"If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor's door,

"If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me;

"If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it

(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, her have I guided from my mother's womb);

if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,

"If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, 'You are my confidence;'

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,

this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for I should have denied the God who is above.

"If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him;

(yes, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);

if the men of my tent have not said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?'

(the foreigner has not lodged in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);

if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,

Beware lest you say, 'We have found wisdom, God may refute him, not man;'

"They are amazed. They answer no more. They don't have a word to say.

See now, I have opened my mouth. My tongue has spoken in my mouth.

"Surely you have spoken in my hearing, I have heard the voice of your words, saying,

then God is gracious to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.'

He sings before men, and says, 'I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it didn't profit me.

If you have anything to say, answer me. Speak, for I desire to justify you.

"Hear my words, you wise men. Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

"If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.

Teach me that which I don't see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?

That you ask, 'What advantage will it be to you? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?'

If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him? If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?

"Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for I still have something to say on God's behalf.

then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a broad place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.

Take heed, don't regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction.

Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, 'You have committed unrighteousness?'

"Remember that you magnify his work, whereof men have sung.

All men have looked thereon. Man sees it afar off.

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.

"Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place;

"Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

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

Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail,

which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?

Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?

"Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?

Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.

I have spoken once, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."

Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him?

You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' therefore I have uttered that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I didn't know.

It was so, that after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job, Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.

Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has."

He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision.

"Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion."

I will tell of the decree. Yahweh said to me, "You are my son. Today I have become your father.

Yahweh, how my adversaries have increased! Many are those who rise up against me.

I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who have set themselves against me on every side.

Arise, Yahweh! Save me, my God! For you have struck all of my enemies on the cheek bone. You have broken the teeth of the wicked.

Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness. Give me relief from my distress. Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and their new wine are increased.

Hold them guilty, God. Let them fall by their own counsels; Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against you.

Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am faint. Yahweh, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

Yahweh, my God, if I have done this, if there is iniquity in my hands,

if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (yes, if I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary),

Arise, Yahweh, in your anger. Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries. Awake for me. You have commanded judgment.

From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained;

For you have made him a little lower than God, and crowned him with glory and honor.

You make him ruler over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet:

For you have maintained my just cause. You sit on the throne judging righteously.

You have rebuked the nations. You have destroyed the wicked. You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

The enemy is overtaken by endless ruin. The very memory of the cities which you have overthrown has perished.

Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Have mercy on me, Yahweh. See my affliction by those who hate me, and lift me up from the gates of death;

The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made. In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken.

He says in his heart, "I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble."

Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear,

who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?"

Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him;" Lest my adversaries rejoice when I fall.

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There is none who does good.

They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is none who does good, no, not one.

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don't call on Yahweh?

My soul, you have said to Yahweh, "You are my Lord. Apart from you I have no good thing."

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance.

I have set Yahweh always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

You have proved my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me, and found nothing. I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey.

As for the works of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.

My steps have held fast to your paths. My feet have not slipped.

I have called on you, for you will answer me, God. Turn your ear to me. Hear my speech.

They have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.

from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill the belly of your cherished ones. Your sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.

For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.

You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.

For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression.

You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?