Be pleased, now, to be responsible for me to yourself; for there is no other who will put his hand in mine.

Still the upright keeps on his way, and he who has clean hands gets new strength.

If I am waiting for the underworld as my house, if I have made my bed in the dark;

How long will it be before you have done talking? Get wisdom, and then we will say what is in our minds.

Why do we seem as beasts in your eyes, and as completely without knowledge?

But come back, now, come: you who are wounding yourself in your passion, will the earth be given up because of you, or a rock be moved out of its place?

The light is dark in his tent, and the light shining over him is put out.

His foot is taken in the net; he comes into its grip.

The twisted cord is put secretly in the earth to take him, and the cord is placed in his way.

He is overcome by fears on every side, they go after him at every step.

In his tent will be seen that which is not his, burning stone is dropped on his house.

His memory is gone from the earth, and in the open country there is no knowledge of his name.

He has no offspring or family among his people, and in his living-place there is no one of his name.

And, truly, if I have been in error, the effect of my error is only on myself.

If you make yourselves great against me, using my punishment as an argument against me,

Be certain that it is God who has done me wrong, and has taken me in his net.

Truly, I make an outcry against the violent man, but there is no answer: I give a cry for help, but no one takes up my cause.

I am broken down by him on every side, and I am gone; my hope is uprooted like a tree.

His wrath is burning against me, and I am to him as one of his haters.

His armies come on together, they make their road high against me, and put up their tents round mine.

My relations and my near friends have given me up, and those living in my house have put me out of their minds.

I am strange to my women-servants, and seem to them as one from another country.

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

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

Have pity on me, have pity on me, O my friends! for the hand of God is on me.

If only my words might be recorded! if they might be put in writing in a book!

And with an iron pen and lead be cut into the rock for ever!

But I am certain that he who will take up my cause is living, and that in time to come he will take his place on the dust;

Whom I will see on my side, and not as one strange to me. My heart is broken with desire.

If you say, How cruel we will be to him! because the root of sin is clearly in him:

Be in fear of the sword, for the sword is the punishment for such things, so that you may be certain that there is a judge.

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

Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,

Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?

He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.

Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;

Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;

His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.

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.

Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;

There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.

He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.

Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.

God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.

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

All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.

The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.

Let me say what is in my mind, and after that, go on making sport of me.

Take note of me and be full of wonder, put your hand on your mouth.

Why is life given to the evil-doers? why do they become old and strong in power?

Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them.

They send out their young ones like a flock, and their children have pleasure in the dance,

Their days come to an end without trouble, and suddenly they go down to the underworld.

Truly, is not their well-being in their power? (The purpose of the evil-doers is far from me.)

How frequently is the light of the evil-doers put out, or does trouble come on them? how frequently does his wrath take them with cords?

You say, God keeps punishment stored up for his children. Let him send it on the man himself, so that he may have the punishment of it!

For what interest has he in his house after him, when the number of his months is ended?

Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.

One comes to his end in complete well-being, full of peace and quiet:

His buckets are full of milk, and there is no loss of strength in his bones.

How the evil man goes free in the day of trouble, and has salvation in the day of wrath?

Why then do you give me comfort with words in which there is no profit, when you see that there is nothing in your answers but deceit?

Is it because you give him honour that he is sending punishment on you and is judging you?

For you have taken your brother's goods when he was not in your debt, and have taken away the clothing of those who have need of it.

For it was the man with power who had the land, and the man with an honoured name who was living in it.

Thick clouds are covering him, so that he is unable to see; and he is walking on the arch of heaven.

Put yourself now in a right relation with him and be at peace: so will you do well in your undertakings.

Be pleased to take teaching from his mouth, and let his words be stored up in your heart.

And put your gold in the dust, even your gold of Ophir among the rocks of the valleys;

For then you will have delight in the Ruler of all, and your face will be lifted up to God.

Your purposes will come about, and light will be shining on your ways.

For God makes low those whose hearts are lifted up, but he is a saviour to the poor in spirit.

Even today my outcry is bitter; his hand is hard on my sorrow.

I would put my cause in order before him, and my mouth would be full of arguments

There an upright man might put his cause before him; and I would be free for ever from my judge.

I am looking for him on the left hand, but there is no sign of him; and turning to the right, I am not able to see him.

My feet have gone in his steps; I have kept in his way, without turning to one side or to the other.

I have never gone against the orders of his lips; the words of his mouth have been stored up in my heart.

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

Like asses in the waste land they go out to their work, looking for food with care; from the waste land they get bread for their children.

They take their rest at night without clothing, and have no cover in the cold.

Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields.

Then there are those who are haters of the light, who have no knowledge of its ways, and do not go in them.

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

And the man whose desire is for the wife of another is waiting for the evening, saying, No eye will see me; and he puts a cover on his face. And in the night the thief goes about;

In the dark he makes holes in the walls of houses: in the daytime they are shutting themselves up, they have no knowledge of the light.

They go quickly on the face of the waters; their heritage is cursed in the earth; the steps of the crusher of grapes are not turned to their vine-garden.

He takes away his fear of danger and gives him support; and his eyes are on his ways.

Rule and power are his; he makes peace in his high places.

Is it possible for his armies to be numbered? and on whom is not his light shining?

See, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not clean in his eyes:

How much less man who is an insect, and the son of man who is a worm!

The shades in the underworld are shaking; the waters and those living in them.

By his hand the north is stretched out in space, and the earth is hanging on nothing.

By him the waters are shut up in his thick clouds, and the cloud does not give way under them.

By him a circle is marked out on the face of the waters, to the limits of the light and the dark.

(For all my breath is still in me, and the spirit of God is my life;)

Truly, there is no deceit in my lips, and my tongue does not say what is false.

For what is the hope of the sinner when he is cut off, when God takes back his soul?

Will his cry come to the ears of God when he is in trouble?