² “Hear my words, you wise men,
    and give ear to me, you who know;
³ for ^(A)the ear tests words
    as the palate tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose ^(B)what is right;
    let us know among ourselves what is good.
⁵ For Job has said, ‘I am ^(C)in the right,
    and ^(D)God has taken away my right;
⁶ in spite of my right I am counted a liar;
    my wound is incurable, though I am ^(E)without transgression.’
⁷ What man is like Job,
    who ^(F)drinks up scoffing like water,
⁸ who travels in company with evildoers
    and walks ^(G)with wicked men?
⁹ For ^(H)he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
    that he should take delight in God.’

¹⁰ “Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding:
    far be it from God that he should ^(I)do wickedness,
    and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
¹¹ For according to ^(J)the work of a man he will repay him,
    and ^(K)according to his ways he will make it befall him.
¹² Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
    and ^(L)the Almighty will not pervert justice.
¹³ Who gave him charge over the earth,
    and who ^(M)laid on him^[a] the whole world?
¹⁴ If he should ^(N)set his heart to it
    and ^(O)gather to himself his ^(P)spirit and his breath,
¹⁵ all flesh would perish together,
    and man would ^(Q)return to dust.

¹⁶ “If you have understanding, hear this;
    listen to what I say.
^17 (R)Shall one who hates justice govern?
    Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
¹⁸ who ^(S)says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
    and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’
¹⁹ who ^(T)shows no partiality to princes,
    nor regards the rich ^(U)more than the poor,
    for ^(V)they are all the work of his hands?
²⁰ In a moment ^(W)they die;
    at ^(X)midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
    and the mighty are taken away by ^(Y)no human hand.

²¹ “For his eyes are on ^(Z)the ways of a man,
    and he sees all his ^(AA)steps.
²² There is no ^(AB)gloom or ^(AC)deep darkness
    where evildoers may hide themselves.
²³ For God^[b] has no need to consider a man further,
    that he should go before God in ^(AD)judgment.
²⁴ He ^(AE)shatters the mighty without investigation
    and sets ^(AF)others in their place.
²⁵ Thus, knowing their works,
    he ^(AG)overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
²⁶ He strikes them for their wickedness
    in a place for all to see,
²⁷ because they turned aside from ^(AH)following him
    and had no regard for any of his ways,
²⁸ so that they ^(AI)caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
    and he ^(AJ)heard the cry of the afflicted—
²⁹ When he is quiet, who can condemn?
    When he hides his face, who can behold him,
    whether it be a nation or a man?—
³⁰ that a godless man should not reign,
    that he should not ensnare the people.

³¹ “For has anyone said to God,
    ‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more;
^32 (AK)teach me what I do not see;
    if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
³³ Will he then make repayment to suit you,
    because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
    therefore ^(AL)declare what you know.^[c]
34 Men of understanding will say to me,
    and the wise man who hears me will say:
³⁵ ‘Job ^(AM)speaks without knowledge;
    his words are without insight.’
³⁶ Would that Job were tried to the end,
    because he answers like wicked men.
³⁷ For he adds rebellion to his sin;
    he ^(AN)claps his hands among us
    and multiplies his words against God.”

² “Do you think this to be just?
    Do you say, ^(AO)‘It is my right before God,’
³ that you ask, ^(AP)‘What advantage have I?
    How am I better off than if I had sinned?’
⁴ I will answer you
    and ^(AQ)your friends with you.
^5 (AR)Look at the heavens, and see;
    and behold the clouds, which are higher than you.
⁶ If you have sinned, ^(AS)what do you accomplish against him?
    And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
^7 (AT)If you are righteous, what do you give to him?
    Or what does he receive from your hand?
⁸ Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself,
    and your righteousness ^(AU)a son of man.

⁹ “Because of the multitude of ^(AV)oppressions people ^(AW)cry out;
    they call for help because of the arm of ^(AX)the mighty.^[d]
10 But none says, ‘Where is God my ^(AY)Maker,
    who gives ^(AZ)songs in the night,
¹¹ who teaches us ^(BA)more than the beasts of the earth
    and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
¹² There they ^(BB)cry out, but he does not answer,
    because of the pride of evil men.
¹³ Surely God does not hear an empty cry,
    nor does the Almighty regard it.
¹⁴ How much less when you say that you ^(BC)do not see him,
    that the case is before him, and you are ^(BD)waiting for him!
¹⁵ And now, because ^(BE)his anger does not punish,
    and he does not take much note of transgression,^[e]
16 Job opens his mouth in empty talk;
    he ^(BF)multiplies words ^(BG)without knowledge.”

