Job 4-31

New King James Version

² “If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary?
But who can withhold himself from speaking?
³ Surely you have instructed many,
And you ^(A)have strengthened weak hands.
⁴ Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
And you ^(B)have strengthened the ^[a]feeble knees;
⁵ But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;
It touches you, and you are troubled.
⁶ Is not ^(C)your reverence ^(D)your confidence?
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

⁷ “Remember now, ^(E)who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever cut off?
⁸ Even as I have seen,
^(F)Those who plow iniquity
And sow trouble reap the same.
⁹ By the blast of God they perish,
And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.
¹⁰ The roaring of the lion,
The voice of the fierce lion,
And ^(G)the teeth of the young lions are broken.
^11 (H)The old lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

¹² “Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
^13 (I)In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
¹⁴ Fear came upon me, and ^(J)trembling,
Which made all my bones shake.
¹⁵ Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my body stood up.
¹⁶ It stood still,
But I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence;
Then I heard a voice saying:
¹⁷ ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
¹⁸ If He ^(K)puts no trust in His servants,
If He charges His angels with error,
¹⁹ How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before a moth?
^20 (L)They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;
They perish forever, with no one regarding.
²¹ Does not their own excellence go away?
They die, even without wisdom.’

⁸ “But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would commit my cause—
⁹ Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things without number.
^10 (Q)He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields.
^11 (R)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
^12 (S)He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.
¹³ He catches the ^(T)wise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.
¹⁴ They meet with darkness in the daytime,
And grope at noontime as in the night.
¹⁵ But ^(U)He saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of the mighty,
And from their hand.
^16 (V)So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.

¹⁷ “Behold,^(W) happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
^18 (X)For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole.
^19 (Y)He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven ^(Z)no evil shall touch you.
^20 (AA)In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the ^[f]power of the sword.
^21 (AB)You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
²² You shall laugh at destruction and famine,
And ^(AC)you shall not be afraid of the ^(AD)beasts of the earth.
^23 (AE)For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
²⁴ You shall know that your tent is in peace;
You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.
²⁵ You shall also know that ^(AF)your descendants shall be many,
And your offspring ^(AG)like the grass of the earth.
^26 (AH)You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.
²⁷ Behold, this we have ^(AI)searched out;
It is true.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”

² “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
³ For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea—
Therefore my words have been rash.
^4 (AJ)For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
My spirit drinks in their poison;
^(AK)The terrors of God are arrayed ^(AL)against me.
⁵ Does the ^(AM)wild donkey bray when it has grass,
Or does the ox low over its fodder?
⁶ Can flavorless food be eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
⁷ My soul refuses to touch them;
They are as loathsome food to me.

⁸ “Oh, that I might have my request,
That God would grant me the thing that I long for!
⁹ That it would please God to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and ^(AN)cut me off!
¹⁰ Then I would still have comfort;
Though in anguish I would exult,
He will not spare;
For ^(AO)I have not concealed the words of ^(AP)the Holy One.

¹¹ “What strength do I have, that I should hope?
And what is my end, that I should prolong my life?
¹² Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh bronze?
¹³ Is my help not within me?
And is success driven from me?

¹⁴ “To^(AQ) him who is ^[g]afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend,
Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
^15 (AR)My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook,
^(AS)Like the streams of the brooks that pass away,
¹⁶ Which are dark because of the ice,
And into which the snow vanishes.
¹⁷ When it is warm, they cease to flow;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
¹⁸ The paths of their way turn aside,
They go nowhere and perish.
¹⁹ The caravans of ^(AT)Tema look,
The travelers of ^(AU)Sheba hope for them.
²⁰ They are ^(AV)disappointed^[h] because they were confident;
They come there and are confused.
²¹ For now ^(AW)you are nothing,
You see terror and ^(AX)are afraid.
²² Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to me’?
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?
²³ Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’?
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of oppressors’?

²⁴ “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue;
Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
²⁵ How forceful are right words!
But what does your arguing prove?
²⁶ Do you intend to rebuke my words,
And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind?
²⁷ Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless,
And you ^(AY)undermine your friend.
²⁸ Now therefore, be pleased to look at me;
For I would never lie to your face.
^29 (AZ)Yield now, let there be no injustice!
Yes, concede, my ^(BA)righteousness ^[i]still stands!
³⁰ Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my ^[j]taste discern the unsavory?

⁶ “My^(BF) days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
⁷ Oh, remember that ^(BG)my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
^8 (BH)The eye of him who sees me will see me no more;
While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
⁹ As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So ^(BI)he who goes down to the grave does not come up.
¹⁰ He shall never return to his house,
^(BJ)Nor shall his place know him anymore.

¹¹ “Therefore I will ^(BK)not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will ^(BL)complain in the bitterness of my soul.
¹² Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,
That You set a guard over me?
^13 (BM)When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
¹⁴ Then You scare me with dreams
And terrify me with visions,
¹⁵ So that my soul chooses strangling
And death rather than ^[l]my body.
^16 (BN)I loathe my life;
I would not live forever.
^(BO)Let me alone,
For ^(BP)my days are but ^[m]a breath.

¹⁷ “What^(BQ) is man, that You should exalt him,
That You should set Your heart on him,
¹⁸ That You should ^[n]visit him every morning,
And test him every moment?
¹⁹ How long?
Will You not look away from me,
And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
²⁰ Have I sinned?
What have I done to You, ^(BR)O watcher of men?
Why ^(BS)have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden ^[o]to myself?
²¹ Why then do You not pardon my transgression,
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust,
And You will seek me diligently,
But I will no longer be.”

