Job 9:9-38:31

New King James Version

¹⁴ “How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words to reason with Him?
^15 (F)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 ^(G)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, ^(H)‘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 ^(I)my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.
²⁶ They pass by like ^[d]swift ships,
^(J)Like an eagle swooping on its prey.
^27 (K)If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’
^28 (L)I am afraid of all my sufferings;
I know that You ^(M)will not hold me innocent.
²⁹ If I am condemned,
Why then do I labor in vain?
^30 (N)If I wash myself with snow water,
And cleanse my hands with ^[e]soap,
³¹ Yet You will plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes will ^[f]abhor me.

³² “For ^(O)He is not a man, as I am,
That I may answer Him,
And that we should go to court together.
^33 (P)Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand on us both.
^34 (Q)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^(U) hands have made me and fashioned me,
An intricate unity;
Yet You would ^(V)destroy me.
⁹ Remember, I pray, ^(W)that You have made me like clay.
And will You turn me into dust again?
^10 (X)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 ^(Y)You mark me,
And will not acquit me of my iniquity.
¹⁵ If I am wicked, ^(Z)woe to me;
^(AA)Even if I am righteous, I ^[h]cannot lift up my head.
I am full of disgrace;
^(AB)See my misery!
¹⁶ If my head is exalted,
^(AC)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^(AD) 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 (AE)Are not my days few?
Cease! ^(AF)Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,
²¹ Before I go to the place from which I shall not return,
^(AG)To the land of darkness ^(AH)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 ^[i]a man full of talk be vindicated?
³ Should your empty talk make men ^[j]hold their peace?
And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?
⁴ For you have said,
^(AI)‘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 ^(AJ)God ^[k]exacts from you
Less than your iniquity deserves.

⁷ “Can^(AK) 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 ^[l]Sheol—what can you know?
⁹ Their measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.

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

¹³ “If you would ^(AO)prepare your heart,
And ^(AP)stretch out your hands toward Him;
¹⁴ If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away,
And ^(AQ)would not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
^15 (AR)Then surely you could lift up your face without spot;
Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;
¹⁶ Because you would ^(AS)forget your misery,
And remember it as waters that have passed away,
¹⁷ And your life ^(AT)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 ^(AU)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 ^(AV)the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they shall not escape,
And ^(AW)their hope—^[n]loss of life!”

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

⁴ “I^(AY) am one mocked by his friends,
Who ^(AZ)called on God, and He answered him,
The just and blameless who is ridiculed.
⁵ A ^[p]lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for ^(BA)those whose feet slip.
^6 (BB)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 (BC)In whose hand is the ^[q]life of every living thing,
And the ^(BD)breath of ^[r]all mankind?
¹¹ Does not the ear test words
And the ^[s]mouth taste its food?
¹² Wisdom is with aged men,
And with ^[t]length of days, understanding.

¹³ “With Him are ^(BE)wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
¹⁴ If ^(BF)He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
¹⁵ If He ^(BG)withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He ^(BH)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 ^[u]princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
^20 (BI)He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
^21 (BJ)He pours contempt on princes,
And ^[v]disarms the mighty.
²² He ^(BK)uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
^23 (BL)He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He ^[w]enlarges nations, and guides them.
²⁴ He takes away the ^[x]understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And ^(BM)makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
^25 (BN)They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them ^(BO)stagger like a drunken man.

¹³ “Hold^[aa] your peace with me, and let me speak,
Then let come on me what may!
¹⁴ Why ^(BU)do I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in my hands?
^15 (BV)Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
^(BW)Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
¹⁶ He also shall be my salvation,
For a ^(BX)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 ^(BY)vindicated.
^19 (BZ)Who is he who will contend with me?
If now I hold my tongue, I perish.

²⁸ “Man^[ad] 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 ^[ah]is laid away;
Indeed he ^[ai]breathes his last
And where is ^(CQ)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.
^(CR)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 ^(CS)I will wait,
Till my change comes.
^15 (CT)You shall call, and I will answer You;
You shall desire the work of Your hands.
¹⁶ For now ^(CU)You number my steps,
But do not watch over my sin.
^17 (CV)My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You ^[aj]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 ^(CW)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 ^[ak]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 ^[al]prayer before God.
⁵ For your iniquity teaches your mouth,
And you choose the tongue of the crafty.
^6 (CY)Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
Yes, your own lips testify against you.

