whom {I will see for myself}, and [whom] my eyes will see and not a stranger. {My heart faints within me}.

"If you say, 'How will we persecute him?' And 'The root of the trouble is found' in me,

he will perish forever like his dung; [those who] have seen him will say, 'Where [is] he?'

He will fly away like a dream, and they will not find him, and he will be chased away like a vision of [the] night.

[The] eye [that] saw him {will not see him again}, and his place will no longer behold him.

His children will seek favors from [the] poor, and his hands will return his wealth.

His bones were full of his vigor, but it will lie down with him on [the] dust.

He will suck [the] poison of horned vipers; [the] viper's tongue will kill him.

{He will not enjoy the streams}, [the] torrents of honey and curds.

Returning [the] products of [his] toil, he will not swallow; according to the profit of his trade, {he will not enjoy},

{There is nothing left after he has eaten}; therefore his prosperity will not endure.

In the fullness of his excess {he will be in distress}; all of misery's power will come [upon] him.

{When his stomach fills up}, [God] will send {his burning anger} upon him, and he will let [it] rain down upon him as his food.

"He will flee from an iron weapon, [but] an arrow of bronze will pierce him.

{Total darkness} is hidden for his treasures; {an unfanned fire} will devour him; [the] remnant {will be consumed} in his tent.

[The] heavens will reveal his guilt, and [the] earth will rise up against him.

The products of his house will be carried away [like] gushing waters on the day of his wrath.

Bear [with] me, and I myself will speak; then after my speaking you can mock.

[The] clods of [the] valley are sweet to him; everyone will follow after him, and {before} him {they are innumerable}.

So how will you comfort me [with] emptiness, when fraud is left [in] your answers?"

Will you keep [to the] way of old that [the] people of mischief have trod,

"Please reconcile yourself with him, and be at peace; {in this way}, good will come to you.

If you return to Shaddai, you will be restored; [if] you remove wickedness from your tent,

then Shaddai will be your gold ore and {your precious silver}.

Indeed, then you will delight yourself in Shaddai, and {you will expect that God will be good to you}.

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

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

He will deliver the guilty, and he will escape because of the cleanness of your hands."

For he will carry out {what he appoints for me}, and many [things] like these [are] with him

"Look, [like] wild donkeys in the desert they go out to their labor [as] searchers for the prey; [the] wilderness [is] {their} food for the young.

And [the] eye of [the] adulterer waits for dusk, saying, {'No eye will see me,'} and he places a covering [on his] face.

"Indeed, how can a human being be righteous before God? And how will he who is born of a woman be pure?

my lips surely will not speak falseness, and my tongue surely will not utter deceit.

Far be it from me that {I would say that you are right}; until I pass away, I will not put away from me my blamelessness.

I hold fast to my righteousness, and I will not let it go; my heart will not blame [any] of my days.

Will God hear his cry of distress when distress comes upon him?

Or, in Shaddai will he find delight? Will he call upon God at all times?

"I will teach you about God's hand; I will not conceal that [which is] with Shaddai.

he makes [it] ready, and [the] righteous will wear [it], and [the] innocent will divide [the] silver.

He goes to bed [with] wealth, but {he will do so no more}; he opens his eyes, and {it is gone}.

And it hurls at him, and it has no compassion; he will quickly flee from its power.

{Proud wild animals} have not trodden it; [the] lion in its prime has not prowled over it.

"But from where will wisdom be found? And {where in the world} [is the] place of understanding?

Black corals and crystal will not be mentioned, and wisdom's price [is] more than red corals.

"And I thought, 'I will pass away in my nest, and like the phoenix I shall multiply [my] days.

Indeed, I know [that] you will bring me to death and [to the] house of assembly for all [the] living.

Indeed, that [is] a fire that will consume up to Abaddon, and it would uproot all my crop.

But he did not direct [his] words to me, and I will not answer him with your words.

I myself will answer my share also; I myself will declare my knowledge also,

Look, dread of me should not terrify you, and my hand will not be heavy upon you.