² “How long will you speak these things,
And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?
^3 (BT)Does God subvert judgment?
Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
⁴ If ^(BU)your sons have sinned against Him,
He has cast them away ^[p]for their transgression.
^5 (BV)If you would earnestly seek God
And make your supplication to the Almighty,
⁶ If you were pure and upright,
Surely now He would ^[q]awake for you,
And prosper your rightful dwelling place.
⁷ Though your beginning was small,
Yet your latter end would ^(BW)increase abundantly.

⁸ “For^(BX) inquire, please, of the former age,
And consider the things discovered by their fathers;
⁹ For ^(BY)we were born yesterday, and know ^[r]nothing,
Because our days on earth are a shadow.
¹⁰ Will they not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their heart?

¹¹ “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the reeds flourish without water?
^12 (BZ)While it is yet green and not cut down,
It withers before any other plant.
¹³ So are the paths of all who ^(CA)forget God;
And the hope of the ^(CB)hypocrite shall perish,
¹⁴ Whose confidence shall be cut off,
And whose trust is ^[s]a spider’s web.
^15 (CC)He leans on his house, but it does not stand.
He holds it fast, but it does not endure.
¹⁶ He grows green in the sun,
And his branches spread out in his garden.
¹⁷ His roots wrap around the rock heap,
And look for a place in the stones.
^18 (CD)If he is destroyed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’

¹⁹ “Behold, this is the joy of His way,
And ^(CE)out of the earth others will grow.
²⁰ Behold, ^(CF)God will not ^[t]cast away the blameless,
Nor will He uphold the evildoers.
²¹ He will yet fill your mouth with laughing,
And your lips with ^[u]rejoicing.
²² Those who hate you will be ^(CG)clothed with shame,
And the dwelling place of the wicked ^[v]will come to nothing.”

² “Truly I know it is so,
But how can a ^(CH)man be ^(CI)righteous before God?
³ If one wished to ^[w]contend with Him,
He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
^4 (CJ)God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
⁵ He removes the mountains, and they do not know
When He overturns them in His anger;
⁶ He ^(CK)shakes the earth out of its place,
And its ^(CL)pillars tremble;
⁷ He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the stars;
^8 (CM)He alone spreads out the heavens,
And ^[x]treads on the ^[y]waves of the sea;
^9 (CN)He made ^[z]the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south;
^10 (CO)He does great things past finding out,
Yes, wonders without number.
^11 (CP)If He goes by me, I do not see Him;
If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;
^12 (CQ)If He takes away, ^[aa]who can hinder Him?
Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
¹³ God will not withdraw His anger,
^(CR)The allies of ^[ab]the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

¹⁴ “How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words to reason with Him?
^15 (CS)For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;
I would beg mercy of my Judge.
¹⁶ If I called and He answered me,
I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.
¹⁷ For He crushes me with a tempest,
And multiplies my wounds ^(CT)without cause.
¹⁸ He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills me with bitterness.
¹⁹ If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong;
And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?
²⁰ Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;
Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

²¹ “I am blameless, yet I do not know myself;
I despise my life.
²² It is all one thing;
Therefore I say, ^(CU)‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’
²³ If the scourge slays suddenly,
He laughs at the plight of the innocent.
²⁴ The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, who else could it be?

²⁵ “Now ^(CV)my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.
²⁶ They pass by like ^[ac]swift ships,
^(CW)Like an eagle swooping on its prey.
^27 (CX)If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’
^28 (CY)I am afraid of all my sufferings;
I know that You ^(CZ)will not hold me innocent.
²⁹ If I am condemned,
Why then do I labor in vain?
^30 (DA)If I wash myself with snow water,
And cleanse my hands with ^[ad]soap,
³¹ Yet You will plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes will ^[ae]abhor me.

³² “For ^(DB)He is not a man, as I am,
That I may answer Him,
And that we should go to court together.
^33 (DC)Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand on us both.
^34 (DD)Let Him take His rod away from me,
And do not let dread of Him terrify me.
³⁵ Then I would speak and not fear Him,
But it is not so with me.

⁸ ‘Your^(DH) hands have made me and fashioned me,
An intricate unity;
Yet You would ^(DI)destroy me.
⁹ Remember, I pray, ^(DJ)that You have made me like clay.
And will You turn me into dust again?
^10 (DK)Did You not pour me out like milk,
And curdle me like cheese,
¹¹ Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?
¹² You have granted me life and favor,
And Your care has preserved my spirit.

¹³ ‘And these things You have hidden in Your heart;
I know that this was with You:
¹⁴ If I sin, then ^(DL)You mark me,
And will not acquit me of my iniquity.
¹⁵ If I am wicked, ^(DM)woe to me;
^(DN)Even if I am righteous, I ^[ag]cannot lift up my head.
I am full of disgrace;
^(DO)See my misery!
¹⁶ If my head is exalted,
^(DP)You hunt me like a fierce lion,
And again You show Yourself awesome against me.
¹⁷ You renew Your witnesses against me,
And increase Your indignation toward me;
Changes and war are ever with me.

¹⁸ ‘Why^(DQ) then have You brought me out of the womb?
Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!
¹⁹ I would have been as though I had not been.
I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.
^20 (DR)Are not my days few?
Cease! ^(DS)Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,
²¹ Before I go to the place from which I shall not return,
^(DT)To the land of darkness ^(DU)and the shadow of death,
²² A land as dark as darkness itself,
As the shadow of death, without any order,
Where even the light is like darkness.’ ”

² “Should not the multitude of words be answered?
And should ^[ah]a man full of talk be vindicated?
³ Should your empty talk make men ^[ai]hold their peace?
And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?
⁴ For you have said,
^(DV)‘My doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in your eyes.’
⁵ But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips against you,
⁶ That He would show you the secrets of wisdom!
For they would double your prudence.
Know therefore that ^(DW)God ^[aj]exacts from you
Less than your iniquity deserves.

