just?
¹⁸ Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are wicked’?
    And to princes, ‘You are ungodly’?
¹⁹ Yet He is not partial to princes,
    nor does He regard the rich more than the poor.
    For they all are the work of His hands.
²⁰ In a moment they will die,
    and the people will be troubled at midnight and pass away,
    and the mighty will be taken away without a hand.

²¹ “For His eyes are upon the ways of man,
    and He sees all his goings.
²² There is no darkness nor shadow of death
    where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
²³ For He will not lay upon man more than right,
    that he should enter into judgment with God.
²⁴ He will break in pieces mighty men without number,
    and set others in their place.
²⁵ Therefore He knows their works,
    and He overturns them in the night
    so that they are destroyed.
²⁶ He strikes them as wicked men
    in the open sight of others,
²⁷ because they turned back from Him
    and would not consider any of His ways,
²⁸ so that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto Him;
    and He hears the cry of the afflicted.
²⁹ When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
    And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him,
whether it is done against a nation or against a man only?
³⁰     That the hypocrite should not reign,
    lest the people be ensnared.

³¹ “Should anyone say to God,
    ‘I have borne chastisement, I will offend no more;
³² teach me what I do not see;
    if I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
³³ Should it be according to your mind?
    He will repay it, whether you refuse or whether you choose,
    and not I; therefore speak what you know.

³⁴ “Let men of understanding say to me,
    wise men who listen to me:
³⁵ ‘Job has spoken without knowledge,
    and his words were without wisdom.’
³⁶ My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end,
    because he answers like wicked men.
³⁷ For he adds rebellion unto his sin;
    he claps his hands among us,
    and multiplies his words against God.”