Behold, now have I prepared my judgment, and know that I shall be found righteous.

What is he that will go to law with me? For if I hold my tongue, I shall die.

And then send for me to the law, that I may answer for myself: or else, let me speak, and give thou the answer.

Whereas I, notwithstanding, must consume like as a foul carrion, and as a cloth that is moth eaten.

Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of divers miseries.

Who can make it clean, that cometh from an unclean thing? Nobody.

Go from him, that he may rest until his day come: which he looketh for, like as a hireling doth.

"If a tree be cut down, there is some hope yet, that it will sprout and shoot forth the branches again;

O that thou wouldest keep me, and hide me in the hell, until thy wrath were stilled: and to appoint me a time, wherein thou mightest remember me.

Thou prevailest against him, so that he passeth away; thou changes his estate, and puttest him from thee.

Thou reprovest with words, that are worth nothing; and speakest the things which can do no good!

Art thou the first man that ever was born? Or, wast thou made before the hills?

Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God, that all wisdom is too little for thee?

What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, but we can the same?

With us are old and aged men; yea, such as have lived longer than thy forefathers.

that thy mind is so puffed up against God and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

What is man, that he should be clean? What hath he, which is born of a woman, whereby he might be known to be righteous?

"I will tell thee; hear me. I will show thee a thing, that I know;

unto whom only the land was given, that no stranger should come among them.

When he goeth forth to get his living, he thinketh plainly, that the day of darkness is at hand.

I could speak as ye do also. But would God, that your soul were in my soul's stead: then should I heap up words against you, and shake my head at you.

But now that God hath sent me adversity, thou hast troubled all my congregation.

And that thou hast filled me with wrinkles, my flesh is witness; and my leanness riseth up against me and beareth witness thereof in my face.

For lo, my witness is in heaven, and he that knoweth me, is above in the height.

The righteous also will keep his way, and he that hath clean hands, will ever be stronger and stronger.

What helpeth then my long tarrying? Or, who will fulfill the thing that I look for?

All that I have, shall go down into the pit, and lie with me in the dust."

"Fearfulness shall make him afraid on every side, that he shall not know where to get out.

Such are now the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God."

But if ye will enhance yourselves against me, and accuse me to be a wicked person because of the shame that is come upon me;

know this then: that it is God which hath handled me so violently, and hath compassed me about with his net.

"He hath hedged up my way, that I cannot pass; he hath set darkness in my gate.

O that my words were written, O that they were put in a book:

"For I am sure that my redeemer liveth, and that I shall rise out of the earth in the latter day:

that I shall be clothed again with this skin, and see God in my flesh.

But beware of the sword, for the sword will be avenged of wickedness. And be sure, that there is a judgment."

Knowest thou not this, namely: that from the beginning - ever since the creation of man upon earth -

the praise of the ungodly hath been short, and that the joy of the hypocrites continued but the twinkling of an eye?

Though he be magnified up to the heaven, so that his head reacheth into the clouds:

yet he perisheth at the last, like dung. Insomuch that they which have seen him, say, 'Where is he?'

He vanisheth as a dream, so that he can no more be found, and passeth away as a vision in the night.

So that the eye which saw him before, getteth now no sight of him, and his place knoweth him no more.

That he favoured, that would he not forsake; but kept it close in his throat.

The bread that he did eat is turned to the poison of serpents, within his body.

The riches that he devoured, shall he vomit out again; for God shall draw them out of his belly.

so that he shall no more see the rivers, and brooks of honey and butter.

He devoured so greedily that he left nothing behind; therefore his goods shall not prosper.

so that if he flee the iron weapons, he shall be shot with the steel bow.

The substance that he hath in his house, shall be taken away and perish, in the day of the LORD's wrath.

This is the portion that the wicked shall have of God, and the heritage that he may look for of the LORD."

Suffer me a little, that I may speak also, and then laugh my words to scorn, if ye will.

Is it with a man, that I make this disputation? Which if it were so, should not my spirit be then in sore trouble?

Their bullock gendereth, and that not out of time: their cow calveth, and is not unfruitful.