⁷ “Can^(DX) you search out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?
⁸ They are higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than ^[ak]Sheol—what can you know?
⁹ Their measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.

¹⁰ “If^(DY) He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment,
Then who can ^[al]hinder Him?
¹¹ For ^(DZ)He knows deceitful men;
He sees wickedness also.
Will He not then consider it?
¹² For an ^(EA)empty-headed man will be wise,
When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.

¹³ “If you would ^(EB)prepare your heart,
And ^(EC)stretch out your hands toward Him;
¹⁴ If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away,
And ^(ED)would not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
^15 (EE)Then surely you could lift up your face without spot;
Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;
¹⁶ Because you would ^(EF)forget your misery,
And remember it as waters that have passed away,
¹⁷ And your life ^(EG)would be brighter than noonday.
Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.
¹⁸ And you would be secure, because there is hope;
Yes, you would dig around you, and ^(EH)take your rest in safety.
¹⁹ You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid;
Yes, many would court your favor.
²⁰ But ^(EI)the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they shall not escape,
And ^(EJ)their hope—^[am]loss of life!”

² “No doubt you are the people,
And wisdom will die with you!
³ But I have ^[an]understanding as well as you;
I am not ^(EK)inferior to you.
Indeed, who does not know such things as these?

⁴ “I^(EL) am one mocked by his friends,
Who ^(EM)called on God, and He answered him,
The just and blameless who is ridiculed.
⁵ A ^[ao]lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for ^(EN)those whose feet slip.
^6 (EO)The tents of robbers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure—
In what God provides by His hand.

⁷ “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
⁸ Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
⁹ Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
^10 (EP)In whose hand is the ^[ap]life of every living thing,
And the ^(EQ)breath of ^[aq]all mankind?
¹¹ Does not the ear test words
And the ^[ar]mouth taste its food?
¹² Wisdom is with aged men,
And with ^[as]length of days, understanding.

¹³ “With Him are ^(ER)wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
¹⁴ If ^(ES)He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
¹⁵ If He ^(ET)withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He ^(EU)sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.
¹⁶ With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.
¹⁷ He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges.
¹⁸ He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their waist with a belt.
¹⁹ He leads ^[at]princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
^20 (EV)He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
^21 (EW)He pours contempt on princes,
And ^[au]disarms the mighty.
²² He ^(EX)uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
^23 (EY)He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He ^[av]enlarges nations, and guides them.
²⁴ He takes away the ^[aw]understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And ^(EZ)makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
^25 (FA)They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them ^(FB)stagger like a drunken man.

¹³ “Hold^[az] your peace with me, and let me speak,
Then let come on me what may!
¹⁴ Why ^(FH)do I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in my hands?
^15 (FI)Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
^(FJ)Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
¹⁶ He also shall be my salvation,
For a ^(FK)hypocrite could not come before Him.
¹⁷ Listen carefully to my speech,
And to my declaration with your ears.
¹⁸ See now, I have prepared my case,
I know that I shall be ^(FL)vindicated.
^19 (FM)Who is he who will contend with me?
If now I hold my tongue, I perish.

²⁸ “Man^[bc] decays like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

⁷ “For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that its tender shoots will not cease.
⁸ Though its root may grow old in the earth,
And its stump may die in the ground,
⁹ Yet at the scent of water it will bud
And bring forth branches like a plant.
¹⁰ But man dies and ^[bg]is laid away;
Indeed he ^[bh]breathes his last
And where is ^(GD)he?
¹¹ As water disappears from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dries up,
¹² So man lies down and does not rise.
^(GE)Till the heavens are no more,
They will not awake
Nor be roused from their sleep.

¹³ “Oh, that You would hide me in the grave,
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
¹⁴ If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my hard service ^(GF)I will wait,
Till my change comes.
^15 (GG)You shall call, and I will answer You;
You shall desire the work of Your hands.
¹⁶ For now ^(GH)You number my steps,
But do not watch over my sin.
^17 (GI)My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You ^[bi]cover my iniquity.

¹⁸ “But as a mountain falls and crumbles away,
And as a rock is moved from its place;
¹⁹ As water wears away stones,
And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
So You destroy the hope of man.
²⁰ You prevail forever against him, and he passes on;
You change his countenance and send him away.
²¹ His sons come to honor, and ^(GJ)he does not know it;
They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.
²² But his flesh will be in pain over it,
And his soul will mourn over it.”

² “Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge,
And fill ^[bj]himself with the east wind?
³ Should he reason with unprofitable talk,
Or by speeches with which he can do no good?
⁴ Yes, you cast off fear,
And restrain ^[bk]prayer before God.
⁵ For your iniquity teaches your mouth,
And you choose the tongue of the crafty.
^6 (GL)Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
Yes, your own lips testify against you.

⁷ “Are you the first man who was born?
^(GM)Or were you made before the hills?
^8 (GN)Have you heard the counsel of God?
Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
^9 (GO)What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not in us?
^10 (GP)Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us,
Much older than your father.
¹¹ Are the consolations of God too small for you,
And the word spoken ^[bl]gently with you?
¹² Why does your heart carry you away,
And ^[bm]what do your eyes wink at,
¹³ That you turn your spirit against God,
And let such words go out of your mouth?

¹⁴ “What^(GQ) is man, that he could be pure?
And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?
^15 (GR)If God puts no trust in His saints,
And the heavens are not pure in His sight,
^16 (GS)How much less man, who is abominable and filthy,
^(GT)Who drinks iniquity like water!

