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

Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with you, you have appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

The floods when they be dried up, and the rivers when they be empty, are filled again through the flowing waters of the sea:

{so} a man lies down, and he does not arise. {Until the heavens are no more}, they will not awaken, and they will not be roused out of their sleep.

For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.

The mountains fall away at the last, the rocks are removed out of their place;

The stones are crushed small by the force of the waters; the dust of the earth is washed away by their overflowing: and so you put an end to the hope of man.

His sons come to honor, and he knows it not; and they are brought low, but he perceives it not of them.

Thou reprovest with words, that are worth nothing; and speakest the things which can do no good!

"{What is worse}, you yourself are doing away with fear, and you are lessening meditation {before} God.

It is by your mouth, even yours, that you are judged to be in the wrong, and not by me; and your lips give witness against you.

Are you the first man that was born? or were you made before the hills?

With us are both the gray headed and very aged men, much older than your father.

Are the consolations of God too small for you? on the word that deals gently with you?

What -- doth thine heart take thee away? And what -- are thine eyes high?

So that you are turning your spirit against God, and letting such words go out of your mouth?

Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

"All of the wicked [one's] days he is writhing, even [through] the number of years that are laid up for the tyrant.

Sounds of terror [are] in his ears; in prosperity [the] destroyer will come [against] him.

And he dwells in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabits, which are ready to become heaps.

He does not get wealth for himself, and is unable to keep what he has got; the heads of his grain are not bent down to the earth.

He does not come out of the dark; his branches are burned by the flame, and the wind takes away his bud.

For the congregation of hypocrites is unfruitful, and the fire shall consume the houses of such as are greedy to receive gifts.

I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are you all.

May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?

“You have taken a firm hold on me and have shriveled me up,
It has become a witness [against me];
And my leanness [and infirmity] rises up [as evidence] against me,
It testifies to my face [about my guilt].

I am broken by his wrath, and his hate has gone after me; he has made his teeth sharp against me: my haters are looking on me with cruel eyes;

Their mouths are open wide against me; the blows of his bitter words are falling on my face; all of them come together in a mass against me.

My face is red because of weeping, and deep shadows [are] on my eyelids,

although my hands are free from violence
and my prayer is pure.

My friends are my mockers; mine eye poureth out tears unto +God.

For when a few years are come, I shall go the way of no return.

My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me.

Are there not mockers with me? and does not my eye continue in their provocation?

For a portion he sheweth friendship, And the eyes of his sons are consumed.

My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are like a shadow.

[The] upright are appalled at this, and [the] innocent excites himself over [the] godless.

Yet the righteous person will hold to his way,
and the one whose hands are clean will grow stronger.

My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.

They are changing night into day; they say, The light is near the dark.

I have said to corruption, You are my father: to the worm, You are my mother, and my sister.

"When are you going to stop your word hunt? Think first, and then we can talk.

Why are we counted as beasts, and regarded as vile in your sight?

"[You who] are tearing {yourself} in your anger, will [the] earth be forsaken because of you? Or will [the] rock be removed from its place?

"{His strong steps} are shortened, and his [own] schemes throw him down,

Parts of his skin are eaten away;
death’s firstborn consumes his limbs.

They shall dwell in his tent, who are none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

“His roots are dried below,
And his branch is cut off above.

[Those of the] west are appalled over {his fate}, and [those of the] east {are seized with horror}.

Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knows not God.

These ten times have you reproached me: you are not ashamed that you have wronged me.

He has put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.

Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me.

All my intimate friends abhor me, and they whom I loved are turned against me.

My bones are joined to my skin, and I have got away with my flesh in my teeth.

Why do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another: my reins are consumed within me.

Be ye afraid because of the sword, For furious are the punishments of the sword, That ye may know that there is a judgment.

For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.

I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.

His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.

His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

He will not look on the streams, the rivers, which are the torrents of honey and butter.

It is drawn, and comes out of the body; yea, the glittering sword comes out of his gall: terrors are upon him.

Why do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

Their descendants are established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

They make songs to the instruments of music, and are glad at the sound of the pipe.

What is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what are we profited if we pray unto him?

Look, their prosperity [is] not in their hands; the schemes of [the] wicked are repugnant to me.

They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carries away.

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judges those that are on high.

His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

Together they go down to the dust, and are covered by the worm.

"Yes, I know what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me.

For you say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?

That the wicked are reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

when he is carried away to the cemetery and guardians are placed to watch his tomb?

The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall follow after him, as there are innumerable gone before him.

So how can you offer me such futile comfort?
Your answers are deceptive.

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? or is it gain to him, that you make your ways blameless?

Isn’t your wickedness abundant
and aren’t your iniquities endless?

Widows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.

Therefore snares are round about you, and sudden fear troubles you;

Your light is made dark so that you are unable to see, and you are covered by a mass of waters.

Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he sees not; and he walks in the circle of heaven.

Yet he himself filled up their houses [with] good [things], but [the] schemes of [the] wicked are repugnant to me.

The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'

When men are cast down, then you shall say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

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

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

Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?

There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them.

They push the needy off the road;
the poor of the land are forced into hiding.

Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;

They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,

Between their terraces they press out oil; they tread [the] presses, but they are thirsty.