I also could speak as you do: if your soul were in my soul's place, I could heap up words against you, and shake my head at you.

But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips would relieve your grief.

When a few years have come, then I shall go the way where I shall not return.

My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me.

Are there not mockers with me? and does not my eye continue in their provocation?

My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are like a shadow.

My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.

I have said to corruption, You are my father: to the worm, You are my mother, and my sister.

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

They shall go down to the gates of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

Why are we counted as beasts, and regarded as vile in your sight?

They shall dwell in his tent, who are none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

They that come after him shall be astounded at his day, as they that went before were frightened.

Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knows not God.

These ten times have you reproached me: you are not ashamed that you have wronged me.

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

Why do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

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

That they were engraved with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever!

Yet he shall perish forever like his own refuse: they who have seen him shall say, Where is he?

His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

It is drawn, and comes out of the body; yea, the glittering sword comes out of his gall: terrors are upon him.

Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolation.

As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?

Look at me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.

Why do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

Their descendants are established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of your ways.

They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carries away.

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judges those that are on high.

His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which you wrongfully imagine against me.

For you say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?

That the wicked are reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall follow after him, as there are innumerable gone before him.

How then do you comfort me in vain, seeing in your answers there remains falsehood?

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? or is it gain to him, that you make your ways blameless?

Is not your wickedness great? and your iniquities without end?

For you have taken a pledge from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

Therefore snares are round about you, and sudden fear troubles you;

Or darkness, that you can not see; and abundance of waters cover you.

Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he sees not; and he walks in the circle of heaven.

Who were cut down before their time, whose foundation was swept away with a flood:

The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

Surely our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumes.

Receive, I pray you, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.

If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, you shall put away iniquity far from your tents.

Yea, the Almighty shall be your defense, and you shall have plenty of silver.

For then shall you have your delight in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face unto God.

You shall make your prayer unto him, and he shall hear you, and you shall pay your vows.

You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established for you: and the light shall shine upon your ways.

When men are cast down, then you shall say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

He shall deliver the innocent man: and he is delivered by the pureness of your hands.

Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

On the left hand, where he does work, but I cannot behold him: he hides himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

For he performs the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?

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

They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor abide in its paths.

For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one recognizes them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

They are swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: no one turns into the way of the vineyards.

Though it be given him to be in safety, he rests; yet his eyes are upon their ways.

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

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

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

Behold even to the moon, and it shines not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.

He has drawn a circle on the waters at the boundary where the day and night come together.

The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke.

Lo, these are only parts of his ways: and how little a whisper is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

Behold, all you yourselves have seen it; why then are you thus altogether vain?

If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.

Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.

Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out all recesses for ore in darkness, and the shadow of death.

He breaks open a shaft away from the inhabitants; even in places forgotten of the foot: they are gone away from men, they swing to and fro.

As for the earth, out of it comes bread: but under it is turned up as it were fire.

The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it has dust of gold.

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

It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

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

From where then comes wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowls of the air.

Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame of it with our ears.

Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

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

From want and famine they are gaunt; fleeing of late into the wilderness, desolate and waste.

They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)

Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.

They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.

Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my honor as the wind: and my welfare passes away as a cloud.

My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.

You have become cruel to me: with your strong hand you oppose yourself against me.

My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot has hastened to deceit;