or, 'Save me from the foe's hand,' or, 'Ransom me from the tyrants' hand'?

How painful are {upright words}! But what does {your reproof} reprove?

Even over [the] orphan you would cast the lot, and you would bargain over your friend.

"{Therefore} be prepared, turn to me, and I surely will not lie to your face.

Is there injustice on my tongue? Or can my palate not discern calamity?

"Does not {a human being have hard service} on earth? And [are not] his days like the days of a laborer?

So {I had to inherit} months of worthlessness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me.

"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end {without hope}.

The eye of [the one] seeing me will not see me; your eyes [are] upon me, but {I will be gone}.

Am I [the] sea, or a sea monster, that you set a guard over me?

I loathe [my life]; I would not live forever; depart from me, for my days [are] a breath.

"What [is] a human being that you make him great and that {you fix your mind on him},

{How long} will you not turn away from me? [Or] not leave me alone until I swallow my spit?

"{How long} will you say these [things], and the words of your mouth [be] a mighty wind?

Does God pervert justice, {or} Shaddai pervert righteousness?

If your children sinned against him, then he sent them into the {power} of their transgression.

If you [are] pure and upright, indeed, now he will rouse himself for you, and he will restore your righteous abode.

Though your beginning was small, your end will be very great.

for we [are of] yesterday, and we do not know, for our days on earth [are] a shadow.

Can papyrus grow tall where [there is] not a marsh? Will reeds flourish without water?

So [are] the paths of all who forget God; and [the] hope of [the] godless will perish,

Yet he will fill your mouth [with] laughter and your lips [with] a shout of joy.

{If} he would snatch away, who could turn him? Who could say to him, 'What are you doing?'

"And my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they do not see good.

Is it good for you that you oppress, that you despise the labor of your hands, and you smile over the schemes of [the] wicked?

{Do you have eyes of flesh}? Or {do you see as human beings see}?

[Are] your days as the days of human beings, or your years as the days of man,

because of your knowledge that I am not guilty, and there is no escaping from your hand?

Your hands fashioned me and made me {altogether}, then you destroyed me.

You have granted me life and loyal love, and your care has preserved my spirit.

" 'Yet you hid these [things] in your heart; I know that this {was your purpose}.

And [if my head] grows bold, you would hunt me as the lion in its prime; {and you repeat your exploits against me}.

You renew your witnesses against me, and you increase your vexation against me; {relief forces} [are] against me.

[Are] not my days few? Let him leave [me] alone; let him turn from me, and let me rejoice a little.

"Should an abundance of words go unanswered, or {a man full of talk} be vindicated?

Should your loose talk put people to silence? {And when you mock, shall no one put you to shame}?

For you say, 'My teaching [is] pure, and I am clean in your sight.'

and [that] he would tell you [the] secrets of wisdom, for {insight has many sides}. And know that God {on your behalf} has forgotten {some of} your guilt.

"Can you find [out] the essence of God, or can you find [out] {the ultimate limits} of Shaddai?

For he knows {those who are worthless}; {when he sees} iniquity, {he will not consider it}.

"If you yourself direct your heart and stretch out your hands to him--

if iniquity [is] in your hand, put it far away, and you must not let wickedness reside in your tents--

surely then you will lift up your face without blemish, and you will be firmly established and will not fear.

For you yourself will forget your misery; you will remember [it] as water [that] has flowed past.

"{And your life will be brighter than noon}; [its] darkness will be like the morning.

And you will lie down, and {no one will make you afraid}; {and many will entreat your favor}.

"Truly indeed you [are the] people, and wisdom will die with you.

[The] tents of [the] destroyers are at peace, and [there is] security for those who provoke God, [for those] whom God brings into his hand.

or ask the earth, and it will teach you, and the fishes of the sea will declare to you.

Does not [the] ear test words and [the] palate taste food for itself?

"With him [are] wisdom and powerful deeds, and to him [belong] counsel and understanding.