⁷ “Are you the first man who was born?
^(CZ)Or were you made before the hills?
^8 (DA)Have you heard the counsel of God?
Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
^9 (DB)What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not in us?
^10 (DC)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 ^[am]gently with you?
¹² Why does your heart carry you away,
And ^[an]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^(DD) is man, that he could be pure?
And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?
^15 (DE)If God puts no trust in His saints,
And the heavens are not pure in His sight,
^16 (DF)How much less man, who is abominable and filthy,
^(DG)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 ^(DH)from their fathers,
¹⁹ To whom alone the ^[ao]land was given,
And ^(DI)no alien passed among them:
²⁰ The wicked man writhes with pain all his days,
^(DJ)And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor.
^21 [ap]Dreadful sounds are in his ears;
^(DK)In prosperity the destroyer comes upon him.
²² He does not believe that he will ^(DL)return from darkness,
For a sword is waiting for him.
²³ He ^(DM)wanders about for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows ^(DN)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 ^[aq]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^(DO) 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 ^(DP)continue,
Nor will his possessions overspread the earth.
³⁰ He will not depart from darkness;
The flame will dry out his branches,
And ^(DQ)by the breath of His mouth he will go away.
³¹ Let him not ^(DR)trust in futile things, deceiving himself,
For futility will be his reward.
³² It will be accomplished ^(DS)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 (DT)They conceive trouble and bring forth futility;
Their womb prepares deceit.”

² “I have heard many such things;
^(DU)Miserable^[ar] comforters are you all!
³ Shall ^[as]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 ^(DV)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 ^(DW)worn me out;
You ^(DX)have made desolate all my company.
⁸ You have shriveled me up,
And it is a ^(DY)witness against me;
My leanness rises up against me
And bears witness to my face.
^9 (DZ)He tears me in His wrath, and hates me;
He gnashes at me with His teeth;
^(EA)My adversary sharpens His gaze on me.
¹⁰ They ^(EB)gape at me with their mouth,
They ^(EC)strike me reproachfully on the cheek,
They gather together against me.
¹¹ God ^(ED)has delivered me to the ungodly,
And turned me over to the hands of the wicked.
¹² I was at ease, but He has ^(EE)shattered me;
He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces;
He has ^(EF)set me up for His target,
¹³ His archers surround me.
He pierces my ^[at]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 ^[au]warrior.

¹⁵ “I have sewn sackcloth over my skin,
And ^(EG)laid my ^[av]head in the dust.
¹⁶ My face is ^[aw]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 ^(EH)let my cry have no resting place!
¹⁹ Surely even now ^(EI)my witness is in heaven,
And my evidence is on high.
²⁰ My friends scorn me;
My eyes pour out tears to God.
^21 (EJ)Oh, that one might plead for a man with God,
As a man pleads for his ^[ax]neighbor!
²² For when a few years are finished,
I shall ^(EK)go the way of no return.

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

⁶ “But He has made me ^(EQ)a byword of the people,
And I have become one in whose face men spit.
^7 (ER)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 ^(ES)way,
And he who has ^(ET)clean hands will be stronger and stronger.

¹⁰ “But please, ^(EU)come back again, ^[az]all of you,
For I shall not find one wise man among you.
^11 (EV)My days are past,
My purposes are broken off,
Even the ^[ba]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 ^(EW)hope?
As for my hope, who can see it?
¹⁶ Will they go down ^(EX)to the gates of ^[bb]Sheol?
Shall we have ^(EY)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 ^(FA)as beasts,
And regarded as stupid in your sight?
^4 (FB)You^[bc] who tear yourself in anger,
Shall the earth be forsaken for you?
Or shall the rock be removed from its place?

