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.

He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.

He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;

Who will make his way clear to his face? and if he has done a thing, who gives him punishment for it?

Will you keep the old way by which evil men went?

Put yourself now in a right relation with him and be at peace: so will you do well in your undertakings.

Then the Ruler of all will be your gold, and his teaching will be your silver;

For then you will have delight in the Ruler of all, and your face will be lifted up to God.

You will make your prayer to him, and be answered; and you will give effect to your oaths.

Your purposes will come about, and light will be shining on your ways.

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

For he has knowledge of the way I take; after I have been tested I will come out like gold.

For what has been ordered for me by him will be gone through to the end: and his mind is full of such designs

And the man whose desire is for the wife of another is waiting for the evening, saying, No eye will see me; and he puts a cover on his face. And in the night the thief goes about;

And if it is not so, now, who will make it clear that my words are false, and that what I say is of no value?

Let it be far from me! I will certainly not say that you are right! I will come to death before I give up my righteousness.

I will keep it safe, and will not let it go: my heart has nothing to say against any part of my life.

Will his cry come to the ears of God when he is in trouble?

Will he take delight in the Ruler of all, and make his prayer to God at all times?

I will give you teaching about the hand of God; I will not keep secret from you what is in the mind of the Ruler of all.

He may get them ready, but the upright will put them on, and he who is free from sin will take the silver for a heritage.

Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;

My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,

My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.

For I am certain that you will send me back to death, and to the meeting-place ordered for all living.

What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?

So I say, Give ear to me, and I will put forward my knowledge.

I will not put forward words like these, or make use of your sayings in answer to him.

I will give my answer; I will put forward my knowledge:

Fear of me will not overcome you, and my hand will not be hard on you.

If not, give attention to me, and keep quiet, and I will give you wisdom.

How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil?

Men of knowledge, and all wise men, hearing me, will say,

I will make answer to you and to your friends:

But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it;

Give me a little more time, and I will make it clear to you; for I have still something to say for God.

I will get my knowledge from far, and I will give righteousness to my Maker.

Truly, God gives up the hard-hearted, and will not give life to the sinner.

Will you, with him, make the skies smooth, and strong as a polished looking-glass?

Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.

And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?

Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?

Will he be pulling your plough with cords, turning up the valleys after you?

Will you put your faith in him, because his strength is great? will you give the fruit of your work into his care?

Will you be looking for him to come back, and get in your seed to the crushing-floor?

Will he who is protesting give teaching to the Ruler of all? Let him who has arguments to put forward against God give an answer.

Truly, I am of no value; what answer may I give to you? I will put my hand on my mouth.

I have said once, and even twice, what was in my mind, but I will not do so again.

Get your strength together like a man of war: I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.

Will you even make my right of no value? will you say that I am wrong in order to make clear that you are right?

Then I will give praise to you, saying that your right hand is able to give you salvation.

Will anyone take him when he is on the watch, or put metal teeth through his nose?

Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?

Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?

Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever?

Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?

Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?

Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?

Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!

I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame.

Give ear to me, and I will say what is in my mind; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.

And now, take seven oxen and seven sheep, and go to my servant Job, and give a burned offering for yourselves, and my servant Job will make prayer for you, that I may not send punishment on you; because you have not said what is right about me, as my servant Job has.

He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time, whose leaves will ever be green; and he will do well in all his undertakings.

For this cause there will be no mercy for sinners when they are judged, and the evil-doers will have no place among the upright,

Then he whose seat is in the heavens will be laughing: the Lord will make sport of them.

Then will his angry words come to their ears, and by his wrath they will be troubled:

I will make clear the Lord's decision: he has said to me, You are my son, this day have I given you being.

Make your request to me, and I will give you the nations for your heritage, and the farthest limits of the earth will be under your hand.

They will be ruled by you with a rod of iron; they will be broken like a potter's vessel.

O you sons of men, how long will you go on turning my glory into shame? how long will you give your love to foolish things, going after what is false? (Selah.)

See how the Lord has made great his mercy for me; the Lord will give ear to my cry.

There are numbers who say, Who will do us any good? the light of his face has gone from us.

I will take my rest on my bed in peace, because you only, Lord, keep me safe.

Let the voice of my cry come to you, my King and my God; for to you will I make my prayer.

My voice will come to you in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I send my prayer to you, and keep watch.

You will send destruction on those whose words are false; the cruel man and the man of deceit are hated by the Lord.

But as for me, I will come into your house, in the full measure of your mercy; and in your fear I will give worship, turning my eyes to your holy Temple.

For you, Lord, will send a blessing on the upright man; your grace will be round him, and you will be his strength.

For in death there is no memory of you; in the underworld who will give you praise?

The meeting of the nations will be round you; take your seat, then, over them, on high.

The Lord will be judge of the peoples; give a decision for me, O Lord, because of my righteousness, and let my virtue have its reward.

If a man is not turned from his evil, he will make his sword sharp; his bow is bent and ready.

His wrongdoing will come back to him, and his violent behaviour will come down on his head.

I will give praise to the Lord for his righteousness; I will make a song to the name of the Lord Most High.

I will give you praise, O Lord, with all my heart; I will make clear all the wonder of your works.

I will be glad and have delight in you: I will make a song of praise to your name, O Most High.

When my haters are turned back, they will be broken and overcome before you.

And he will be the judge of the world in righteousness, giving true decisions for the peoples.

The Lord will be a high tower for those who are crushed down, a high tower in times of trouble;

And those who have knowledge of your name will put their faith in you; because you, Lord, have ever given your help to those who were waiting for you.

So that I may make clear all your praise in the house of the daughter of Zion: I will be glad because of your salvation.

The sinners and all the nations who have no memory of God will be turned into the underworld.

For the poor will not be without help; the hopes of those in need will not be crushed for ever.

The evil-doer in his pride says, God will not make a search. All his thoughts are, There is no God.

He has said in his heart, I will not be moved: through all generations I will never be in trouble.

He says in his heart, God has no memory of me: his face is turned away; he will never see it.

Why has the evil-doer a low opinion of God, saying in his heart, You will not make search for it?

Lord, you have given ear to the prayer of the poor: you will make strong their hearts, you will give them a hearing:

In the Lord put I my faith; how will you say to my soul, Go in flight like a bird to the mountain?