"Strength and sound wisdom [are] with him; [the] deceived and [the] deceiver [are] his.

"Look, my eye has seen everything; my ear has heard and has understood it.

"But you {whitewash with lies}; all of you [are] {worthless healers}.

{Will you show partiality for him}? Or do you want to plead God's case?

[Will it be] well, if he examines you? Or can you deceive him like deceiving a human being?

Your maxims [are] proverbs of ashes; your defenses [are] defenses of clay.

"Listen carefully [to] my words, and [let] my exposition [be] in your ears.

"Only you must not do [these] two [things] to me; then I will not hide from your face:

withdraw your hand from me, and let not your dread terrify me.

Then call, and I myself will answer; or let me speak, then reply to me.

"{How many} [are] my iniquities and sins? Make known to me my transgression and my sin.

Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy?

Even on such a one you fix your eyes, and you bring me into judgment with you.

If his days [are] determined, the number of his months [is] with you; you have appointed his boundaries, and he cannot cross [them].

"But a man dies, and he dwindles away; thus a human being passes away, and where is he?

{so} a man lies down, and he does not arise. {Until the heavens are no more}, they will not awaken, and they will not be roused out of their sleep.

"{O that} you would conceal me in Sheol, [that] you would hide me {until your wrath is past}, [that] you would appoint a set time for me and remember me.

You would call, and I myself would answer you; you would long for the work of your hand.

His children may [come to] honor, but he does not know [it]; or they may become lowly, but he does not realize it.

Should he argue in talk [that] is not profitable or [in] words with which he cannot do good?

"{What is worse}, you yourself are doing away with fear, and you are lessening meditation {before} God.

For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose [the] tongue of [the] crafty.

Your mouth condemns you, and not I; and your lips testify against you.

"Were you born the firstborn of the human race? And were you brought forth {before} [the] hills?

Both [the] gray-haired and [the] old [are] among us-- {those older than your father}.

"Are the consolations of God too small for you, a word [spoken] gently with you?

Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes flash,

that you turn your spirit against God, and you let [such] words go out of your mouth?

"What [is] a human being, that he can be clean, or that [one] born of a woman can be righteous?

Look, he does not trust his holy ones, and [the] heavens are not clean in his eyes.

"All of the wicked [one's] days he is writhing, even [through] the number of years that are laid up for the tyrant.

Sounds of terror [are] in his ears; in prosperity [the] destroyer will come [against] him.

"He is wandering for bread, [saying], 'Where [is it]?' He knows that a day of darkness [is] ready {at hand}.

{he will dwell} [in] desolate cities, in houses that they should not inhabit, which are destined for rubble.

"I have heard many [things] like these; all of you [are] {miserable comforters}.

I myself also could talk as you, if {you were in my place}; I could join against you with words, and I could shake at you with my head.

My face is red because of weeping, and deep shadows [are] on my eyelids,

"My spirit is pulled down; my days are extinguished; [the] graveyard [is] for me.

And my eye has grown dim from grief, and the limbs of my body [are] all like a shadow.

[The] upright are appalled at this, and [the] innocent excites himself over [the] godless.

"My days are past; my plans are broken down-- [even] the desires of my heart.

[if] I call to the pit, 'You [are] my father,' to the maggot, '[You are] my mother or my sister,'

where then [is] my hope? And {who will see my hope}?

Will they go down [to] the bars of Sheol? Or shall we descend together into the dust?"

Why are we considered as animals? [Why] are we taken as stupid in your eyes?

"[You who] are tearing {yourself} in your anger, will [the] earth be forsaken because of you? Or will [the] rock be removed from its place?

"{His strong steps} are shortened, and his [own] schemes throw him down,

[Those of the] west are appalled over {his fate}, and [those of the] east {are seized with horror}.

Surely these [are] the dwellings of [the] godless, and this [is] the dwelling place of him [who] knows not God."