² “Bear with me a little longer, and I will explain,^[b]
for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.^[c]
3 I will bring my knowledge from far away,
and I will ascribe righteousness to my maker,
⁴ for truly my words^[d] are not falsehood;
one who has perfect knowledge is with you.^[e]
5 Look, God is mighty but^[f] does not despise anyone;
he is mighty and good in understanding.^[g]
6 He does not keep the wicked alive
but^[h] grants justice to the afflicted.
⁷ He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous,
but^[i] he sets them forever with kings on the throne, and they are exalted.
⁸ “And if they are tied up with fetters,
if they are caught in the cords of misery,
⁹ then^[j] he declares their work to them,
and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.
¹⁰ So^[k] he opens their ear to the discipline,
and he commands that they return from mischief.
¹¹ If they listen and serve him,
they complete their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness.
¹² But^[l] if they do not listen, they perish by the sword,
and they pass away without knowledge.
¹³ And the godless of heart cherish anger;
they do not cry for help when he binds them.
¹⁴ They die in their youth,^[m]
and their life ends among the male shrine prostitutes.
¹⁵ He delivers the afflicted by his misery,
and he opens their ears by the adversity.
¹⁶ And what’s more, he allured you out of distress^[n]
into a broad place, where in place of it was no constraint;
and what was set on your table is full of fatness.
¹⁷ But^[o] you are obsessed with the judgment of the wicked;
judgment and justice take hold of you.
¹⁸ Yes,^[p] it is wrath, so that it will not incite you into mockery;
and do not let the ransom’s greatness turn you aside.
¹⁹ Will your cry for help sustain you without distress,
or^[q] all the efforts of your strength?
²⁰ You must not long for the night,
to cut off people in their place.^[r]
21 Take care, you must not turn to mischief,
for because of this you have been tried by misery.
²² “Look, God is exalted in his power;
who is a teacher like him?
²³ Who has prescribed his way for him?
Or^[s] who says, ‘You have done wrong’?
²⁴ Remember that you should extol his work,
of which people have sung.
²⁵ All human beings have looked on it;
everyone watches from afar.
²⁶ “Look, God is exalted, and we do not know him;
the number of his years is unsearchable.
²⁷ Indeed, he draws up the drops of water;
he distills the rain into its mist,
²⁸ which the clouds pour down;
they shower abundantly on human beings.
²⁹ “Moreover, can anyone understand^[t] the spreading of clouds,
the thundering of his dwelling place?
³⁰ Look, he scatters his lightning around him,
and he covers the roots of the sea.
³¹ Indeed, he judges people by them;
he gives food in abundance.^[u]
32 He covers his hands with lightning,
and he commands it the place at which to strike.
³³ His thundering tells about him;
the livestock also tell concerning what rises.^[v]