Therefore I will not spare my mouth, but will speak in the trouble of my spirit; in that bitterness of my mind will I talk.

Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.

What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?

How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?

I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

"How long will you speak these things, seeing that the words of your mouth are like a great wind?

Doth God pervert the thing that is lawful? Or, doth the Almighty destroy the thing that is right?

Insomuch, that wherein soever thou hadst little afore, thou shouldest now have great abundance.

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:

For we are but of yesterday, and consider not that our days upon earth are but a very shadow.

While still uncut shoots,
they would dry up quicker than any other plant.

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:

Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread.

"Oftentimes, a thing doth flourish, and men think that it may abide the sunshine. It shooteth forth the branches in its garden,

and it taketh many roots: insomuch that it is like a house of stone.

If he is uprooted from his place, then that place will disown him, saying, 'I have never seen you!'

Lo! that, is the joy of his way, - and, out of the dust, shall others spring up.

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.

Of a truth I know that it is so: But how can man be just with God?

He is wise of heart, and mighty in strength. Who ever prospered that took part against him?

Him that removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When he overturneth them in his anger;

That shaketh the earth out of its place, And the pillars thereof tremble;

That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And sealeth up the stars;

That alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;

That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

That doeth great things past finding out, Yea, marvellous things without number.

How much less that, I, should answer him, should choose my words with him?

If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.

"It is all one! That is why I say, 'He destroys the blameless and the guilty.'

“The earth is given into the hands of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice].
If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?

Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

Be it that I am wicked, why then do I labour in vain?

Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

“Let Him take His rod away from me,
And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.

Then I would speak and not fear Him.
But that is not the case; I am on my own.

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Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

Thou hast granted me life, and done me good: and the diligent heed that thou tookest upon me hath preserved my spirit.

And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

That, if I did wrong, you would take note of it, and would not make me clear from sin:

That, if I was an evil-doer, the curse would come on me; and if I was upright, my head would not be lifted up, being full of shame and overcome with trouble.

And that if there was cause for pride, you would go after me like a lion; and again put out your wonders against me:

That you would send new witnesses against me, increasing your wrath against me, and letting loose new armies on me.

Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

before I go thither, from whence I shall not turn again. Namely, to that land of darkness and shadow of death:

to [the] land of darkness, like [the] darkness of a deep shadow and {chaos}, so that it shines forth like darkness.'"

"Should not he that maketh many words, be answered? Should he that babbleth much, be commended therein?

Should your babbling put others to silence,
so that you can keep on ridiculing
with no one to humiliate you?

“For you have said, ‘My teaching (doctrine) [that God knowingly afflicts the righteous] is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’

But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

For, he, knoweth men of falsity, and seeth iniquity, and him that doth not diligently consider.

if thou wouldst put away the wickedness which thou hast in hand, so that no ungodliness dwelt in thy house;

Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:

And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

And thou shalt he confident, that there is hope, and, when thou hast searched, securely shalt thou lie down;

Verily that ye are the people, and shall wisdom die with you?

I also have a heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like these?

I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, I who called upon God, and he answered: The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.

He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

“Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character];
And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

and that the life of every living thing rests in his control, along with the breath of every living human being?

Have not the ears pleasure in hearing, and the mouth in tasting the thing that it eateth?

Yea, with God is wisdom and strength - it is he that hath counsel and foreknowledge.

With Him, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.

He poureth out confusion upon princes, and comforteth them that have been oppressed.

He changeth the heart of the princes and kings of the earth, and disapointeth them; so that they go wandering out of the way,

According to your knowledge I have known -- also I. I am not fallen more than you.

“But I wish to speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.

O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

Will not his glory put you in fear, so that your hearts will be overcome before him?

Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

This also shall be my salvation, That a godless man shall not come before him.

Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.

Only grant these two things to me, God,
so that I will not have to hide from Your presence:

And then send for me to the law, that I may answer for myself: or else, let me speak, and give thou the answer.

“How many are my iniquities and sins [that so much sorrow should come to me]?
Make me recognize and understand my transgression and my sin.

And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

Is it on such a one as this that your eyes are fixed, with the purpose of judging him?

Who can make it clean, that cometh from an unclean thing? Nobody.

Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.