Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it.

Why then have thou brought me forth out of the womb? I would have given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me.

His sons come to honor, and he does not know it, and they are brought low, but he does not perceive it of them.

Are thou the first man who was born? Or were thou brought forth before the hills?

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

But he has made me a byword of the people, and they spit in my face.

He shall be rooted out of his tent where he trusts, and he shall be brought to the king of terrors.

Thou have not given water to the weary to drink, and thou have withheld bread from the hungry.

Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness [yields] them bread for their sons.

They are exalted. Yet a little while, and they are gone. Yea, they are brought low. They are taken out of the way as all others, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.

If his sons be multiplied, it is for the sword. And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

As for the earth, out of it comes bread, and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

No bird of prey knows that path, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.

The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed thereby.

And now I have become their song, Yea, I am a byword to them.

I also will answer my part. I also will show my opinion,

that he may withdraw man [from his] purpose, and hide pride from man.

so that his life abhors bread, and his soul dainty food.

There they cry, but none gives answer, because of the pride of evil men.

Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress into a broad place, where there is no confinement, and that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness.

By the breath of God ice is given, and the breadth of the waters is narrowed.

And now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies, but the wind passes, and clears them.

and said, This far thou shall come, but no further, and here thy proud waves shall be stayed?

Have thou comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if thou know it all.

Will thou play with him as with a bird? Or will thou bind him for thy maidens?

Will the bands make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants?

[His] strong scales are [his] pride, shut up together [like] a close seal.

He beholds everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.

Then there came to him all his brothers, and all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they bemoaned him, and comforted him concerning all the evil that LORD ha