Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself. For vanity shall be his recompense.

For the company of the hypocrites shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.

I was at ease, and he broke me apart. Yea, he has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces. He has also set me up for his mark.

Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who vouches for me is on high.

For when a few years are come, I shall go the way where I shall not return.

My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, the grave is [ready] for me.

Give now a pledge, be surety for me with thyself. Who is there that will strike hands with me?

For thou have hid their heart from understanding. Therefore thou shall not exalt [them].

He who denounces his friends for a prey, even the eyes of his sons shall fail.

But as for you all, come on now again, and I shall not find a wise man among you.

If I look for Sheol as my house, if I have spread my couch in the darkness,

where then is my hope? And as for my hope, who shall see it?

How long will ye hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.

Thou who tear thyself in thine anger, shall the earth be forsaken for thee? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?

Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walks upon the toils.

A noose is hid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.

Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry for help, but there is no justice.

He has put my brothers far from me, and my acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.

Those who dwell in my house, and my maids, reckon me for a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.

Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends, for the hand of God has touched me.

But as for me I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last he will stand up upon the earth.

be ye afraid of the sword. For wrath [brings] the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the profane but for a moment?

That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down. According to the substance that he has gotten, he shall not rejoice.

For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.

All darkness is laid up for his treasures. A fire not blown shall devour him. It shall consume that which is left in his tent.

As for me, is my complaint to man? And why should I not be impatient?

Their houses are safe from fear, nor is the rod of God upon them.

And they say to God, Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of thy ways.

Lo, [is] their prosperity not in their hand. (The counsel of the wicked is far from me.)

[Ye say], God lays up his iniquity for his sons. Let him recompense it to himself that he may know it.

For what does he care for his house after him when the number of his months is cut off?

For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent in which the wicked dwelt?

Is it for thy fear [of him] that he reproves thee, that he enters with thee into judgment?

For thou have taken pledges from thy brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

But as for the mighty man, he had the land. And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.

Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubles thee,

who said to God, Depart from us, and, What can the Almighty do for us?

Yet he filled their houses with good things. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

[Saying], Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them, the fire has consumed.

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shall be built up, thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.

For then shall thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shall lift up thy face to God.

For he performs that which is appointed for me. And many such things are with him.

For God has made my heart faint, and the Almighty has terrified me,

They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox for a pledge.

Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness [yields] them bread for their sons.

They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me. And he disguises his face.

For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness. For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.

Dominion and fear are with him. He makes peace in his high places.

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

Far be it from me that I should justify you. Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

For what is the hope of the profane, though he gets him gain, when God takes away his soul?

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

For [God] shall hurl at him, and not spare. He would gladly flee out of his hand.

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

He breaks open a shaft away from where men sojourn, [paths] forgotten by the foot. They hang afar from men; they swing to and fro.

As for the earth, out of it comes bread, and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for the price of it.

Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven,

to make a weight for the wind. Yea, he distributes the waters by measure.

When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

And to man he said, Behold, the fear of LORD, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.

For when the ear heard [me], then it blessed me, and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me.

The blessing of him who was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

To me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

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

For he has loosed his cord, and afflicted me. And they have cast off the bridle before me.

For I know that thou will bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

However does not a man stretch out the hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?

Did I not weep for him who was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

When I looked for good, then evil came. And when I waited for light, there came darkness.

I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.

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

For that is a heinous crime, yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

For it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.

if I have seen any perish for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

For calamity from God is a terror to me, and I can do nothing because of his majesty.

(this also is an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God that is above);

Behold, I waited for your words, I listened for your reasonings, while ye searched out what to say.

For he has not directed his words against me. Neither will I answer him with your speeches.

for I am full of words. The spirit within me compels me.

For I know not to give flattering titles, [else] my maker would soon take me away.

[Thou say,] Behold, he finds occasions against me. He counts me for his enemy.

Behold, I will answer thee. In this thou are not just, for God is greater than man.

For God speaks once, yea twice, [though man] does not regard it.

If there be with him a [heavenly] agent, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man what is right for him,

If thou have anything to say, answer me. Speak, for I desire to justify thee.

For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.

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

For Job has said, I am righteous, and God has taken away my right.

For thou should not say, There shall be no visitation to a man, [whereas] visitation [is] to him from LORD.

Therefore hearken to me, ye men of understanding. Far be it from me to sin before LORD, and pervert righteousness before the Almighty.

For the work of a man he will render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

who does not respect the persons of rulers, nor regards the rich more than the poor. For they all are the work of his hands.

For his eyes are upon the ways of a man, and he sees all his goings.

For he needs no further to consider a man, that he should go before God in judgment.

For has any said to God, I have borne [chastisement], I will not offend [any more].