¹⁷ “I will tell you, hear me;
What I have seen I will declare,
¹⁸ What wise men have told,
Not hiding anything received ^(GU)from their fathers,
¹⁹ To whom alone the ^[bn]land was given,
And ^(GV)no alien passed among them:
²⁰ The wicked man writhes with pain all his days,
^(GW)And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor.
^21 [bo]Dreadful sounds are in his ears;
^(GX)In prosperity the destroyer comes upon him.
²² He does not believe that he will ^(GY)return from darkness,
For a sword is waiting for him.
²³ He ^(GZ)wanders about for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows ^(HA)that a day of darkness is ready at his hand.
²⁴ Trouble and anguish make him afraid;
They overpower him, like a king ready for ^[bp]battle.
²⁵ For he stretches out his hand against God,
And acts defiantly against the Almighty,
²⁶ Running stubbornly against Him
With his strong, embossed shield.

²⁷ “Though^(HB) he has covered his face with his fatness,
And made his waist heavy with fat,
²⁸ He dwells in desolate cities,
In houses which no one inhabits,
Which are destined to become ruins.
²⁹ He will not be rich,
Nor will his wealth ^(HC)continue,
Nor will his possessions overspread the earth.
³⁰ He will not depart from darkness;
The flame will dry out his branches,
And ^(HD)by the breath of His mouth he will go away.
³¹ Let him not ^(HE)trust in futile things, deceiving himself,
For futility will be his reward.
³² It will be accomplished ^(HF)before his time,
And his branch will not be green.
³³ He will shake off his unripe grape like a vine,
And cast off his blossom like an olive tree.
³⁴ For the company of hypocrites will be barren,
And fire will consume the tents of bribery.
^35 (HG)They conceive trouble and bring forth futility;
Their womb prepares deceit.”

² “I have heard many such things;
^(HH)Miserable^[bq] comforters are you all!
³ Shall ^[br]words of wind have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?
⁴ I also could speak as you do,
If your soul were in my soul’s place.
I could heap up words against you,
And ^(HI)shake my head at you;
⁵ But I would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

⁶ “Though I speak, my grief is not relieved;
And if I remain silent, how am I eased?
⁷ But now He has ^(HJ)worn me out;
You ^(HK)have made desolate all my company.
⁸ You have shriveled me up,
And it is a ^(HL)witness against me;
My leanness rises up against me
And bears witness to my face.
^9 (HM)He tears me in His wrath, and hates me;
He gnashes at me with His teeth;
^(HN)My adversary sharpens His gaze on me.
¹⁰ They ^(HO)gape at me with their mouth,
They ^(HP)strike me reproachfully on the cheek,
They gather together against me.
¹¹ God ^(HQ)has delivered me to the ungodly,
And turned me over to the hands of the wicked.
¹² I was at ease, but He has ^(HR)shattered me;
He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces;
He has ^(HS)set me up for His target,
¹³ His archers surround me.
He pierces my ^[bs]heart and does not pity;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
¹⁴ He breaks me with wound upon wound;
He runs at me like a ^[bt]warrior.

¹⁵ “I have sewn sackcloth over my skin,
And ^(HT)laid my ^[bu]head in the dust.
¹⁶ My face is ^[bv]flushed from weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
¹⁷ Although no violence is in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.

¹⁸ “O earth, do not cover my blood,
And ^(HU)let my cry have no resting place!
¹⁹ Surely even now ^(HV)my witness is in heaven,
And my evidence is on high.
²⁰ My friends scorn me;
My eyes pour out tears to God.
^21 (HW)Oh, that one might plead for a man with God,
As a man pleads for his ^[bw]neighbor!
²² For when a few years are finished,
I shall ^(HX)go the way of no return.

³ “Now put down a pledge for me with Yourself.
Who is he who ^(IA)will shake hands with me?
⁴ For You have hidden their heart from ^(IB)understanding;
Therefore You will not exalt them.
⁵ He who speaks flattery to his friends,
Even the eyes of his children will ^(IC)fail.

⁶ “But He has made me ^(ID)a byword of the people,
And I have become one in whose face men spit.
^7 (IE)My eye has also grown dim because of sorrow,
And all my members are like shadows.
⁸ Upright men are astonished at this,
And the innocent stirs himself up against the hypocrite.
⁹ Yet the righteous will hold to his ^(IF)way,
And he who has ^(IG)clean hands will be stronger and stronger.

¹⁰ “But please, ^(IH)come back again, ^[by]all of you,
For I shall not find one wise man among you.
^11 (II)My days are past,
My purposes are broken off,
Even the ^[bz]thoughts of my heart.
¹² They change the night into day;
‘The light is near,’ they say, in the face of darkness.
¹³ If I wait for the grave as my house,
If I make my bed in the darkness,
¹⁴ If I say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’
And to the worm, ‘You are my mother and my sister,’
¹⁵ Where then is my ^(IJ)hope?
As for my hope, who can see it?
¹⁶ Will they go down ^(IK)to the gates of ^[ca]Sheol?
Shall we have ^(IL)rest together in the dust?”

² “How long till you put an end to words?
Gain understanding, and afterward we will speak.
³ Why are we counted ^(IN)as beasts,
And regarded as stupid in your sight?
^4 (IO)You^[cb] who tear yourself in anger,
Shall the earth be forsaken for you?
Or shall the rock be removed from its place?

