² “Job, how long will you talk like that?
    Your words don’t have any meaning.
³ Does God ever treat people unfairly?
    Does the Mighty One make what is wrong
    appear to be right?
⁴ Your children sinned against him.
    So he punished them for their sin.
⁵ But seek God with all your heart.
    Make your appeal to the Mighty One.
⁶ Be pure and honest.
    And he will rise up and help you now.
    He’ll give you everything you had before.
⁷ In the past, things went well with you.
    But in days to come, things will get even better.

⁸ “Find out what our parents taught.
    Discover what those who lived before them learned.
⁹ After all, we were born only yesterday.
    So we don’t know anything.
    Our days on this earth are like a shadow that disappears.
¹⁰ Won’t your people of long ago teach you and tell you?
    Won’t the things they said help you understand?
¹¹ Can grass grow tall where there isn’t any swamp?
    Can plants grow well where there isn’t any water?
¹² While they are still growing and haven’t been cut,
    they dry up faster than grass does.
¹³ The same thing happens to everyone who forgets God.
    The hope of ungodly people dies out.
¹⁴ What they trust in is very weak.
    What they depend on is like a spider’s web.
¹⁵ They lean on it, but it falls apart.
    They hold on to it, but it gives way.
¹⁶ They are like a plant in the sunshine
    that receives plenty of water.
    It spreads its new growth all over the garden.
¹⁷ It wraps its roots around a pile of rocks.
    It tries to find places to grow among the stones.
¹⁸ But when the plant is pulled up from its spot,
    that place says, ‘I never saw you.’
¹⁹ The life of that plant is sure to dry up.
    But from the same soil other plants will grow.

²⁰ “I’m sure God doesn’t turn his back on anyone who is honest.
    And he doesn’t help those who do what is evil.
²¹ He will fill your mouth with laughter.
    Shouts of joy will come from your lips.
²² Your enemies will put on shame as if it were clothes.
    The tents of sinful people will be gone.”