But extend your hand and strike everything he has, and he will no doubt curse you to your face!"

He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return there. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!"

But Satan answered the Lord, "Skin for skin! Indeed, a man will give up all that he has to save his life!

But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh, and he will no doubt curse you to your face!"

"If someone should attempt a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can refrain from speaking?

"Call now! Is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

He will deliver you from six calamities; yes, in seven no evil will touch you.

In time of famine he will redeem you from death, and in time of war from the power of the sword.

You will be protected from malicious gossip, and will not be afraid of the destruction when it comes.

You will laugh at destruction and famine and need not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

For you will have a pact with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

And you will know that your home will be secure, and when you inspect your domains, you will not be missing anything.

You will also know that your children will be numerous, and your descendants like the grass of the earth.

You will come to your grave in a full age, As stacks of grain are harvested in their season.

But because it is heavier than the sand of the sea, that is why my words have been wild.

"Does the wild donkey bray when it is near grass? Or does the ox low near its fodder?

"Teach me and I, for my part, will be silent; explain to me how I have been mistaken.

"Now then, be good enough to look at me; and I will not lie to your face!

If I lie down, I say, 'When will I arise?', and the night stretches on and I toss and turn restlessly until the day dawns.

Remember that my life is but a breath, that my eyes will never again see happiness.

The eye of him who sees me now will see me no more; your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone.

"Therefore, I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

If I say, "My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint,"

Will you never look away from me, will you not let me alone long enough to swallow my spittle?

And why do you not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust, and you will seek me diligently, but I will be gone."

"How long will you speak these things, seeing that the words of your mouth are like a great wind?

But if you will look to God, and make your supplication to the Almighty,

if you become pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself for you, and will restore your righteous abode.

Your beginning will seem so small, since your future will flourish.

Will they not instruct you and speak to you, and bring forth words from their understanding?

If he is uprooted from his place, then that place will disown him, saying, 'I have never seen you!'

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with gladness.

Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more."

If it is a matter of strength, most certainly he is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, he will say, 'Who will summon me?'

If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression and be cheerful,'

"I am weary of my life; I will complain without restraint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

I will say to God, 'Do not condemn me; tell me why you are contending with me.'

Remember that you have made me as with the clay; will you return me to dust?

Will your idle talk reduce people to silence, and will no one rebuke you when you mock?

For he knows deceitful men; when he sees evil, will he not consider it?

But an empty man will become wise, when a wild donkey's colt is born a human being.

For then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be securely established and will not fear.

For you will forget your trouble; you will remember it like water that has flowed away.

And life will be brighter than the noonday; though there be darkness, it will be like the morning.

And you will be secure, because there is hope; you will be protected and will take your rest in safety.

You will lie down with no one to make you afraid, and many will seek your favor.

"Without a doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.

"But now, ask the animals and they will teach you, or the birds of the sky and they will tell you.

Or speak to the earth and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea declare to you.

Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him?

Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God?

Even if he slays me, I will hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face!

Moreover, this will become my deliverance, for no godless person would come before him.

Who will contend with me? If anyone can, I will be silent and die.

Only in two things spare me, O God, and then I will not hide from your face:

Then call, and I will answer, or I will speak, and you respond to me.

"But there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.

at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth shoots like a new plant.

so man lies down and does not rise; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor arise from their sleep.

If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait until my release comes.

You will call and I -- I will answer you; you will long for the creature you have made.

But as a mountain falls away and crumbles, and as a rock will be removed from its place,

"I will explain to you; listen to me, and what I have seen, I will declare,

He will not grow rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land.

He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots and he will depart by the breath of God's mouth.

Let him not trust in what is worthless, deceiving himself; for worthlessness will be his reward.

Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish.

Like a vine he will let his sour grapes fall, and like an olive tree he will shed his blossoms.

Will there be an end to your windy words? Or what provokes you that you answer?

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

Make then my pledge with you. Who else will put up security for me?

Because you have closed their minds to understanding, therefore you will not exalt them.

If a man denounces his friends for personal gain, the eyes of his children will fail.

"But turn, all of you, and come now! I will not find a wise man among you.

Will it go down to the barred gates of death? Will we descend together into the dust?"

You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, will the earth be abandoned for your sake? Or will a rock be moved from its place?

"How long will you torment me and crush me with your words?

Why do you pursue me like God does? Will you never be satiated with my flesh?

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that as the last he will stand upon the earth.

And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God,

whom I will see for myself, and whom my own eyes will behold, and not another. My heart grows faint within me.

If you say, 'How we will pursue him, since the root of the trouble is found in him!'

he will perish forever, like his own excrement; those who used to see him will say, 'Where is he?'

People who had seen him will not see him again, and the place where he was will recognize him no longer.

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

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

He will not look on the streams, the rivers, which are the torrents of honey and butter.

He gives back the ill-gotten gain without assimilating it; he will not enjoy the wealth from his commerce.

In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress overtakes him. the full force of misery will come upon him.

Total darkness waits to receive his treasures; a fire which has not been kindled will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.

A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God's wrath.

Bear with me and I will speak, and after I have spoken you may mock.

Will you keep to the old path that evil men have walked --

"Reconcile yourself with God, and be at peace with him; in this way your prosperity will be good.

If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent,

then the Almighty himself will be your gold, and the choicest silver for you.

Surely then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face toward God.

You will pray to him and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him.

Whatever you decide on a matter, it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.

When people are brought low and you say 'Lift them up!' then he will save the downcast;