He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

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

My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.

My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.

Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.

All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

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

Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

With a pen of iron and lead -- For ever in a rock they may be hewn.

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

His bones may be full of youthful vigor,
but will lie down with him in the grave.

Though wickedness may be sweet in his mouth, though he may hide it under his tongue;

Though he may spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

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.

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

This is the portion that the wicked shall have of God, and the heritage that he may look for of the LORD."

Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.

Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.

As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?

Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.

Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

What is the Ruler of all, that we may give him worship? and what profit is it to us to make prayer to him?

Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

May they become like a straw, blown away before the wind; like a chaff that's swept off by a storm.

Ye say , God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it:

Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

“For you say, ‘Where is the house of the noble man?
And where is the tent, the dwelling place of the wicked?’

How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?

Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

“You say, ‘What does God know [about me]?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?

Tush, the clouds cover him that he may not see, for he dwelleth in heaven.'

Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

"For when they're humbled, you may respond; "It's their pride!' but he delivers the humble.

Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.

Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.

There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

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

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

For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:

Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.

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

The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.

God may let them rest in a feeling of security, but he is constantly watching all their ways.

And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

How then is it possible for man to be upright before God? or how may he be clean who is a son of woman?

As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;

All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

Though he may get silver together like dust, and make ready great stores of clothing;

He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

It rusheth in upon him, and spareth him not, he may not escape from the power thereof.

Food may come from the earth,
but below the surface the earth is transformed as by fire.

He dams up the streams from flowing
so that he may bring to light what is hidden.

But where may wisdom be seen? and where is the resting-place of knowledge?

The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

Gold may not be given for it, or a weight of silver in payment for it.

It may not be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the onyx of great price, or the sapphire.

Gold and glass are not equal to it in price, and it may not be exchanged for jewels of the best gold.

The topaz of Ethiopia is not equal to it, and it may not be valued with the best gold.

Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;

As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;

When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.

By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.

Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...