Who long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for hidden treasures,

“For my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And my cries pour out like water.

“For what I fear comes upon me,
And what I dread befalls me.

“Is not your fear of God your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

“The lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

“For anger slays the foolish man,
And jealousy kills the simple.

“His sons are far from safety,
They are even oppressed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.

“His harvest the hungry devour
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the schemer is eager for their wealth.

“For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

For man is born for trouble,
As sparks fly upward.

“But as for me, I would seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;

“For He inflicts pain, and gives relief;
He wounds, and His hands also heal.

“For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

“You will know that your tent is secure,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.

“Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”

“For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.

“For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
Their poison my spirit drinks;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

“The caravans of Tema looked,
The travelers of Sheba hoped for them.

“They were disappointed for they had trusted,
They came there and were confounded.

“Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’

“You would even cast lots for the orphans
And barter over your friend.

“As a slave who pants for the shade,
And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages,

“I waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, but I will not be.”

If you are pure and upright,
Surely now He would rouse Himself for you
And restore your righteous estate.

“For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are as a shadow.

“For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

“For He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.

“For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court together.

“Then I would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.

‘Is it right for You indeed to oppress,
To reject the labor of Your hands,
And to look favorably on the schemes of the wicked?

That You should seek for my guilt
And search after my sin?

“For you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’

And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.

“For He knows false men,
And He sees iniquity without investigating.

If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;

“Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and not fear.

“For you would forget your trouble,
As waters that have passed by, you would remember it.

“But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And there will be no escape for them;
And their hope is to breathe their last.”

“He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt,
As prepared for those whose feet slip.

“Will you speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?

“Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?

“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before His presence.

“Who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.

“For You write bitter things against me
And make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.

“You put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You set a limit for the soles of my feet,

“For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not fail.

“Oh that You would hide me in Sheol,
That You would conceal me until Your wrath returns to You,
That You would set a limit for me and remember me!

“You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for the work of Your hands.

“For now You number my steps,
You do not observe my sin.

“But his body pains him,
And he mourns only for himself.”

“For your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose the language of the crafty.

“Are the consolations of God too small for you,
Even the word spoken gently with you?

“The wicked man writhes in pain all his days,
And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless.

“He does not believe that he will return from darkness,
And he is destined for the sword.

“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.

“Distress and anguish terrify him,
They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,

“For he has covered his face with his fat
And made his thighs heavy with flesh.

“Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself;
For emptiness will be his reward.

“For the company of the godless is barren,
And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt.

“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no resting place for my cry.

“For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way of no return.

“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished,
The grave is ready for me.

“Lay down, now, a pledge for me with Yourself;
Who is there that will be my guarantor?

“For You have kept their heart from understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them.

“He who informs against friends for a share of the spoil,
The eyes of his children also will languish.

“But come again all of you now,
For I do not find a wise man among you.

“If I look for Sheol as my home,
I make my bed in the darkness;

“How long will you hunt for words?
Show understanding and then we can talk.

“O you who tear yourself in your anger—
For your sake is the earth to be abandoned,
Or the rock to be moved from its place?

“Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out,
And the flame of his fire gives no light.

“For he is thrown into the net by his own feet,
And he steps on the webbing.

“A noose for him is hidden in the ground,
And a trap for him on the path.

“Behold, I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.

“He has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

“Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has struck me.

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.

“If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find?’

“Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves,
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
So that you may know there is judgment.”

“For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.

“Nothing remains for him to devour,
Therefore his prosperity does not endure.

Complete darkness is held in reserve for his treasures,
And unfanned fire will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.

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

Their houses are safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them.

“Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

“You say, ‘God stores away a man’s iniquity for his sons.’
Let God repay him so that he may know it.

“For what does he care for his household after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?

“For you say, ‘Where is the house of the nobleman,
And where is the tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’

“For the wicked is reserved for the day of calamity;
They will be led forth at the day of fury.

“Who will confront him with his actions,
And who will repay him for what he has done?

“How then will you vainly comfort me,
For your answers remain full of falsehood?”

“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked.

‘Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;
And He walks on the vault of heaven.’

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

Saying, ‘Truly our adversaries are cut off,
And their abundance the fire has consumed.’

“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,

“For then you will delight in the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.

“You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And light will shine on your ways.

“For He performs what is appointed for me,
And many such decrees are with Him.