⁵ “The^(FC) light of the wicked indeed goes out,
And the flame of his fire does not shine.
⁶ The light is dark in his tent,
^(FD)And his lamp beside him is put out.
⁷ The steps of his strength are shortened,
And ^(FE)his own counsel casts him down.
⁸ For ^(FF)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 ^(FG)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 (FH)Terrors frighten him on every side,
And drive him to his feet.
¹² His strength is starved,
And ^(FI)destruction is ready at his side.
¹³ It devours patches of his skin;
The firstborn of death devours his ^[bd]limbs.
¹⁴ He is uprooted from ^(FJ)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 (FK)His roots are dried out below,
And his branch withers above.
^17 (FL)The memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name ^[be]among the renowned.
^18 [bf]He is driven from light into darkness,
And chased out of the world.
^19 (FM)He has neither son nor posterity among his people,
Nor any remaining in his dwellings.
²⁰ Those ^[bg]in the west are astonished ^(FN)at his day,
As those ^[bh]in the east are frightened.
²¹ Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who ^(FO)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 ^[bi]reproached me;
You are not ashamed that you ^[bj]have wronged me.
⁴ And if indeed I have erred,
My error remains with me.
⁵ If indeed you ^(FP)exalt yourselves against me,
And plead my disgrace against me,
⁶ Know then that ^(FQ)God has wronged me,
And has surrounded me with His net.

⁷ “If I cry out concerning ^[bk]wrong, I am not heard.
If I cry aloud, there is no justice.
^8 (FR)He has ^[bl]fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;
And He has set darkness in my paths.
^9 (FS)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 ^(FT)hope He has uprooted like a tree.
¹¹ He has also kindled His wrath against me,
And ^(FU)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^(FV) 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 ^[bm]repulsive to the children of my own body.
¹⁸ Even ^(FW)young children despise me;
I arise, and they speak against me.
^19 (FX)All my close friends abhor me,
And those whom I love have turned against me.
^20 (FY)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 ^(FZ)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 ^[bn]destroyed, this I know,
That ^(GA)in my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my ^[bo]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 ^[bp]that reproaches me,
And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

⁴ “Do you not know this of ^(GC)old,
Since man was placed on earth,
^5 (GD)That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a ^(GE)moment?
^6 (GF)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 ^(GG)like a dream, and not be found;
Yes, he ^(GH)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 ^(GI)his youthful vigor,
^(GJ)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 ^[bq]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 ^(GK)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 ^[br]oppressed and forsaken the poor,
He has violently seized a house which he did not build.

²⁰ “Because^(GL) he knows no quietness in his ^[bs]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 ^[bt]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 (GM)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, ^(GN)the glittering point comes out of his ^[bu]gall.
^(GO)Terrors come upon him;
²⁶ Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.
^(GP)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 ^(GQ)wrath.
^29 (GR)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 ^[bv]consolation.
³ Bear with me that I may speak,
And after I have spoken, keep ^(GS)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;
^(GT)Put your hand over your mouth.
⁶ Even when I remember I am terrified,
And trembling takes hold of my flesh.
^7 (GU)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,
^(GV)Neither is ^[bw]the rod of God upon them.
¹⁰ Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves ^(GW)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 ^(GX)spend their days in wealth,
And ^[bx]in a moment go down to the ^[by]grave.
^14 (GY)Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
^15 (GZ)Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And ^(HA)what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’
¹⁶ Indeed ^[bz]their prosperity is not in their hand;
^(HB)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 ^(HC)distributes in His anger?
^18 (HD)They are like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that a storm ^[ca]carries away.
¹⁹ They say, ‘God ^[cb]lays up ^[cc]one’s iniquity ^(HE)for his children’;
Let Him recompense him, that he may know it.
²⁰ Let his eyes see his destruction,
And ^(HF)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^(HG) 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 ^[cd]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 ^(HH)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 ^[ce]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 (HI)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;
^(HJ)Everyone shall follow him,
As countless have gone before him.
³⁴ How then can you comfort me with empty words,
Since ^[cf]falsehood remains in your answers?”

