The eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

The cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up.

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 the sea, or the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?

So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my pains.

“What is man that You magnify him,
And that You are concerned about him,

That You examine 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?

“Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
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.

“Inquire, please, of past generations,
And consider and apply yourself to the things searched out by their fathers.

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

While they are still beginning to flower and not ripe for cutting, they can wither away faster than any grass!

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the profane man'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 tent of the wicked be no more.

“In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before 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;

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

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 called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to 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 runner;
They flee away, they see no good.

“They slip by like reed boats,
Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.

I am afraid of all my pains,
I know that You will not acquit me.

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 may answer Him,
That we may go to court together.

“There is no arbitrator between us,
Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were].

who would take his rod away from me so that his terror would not make me afraid.

“Then I would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.

Doth it please thee to oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

That You should seek for my guilt
And search after my sin?

Since thou knowest that I am not wicked, and that there is none that delivereth out of thy hand?

Remember, I pray Thee, That as clay Thou hast made me, And unto dust Thou dost bring me back.

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

And these Thou hast laid up in Thy heart, I have known 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.

‘Why then have You brought me out of the womb?
Would that I had died and no eye had seen me!

“Would He not let my few days alone?
Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer

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.’

And yet, O that God had spoken! And doth open His lips with thee.

And declare to thee secrets of wisdom, For counsel hath foldings. And know thou that God forgetteth for thee, Some of thine iniquity.

Heights of the heavens! -- what dost thou? Deeper than Sheol! -- what knowest thou?

Longer than earth is its measure, 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;

“For you would forget your trouble,
As waters that have passed by, you would remember it.

“Your life would be brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like 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 to be one that is a derision to his friend, I who call upon +God, and whom he will answer: a derision is the just upright man.

He that is ready to stumble with the foot is a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

The tents of desolators are in peace, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand +God bringeth.

“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 hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done 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 keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.

Is it good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?

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

“Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.

This also shall be my salvation, that a profane man shall not come before his face.

Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.

Who is he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.

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.

While I am decaying like a rotten thing,
Like 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.

“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.