² “Bear with me a little, and I will show you,
    for I have yet something to say on God's behalf.
³ I will get my knowledge from ^(BH)afar
    and ascribe ^(BI)righteousness to my ^(BJ)Maker.
⁴ For truly my words are not false;
    one who is ^(BK)perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ “Behold, God is mighty, and ^(BL)does not despise any;
    he is ^(BM)mighty in strength of understanding.
⁶ He does not keep the wicked alive,
    but gives ^(BN)the afflicted their right.
⁷ He does not withdraw his ^(BO)eyes from the righteous,
    but with ^(BP)kings on the throne
    he sets them forever, and they are ^(BQ)exalted.
⁸ And if they are ^(BR)bound in chains
    and caught in the cords of affliction,
⁹ then he declares to them their work
    and their transgressions, that they are ^(BS)behaving arrogantly.
¹⁰ He ^(BT)opens their ears to instruction
    and commands that they ^(BU)return from iniquity.
^11 (BV)If they listen and serve him,
    they ^(BW)complete their days in prosperity,
    and their years in pleasantness.
¹² But if they do not listen, they ^(BX)perish by the sword
    and die ^(BY)without knowledge.

¹³ “The ^(BZ)godless in heart cherish anger;
    they do not cry for help when he ^(CA)binds them.
¹⁴ They ^(CB)die in youth,
    and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.
¹⁵ He delivers ^(CC)the afflicted by their affliction
    and ^(CD)opens their ear by adversity.
¹⁶ He also allured you out of distress
    into ^(CE)a broad place where there was no cramping,
    and what was set on your ^(CF)table was full of ^(CG)fatness.

¹⁷ “But you are full of the judgment on the wicked;
    judgment and justice seize you.
¹⁸ Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing,
    and let not the greatness of ^(CH)the ransom turn you aside.
¹⁹ Will your ^(CI)cry for help avail to keep you from distress,
    or all the force of your strength?
²⁰ Do not long for ^(CJ)the night,
    when peoples vanish ^(CK)in their place.
²¹ Take care; ^(CL)do not turn to iniquity,
    for this you have chosen rather than affliction.
²² Behold, God is exalted in his power;
    who is ^(CM)a teacher like him?
²³ Who has ^(CN)prescribed for him his way,
    or who can say, ^(CO)‘You have done wrong’?

²⁴ “Remember to ^(CP)extol his work,
    of which men have ^(CQ)sung.
²⁵ All mankind has looked on it;
    man beholds it from afar.
²⁶ Behold, God is great, and we ^(CR)know him not;
    the number of his ^(CS)years is unsearchable.
²⁷ For he draws up the drops of water;
    they distill his ^(CT)mist in ^(CU)rain,
²⁸ which ^(CV)the skies pour down
    and drop on mankind abundantly.
²⁹ Can anyone understand ^(CW)the spreading of the clouds,
    the thunderings of his ^(CX)pavilion?
³⁰ Behold, he scatters his lightning about him
    and covers the roots of the sea.
³¹ For by these he ^(CY)judges peoples;
    he gives ^(CZ)food in abundance.
³² He covers his ^(DA)hands with the lightning
    and commands it to strike the mark.
³³ Its crashing declares his presence;^[f]
    the cattle also declare that he rises.

^5 (L)How long, O Lord? Will you be angry ^(M)forever?
    Will your ^(N)jealousy ^(O)burn like fire?
^6 (P)Pour out your anger on the nations
    that ^(Q)do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
    that ^(R)do not call upon your name!
⁷ For they have devoured Jacob
    and laid waste his habitation.

^8 (S)Do not remember against us ^(T)our former iniquities;^[a]
    let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
    for we are ^(U)brought very low.
^9 (V)Help us, O God of our salvation,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and ^(W)atone for our sins,
    for your ^(X)name's sake!
^10 (Y)Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
Let ^(Z)the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
    be known among the nations before our eyes!

¹¹ Let ^(AA)the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    according to your great power, preserve those ^(AB)doomed to die!
¹² Return ^(AC)sevenfold into the ^(AD)lap of our neighbors
    the ^(AE)taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
¹³ But we your people, the ^(AF)sheep of your pasture,
    will ^(AG)give thanks to you forever;
    from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

^3 (AQ)Restore us,^[b] O God;
    ^(AR)let your face shine, that we may be saved!

