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 have strengthened weak hands.
⁴ Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
And you 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 your reverence your confidence?
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

⁷ “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever cut off?
⁸ Even as I have seen,
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 the teeth of the young lions are broken.
¹¹ 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 In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
¹⁴ Fear came upon me, and 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 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 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 He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields.
¹¹ He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
¹² He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.
¹³ He catches the 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 He saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of the mighty,
And from their hand.
¹⁶ So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.

¹⁷ “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
¹⁸ For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole.
¹⁹ He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.
²⁰ In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the ^[f]power of the sword.
²¹ 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 you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
²³ 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 your descendants shall be many,
And your offspring like the grass of the earth.
²⁶ You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.
²⁷ Behold, this we have 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 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
My spirit drinks in their poison;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.
⁵ Does the 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 cut me off!
¹⁰ Then I would still have comfort;
Though in anguish I would exult,
He will not spare;
For I have not concealed the words of 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 him who is ^[g]afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend,
Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
¹⁵ My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook,
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 Tema look,
The travelers of Sheba hope for them.
²⁰ They are disappointed^[h] because they were confident;
They come there and are confused.
²¹ For now you are nothing,
You see terror and 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 undermine your friend.
²⁸ Now therefore, be pleased to look at me;
For I would never lie to your face.
²⁹ Yield now, let there be no injustice!
Yes, concede, my righteousness ^[i]still stands!
³⁰ Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my ^[j]taste discern the unsavory?