What manner of fellow is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, to submit ourselves unto him?'

Yea, they shall be even as chaff before the wind, and as dust that the storm carrieth away.

And though God save their children from such sorrow, yet will he so reward themselves, that they shall know it.

Ask any man that goeth by the way, and - if ye will not regard their tokens and deeds - he shall tell you,

that the wicked is kept unto the day of destruction, and that the ungodly shall be brought forth in the day of wrath.

Who dare reprove him for his ways to his face? Who rewardeth him for the ungraciousness that he doth?

How vain, then, is the comfort that ye give me? Are not your answers clean contrary to right and truth?"

"May a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

Is it any advantage to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Or what doth it profit him, that thy ways are perfect?

Now because that God is higher than the heavens, and because thou seest the stars are so high,

Tush, the clouds cover him that he may not see, for he dwelleth in heaven.'

"Well, thou wilt keep the old way, that all wicked men have gone:

see that their increase shall be hewn down, and their posterity consumed with fire.

O that I might see him and find him: O that I might come before his seat,

That I might know, what answer he would give me: and that I might understand, what he would say unto me.

He that is just shall enter disputation with him, and my judge shall deliver me forever.

If I go on the left side to ponder his works, I can not attain unto them. Again, if I go on the rightside, he hideth himself, that I cannot see him.

I have not forsaken the commandment of his lips; but look, what he charged me with his mouth, that have I shut up in my heart.

This is the cause, that I shrink at his presence, so that when I consider him I am afraid of him.

For insomuch as he is God, he maketh my heart soft: and seeing that he is Almighty, he putteth me in fear.

Considering then that there is no time hid from the Almighty, how happeneth it, that they which know him, will not regard his days?

For some men there be, that remove other men's landmarks; that rob them of their cattle, and keep the same for their own;

that drive away the ass of the fatherless; that take the widow's ox for a pledge;

that thrust the poor out of the way, and oppress the simple of the world together.

They reap the corn field that is not their own; and let the vineyard of the ungodly alone.

They are the cause that so many men are naked and bare, having no clothes to cover them and keep them from cold;

So that when the showers in the mountains have rained upon them, and they be all wet, they have none other succour, but to embrace the rock for want of a covering.

insomuch that they let him go naked without clothing, and take way the sheaf of the hungry.

The eye of the ungodly is like the adulterer, that waiteth for the darkness, and sayeth thus in himself, 'Tush, there shall no man see me,' and so he disguiseth his face.

"The ungodly is very swift: O that his portion also upon earth were swifter than the running water, which suffereth not the shipman to behold the fair and pleasant vineyards.

O that they, for the wickedness which they have done, were drawn to the hell, sooner than snow melteth at the heat.

O that all compassion upon them were forgotten: that their dainties were worms, that they were clean put out of remembrance, and utterly hewn down like an unfruitful tree.

For they maintain the barren, and make them that they cannot bear, and unto widows they do no good.

Is it not so? Who will then reprove me as a liar, and say that my words are nothing worth?"

"Power and fear is with him above, that maketh peace, sitting in his highness,

But how may a man compared unto God be justified? Or, how can he be clean, that is born of a woman?

How much more then man, that is but corruption, and the son of man, which is but a worm?"

"O how helpest thou the weak? What comfort givest thou unto him that hath no strength?

Where is the counsel that thou shouldest give him, which hath no wisdom? Wilt thou so show thine excellent righteousness?

"The giants and worthies that are slain, and lie under the world with their companions;

He holdeth back his stool, that it can not be seen, and spreadeth his clouds before it.

"As truly as God liveth, which hath taken away my power from me; and the Almighty, that hath vexed my mind;

while my breath is in me, and as long as the wind that God hath given me is in my nostrils.

God forbid, that I should grant your cause to be right! As for me, until mine end come will I never go from my innocence.

"Therefore mine enemy shall be found as the ungodly; and he that taketh part against me, as the unrighteous.

Hath he such pleasure and delight in the Almighty, that he dare always call upon God?

"I will teach you in the name of God: and the thing that I have of the Almighty, will I not keep from you.