² “Can^(HL) 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 ^(HM)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 ^(HN)have withheld bread from the hungry.
⁸ But the ^[cg]mighty man possessed the land,
And the honorable man dwelt in it.
⁹ You have sent widows away empty,
And the ^[ch]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 ^(HO)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, ^(HP)‘What does God know?
Can He judge through the deep darkness?
^14 (HQ)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 ^(HR)were cut down before their time,
Whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
^17 (HS)They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
What can the Almighty do to ^[ci]them?’
¹⁸ Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

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

²¹ “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and ^(HU)be at peace;
Thereby good will come to you.
²² Receive, please, ^(HV)instruction from His mouth,
And ^(HW)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 ^(HX)lay your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
²⁵ Yes, the Almighty will be your ^[ck]gold
And your precious silver;
²⁶ For then you will have your ^(HY)delight in the Almighty,
And lift up your face to God.
^27 (HZ)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 ^(IA)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 ^(IB)complaint is bitter;
^[cl]My hand is listless because of my groaning.
^3 (IC)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 (ID)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,^(IE) 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 ^(IF)He knows the way that I take;
When ^(IG)He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
^11 (IH)My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
¹² I have not departed from the ^(II)commandment of His lips;
^(IJ)I have treasured the words of His mouth
More than my ^[cm]necessary food.

¹³ “But He is unique, and who can make Him change?
And whatever ^(IK)His soul desires, that He does.
¹⁴ For He performs what is ^(IL)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 ^(IM)made my heart weak,
And the Almighty terrifies me;
¹⁷ Because I was not ^(IN)cut off ^[cn]from the presence of darkness,
And He did not hide deep darkness from my face.

² “Some remove ^(IQ)landmarks;
They seize flocks violently and feed on them;
³ They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
They ^(IR)take the widow’s ox as a pledge.
⁴ They push the needy off the road;
All the ^(IS)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 ^(IT)spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering in the cold.
⁸ They are wet with the showers of the mountains,
And ^(IU)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 ^(IV)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 (IW)The murderer rises with the light;
He kills the poor and needy;
And in the night he is like a thief.
^15 (IX)The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
^(IY)Saying, ‘No eye will see me’;
And he ^[co]disguises his face.
¹⁶ In the dark they break into houses
Which they marked for themselves in the daytime;
^(IZ)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 ^[cp]consume the snow waters,
So ^[cq]the grave consumes those who have sinned.
²⁰ The womb should forget him,
The worm should feed sweetly on him;
^(JA)He should be remembered no more,
And wickedness should be broken like a tree.
²¹ For he ^[cr]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 ^(JB)His eyes are on their ways.
²⁴ They are exalted for a little while,
Then they are gone.
They are brought low;
They are ^[cs]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 [ct]Is there any number to His armies?
Upon whom does ^(JD)His light not rise?
^4 (JE)How then can man be righteous before God?
Or how can he be ^(JF)pure who is born of a woman?
⁵ If even the moon does not shine,
And the stars are not pure in His ^(JG)sight,
⁶ How much less man, who is ^(JH)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 (JI)Sheol is naked before Him,
And Destruction has no covering.
^7 (JJ)He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing.
^8 (JK)He binds up the water in His thick clouds,
Yet the clouds ^[cu]are not broken under it.
⁹ He covers the face of His throne,
And spreads His cloud over it.
^10 (JL)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 ^[cv]astonished at His rebuke.
^12 (JM)He stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He breaks up ^[cw]the storm.
^13 (JN)By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;
His hand pierced ^(JO)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, ^(JP)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 ^(JQ)I will not put away my integrity from me.
⁶ My righteousness I ^(JR)hold fast, and will not let it go;
^(JS)My heart shall not ^[cx]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 (JT)For what is the hope of the hypocrite,
Though he may gain much,
If God takes away his life?
^9 (JU)Will God hear his cry
When trouble comes upon him?
^10 (JV)Will he delight himself in the Almighty?
Will he always call on God?

¹¹ “I will teach you ^[cy]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^(JW) is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:
^14 (JX)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 ^(JY)their^[cz] 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 ^(JZ)the just will wear it,
And the innocent will divide the silver.
¹⁸ He builds his house like a ^[da]moth,
^(KA)Like a ^[db]booth which a watchman makes.
¹⁹ The rich man will lie down,
^[dc]But not be gathered up;
He opens his eyes,
And he is ^(KB)no more.
^20 (KC)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 ^(KD)spare;
He flees desperately from its ^[dd]power.
²³ Men shall clap their hands at him,
And shall hiss him out of his place.