⁵ “The^(IP) light of the wicked indeed goes out,
And the flame of his fire does not shine.
⁶ The light is dark in his tent,
^(IQ)And his lamp beside him is put out.
⁷ The steps of his strength are shortened,
And ^(IR)his own counsel casts him down.
⁸ For ^(IS)he is cast into a net by his own feet,
And he walks into a snare.
⁹ The net takes him by the heel,
And ^(IT)a snare lays hold of him.
¹⁰ A noose is hidden for him on the ground,
And a trap for him in the road.
^11 (IU)Terrors frighten him on every side,
And drive him to his feet.
¹² His strength is starved,
And ^(IV)destruction is ready at his side.
¹³ It devours patches of his skin;
The firstborn of death devours his ^[cc]limbs.
¹⁴ He is uprooted from ^(IW)the shelter of his tent,
And they parade him before the king of terrors.
¹⁵ They dwell in his tent who are none of his;
Brimstone is scattered on his dwelling.
^16 (IX)His roots are dried out below,
And his branch withers above.
^17 (IY)The memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name ^[cd]among the renowned.
^18 [ce]He is driven from light into darkness,
And chased out of the world.
^19 (IZ)He has neither son nor posterity among his people,
Nor any remaining in his dwellings.
²⁰ Those ^[cf]in the west are astonished ^(JA)at his day,
As those ^[cg]in the east are frightened.
²¹ Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who ^(JB)does not know God.”

² “How long will you torment my soul,
And break me in pieces with words?
³ These ten times you have ^[ch]reproached me;
You are not ashamed that you ^[ci]have wronged me.
⁴ And if indeed I have erred,
My error remains with me.
⁵ If indeed you ^(JC)exalt yourselves against me,
And plead my disgrace against me,
⁶ Know then that ^(JD)God has wronged me,
And has surrounded me with His net.

⁷ “If I cry out concerning ^[cj]wrong, I am not heard.
If I cry aloud, there is no justice.
^8 (JE)He has ^[ck]fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;
And He has set darkness in my paths.
^9 (JF)He has stripped me of my glory,
And taken the crown from my head.
¹⁰ He breaks me down on every side,
And I am gone;
My ^(JG)hope He has uprooted like a tree.
¹¹ He has also kindled His wrath against me,
And ^(JH)He counts me as one of His enemies.
¹² His troops come together
And build up their road against me;
They encamp all around my tent.

¹³ “He^(JI) has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
¹⁴ My relatives have failed,
And my close friends have forgotten me.
¹⁵ Those who dwell in my house, and my maidservants,
Count me as a stranger;
I am an alien in their sight.
¹⁶ I call my servant, but he gives no answer;
I beg him with my mouth.
¹⁷ My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am ^[cl]repulsive to the children of my own body.
¹⁸ Even ^(JJ)young children despise me;
I arise, and they speak against me.
^19 (JK)All my close friends abhor me,
And those whom I love have turned against me.
^20 (JL)My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

²¹ “Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has struck me!
²² Why do you ^(JM)persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?

²³ “Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
²⁴ That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
²⁶ And after my skin is ^[cm]destroyed, this I know,
That ^(JN)in my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my ^[cn]heart yearns within me!
²⁸ If you should say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’—
Since the root of the matter is found in me,
²⁹ Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
That you may know there is a judgment.”

² “Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer,
Because of the turmoil within me.
³ I have heard the rebuke ^[co]that reproaches me,
And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

⁴ “Do you not know this of ^(JP)old,
Since man was placed on earth,
^5 (JQ)That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a ^(JR)moment?
^6 (JS)Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens,
And his head reaches to the clouds,
⁷ Yet he will perish forever like his own refuse;
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
⁸ He will fly away ^(JT)like a dream, and not be found;
Yes, he ^(JU)will be chased away like a vision of the night.
⁹ The eye that saw him will see him no more,
Nor will his place behold him anymore.
¹⁰ His children will seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands will restore his wealth.
¹¹ His bones are full of ^(JV)his youthful vigor,
^(JW)But it will lie down with him in the dust.

¹² “Though evil is sweet in his mouth,
And he hides it under his tongue,
¹³ Though he spares it and does not forsake it,
But still keeps it in his ^[cp]mouth,
¹⁴ Yet his food in his stomach turns sour;
It becomes cobra venom within him.
¹⁵ He swallows down riches
And vomits them up again;
God casts them out of his belly.
¹⁶ He will suck the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue will slay him.
¹⁷ He will not see ^(JX)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and cream.
¹⁸ He will restore that for which he labored,
And will not swallow it down;
From the proceeds of business
He will get no enjoyment.
¹⁹ For he has ^[cq]oppressed and forsaken the poor,
He has violently seized a house which he did not build.

²⁰ “Because^(JY) he knows no quietness in his ^[cr]heart,
He will not save anything he desires.
²¹ Nothing is left for him to eat;
Therefore his well-being will not last.
²² In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress;
Every hand of ^[cs]misery will come against him.
²³ When he is about to fill his stomach,
God will cast on him the fury of His wrath,
And will rain it on him while he is eating.
^24 (JZ)He will flee from the iron weapon;
A bronze bow will pierce him through.
²⁵ It is drawn, and comes out of the body;
Yes, ^(KA)the glittering point comes out of his ^[ct]gall.
^(KB)Terrors come upon him;
²⁶ Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.
^(KC)An unfanned fire will consume him;
It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent.
²⁷ The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
²⁸ The increase of his house will depart,
And his goods will flow away in the day of His ^(KD)wrath.
^29 (KE)This is the portion from God for a wicked man,
The heritage appointed to him by God.”

² “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your ^[cu]consolation.
³ Bear with me that I may speak,
And after I have spoken, keep ^(KF)mocking.

