Though he may spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.

He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;

This is the portion that the wicked shall have of God, and the heritage that he may look for of the LORD."

Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.

Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.

As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?

Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.

Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

What is the Ruler of all, that we may give him worship? and what profit is it to us to make prayer to him?

Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

May they become like a straw, blown away before the wind; like a chaff that's swept off by a storm.

Ye say , God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it:

Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

“For you say, ‘Where is the house of the noble man?
And where is the tent, the dwelling place of the wicked?’

How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?

Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

“You say, ‘What does God know [about me]?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?

Tush, the clouds cover him that he may not see, for he dwelleth in heaven.'

Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

"For when they're humbled, you may respond; "It's their pride!' but he delivers the humble.

Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.

Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.

There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

For this cause I am in fear before him, my thoughts of him overcome me.

For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:

Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.

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

The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.

God may let them rest in a feeling of security, but he is constantly watching all their ways.

And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

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

As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;

All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

Though he may get silver together like dust, and make ready great stores of clothing;

He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

It rusheth in upon him, and spareth him not, he may not escape from the power thereof.

Food may come from the earth,
but below the surface the earth is transformed as by fire.

He dams up the streams from flowing
so that he may bring to light what is hidden.

But where may wisdom be seen? and where is the resting-place of knowledge?

The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

Gold may not be given for it, or a weight of silver in payment for it.

It may not be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the onyx of great price, or the sapphire.

Gold and glass are not equal to it in price, and it may not be exchanged for jewels of the best gold.

The topaz of Ethiopia is not equal to it, and it may not be valued with the best gold.

Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;

As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;

When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

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

By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.

Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...

But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?

"Now, I've become the object of their mocking melodies; I'm nothing but a fool's proverb to them!

They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.

Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.

Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.

They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.

They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.

Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.

And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.

By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.

He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.

I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.

Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.

For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

Has not my hand been stretched out in help to the poor? have I not been a saviour to him in his trouble?

Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.

My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.

I made a covenant with mine eyes; and how should I fix my regard upon a maid?

For what would have been my portion of +God from above, and what the heritage of the Almighty from on high?