¹² “But^(KE) where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
¹³ Man does not know its ^(KF)value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
^14 (KG)The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
¹⁵ It ^(KH)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 ^(KI)gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for ^[dh]jewelry of fine gold.
¹⁸ No mention shall be made of ^[di]coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above ^(KJ)rubies.
¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure ^(KK)gold.

²⁰ “From^(KL) 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 ^[dj]air.
^22 (KM)Destruction^[dk] 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 ^(KN)sees under the whole heavens,
^25 (KO)To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.
²⁶ When He ^(KP)made a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,
²⁷ Then He saw ^[dl]wisdom and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.
²⁸ And to man He said,
‘Behold, ^(KQ)the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”

² “Oh, that I were as in months ^(KR)past,
As in the days when God ^(KS)watched over me;
^3 (KT)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 ^(KU)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 ^(KV)my steps were bathed with ^[dm]cream,
And ^(KW)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 ^(KX)put their hand on their mouth;
¹⁰ The voice of nobles was hushed,
And their ^(KY)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 ^(KZ)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 (LA)I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
¹⁵ I was ^(LB)eyes to the blind,
And I was feet to the lame.
¹⁶ I was a father to the poor,
And ^(LC)I searched out the case that I did not know.
¹⁷ I broke ^(LD)the fangs of the wicked,
And plucked the victim from his teeth.

¹⁸ “Then I said, ^(LE)‘I shall die in my nest,
And multiply my days as the sand.
^19 (LF)My root is spread out ^(LG)to the waters,
And the dew lies all night on my branch.
²⁰ My glory is fresh within me,
And my ^(LH)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 ^(LI)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^(LJ) now I am their taunting song;
Yes, I am their byword.
¹⁰ They abhor me, they keep far from me;
They do not hesitate ^(LK)to spit in my face.
¹¹ Because ^(LL)He has loosed ^[dr]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 ^(LM)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^(LN) now my soul is ^(LO)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 ^(LP)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 ^(LQ)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 ^(LR)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 (LS)Have I not wept for him who was in trouble?
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?
^26 (LT)But when I looked for good, evil came to me;
And when I waited for light, then came darkness.
^27 [ds]My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest;
Days of affliction confront me.
^28 (LU)I go about mourning, but not in the sun;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
^29 (LV)I am a brother of jackals,
And a companion of ostriches.
^30 (LW)My skin grows black and falls from me;
^(LX)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 [du]Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my ^(MB)integrity.
⁷ If my step has turned from the way,
Or ^(MC)my heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,
⁸ Then ^(MD)let me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be ^[dv]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 ^(ME)another,
And let others bow down over her.
¹¹ For that would be wickedness;
Yes, ^(MF)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 ^(MG)despised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,
¹⁴ What then shall I do when ^(MH)God rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
^15 (MI)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 ^(MJ)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 ^[dw]the widow);
¹⁹ If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;
²⁰ If his ^[dx]heart has not ^(MK)blessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
²¹ If I have raised my hand ^(ML)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 ^(MM)destruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.

²⁴ “If^(MN) I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
^25 (MO)If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;
^26 (MP)If I have observed the ^[dy]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^(MQ) I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
^30 (MR)(Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his ^[dz]soul);
³¹ If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’
^32 (MS)(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the ^[ea]traveler);
³³ If I have covered my transgressions ^(MT)as^[eb] Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
³⁴ Because I feared the great ^(MU)multitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—
^35 (MV)Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, ^(MW)that the Almighty would answer me,
That my ^[ec]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 ^(MX)I have eaten its ^[ed]fruit without money,
Or ^(MY)caused its owners to lose their lives;
⁴⁰ Then let ^(MZ)thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”

“I am ^(ND)young in years, and you are very old;
Therefore I was afraid,
And dared not declare my opinion to you.
⁷ I said, ^[ef]‘Age should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
⁸ But there is a spirit in man,
And ^(NE)the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
^9 (NF)Great^[eg] men are not always wise,
Nor do the aged always understand justice.

