² “Hear my words, you wise men;
    give ear to me, you men of learning.
³ For the ear tests words
    as the mouth tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
    Let us learn together what is good.

⁵ “For Job says, ‘I am righteous,
    but God has deprived me of justice.
⁶ Concerning my right, should I lie?
    My wound is incurable, although I am without transgression.’
⁷ What man is like Job,
    who drinks mockery like water,
⁸ who keeps company with evildoers,
    and walks with wicked men?
⁹ For he says, ‘It does not profit a man
    when he makes his delight with God.’

¹⁰ “Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding:
Wickedness is far from God, injustice from Shaddai
¹¹ For He repays a person for what he has done,
    and brings on the person what he deserves.

¹² “Truly God does not act wickedly,
    and Shaddai does not pervert justice.
¹³ Who appointed Him over the earth?
    Who put Him over the whole world?

¹⁴ “If He were to set His heart on it,
    and gather to Himself His Ruach and breath,
¹⁵ all flesh would perish together
    and mankind would return to dust.^[a]
16 “Now if you have understanding, hear this;
    give ear to the sound of my words.
¹⁷ Can someone who hates justice govern?
    Will you condemn the mighty, righteous One?
¹⁸ Who says to a king, ‘Worthless man’
    and to nobles, ‘Wicked men’!
¹⁹ Who shows no partiality before princes,
    and does not favor the rich over the poor,
    for they are all the work of His hands.
²⁰ They die in a moment, at midnight,
    people are shaken and they pass away.
    The mighty are removed without a hand.

²¹ “For His eyes are on the ways of man;
    He sees all his steps.
²² There is no gloom and no deep darkness,
    where evildoers can hide themselves.
²³ For He does not consider a man further
    that he should go before God in judgment.
²⁴ He shatters the mighty without inquiry,
    and sets others in their place.
²⁵ Thus He recognizes their deeds,
    He overturns them in the night and they are crushed.
²⁶ He strikes them for their wickedness
    in a place where people can see,
²⁷ because they turned from following Him,
    and have not understood any of His ways.
²⁸ They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him,
    so that He hears the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹ “But if He is quiet, who can condemn Him?
    If He hides His face, who can see Him?
Yet He is over a nation and an individual alike,
³⁰ so that godless men should not rule,
    nor lay snares for people.
³¹ “Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have born chastisement,
    but I will not act wickedly any more.
³² Teach me what I cannot see.
    If I have done evil, I will not do it again.’
³³ Should He requite it on your terms,
    because you reject it?
But you must choose and not I;
    now declare what you know.
³⁴ “Men of understanding declare,
    wise men who hear me say to me,
³⁵ ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
    and his words lack understanding.’
³⁶ Oh, that Job might be tested to the end,
    for answering like wicked men.
³⁷ For he adds rebellion to his sin;
    in our midst he claps his hands
    and multiplies his words against God.”

² “Do you think this is just?
Do you say,
    ‘My righteousness is greater than God’s?’
³ For you ask, ‘What will it profit you?’
and ‘What do I gain by not sinning?’
⁴ I will answer you,
    and your friends with you.
⁵ Look up at the heavens and see;
    consider the clouds so high above you.
⁶ If you sin, how does it affect Him?
    If your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him?
⁷ If you are righteous, what do you give Him,
or what does He receive from your hand?^[b]
8 Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,
    and your righteousness for a son of man.

⁹ “Because of a multitude of oppressions, they cry out;
they cry for help because of the power of the mighty.
¹⁰ But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
who gives songs in the night,
¹¹ who teaches us more than the animals of the earth,
who makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’
¹² There they cry out, but He does not answer,
    because of the pride of the wicked.
¹³ Indeed God does not hear an empty cry;
    Shaddai pays no attention to it.
¹⁴ How much less when you say that you do not perceive Him
    that the case is before Him and you must wait for Him.
¹⁵ And further, that His anger does not punish
    and that He does not know transgression?
¹⁶ So Job opens his mouth with nonsense,
    without knowledge he multiplies words.”

² “Be patient with me a bit longer and I will show you
    that there is more to say on God’s behalf.
³ I get my knowledge from afar;
    I ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
⁴ For truly, my words are not false;
    One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ “Indeed, God is mighty, but despises none,
He is mighty in strength of understanding.
⁶ He does not keep the wicked alive,
    but gives justice to the afflicted.
⁷ He does not take His eyes from the righteous,
but enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.
⁸ But if they are bound in chains,
    and held captive by cords of affliction,
⁹ then He declares to them their deed
    that they have transgressed arrogantly.
¹⁰ And He opens their ear to instruction,
    and commands that they turn from evil.
¹¹ If they obey and serve, they will end their days in prosperity,
    and their years in happiness.
¹² But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword,
    and die without knowledge.

¹³ “The godless in heart harbor anger,
    they do not cry for help even when He binds them.
¹⁴ Their souls die in youth,
    their life ends among cult prostitutes.
¹⁵ He delivers the afflicted by his affliction
    and opens their ear in oppression.

¹⁶ “And indeed, He will draw you from the mouth of distress,
to a spacious place without constraint, and the comfort of a table full of rich food.
¹⁷ But you are full of judgment on the wicked,
    judgment and justice take hold of you!
¹⁸ Beware lest wrath entice you with riches;
    or a large bribe turn you aside.
¹⁹ Will your wealth sustain you to keep you from distress,
    or even all your mighty efforts?
²⁰ Do not long for the night,
    when people vanish from their places.
²¹ Be careful, do not turn to iniquity;
    for you have chosen this rather than affliction.

²² “Indeed, God is exalted in His power.
    Who is a teacher like Him?
²³ Who has prescribed His way for Him?
    Or said ‘You have done wrong’?
²⁴ Remember to magnify His work,
    of which people have sung.
²⁵ All mankind has seen it;
    people gaze on it from afar.
²⁶ Behold, God is exalted—beyond our knowledge!
    The number of His years is unsearchable.
²⁷ For He draws up the drops of water;
    they distill rain into its mist,
²⁸ which the clouds pour down
    and shower mankind abundantly.
²⁹ Indeed, who can understand the spreading of the clouds,
    and the thunder from His pavilion?

³⁰ “See how He scatters His lightning about Him,
    covering the depths of the sea.
³¹ For by these, He judges peoples
    and supplies food in abundance.
³² He covers His hands with lightning
    and commands it to strike its target.
³³ His thunder declares His presence,
    the cattle also, about what is coming.

¹⁰ Throw out a scoffer and strife will go out,
quarreling and disgrace will cease.
¹¹ One who loves purity of heart and whose speech is gracious,
will have the king as his friend.

¹² The eyes of Adonai guard knowledge, but He undermines
the words of the faithless.