⁴ “As for me, is my complaint against man?
And if it were, why should I not be impatient?
⁵ Look at me and be astonished;
^(KG)Put your hand over your mouth.
⁶ Even when I remember I am terrified,
And trembling takes hold of my flesh.
^7 (KH)Why do the wicked live and become old,
Yes, become mighty in power?
⁸ Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
⁹ Their houses are safe from fear,
^(KI)Neither is ^[cv]the rod of God upon them.
¹⁰ Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves ^(KJ)without miscarriage.
¹¹ They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.
¹² They sing to the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice to the sound of the flute.
¹³ They ^(KK)spend their days in wealth,
And ^[cw]in a moment go down to the ^[cx]grave.
^14 (KL)Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
^15 (KM)Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And ^(KN)what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’
¹⁶ Indeed ^[cy]their prosperity is not in their hand;
^(KO)The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷ “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out?
How often does their destruction come upon them,
The sorrows God ^(KP)distributes in His anger?
^18 (KQ)They are like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that a storm ^[cz]carries away.
¹⁹ They say, ‘God ^[da]lays up ^[db]one’s iniquity ^(KR)for his children’;
Let Him recompense him, that he may know it.
²⁰ Let his eyes see his destruction,
And ^(KS)let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
²¹ For what does he care about his household after him,
When the number of his months is cut in half?

²² “Can^(KT) anyone teach God knowledge,
Since He judges those on high?
²³ One dies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and secure;
²⁴ His ^[dc]pails are full of milk,
And the marrow of his bones is moist.
²⁵ Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul,
Never having eaten with pleasure.
²⁶ They ^(KU)lie down alike in the dust,
And worms cover them.

²⁷ “Look, I know your thoughts,
And the schemes with which you would wrong me.
²⁸ For you say,
‘Where is the house of the prince?
And where is ^[dd]the tent,
The dwelling place of the wicked?’
²⁹ Have you not asked those who travel the road?
And do you not know their signs?
^30 (KV)For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom;
They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.
³¹ Who condemns his way to his face?
And who repays him for what he has done?
³² Yet he shall be brought to the grave,
And a vigil kept over the tomb.
³³ The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him;
^(KW)Everyone shall follow him,
As countless have gone before him.
³⁴ How then can you comfort me with empty words,
Since ^[de]falsehood remains in your answers?”

² “Can^(KY) a man be profitable to God,
Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?
³ Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless?

⁴ “Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,
And enters into judgment with you?
⁵ Is not your wickedness great,
And your iniquity without end?
⁶ For you have ^(KZ)taken pledges from your brother for no reason,
And stripped the naked of their clothing.
⁷ You have not given the weary water to drink,
And you ^(LA)have withheld bread from the hungry.
⁸ But the ^[df]mighty man possessed the land,
And the honorable man dwelt in it.
⁹ You have sent widows away empty,
And the ^[dg]strength of the fatherless was crushed.
¹⁰ Therefore snares are all around you,
And sudden fear troubles you,
¹¹ Or darkness so that you cannot see;
And an abundance of ^(LB)water covers you.

¹² “Is not God in the height of heaven?
And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!
¹³ And you say, ^(LC)‘What does God know?
Can He judge through the deep darkness?
^14 (LD)Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see,
And He walks above the circle of heaven.’
¹⁵ Will you keep to the old way
Which wicked men have trod,
¹⁶ Who ^(LE)were cut down before their time,
Whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
^17 (LF)They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
What can the Almighty do to ^[dh]them?’
¹⁸ Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁹ “The^(LG) righteous see it and are glad,
And the innocent laugh at them:
²⁰ ‘Surely our ^[di]adversaries are cut down,
And the fire consumes their remnant.’

²¹ “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and ^(LH)be at peace;
Thereby good will come to you.
²² Receive, please, ^(LI)instruction from His mouth,
And ^(LJ)lay up His words in your heart.
²³ If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;
You will remove iniquity far from your tents.
²⁴ Then you will ^(LK)lay your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
²⁵ Yes, the Almighty will be your ^[dj]gold
And your precious silver;
²⁶ For then you will have your ^(LL)delight in the Almighty,
And lift up your face to God.
^27 (LM)You will make your prayer to Him,
He will hear you,
And you will pay your vows.
²⁸ You will also declare a thing,
And it will be established for you;
So light will shine on your ways.
²⁹ When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’
Then ^(LN)He will save the humble person.
³⁰ He will even deliver one who is not innocent;
Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

² “Even today my ^(LO)complaint is bitter;
^[dk]My hand is listless because of my groaning.
^3 (LP)Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
⁴ I would present my case before Him,
And fill my mouth with arguments.
⁵ I would know the words which He would answer me,
And understand what He would say to me.
^6 (LQ)Would He contend with me in His great power?
No! But He would take note of me.
⁷ There the upright could reason with Him,
And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

⁸ “Look,^(LR) I go forward, but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
⁹ When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him;
When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.
¹⁰ But ^(LS)He knows the way that I take;
When ^(LT)He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
^11 (LU)My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
¹² I have not departed from the ^(LV)commandment of His lips;
^(LW)I have treasured the words of His mouth
More than my ^[dl]necessary food.

¹³ “But He is unique, and who can make Him change?
And whatever ^(LX)His soul desires, that He does.
¹⁴ For He performs what is ^(LY)appointed for me,
And many such things are with Him.
¹⁵ Therefore I am terrified at His presence;
When I consider this, I am afraid of Him.
¹⁶ For God ^(LZ)made my heart weak,
And the Almighty terrifies me;
¹⁷ Because I was not ^(MA)cut off ^[dm]from the presence of darkness,
And He did not hide deep darkness from my face.