¹⁰ “Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,
I also will declare my opinion.’
¹¹ Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.
¹² I paid close attention to you;
And surely not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered his words—
^13 (NG)Lest you say,
‘We have found wisdom’;
God will vanquish him, not man.
¹⁴ Now he has not ^[eh]directed his words against me;
So I will not answer him with your words.

¹⁵ “They are dismayed and answer no more;
Words escape them.
¹⁶ And I have waited, because they did not speak,
Because they stood still and answered no more.
¹⁷ I also will answer my part,
I too will declare my opinion.
¹⁸ For I am full of words;
The spirit within me compels me.
¹⁹ Indeed my ^[ei]belly is like wine that has no ^[ej]vent;
It is ready to burst like new wineskins.
²⁰ I will speak, that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and answer.
²¹ Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;
Nor let me flatter any man.
²² For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me ^(NH)away.

⁸ “Surely you have spoken ^[el]in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
⁹ ‘I^(NL) am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
¹⁰ Yet He finds occasions against me,
^(NM)He counts me as His enemy;
^11 (NN)He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.’

¹² “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
¹³ Why do you ^(NO)contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
^14 (NP)For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
^15 (NQ)In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
^16 (NR)Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
¹⁷ In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
¹⁸ He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from ^[em]perishing by the sword.

¹⁹ “Man is also chastened with pain on his ^(NS)bed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
^20 (NT)So that his life abhors ^(NU)bread,
And his soul ^[en]succulent food.
²¹ His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
²² Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the executioners.

²³ “If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one among a thousand,
To show man His uprightness,
²⁴ Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found ^[eo]a ransom’;
²⁵ His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
²⁶ He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.
²⁷ Then he looks at men and ^(NV)says,
‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it ^(NW)did not profit me.’
²⁸ He will ^(NX)redeem ^[ep]his soul from going down to the Pit,
And his life shall see the light.

²⁹ “Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
^30 (NY)To bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

³¹ “Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
³² If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
³³ If not, ^(NZ)listen to me;
^[eq]Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”

² “Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
^3 (OA)For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵ “For Job has said, ^(OB)‘I am righteous,
But ^(OC)God has taken away my justice;
^6 (OD)Should I lie concerning my right?
My ^[er]wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
⁷ What man is like Job,
^(OE)Who drinks ^[es]scorn like water,
⁸ Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
⁹ For ^(OF)he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
That he should delight in God.’

¹⁰ “Therefore listen to me, you ^[et]men of understanding:
^(OG)Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
^11 (OH)For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.
¹² Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty ^(OI)pervert justice.
¹³ Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world?
¹⁴ If He should set His heart on it,
If He should ^(OJ)gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
^15 (OK)All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.

¹⁶ “If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words:
^17 (OL)Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you ^(OM)condemn Him who is most just?
^18 (ON)Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’
And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
¹⁹ Yet He ^(OO)is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For ^(OP)they are all the work of His hands.
²⁰ In a moment they die, ^(OQ)in the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.

²¹ “For^(OR) His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps.
^22 (OS)There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
²³ For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
^24 (OT)He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
²⁵ Therefore He knows their works;
He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
²⁶ He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of others,
²⁷ Because they ^(OU)turned back from Him,
And ^(OV)would not consider any of His ways,
²⁸ So that they ^(OW)caused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He ^(OX)hears the cry of the afflicted.
²⁹ When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—
³⁰ That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.

³¹ “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastening;
I will offend no more;
³² Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
³³ Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you disavow it?
You must choose, and not I;
Therefore speak what you know.

³⁴ “Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who listen to me:
³⁵ ‘Job^(OY) speaks without knowledge,
His words are without wisdom.’
³⁶ Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men!
³⁷ For he adds ^(OZ)rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.”

² “Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
³ For ^(PA)you say,
‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’

⁴ “I will answer you,
And ^(PB)your companions with you.
^5 (PC)Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.
⁶ If you sin, what do you accomplish ^(PD)against Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
^7 (PE)If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?
⁸ Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.

⁹ “Because^(PF) of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
¹⁰ But no one says, ^(PG)‘Where is God my Maker,
^(PH)Who gives songs in the night,
¹¹ Who ^(PI)teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
^12 (PJ)There they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
^13 (PK)Surely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
^14 (PL)Although you say you do not see Him,
Yet justice is before Him, and ^(PM)you must wait for Him.
¹⁵ And now, because He has not ^(PN)punished in His anger,
Nor taken much notice of folly,
^16 (PO)Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;
He multiplies words without knowledge.”

