Lifting up those who are low, and putting the sad in a safe place;

Who makes the designs of the wise go wrong, so that they are unable to give effect to their purposes.

He takes the wise in their secret designs, and the purposes of the twisted are cut off suddenly.

For the arrows of the Ruler of all are present with me, and their poison goes deep into my spirit: his army of fears is put in order against me.

My soul has no desire for such things, they are as disease in my food.

Which are dark because of the ice, and the snow falling into them;

Under the burning sun they are cut off, and come to nothing because of the heat.

So have you now become to me; you see my sad condition and are in fear.

How pleasing are upright words! but what force is there in your arguments?

My words may seem wrong to you, but the words of him who has no hope are for the wind.

Truly, you are such as would give up the child of a dead man to his creditors, and would make a profit out of your friend.

Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment?

So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.

I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.

And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute?

How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?

If you are clean and upright; then he will certainly be moved to take up your cause, and will make clear your righteousness by building up your house again.

(For we are but of yesterday, and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are gone like a shade:)

His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them.

Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking:

If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?

The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?

Are your days as the days of man, or your years like his,

Are not the days of my life small in number? Let your eyes be turned away from me, so that I may have a little pleasure,

Are all these words to go unanswered? and is a man seen to be right because he is full of talk?

Are your words of pride to make men keep quiet? and are you to make sport, with no one to put you to shame?

Are you able to take God's measure, to make discovery of the limits of the Ruler of all?

They are higher than heaven; what is there for you to do? deeper than the underworld, and outside your knowledge;

For in his eyes men are as nothing; he sees evil and takes note of it.

In the thought of him who is in comfort there is no respect for one who is in trouble; such is the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

There is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength.

Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?

With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.

Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.

With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;

The same things are in my mind as in yours; I am equal to you.

But you put a false face on things; all your attempts to put things right are of no value.

Your wise sayings are only dust, and your strong places are only earth.

As for man, the son of woman, his days are short and full of trouble.

Is it on such a one as this that your eyes are fixed, with the purpose of judging him?

If his days are ordered, and you have knowledge of the number of his months, having given him a fixed limit past which he may not go;

For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.

The stones are crushed small by the force of the waters; the dust of the earth is washed away by their overflowing: and so you put an end to the hope of man.

His sons come to honour, and he has no knowledge of it; they are made low, but he is not conscious of it.

It is by your mouth, even yours, that you are judged to be in the wrong, and not by me; and your lips give witness against you.

With us are men who are grey-haired and full of years, much older than your father.

Are the comforts of God not enough for you, and the gentle word which was said to you?

Why is your heart uncontrolled, and why are your eyes lifted up;

So that you are turning your spirit against God, and letting such words go out of your mouth?

Truly, he puts no faith in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his eyes;

He does not get wealth for himself, and is unable to keep what he has got; the heads of his grain are not bent down to the earth.

He does not come out of the dark; his branches are burned by the flame, and the wind takes away his bud.

For the band of the evil-doers gives no fruit, and the tents of those who give wrong decisions for reward are burned with fire.

Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.

May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?

I am broken by his wrath, and his hate has gone after me; he has made his teeth sharp against me: my haters are looking on me with cruel eyes;

Their mouths are open wide against me; the blows of his bitter words are falling on my face; all of them come together in a mass against me.

My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;

My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,

My spirit is broken, my days are ended, the last resting-place is ready for me.

Truly, those who make sport of me are round about me, and my eyes become dark because of their bitter laughing.

The upright are surprised at this, and he who has done no wrong is troubled because of the evil-doers.

My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the desires of my heart.

They are changing night into day; they say, The light is near the dark.

If I say to the earth, You are my father; and to the worm, My mother and my sister;

But come back, now, come: you who are wounding yourself in your passion, will the earth be given up because of you, or a rock be moved out of its place?

Under the earth his roots are dry, and over it his branch is cut off.

At his fate those of the west are shocked, and those of the east are overcome with fear.

Truly, these are the houses of the sinner, and this is the place of him who has no knowledge of God.

Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me.

All the men of my circle keep away from me; and those dear to me are turned against me.

My bones are joined to my skin, and I have got away with my flesh in my teeth.

Why are you cruel to me, like God, for ever saying evil against me?

For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.

I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.

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

His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.

Their children are ever with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them.

They make songs to the instruments of music, and are glad at the sound of the pipe.

How frequently are they as dry stems before the wind, or as grass taken away by the storm-wind?

Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.

His buckets are full of milk, and there is no loss of strength in his bones.

Together they go down to the dust, and are covered by the worm.

Is it of any interest to the Ruler of all that you are upright? or is it of use to him that your ways are without sin?

For this cause nets are round your feet, and you are overcome with sudden fear.

Your light is made dark so that you are unable to see, and you are covered by a mass of waters.

Is not God as high as heaven? and see the stars, how high they are!

Thick clouds are covering him, so that he is unable to see; and he is walking on the arch of heaven.

For God makes low those whose hearts are lifted up, but he is a saviour to the poor in spirit.

He makes safe the man who is free from sin, and if your hands are clean, salvation will be yours.

Why are times not stored up by the Ruler of all, and why do those who have knowledge of him not see his days?

The landmarks are changed by evil men, they violently take away flocks, together with their keepers.

The crushed are turned out of the way; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together.

They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and get into the cracks of the rock for cover.

Between the lines of olive-trees they make oil; though they have no drink, they are crushing out the grapes.

From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer.

Then there are those who are haters of the light, who have no knowledge of its ways, and do not go in them.

In the dark he makes holes in the walls of houses: in the daytime they are shutting themselves up, they have no knowledge of the light.

For the middle of the night is as morning to them, they are not troubled by the fear of the dark.