Can that which hath no savor be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

Oh that I might have my request; And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

Even that it would please God to crush me; That he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

And be it still my consolation, Yea, let me exult in pain that spareth not, That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is mine end, that I should be patient?

Is it not that I have no help in me, And that wisdom is driven quite from me?

To him that is ready to faint kindness'should be showed from his friend; Even to him that forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, As the channel of brooks that pass away;

The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside; They go up into the waste, and perish.

Do ye think to reprove words, Seeing that the speeches of one that is desperate are as wind?

As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages:

Oh remember that my life is a breath: Mine eye shall no more see good.

The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be.

As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more.

Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me?

So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than these my bones.

What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, And that thou shouldest set thy mind upon him,

And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, And try him every moment?

If I have sinned, what do I unto thee, O thou watcher of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee, So that I am a burden to myself?

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:

So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish:

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.

Of a truth I know that it is so: But how can man be just with God?

Him that removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When he overturneth them in his anger;

That shaketh the earth out of its place, And the pillars thereof tremble;

That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And sealeth up the stars;

That alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;

That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

That doeth great things past finding out, Yea, marvellous things without number.

If I had called, and he had answered me, Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice.

They are passed away as the swift ships; As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, That we should come together in judgment.

There is no umpire betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both.

Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin,

Although thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is none that can deliver out of thy hand?

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?

Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart; I know that this is with thee:

Are not my days few? cease then, And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against thee,

And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

For thou shalt forget thy misery; Thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away,

I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, I who called upon God, and he answered: The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.

In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; It is ready for them whose foot slippeth.

The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly .

Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,

Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom.

Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him?

Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak; And let come on me what will.

This also shall be my salvation, That a godless man shall not come before him.

Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I am righteous.

Who is he that will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the ghost.

Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Man, that is born of a woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.

Seeing his days are determined, The number of his months is with thee, And thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Look away from him, that he may rest, Till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

For there is hope of a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?

What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?

Are the consolations of God too small for thee, Even the word that is gentle toward thee?

That against God thou turnest thy spirit, And lettest words go out of thy mouth?

What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

How much less one that is abominable and corrupt, A man that drinketh iniquity like water!

I will show thee, hear thou me; And that which I have seen I will declare:

The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword.

He wandereth abroad for bread,'saying , Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

Shall vain words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?

Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And he that voucheth for me is on high.

That he would maintain the right of a man with God, And of a son of man with his neighbor!

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

He that denounceth his friends for a prey, Even the eyes of his children shall fail.

Yet shall the righteous hold on his way, And he that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger.

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

There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his: Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

They that come after shall be astonished at his day, As they that went before were affrighted.

Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous, And this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

These ten times have ye reproached me: Ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.

And be it indeed that I have erred, Mine error remaineth with myself.

Know now that God hath subverted me in my cause , And hath compassed me with his net.

He hath walled up my way that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths.

They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.

Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

That with an iron pen and lead They were graven in the rock for ever!

But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth:

If ye say, How we will persecute him! And that the root of the matter is found in me;

Be ye afraid of the sword: For wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, That ye may know there is a judgment.

Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, Even by reason of my haste that is in me.

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless but for a moment?

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?

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

Because he knew no quietness within him, He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.

There was nothing left that he devoured not; Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.

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

Suffer me, and I also will speak; And after that I have spoken, mock on.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity cometh upon them? That God distributeth sorrows in his anger?