² “Some remove ^(MD)landmarks;
They seize flocks violently and feed on them;
³ They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
They ^(ME)take the widow’s ox as a pledge.
⁴ They push the needy off the road;
All the ^(MF)poor of the land are forced to hide.
⁵ Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert,
They go out to their work, searching for food.
The wilderness yields food for them and for their children.
⁶ They gather their fodder in the field
And glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
⁷ They ^(MG)spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering in the cold.
⁸ They are wet with the showers of the mountains,
And ^(MH)huddle around the rock for want of shelter.

⁹ “Some snatch the fatherless from the breast,
And take a pledge from the poor.
¹⁰ They cause the poor to go naked, without ^(MI)clothing;
And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.
¹¹ They press out oil within their walls,
And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst.
¹² The dying groan in the city,
And the souls of the wounded cry out;
Yet God does not charge them with wrong.

¹³ “There are those who rebel against the light;
They do not know its ways
Nor abide in its paths.
^14 (MJ)The murderer rises with the light;
He kills the poor and needy;
And in the night he is like a thief.
^15 (MK)The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
^(ML)Saying, ‘No eye will see me’;
And he ^[dn]disguises his face.
¹⁶ In the dark they break into houses
Which they marked for themselves in the daytime;
^(MM)They do not know the light.
¹⁷ For the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death;
If someone recognizes them,
They are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

¹⁸ “They should be swift on the face of the waters,
Their portion should be cursed in the earth,
So that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards.
¹⁹ As drought and heat ^[do]consume the snow waters,
So ^[dp]the grave consumes those who have sinned.
²⁰ The womb should forget him,
The worm should feed sweetly on him;
^(MN)He should be remembered no more,
And wickedness should be broken like a tree.
²¹ For he ^[dq]preys on the barren who do not bear,
And does no good for the widow.

²² “But God draws the mighty away with His power;
He rises up, but no man is sure of life.
²³ He gives them security, and they rely on it;
Yet ^(MO)His eyes are on their ways.
²⁴ They are exalted for a little while,
Then they are gone.
They are brought low;
They are ^[dr]taken out of the way like all others;
They dry out like the heads of grain.

²⁵ “Now if it is not so, who will prove me a liar,
And make my speech worth nothing?”

² “Dominion and fear belong to Him;
He makes peace in His high places.
^3 [ds]Is there any number to His armies?
Upon whom does ^(MQ)His light not rise?
^4 (MR)How then can man be righteous before God?
Or how can he be ^(MS)pure who is born of a woman?
⁵ If even the moon does not shine,
And the stars are not pure in His ^(MT)sight,
⁶ How much less man, who is ^(MU)a maggot,
And a son of man, who is a worm?”

² “How have you helped him who is without power?
How have you saved the arm that has no strength?
³ How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?
And how have you declared sound advice to many?
⁴ To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit came from you?

⁵ “The dead tremble,
Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.
^6 (MV)Sheol is naked before Him,
And Destruction has no covering.
^7 (MW)He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing.
^8 (MX)He binds up the water in His thick clouds,
Yet the clouds ^[dt]are not broken under it.
⁹ He covers the face of His throne,
And spreads His cloud over it.
^10 (MY)He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters,
At the boundary of light and darkness.
¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble,
And are ^[du]astonished at His rebuke.
^12 (MZ)He stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He breaks up ^[dv]the storm.
^13 (NA)By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;
His hand pierced ^(NB)the fleeing serpent.
¹⁴ Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

² “As God lives, ^(NC)who has taken away my justice,
And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
³ As long as my breath is in me,
And the breath of God in my nostrils,
⁴ My lips will not speak wickedness,
Nor my tongue utter deceit.
⁵ Far be it from me
That I should say you are right;
Till I die ^(ND)I will not put away my integrity from me.
⁶ My righteousness I ^(NE)hold fast, and will not let it go;
^(NF)My heart shall not ^[dw]reproach me as long as I live.

⁷ “May my enemy be like the wicked,
And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous.
^8 (NG)For what is the hope of the hypocrite,
Though he may gain much,
If God takes away his life?
^9 (NH)Will God hear his cry
When trouble comes upon him?
^10 (NI)Will he delight himself in the Almighty?
Will he always call on God?

¹¹ “I will teach you ^[dx]about the hand of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
¹² Surely all of you have seen it;
Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?

¹³ “This^(NJ) is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:
^14 (NK)If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword;
And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
¹⁵ Those who survive him shall be buried in death,
And ^(NL)their^[dy] widows shall not weep,
¹⁶ Though he heaps up silver like dust,
And piles up clothing like clay—
¹⁷ He may pile it up, but ^(NM)the just will wear it,
And the innocent will divide the silver.
¹⁸ He builds his house like a ^[dz]moth,
^(NN)Like a ^[ea]booth which a watchman makes.
¹⁹ The rich man will lie down,
^[eb]But not be gathered up;
He opens his eyes,
And he is ^(NO)no more.
^20 (NP)Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A tempest steals him away in the night.
²¹ The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;
It sweeps him out of his place.
²² It hurls against him and does not ^(NQ)spare;
He flees desperately from its ^[ec]power.
²³ Men shall clap their hands at him,
And shall hiss him out of his place.

¹² “But^(NR) where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
¹³ Man does not know its ^(NS)value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
^14 (NT)The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
¹⁵ It ^(NU)cannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed for its price.
¹⁶ It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.
¹⁷ Neither ^(NV)gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for ^[eg]jewelry of fine gold.
¹⁸ No mention shall be made of ^[eh]coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above ^(NW)rubies.
¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure ^(NX)gold.

