By day they meet darkness, And as night -- they grope at noon.

That are black because of ice, By them doth snow hide itself.

By the time they are warm they have been cut off, By its being hot they have been Extinguished from their place.

Is it because I said, Give to me? And, By your power bribe for me?

Turn back, I pray you, let it not be perverseness, Yea, turn back again -- my righteousness is in it.

If thy sons have sinned before Him, And He doth send them away, By the hand of their transgression,

By a heap his roots are wrapped, A house of stones he looketh for.

Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.

If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! -- it declareth me perverse.

By searching dost thou find out God? Unto perfection find out the Mighty One?

O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.

For there is of a tree hope, if it be cut down, That again it doth change, That its tender branch doth not cease.

I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.

O earth, do not thou cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.

My days have passed by, My devices have been broken off, The possessions of my heart!

For he is sent into a net by his own feet, And on a snare he doth walk habitually.

Who doth grant now, That my words may be written? Who doth grant that in a book they may be graven?

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

Be ye afraid because of the sword, For furious are the punishments of the sword, That ye may know that there is a judgment.

He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.

This is the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.

Turn unto me, and be astonished, And put hand to mouth.

Have ye not asked those passing by the way? And their signs do ye not know?

Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase is good.

He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.

He hath dug in the darkness -- houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.

And hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life.

By His power He hath quieted the sea, And by His understanding smitten the proud.

By His Spirit the heavens He beautified, Formed hath His hand the fleeing serpent.

I shew you by the hand of God, That which is with the Mighty I hide not.

Overtake him as waters do terrors, By night stolen him away hath a whirlwind.

In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk through darkness.

When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.

My honour is fresh with me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.

They have broken down my path, By my calamity they profit, 'He hath no helper.'

By the abundance of power, Is my clothing changed, As the mouth of my coat it doth gird me.

Thou art turned to be fierce to me, With the strength of Thy hand, Thou oppressest me.

Let me sow -- and another eat, And my products let be rooted out.

If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait,

And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it,

My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken.

He keepeth back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.

If there is by him a messenger, An interpreter -- one of a thousand, To declare for man his uprightness:

To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living.

Therefore, O men of heart, hearken to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Mighty to do perverseness:

There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;

Therefore He knoweth their works, And He hath overturned by night, And they are bruised.

By thee doth He recompense, That thou hast refused -- That thou dost choose, and not I? And what thou hast known, speak.

My Father! let Job be tried -- unto victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,

And if they do not hearken, By the dart they pass away, And expire without knowledge.

Lo, God doth sit on high by His power, Who is like Him -- a teacher?

For by them He doth judge peoples, He giveth food in abundance.

By two palms He hath covered the light, And layeth a charge over it in meeting,

He sheweth by it to his friend substance, Anger against perversity.

For to snow He saith, 'Be on the earth.' And the small rain and great rain of His power.

Into the hand of every man he sealeth, For the knowledge by all men of His work.

Yea, by filling He doth press out a cloud, Scatter a cloud doth His light.

And it is turning itself round by His counsels, For their doing all He commandeth them, On the face of the habitable earth.

And now, they have not seen the light, Bright it is in the clouds, And the wind hath passed by and cleanseth them.

Who is this -- darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?

Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,

When they bow down in dens -- Abide in a thicket for a covert?

They bow down, Their young ones they bring forth safely, Their pangs they cast forth.

Is a Reem willing to serve thee? Doth he lodge by thy crib?

By thine understanding flieth a hawk? Spreadeth he his wings to the south?

Dost thou also make void My judgment? Dost thou condemn Me, That thou mayest be righteous?

The son of the bow doth not cause him to flee, Turned by him into stubble are stones of the sling.

After him he causeth a path to shine, One thinketh the deep to be hoary.

By the hearing of the ear I heard Thee, And now mine eye hath seen Thee.

But -- in the law of Jehovah is his delight, And in His law he doth meditate by day and by night:

And he hath been as a tree, Planted by rivulets of water, That giveth its fruit in its season, And its leaf doth not wither, And all that he doth he causeth to prosper.

And now, O kings, act wisely, Be instructed, O judges of earth,

Kiss the Chosen One, lest He be angry, And ye lose the way, When His anger burneth but a little, O the happiness of all trusting in Him!

Tremble ye, and do not sin;' Say ye thus in your heart on your bed, And be ye silent. Selah.

Be attentive to the voice of my cry, My king and my God, For unto Thee I pray habitually.

And I, in the abundance of Thy kindness, I enter Thy house, I bow myself toward Thy holy temple in Thy fear.

'The Erring One,' by David, that he sung to Jehovah concerning the words of Cush a Benjamite. O Jehovah, my God, in Thee I have trusted, Save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me.

Rise, O Jehovah, in Thine anger, Be lifted up at the wrath of mine adversaries, And awake Thou for me: Judgment Thou hast commanded:

Let, I pray Thee be ended the evil of the wicked, And establish Thou the righteous, And a trier of hearts and reins is the righteous God.

If one turn not, His sword he sharpeneth, His bow he hath trodden -- He prepareth it,

Favour me, O Jehovah, See mine affliction by those hating me, Thou who liftest me up from the gates of death,

Jehovah hath been known, Judgment He hath done, By a work of his hands Hath the wicked been snared. Meditation. Selah.

Rise, O Jehovah, let not man be strong, Let nations be judged before Thy face.

He is bruised -- he boweth down, Fallen by his mighty ones hath the afflicted.

Thou hast seen, For Thou perverseness and anger beholdest; By giving into Thy hand, On Thee doth the afflicted leave it, Of the fatherless Thou hast been an helper.

To the Overseer. -- By David. In Jehovah I trusted, how say ye to my soul, 'They moved to Thy mountain for the bird?

For lo, the wicked tread a bow, They have prepared their arrow on the string, To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

Who said, 'By our tongue we do mightily: Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?'

Around the wicked walk continually, According as vileness is exalted by sons of men!

To the Overseer. -- By David. A fool hath said in his heart, 'God is not;' They have done corruptly, They have done abominable actions, There is not a doer of good.

He hath not slandered by his tongue, He hath not done to his friend evil; And reproach he hath not lifted up Against his neighbour.

Thou causest me to know the path of life; Fulness of joys is with Thy presence, Pleasant things by Thy right hand for ever!

Thou hast proved my heart, Thou hast inspected by night, Thou hast tried me, Thou findest nothing; My thoughts pass not over my mouth.

Separate wonderfully Thy kindness, O Saviour of the confiding, By Thy right hand, from withstanders.

To the Overseer. -- By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith: -- I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength.

Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.

For by Thee I run -- a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.

Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.

And Thou girdest me with strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me.