² “How long will you say such things?^(B)
    Your words are a blustering wind.^(C)
3 Does God pervert justice?^(D)
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?^(E)
4 When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.^(F)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead^(G) with the Almighty,^(H)
6 if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf^(I)
    and restore you to your prosperous state.^(J)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous^(K) will your future be.^(L)

⁸ “Ask the former generation^(M)
    and find out what their ancestors learned,
⁹ for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,^(N)
    and our days on earth are but a shadow.^(O)
10 Will they not instruct^(P) you and tell you?
    Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?^(Q)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?^(R)
    Can reeds^(S) thrive without water?
¹² While still growing and uncut,
    they wither more quickly than grass.^(T)
13 Such is the destiny^(U) of all who forget God;^(V)
    so perishes the hope of the godless.^(W)
14 What they trust in is fragile^[a];
    what they rely on is a spider’s web.^(X)
15 They lean on the web,^(Y) but it gives way;
    they cling to it, but it does not hold.^(Z)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
    spreading its shoots^(AA) over the garden;^(AB)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
    and looks for a place among the stones.
¹⁸ But when it is torn from its spot,
    that place disowns^(AC) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’^(AD)
19 Surely its life withers^(AE) away,
    and^[b] from the soil other plants grow.^(AF)

²⁰ “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless^(AG)
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.^(AH)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter^(AI)
    and your lips with shouts of joy.^(AJ)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,^(AK)
    and the tents^(AL) of the wicked will be no more.”^(AM)

² “Indeed, I know that this is true.
    But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?^(A)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,^(B)
    they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.^(C)
4 His wisdom^(D) is profound, his power is vast.^(E)
    Who has resisted^(F) him and come out unscathed?^(G)
5 He moves mountains^(H) without their knowing it
    and overturns them in his anger.^(I)
6 He shakes the earth^(J) from its place
    and makes its pillars tremble.^(K)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;^(L)
    he seals off the light of the stars.^(M)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens^(N)
    and treads on the waves of the sea.^(O)
9 He is the Maker^(P) of the Bear^[a] and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.^(Q)
10 He performs wonders^(R) that cannot be fathomed,
    miracles that cannot be counted.^(S)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
    when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.^(T)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?^(U)
    Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’^(V)
13 God does not restrain his anger;^(W)
    even the cohorts of Rahab^(X) cowered at his feet.

¹⁴ “How then can I dispute with him?
    How can I find words to argue with him?^(Y)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;^(Z)
    I could only plead^(AA) with my Judge^(AB) for mercy.^(AC)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
    I do not believe he would give me a hearing.^(AD)
17 He would crush me^(AE) with a storm^(AF)
    and multiply^(AG) my wounds for no reason.^(AH)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
    but would overwhelm me with misery.^(AI)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!^(AJ)
    And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him^[b]?^(AK)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
    if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.^(AL)

²¹ “Although I am blameless,^(AM)
    I have no concern for myself;^(AN)
    I despise my own life.^(AO)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
    ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’^(AP)
23 When a scourge^(AQ) brings sudden death,
    he mocks the despair of the innocent.^(AR)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,^(AS)
    he blindfolds its judges.^(AT)
    If it is not he, then who is it?^(AU)

²⁵ “My days are swifter than a runner;^(AV)
    they fly away without a glimpse of joy.^(AW)
26 They skim past^(AX) like boats of papyrus,^(AY)
    like eagles swooping down on their prey.^(AZ)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,^(BA)
    I will change my expression, and smile,’
²⁸ I still dread^(BB) all my sufferings,
    for I know you will not hold me innocent.^(BC)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
    why should I struggle in vain?^(BD)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap^(BE)
    and my hands^(BF) with cleansing powder,^(BG)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit^(BH)
    so that even my clothes would detest me.^(BI)

³² “He is not a mere mortal^(BJ) like me that I might answer him,^(BK)
    that we might confront each other in court.^(BL)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,^(BM)
    someone to bring us together,^(BN)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,^(BO)
    so that his terror would frighten me no more.^(BP)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,^(BQ)
    but as it now stands with me, I cannot.^(BR)

10 “I loathe my very life;^(A)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.^(B)
2 I say to God:^(C) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges^(D) you have against me.^(E)
3 Does it please you to oppress me,^(F)
    to spurn the work of your hands,^(G)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?^(H)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?^(I)
5 Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,^(J)
6 that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin^(K)—
⁷ though you know that I am not guilty^(L)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?^(M)

⁸ “Your hands shaped^(N) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?^(O)
9 Remember that you molded me like clay.^(P)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?^(Q)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
¹¹ clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together^(R) with bones and sinews?
¹² You gave me life^(S) and showed me kindness,^(T)
    and in your providence^(U) watched over^(V) my spirit.

¹³ “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:^(W)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me^(X)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.^(Y)
15 If I am guilty^(Z)—woe to me!^(AA)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,^(AB)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in^[a] my affliction.^(AC)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion^(AD)
    and again display your awesome power against me.^(AE)
17 You bring new witnesses against me^(AF)
    and increase your anger toward me;^(AG)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.^(AH)

¹⁸ “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?^(AI)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.^(AJ)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!^(AK)
20 Are not my few days^(AL) almost over?^(AM)
    Turn away from me^(AN) so I can have a moment’s joy^(AO)
21 before I go to the place of no return,^(AP)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,^(AQ)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness^(AR) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”^(AS)