"Look, [in] this you are not right--I will answer you: Indeed, God is greater than a human being.

Why do you contend against him, that he will not answer all a person's words?

"He will sing to men, and he will say, 'I have sinned and have perverted [what is] right, and it was not paid back to me.

He redeemed my life from going down into the pit, so {I will enjoy the light}.'

"Listen attentively, Job; listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.

If not, you listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

Indeed, he will repay [according to] a human being's deeds, and according to a man's way he will let [it] happen [to] him.

Shall [he who] hates justice really govern? Or will you declare [the] Righteous One, the Mighty, guilty?--

"Indeed, does anyone say to God, 'I have endured [chastisement]; I will not act corruptly [again];

teach me yourself {what I cannot see}; if I have done wrong, I will not repeat [it]'?

I myself {will give answer to you} and [to] your friends with you.

"Bear with me a little longer, and {I will explain}, for {I still have something to say on God's behalf}.

I will bring my knowledge from far away, and I will ascribe righteousness to my maker,

Yes, [it is] wrath, so that it will not incite you into mockery; and do not let [the] ransom's greatness turn you aside.

Will your cry for help sustain [you] without distress, or all [the] efforts of [your] strength?

{Prepare yourself for a difficult task like a man}, and I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

and I said, 'You shall come up to here, but you shall not go further, and here it will set [a boundary] {for your proud surging waves}'?

Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go? And will they say to you, 'Here we are'?

"Who has sent forth [the] wild ass free? And who has released [the] wild donkey's bonds,

"Is [the] wild ox willing to serve you, or will he spend the night at your feeding trough?

Can you tie [the] wild ox [with] its rope to a furrow, or will it harrow [the] valleys after you?

Can you trust it because its strength [is] great, or will you hand your labor over to it?

Can you rely on it that it will return your grain and [that] it will gather [it] to your threshing floor?

and it forgets that a foot might crush an egg, and {a wild animal} might trample it.

Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; even twice, but I will not proceed."

"{Prepare yourself for a difficult task like a man}, and I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

And I will also praise you, that your [own] right hand can save you.

Yes, [the] mountains yield produce for it, and all {wild animals} play there.

Will it make numerous pleas for mercy to you? Or will it speak gentle words to you?

Will it make a covenant with you? Will you take it as a slave forever?

Will you play with it as [with] birds and put it on a leash for your girls?

Will guildsmen bargain over it? Will they divide it between tradesmen?

Lay your hands on it; think about [the] battle--you will not do [it] again!

"Look, {the hope of capturing it} is false. Will one be hurled down even at its sight?

"I will not keep quiet [concerning] its limbs or concerning [the] extent of its might and [the] gracefulness of its frame.

Its flesh's folds of skin cling together; it is cast on it--it will not be moved.

{An arrow} will not make it flee; sling stones are turned to stubble for it.

"I know that you can do all [things], and [any] scheme from you will not be thwarted.

'Hear and I will speak; I will question you, then inform me.'

{So then}, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will pray for you, for {I will certainly accept his prayer}, so that it will not be done with you [according to your] folly, for you have not spoken to me what is right as my servant Job [has]."

Therefore [the] wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of [the] righteous;

for Yahweh knows [the] way of [the] righteous, but [the] way of [the] wicked will perish.

I will tell the decree; Yahweh said to me: "You are my son; today I have begotten you.

Ask from me and I will make [the] nations your heritage, and your possession [the] ends of [the] earth.

You will break them with an iron rod. Like a potter's vessel you will shatter them."

O sons of man, how long will my honor be a disgrace? [How long] will you love vanity? [How long] will you seek lies? Selah

Many are saying, "Who will show us [something] good?" Lift up over us the light of your face, O Yahweh.

In peace I will lie down and sleep {at once}, for you alone, O Yahweh, make me dwell safely.

O Yahweh, in [the] morning you will hear my voice. In [the] morning I will set forth [my case] to you and I will watch.

{But as for me}, through the abundance of your steadfast love I will enter your house. I will bow down toward {your holy temple} in awe [of] you.