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 thee, thou hast 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 man lieth down, and riseth not again; till the heavens be no more, they do not awake, nor are raised out of their sleep.

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

"Mountains fall and crumble; rocks are dislodged from their places.

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 honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

“Should he argue with useless talk,
Or with words which are not profitable?

“Indeed, you are doing away with fear,
And you are diminishing 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.

“Were you the first man to be born [the original wise man],
Or were you created before the hills?

With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

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 putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

“A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears;
While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].

And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, 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 band of the evil-doers gives no fruit, and the tents of those who give wrong decisions for reward are burned with fire.

I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye 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 and swollen with weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death [my eyes are dimmed],

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

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

When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

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

Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

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

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

Astonished are the upright at this, And the innocent against the profane Stirreth himself up.

And the righteous layeth hold on his way, And the clean of hands addeth strength, And -- dumb are they all.

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.

If I call out to the pit (grave), ‘You are my father’;
And to the worm [that feeds on decay], ‘You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you],’

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

Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed 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?

Straitened are the steps of his strength, And cast him down doth his own counsel.

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

They who are none of his shall dwell in his tent; brimstone shall be showered upon his habitation:

From beneath his roots are dried up, And from above cut off is his crop.

[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 knoweth not God.

These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

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

All my inward friends abhorred 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 ye 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 cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.

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

“Their children and descendants are established with them in their sight,
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 carrieth away.

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are 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.

"Look! I know your thoughts, your plans are going to harm me.

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

That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity? That they are led 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 draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

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

“Is it any pleasure or joy to the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect?

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 thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

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 seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit 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 they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.

When men are cast down, then thou shalt 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 performeth 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 that 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 that 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.