The womb shall forget him; The worm shall feed sweetly on him; He shall be no more remembered; And unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.

They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone; Yea, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all others, And are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.

Is there any number of his armies? And upon whom doth not his light arise?

How then can man be just with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

How much less man, that is a worm! And the son of man, that is a worm!

How hast thou helped him that is without power! How hast thou saved the arm that hath no strength!

To whom hast thou uttered words? And whose spirit came forth from thee?

Sheol is naked before God , And Abaddon hath no covering.

He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; And the cloud is not rent under them.

As God liveth, who hath taken away my right, And the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul:

(For my life is yet whole in me, And the spirit of God is in my nostrils);

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: My heart shall not reproach me'so long as I live.

Let mine enemy be as the wicked, And let him that riseth up against me be as the unrighteous.

For what is the hope of the godless, though he get him gain, When God taketh away his soul?

I will teach you concerning the hand of God; That which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

This is the portion of a wicked man with God, And the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty:

If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword; And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

Though he heap up silver as the dust, And prepare raiment as the clay;

He buildeth his house as the moth, And as a booth which the keeper maketh.

He lieth down rich, but he shall not be gathered to his fathers ; He openeth his eyes, and he is not.

Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place for gold which they refine.

Iron is taken out of the earth, And copper is molten out of the stone.

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread; And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

Man knoweth not the price thereof; Neither is it found in the land of the living.

The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me.

No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal: Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.

Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the birds of the heavens.

And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.

Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;

As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was upon my tent;

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

Then I said, I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand:

My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lieth all night upon my branch;

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

And they waited for me as for the rain; And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

I chose out their way, and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king in the army, As one that comforteth the mourners.

But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, Whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.

Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? Men in whom ripe age is perished.

They are driven forth from the midst of men ; They cry after them as after a thief;

As through a wide breach they come: In the midst of the ruin they roll themselves upon me .

Terrors are turned upon me; They chase mine honor as the wind; And my welfare is passed away as a cloud.

And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

By God's great force is my garment disfigured; It bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.

My heart is troubled, and resteth not; Days of affliction are come upon me.

My skin is black, and falleth from me, And my bones are burned with heat.

Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, And my pipe into the voice of them that weep.

For what is the portion from God above, And the heritage from the Almighty on high?

Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity?

For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase.

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?

(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And her have I guided from my mother's womb);

For calamity from God is a terror to me, And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have denied the God that is above.

Oh that I had one to hear me! (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me); And that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written!

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown:

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him.

But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

It is not the great that are wise, Nor the aged that understand justice.

Behold, my breast is as wine which hath no vent; Like new wine-skins it is ready to burst.

Behold, I am toward God even as thou art: I also am formed out of the clay.

I am clean, without transgression; I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me:

Behold, I will answer thee, in this thou art not just; For God is greater than man.

He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, And with continual strife in his bones;

His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; And his bones that were not seen stick out.

If there be with him an angel, An interpreter, one among a thousand, To show unto man what is right for him;

Then God is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.

He prayeth unto God, and he is favorable unto him, So that he seeth his face with joy: And he restoreth unto man his righteousness.

Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

For the ear trieth words, As the palate tasteth food.

Let us choose for us that which is right: Let us know among ourselves what is good.

Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar; My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.

What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scoffing like water,

Shall even one that hateth justice govern? And wilt thou condemn him that is righteous and mighty?-

There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

He striketh them as wicked men In the open sight of others;

Shall his recompense be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it? For thou must choose, and not I: Therefore speak what thou knowest.

Men of understanding will say unto me, Yea, every wise man that heareth me:

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin; He clappeth his hands among us, And multiplieth his words against God.

Thinkest thou this to be thy right, Or'sayest thou, My righteousness is more than God's,

Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; And thy righteousness may profit a son of man.

But none saith, Where is God my Maker, Who giveth songs in the night,

Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, And maketh us wiser than the birds of the heavens?

How much less when thou sayest thou beholdest him not, The cause is before him, and thou waitest for him!

For truly my words are not false: One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: He is mighty in strength of understanding.

Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress Into a broad place, where there is no straitness; And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness.

Behold, God doeth loftily in his power: Who is a teacher like unto him?

Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable.

Yea, at this my heart trembleth, And is moved out of its place.

After it a voice roareth; He thundereth with the voice of his majesty; And he restraineth not the lightnings when his voice is heard.

By the breath of God ice is given; And the breadth of the waters is straitened.

And it is turned round about by his guidance, That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them Upon the face of the habitable world,

Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, The wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?

How thy garments are warm, When the earth is still by reason of the south wind ?

Canst thou with him spread out the sky, Which is strong as a molten mirror?

Teach us what we shall say unto him; For we cannot set our speech in order by reason of darkness.

And now men see not the light which is bright in the skies; But the wind passeth, and cleareth them.