⁴ O ^(AS)Lord God of hosts,
    ^(AT)how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
⁵ You have fed them with ^(AU)the bread of tears
    and given them tears to drink in full measure.
^6 (AV)You make us an object of contention for our ^(AW)neighbors,
    and our enemies laugh among themselves.

^7 (AX)Restore us, O God of hosts;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved!

⁸ You brought ^(AY)a vine out of Egypt;
    you ^(AZ)drove out the nations and planted it.
⁹ You ^(BA)cleared the ground for it;
    it took deep root and filled the land.
¹⁰ The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches.
¹¹ It sent out its branches to ^(BB)the sea
    and its shoots to ^(BC)the River.^[c]
12 Why then have you ^(BD)broken down its walls,
    so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
^13 (BE)The boar from the forest ravages it,
    and all that move in the field feed on it.

¹⁴ Turn again, O God of hosts!
    ^(BF)Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
¹⁵     the stock that your right hand planted,
    and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
¹⁶ They have ^(BG)burned it with fire; they have ^(BH)cut it down;
    may they perish at ^(BI)the rebuke of your face!
¹⁷ But ^(BJ)let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
    the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
¹⁸ Then we shall not turn back from you;
    ^(BK)give us life, and we will call upon your name!

^19 (BL)Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!
    Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

⁴ For it is a statute for Israel,
    a rule^[e] of the God of Jacob.
⁵ He made it ^(BU)a decree in ^(BV)Joseph
    when he ^(BW)went out over^[f] the land of Egypt.
^(BX)I hear a language ^(BY)I had not known:
⁶ “I ^(BZ)relieved your^[g] shoulder of ^(CA)the burden;
    your hands were freed from the basket.
⁷ In distress you ^(CB)called, and I delivered you;
    I ^(CC)answered you in the secret place of thunder;
    I ^(CD)tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
^8 (CE)Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
    O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
⁹ There shall be no ^(CF)strange god among you;
    you shall not bow down to a ^(CG)foreign god.
^10 (CH)I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
    ^(CI)Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

¹¹ “But my people did not listen to my voice;
    Israel ^(CJ)would not submit to me.
¹² So I ^(CK)gave them over to their ^(CL)stubborn hearts,
    to follow their own ^(CM)counsels.
^13 (CN)Oh, that my people would listen to me,
    that Israel would ^(CO)walk in my ways!
¹⁴ I would soon subdue their enemies
    and ^(CP)turn my hand against their foes.
¹⁵ Those who hate the Lord would ^(CQ)cringe toward him,
    and their fate would last forever.
¹⁶ But he would feed you^[h] with ^(CR)the finest of the wheat,
    and with ^(CS)honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

^5 (DF)They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
    ^(DG)they walk about in darkness;
    ^(DH)all the foundations of the earth are ^(DI)shaken.

^6 (DJ)I said, “You are gods,
    sons of the Most High, all of you;
⁷ nevertheless, like men ^(DK)you shall die,
    and fall like any prince.”^[i]

^8 (DL)Arise, O God, judge the earth;
    for you shall ^(DM)inherit all the nations!

⁹ Do to them as you did to ^(EF)Midian,
    as to ^(EG)Sisera and Jabin at ^(EH)the river Kishon,
¹⁰ who were destroyed at ^(EI)En-dor,
    who became ^(EJ)dung for the ground.
¹¹ Make their nobles like ^(EK)Oreb and Zeeb,
    all their princes like ^(EL)Zebah and Zalmunna,
¹² who said, ^(EM)“Let us take possession for ourselves
    of the pastures of God.”

¹³ O my God, make them like ^(EN)whirling dust,^[j]
    like ^(EO)chaff before the wind.
¹⁴ As ^(EP)fire consumes the forest,
    as the flame ^(EQ)sets the mountains ablaze,
¹⁵ so may you pursue them ^(ER)with your tempest
    and terrify them with your hurricane!
^16 (ES)Fill their faces with shame,
    that they may seek your name, O Lord.
¹⁷ Let them be ^(ET)put to shame and dismayed forever;
    let them perish in disgrace,
¹⁸ that they may ^(EU)know that you alone,
    ^(EV)whose name is the Lord,
    are ^(EW)the Most High over all the earth.

³ Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    ^(FE)my King and my God.
^4 (FF)Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever ^(FG)singing your praise! Selah

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    ^(FH)in whose heart are the highways to Zion.^[l]
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca
    they make it a place of springs;
    ^(FI)the early rain also covers it with ^(FJ)pools.
⁷ They go ^(FK)from strength to strength;
    each one ^(FL)appears before God in Zion.

⁸ O ^(FM)Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
    give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
^9 (FN)Behold our ^(FO)shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed!

¹⁰ For a day ^(FP)in your courts is better
    than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be ^(FQ)a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
¹¹ For the Lord God is ^(FR)a sun and ^(FS)shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor.
^(FT)No good thing does he withhold
    from those who ^(FU)walk uprightly.
¹² O Lord of hosts,
    ^(FV)blessed is the one who trusts in you!

^4 (GC)Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
    and put away your indignation toward us!
^5 (GD)Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
⁶ Will you not ^(GE)revive us again,
    that your people may ^(GF)rejoice in you?
⁷ Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.

^8 (GG)Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will ^(GH)speak peace to his people, to his ^(GI)saints;
    but let them not ^(GJ)turn back to ^(GK)folly.
⁹ Surely his ^(GL)salvation is near to those who fear him,
    that ^(GM)glory may dwell in our land.

^10 (GN)Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    ^(GO)righteousness and peace kiss each other.
¹¹ Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
¹² Yes, ^(GP)the Lord will give what is good,
    and our land ^(GQ)will yield its increase.
^13 (GR)Righteousness will go before him
    and make his footsteps a way.

16 The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but ^(A)the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
^2 (B)All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord ^(C)weighs the spirit.^[a]
3 (D)Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.
^4 (E)The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
    even ^(F)the wicked for the day of trouble.
⁵ Everyone who is arrogant in heart is ^(G)an abomination to the Lord;
    ^(H)be assured, he will not go unpunished.
⁶ By ^(I)steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
    and by ^(J)the fear of the Lord one ^(K)turns away from evil.
⁷ When a man's ways please the Lord,
    ^(L)he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
^8 (M)Better is a little with righteousness
    than great revenues with injustice.
^9 (N)The heart of man plans his way,
    but ^(O)the Lord establishes his steps.
^10 (P)An oracle is on the lips of a king;
    his mouth does not sin in judgment.
^11 (Q)A just balance and scales are the Lord's;
    all the weights in the bag are his work.
¹² It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
    for ^(R)the throne is established by righteousness.
^13 (S)Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
    and he loves him who speaks what is right.
^14 (T)A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
    and a wise man will ^(U)appease it.
^15 (V)In the light of a king's face there is life,
    and his ^(W)favor is like ^(X)the clouds that bring the spring rain.
^16 (Y)How much better to get wisdom than ^(Z)gold!
    To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ^(AA)silver.
¹⁷ The highway of the upright ^(AB)turns aside from evil;
    whoever guards his way preserves his life.
^18 (AC)Pride goes before destruction,
    and a haughty spirit before a fall.
^19 (AD)It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
    than to ^(AE)divide the spoil with the proud.
²⁰ Whoever gives thought to the word^{[b] (AF)}will discover good,
    and blessed is he ^(AG)who trusts in the Lord.
²¹ The wise of heart is called discerning,
    and sweetness of speech ^(AH)increases persuasiveness.
²² Good sense is ^(AI)a fountain of life to him who has it,
    but the instruction of fools is folly.
^23 (AJ)The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
    and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
^24 (AK)Gracious words are like ^(AL)a honeycomb,
    sweetness to the soul and ^(AM)health to the body.
²⁵ There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death.^[c]
26 A worker's appetite works for him;
    his ^(AN)mouth urges him on.
^27 (AO)A worthless man plots evil,
    and his speech^[d] is like ^(AP)a scorching fire.
^28 (AQ)A dishonest man spreads strife,
    and ^(AR)a whisperer ^(AS)separates close friends.
²⁹ A man of violence ^(AT)entices his neighbor
    and leads him in a way that is not good.
³⁰ Whoever winks his eyes plans^{[e] (AU)}dishonest things;
    he who ^(AV)purses his lips brings evil to pass.
^31 (AW)Gray hair is ^(AX)a crown of glory;
    it ^(AY)is gained in a righteous life.
^32 (AZ)Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
    and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
^33 (BA)The lot is cast into the lap,
    but its every decision is ^(BB)from the Lord.