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

Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God, that all wisdom is too little for thee?

What know you, that we know not? what understand you, which is not in us?

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

That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?

What is man, that he should be clean? and he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

How much less the abominable and corrupt, man, that drinketh unrighteousness like water!

I will show you, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;

what wise men have told, and they have not hidden [that which is] from their ancestors,

unto whom only the land was given, that no stranger should come among them.

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

He believes not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for by the sword.

He wanders abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

{he will dwell} [in] desolate cities, in houses that they should not inhabit, which are destined for rubble.

Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for futility shall be his reward.

He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes
and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.

Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldens you that you answer?

I could speak as ye do also. But would God, that your soul were in my soul's stead: then should I heap up words against you, and shake my head at you.

But now that God hath sent me adversity, thou hast troubled all my congregation.

And that thou hast filled me with wrinkles, my flesh is witness; and my leanness riseth up against me and beareth witness thereof in my face.

GOD doth abandon me to him that is perverse, and, into the hands of the lawless, he throweth me headlong.

Even now, behold, my Witness is in the heavens, and he that voucheth for me is in the heights.

And, he that voucheth for me is on high. My friends are, they who scorn me, Unto GOD, hath mine eye shed tears: -

O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleads for his neighbor!

For the years that lie ahead are few, and then I will go on the way of no return.

Lay down a surety for me with you; who is he that will give surety for me?

He that speaks flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

The righteous also shall hold to his way, and he that has clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

“These [thoughts try to] make the night into the day;
‘The light is near,’ they say in the presence of darkness [but they pervert the truth].

"If my hope were that my house is the afterlife itself, if I were to make my bed in darkness,

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],’

What helpeth then my long tarrying? Or, who will fulfill the thing that I look for?

All that I have, shall go down into the pit, and lie with me in the dust."

Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of its place?

"Fearfulness shall make him afraid on every side, that he shall not know where to get out.

There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his. Sulfur shall be scattered on his habitation.

They that come after him shall be astounded at his day, as they that went before were frightened.

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.

And be it that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

But if ye will enhance yourselves against me, and accuse me to be a wicked person because of the shame that is come upon me;

Know now that God has overthrown me, and has compassed me with his net.

He has fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness in my paths.

He tears me down on every side so that I am ruined.
He uproots my hope like a tree.

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

Why are you chasing me, as God has been doing? Aren't you satisfied that I'm sick?

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

That they were engraved with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever!

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

that I shall be clothed again with this skin, and see God in my flesh.

If ye say, How we will persecute him! And that the root of the matter is found in me;

Be yourselves afraid of the sword: for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment.

"Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.

I hear discipline that insults me, and a spirit beyond my understanding answers me.

Knowest thou not this, that of old, since man was placed upon earth,

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

Though he be magnified up to the heaven, so that his head reacheth into the clouds:

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?

He vanisheth as a dream, so that he can no more be found, and passeth away as a vision in the night.

[The] eye [that] saw him {will not see him again}, and his place will no longer behold him.

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

His bones were full of his youthful vigor, but that vigor will lie down with him in the dust.

That he favoured, that would he not forsake; but kept it close in his throat.

The bread that he did eat is turned to the poison of serpents, within his body.

The wealth that he consumed he vomits up, God will make him throw it out of his stomach.

so that he shall no more see the rivers, and brooks of honey and butter.

That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: from the proceeds of business he shall not rejoice.

For he hath oppressed, hath forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away a house that he did not build.

Surely he shall not feel quietness in his heart, he shall not save of that which he desired.

There was nothing left that he didn't devour, therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.

It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will cast his fierce anger upon him, and will rain it upon him into his flesh.

so that if he flee the iron weapons, he shall be shot with the steel bow.

All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire shall devour him. It shall consume that which is left in his tent.

The substance that he hath in his house, shall be taken away and perish, in the day of the LORD's wrath.

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

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

Is it with a man, that I make this disputation? Which if it were so, should not my spirit be then in sore trouble?

Their bullock gendereth, and that not out of time: their cow calveth, and is not unfruitful.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

"How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger?

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

'God stores up his iniquity for his children'? [Then] let him repay [it] to him that he may know.

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

Have you not asked them that go by the way? and do you not know their evidences,

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

Who dare reprove him for his ways to his face? Who rewardeth him for the ungraciousness that he doth?

How vain, then, is the comfort that ye give me? Are not your answers clean contrary to right and truth?"

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

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

Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?

That is why snares surround you, and why sudden fear terrifies you,

Or darkness, that you can not see; and abundance of waters cover you.

Is not, GOD, in the height of the heavens? Behold, then, the head of the stars, that they are high.

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

Will you keep [to the] way of old that [the] people of mischief have trod,

Saying , Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.

“Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace;
In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you.

Indeed, then you will delight yourself in Shaddai, and {you will expect that God will be good to you}.

When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.