²⁰ “From^(NY) where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?
²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from the birds of the ^[ei]air.
^22 (NZ)Destruction^[ej] and Death say,
‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’
²³ God understands its way,
And He knows its place.
²⁴ For He looks to the ends of the earth,
And ^(OA)sees under the whole heavens,
^25 (OB)To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.
²⁶ When He ^(OC)made a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,
²⁷ Then He saw ^[ek]wisdom and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.
²⁸ And to man He said,
‘Behold, ^(OD)the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”

² “Oh, that I were as in months ^(OE)past,
As in the days when God ^(OF)watched over me;
^3 (OG)When His lamp shone upon my head,
And when by His light I walked through darkness;
⁴ Just as I was in the days of my prime,
When ^(OH)the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;
⁵ When the Almighty was yet with me,
When my children were around me;
⁶ When ^(OI)my steps were bathed with ^[el]cream,
And ^(OJ)the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!

⁷ “When I went out to the gate by the city,
When I took my seat in the open square,
⁸ The young men saw me and hid,
And the aged arose and stood;
⁹ The princes refrained from talking,
And ^(OK)put their hand on their mouth;
¹⁰ The voice of nobles was hushed,
And their ^(OL)tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
¹¹ When the ear heard, then it blessed me,
And when the eye saw, then it approved me;
¹² Because ^(OM)I delivered the poor who cried out,
The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
¹³ The blessing of a perishing man came upon me,
And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
^14 (ON)I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
¹⁵ I was ^(OO)eyes to the blind,
And I was feet to the lame.
¹⁶ I was a father to the poor,
And ^(OP)I searched out the case that I did not know.
¹⁷ I broke ^(OQ)the fangs of the wicked,
And plucked the victim from his teeth.

¹⁸ “Then I said, ^(OR)‘I shall die in my nest,
And multiply my days as the sand.
^19 (OS)My root is spread out ^(OT)to the waters,
And the dew lies all night on my branch.
²⁰ My glory is fresh within me,
And my ^(OU)bow is renewed in my hand.’

²¹ “Men listened to me and waited,
And kept silence for my counsel.
²² After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech settled on them as dew.
²³ They waited for me as for the rain,
And they opened their mouth wide as for ^(OV)the spring rain.
²⁴ If I mocked at them, they did not believe it,
And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.
²⁵ I chose the way for them, and sat as chief;
So I dwelt as a king in the army,
As one who comforts mourners.

⁹ “And^(OW) now I am their taunting song;
Yes, I am their byword.
¹⁰ They abhor me, they keep far from me;
They do not hesitate ^(OX)to spit in my face.
¹¹ Because ^(OY)He has loosed ^[eq]my bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off restraint before me.
¹² At my right hand the rabble arises;
They push away my feet,
And ^(OZ)they raise against me their ways of destruction.
¹³ They break up my path,
They promote my calamity;
They have no helper.
¹⁴ They come as broad breakers;
Under the ruinous storm they roll along.
¹⁵ Terrors are turned upon me;
They pursue my honor as the wind,
And my prosperity has passed like a cloud.

¹⁶ “And^(PA) now my soul is ^(PB)poured out because of my plight;
The days of affliction take hold of me.
¹⁷ My bones are pierced in me at night,
And my gnawing pains take no rest.
¹⁸ By great force my garment is disfigured;
It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
¹⁹ He has cast me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.

²⁰ “I ^(PC)cry out to You, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You regard me.
²¹ But You have become cruel to me;
With the strength of Your hand You ^(PD)oppose me.
²² You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride on it;
You spoil my success.
²³ For I know that You will bring me to death,
And to the house ^(PE)appointed for all living.

²⁴ “Surely He would not stretch out His hand against a heap of ruins,
If they cry out when He destroys it.
^25 (PF)Have I not wept for him who was in trouble?
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?
^26 (PG)But when I looked for good, evil came to me;
And when I waited for light, then came darkness.
^27 [er]My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest;
Days of affliction confront me.
^28 (PH)I go about mourning, but not in the sun;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
^29 (PI)I am a brother of jackals,
And a companion of ostriches.
^30 (PJ)My skin grows black and falls from me;
^(PK)My bones burn with fever.
³¹ My harp is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the voice of those who weep.

⁵ “If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,
^6 [et]Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my ^(PO)integrity.
⁷ If my step has turned from the way,
Or ^(PP)my heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,
⁸ Then ^(PQ)let me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be ^[eu]rooted out.

⁹ “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
¹⁰ Then let my wife grind for ^(PR)another,
And let others bow down over her.
¹¹ For that would be wickedness;
Yes, ^(PS)it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.
¹² For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.

¹³ “If I have ^(PT)despised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,
¹⁴ What then shall I do when ^(PU)God rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
^15 (PV)Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

¹⁶ “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to ^(PW)fail,
¹⁷ Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it
¹⁸ (But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided ^[ev]the widow);
¹⁹ If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;
²⁰ If his ^[ew]heart has not ^(PX)blessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
²¹ If I have raised my hand ^(PY)against the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;
²² Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.
²³ For ^(PZ)destruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.

²⁴ “If^(QA) I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
^25 (QB)If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;
^26 (QC)If I have observed the ^[ex]sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,
²⁷ So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;
²⁸ This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.

²⁹ “If^(QD) I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
^30 (QE)(Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his ^[ey]soul);
³¹ If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’
^32 (QF)(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the ^[ez]traveler);
³³ If I have covered my transgressions ^(QG)as^[fa] Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
³⁴ Because I feared the great ^(QH)multitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—
^35 (QI)Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, ^(QJ)that the Almighty would answer me,
That my ^[fb]Prosecutor had written a book!
³⁶ Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;
³⁷ I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

³⁸ “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
³⁹ If ^(QK)I have eaten its ^[fc]fruit without money,
Or ^(QL)caused its owners to lose their lives;
⁴⁰ Then let ^(QM)thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”