² “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
³ I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
⁴ For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ “Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
^(PP)He is mighty in strength ^[eu]of understanding.
⁶ He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the ^(PQ)oppressed.
^7 (PR)He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But ^(PS)they are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.
⁸ And ^(PT)if they are bound in ^[ev]fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
⁹ Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
That they have acted ^[ew]defiantly.
^10 (PU)He also opens their ear to ^[ex]instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.
¹¹ If they obey and serve Him,
They shall ^(PV)spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures.
¹² But if they do not obey,
They shall perish by the sword,
And they shall die ^[ey]without ^(PW)knowledge.

¹³ “But the hypocrites in heart ^(PX)store up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
^14 (PY)They^[ez] die in youth,
And their life ends among the ^[fa]perverted persons.
¹⁵ He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears in oppression.

¹⁶ “Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
^(PZ)Into a broad place where there is no restraint;
And ^(QA)what is set on your table would be full of ^(QB)richness.
¹⁷ But you are filled with the judgment due the ^(QC)wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
¹⁸ Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;
For ^(QD)a large ransom would not help you avoid it.
^19 (QE)Will your riches,
Or all the mighty forces,
Keep you from distress?
²⁰ Do not desire the night,
When people are cut off in their place.
²¹ Take heed, ^(QF)do not turn to iniquity,
For ^(QG)you have chosen this rather than affliction.

²² “Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
^23 (QH)Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, ‘You have done ^(QI)wrong’?

²⁶ “Behold, God is great, and we ^(QK)do not know Him;
^(QL)Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
²⁷ For He ^(QM)draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
^28 (QN)Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
²⁹ Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
³⁰ Look, He ^(QO)scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
³¹ For ^(QP)by these He judges the peoples;
He ^(QQ)gives food in abundance.
^32 (QR)He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to ^[fb]strike.
^33 (QS)His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning ^[fc]the rising storm.

¹⁴ “Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and ^(RE)consider the wondrous works of God.
¹⁵ Do you know when God ^[fi]dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
^16 (RF)Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of ^(RG)Him who is perfect in knowledge?
¹⁷ Why are your garments hot,
When He quiets the earth by the south wind?
¹⁸ With Him, have you ^(RH)spread out the ^(RI)skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?

¹⁹ “Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
²⁰ Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
²¹ Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
²² He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome majesty.
²³ As for the Almighty, ^(RJ)we cannot find Him;
^(RK)He is excellent in power,
In judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
²⁴ Therefore men ^(RL)fear Him;
He shows no partiality to any who are ^(RM)wise of heart.”

² “Who^(RP) is this who darkens counsel
By ^(RQ)words without knowledge?
^3 (RR)Now ^[fj]prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

⁴ “Where^(RS) were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the ^[fk]line upon it?
⁶ To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ When the morning stars sang together,
And all ^(RT)the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸ “Or^(RU) who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
⁹ When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
¹⁰ When ^(RV)I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
¹¹ When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves ^(RW)must stop!’

¹² “Have you ^(RX)commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
¹³ That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And ^(RY)the wicked be shaken out of it?
¹⁴ It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
¹⁵ From the wicked their ^(RZ)light is withheld,
And ^(SA)the ^[fl]upraised arm is broken.

¹⁶ “Have you ^(SB)entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
¹⁷ Have ^(SC)the gates of death been ^[fm]revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
¹⁸ Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

¹⁹ “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
²⁰ That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
²¹ Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?

²² “Have you entered ^(SD)the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
^23 (SE)Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
²⁴ By what way is light ^[fn]diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?

²⁵ “Who ^(SF)has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
²⁶ To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
^27 (SG)To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
^28 (SH)Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
²⁹ From whose womb comes the ice?
And the ^(SI)frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
³⁰ The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is ^(SJ)frozen.^[fo]

³¹ “Can you bind the cluster of the ^(SK)Pleiades,^[fp]
Or loose the belt of Orion?