And the men of Sheba came against them and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The Chaldaeans made themselves into three bands, and came down on the camels and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

Let it be cursed by those who put a curse on the day; who are ready to make Leviathan awake.

With kings and the wise ones of the earth, who put up great houses for themselves;

Or with rulers who had gold, and whose houses were full of silver;

Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light.

Why does he give light to him who is in trouble, and life to the bitter in soul;

To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth;

Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place;

To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?

If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind?

He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees.

What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.

Give now a cry for help; is there anyone who will give you an answer? and to which of the holy ones will you make your prayer?

For wrath is the cause of death to the foolish, and he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion.

Their produce is taken by him who has no food, and their grain goes to the poor, and he who is in need of water gets it from their spring.

Who does great things outside our knowledge, wonders without number:

Who gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields:

Lifting up those who are low, and putting the sad in a safe place;

Who makes the designs of the wise go wrong, so that they are unable to give effect to their purposes.

But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.

Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.

My words may seem wrong to you, but the words of him who has no hope are for the wind.

The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer: your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone.

A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again.

So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:

Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.

He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?

It is he who takes away the mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his wrath:

Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking:

Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.

By whose hand the heavens were stretched out, and who is walking on the waves of the sea:

Who made the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades, and the store-houses of the south:

Who does great things not to be searched out; yes, wonders without number.

If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?

Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.

If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day?

It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together.

If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.

The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?

There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.

Though you see that I am not an evil-doer; and there is no one who is able to take a man out of your hands?

If he goes on his way, shutting a man up and putting him to death, who may make him go back from his purpose?

But I have a mind as well as you; I am equal to you: yes, who has not knowledge of such things as these?

It seems that I am to be as one who is a cause of laughing to his neighbour, one who makes his prayer to God and is answered! the upright man who has done no wrong is to be made sport of!

In the thought of him who is in comfort there is no respect for one who is in trouble; such is the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

There is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength.

Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?

With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;

With us are men who are grey-haired and full of years, much older than your father.

How much less one who is disgusting and unclean, a man who takes in evil like water!

For the band of the evil-doers gives no fruit, and the tents of those who give wrong decisions for reward are burned with fire.

Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.

Truly, those who make sport of me are round about me, and my eyes become dark because of their bitter laughing.

Be pleased, now, to be responsible for me to yourself; for there is no other who will put his hand in mine.

As for him who is false to his friend for a reward, light will be cut off from the eyes of his children.

The upright are surprised at this, and he who has done no wrong is troubled because of the evil-doers.

Still the upright keeps on his way, and he who has clean hands gets new strength.

Where then is my hope? and who will see my desire?

But come back, now, come: you who are wounding yourself in your passion, will the earth be given up because of you, or a rock be moved out of its place?

Truly, these are the houses of the sinner, and this is the place of him who has no knowledge of God.

Be certain that it is God who has done me wrong, and has taken me in his net.

But I am certain that he who will take up my cause is living, and that in time to come he will take his place on the dust;

Whom I will see on my side, and not as one strange to me. My heart is broken with desire.

Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?

Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.

Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.

Who will make his way clear to his face? and if he has done a thing, who gives him punishment for it?

For you have taken your brother's goods when he was not in your debt, and have taken away the clothing of those who have need of it.

You do not give water to the tired traveller, and from him who has no food you keep back bread.

For it was the man with power who had the land, and the man with an honoured name who was living in it.

You have sent widows away without hearing their cause, and you have taken away the support of the child who has no father.

Who were violently taken away before their time, who were overcome by the rush of waters:

Who said to God, Go away from us; and, What is the Ruler of all able to do to us?

The upright saw it and were glad: and those who had done no wrong made sport of them,

He makes safe the man who is free from sin, and if your hands are clean, salvation will be yours.

Why are times not stored up by the Ruler of all, and why do those who have knowledge of him not see his days?

They send away the ass of him who has no father, they take the widow's ox for debt.

They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth.

From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer.

Then there are those who are haters of the light, who have no knowledge of its ways, and do not go in them.

He who is purposing death gets up before day, so that he may put to death the poor and those in need.

And if it is not so, now, who will make it clear that my words are false, and that what I say is of no value?

Is it possible for his armies to be numbered? and on whom is not his light shining?

How then is it possible for man to be upright before God? or how may he be clean who is a son of woman?

How much less man who is an insect, and the son of man who is a worm!

How have you given help to him who has no power! how have you been the salvation of the arm which has no strength!

How have you given teaching to him who has no wisdom, and fully made clear true knowledge!

To whom have your words been said? and whose spirit came out from you?

By the life of God, who has taken away my right; and of the Ruler of all, who has made my soul bitter;

Let my hater be like the evil man, and let him who comes against me be as the sinner.

When those of his house who are still living come to their end by disease, they are not put into the earth, and their widows are not weeping for them.

He may get them ready, but the upright will put them on, and he who is free from sin will take the silver for a heritage.

He makes a deep mine far away from those living in the light of day; when they go about on the earth, they have no knowledge of those who are under them, who are hanging far from men, twisting from side to side on a cord.

For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.

The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.

I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.

I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.