Though he dodges an iron weapon, a bronze arrow will pierce him.

Their houses are safe from fear, and God's chastisement never visits them.

"They say to God, "Turn away from us! We have no desire to know your ways.

Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? Where's the profit in talking to him?'

His buckets are filled with milk, his bone marrow is healthy.

"Look! I know your thoughts, your plans are going to harm me.

You ask, "Where is the noble person's house?' and "Where are the tents where the wicked live?'

when he is carried away to the cemetery and guardians are placed to watch his tomb?

How then, can you console me so worthlessly? What is left of your answers is treachery."

Will it please the Almighty if you are innocent, or does he profit if your life is blameless?

Will he acquit you just because you fear him, and render a verdict on your behalf?

Your wickedness is great, isn't it? There's no limit to your iniquity, is there?

"After all, you've taken collateral from your relatives for no reason; you stripped the naked of their clothing.

"Isn't God in heaven above? Consider how far away the stars are, and how lofty they are!

who were snatched away before their time; when their foundation was swept away by a river?

"Our enemies are sure to be destroyed, and fire will burn up what's left of their riches."

Accept what he has to teach you, and treasure his words in your heart.

"If you return to the Almighty you'll be restored, as you remove iniquity from your household.

Bury your gold nuggets in the dust, and your source of gold among the stones in a streambed,

and then the Almighty will be your gold and your refined silver.

"Then you'll take delight in the Almighty; and will turn your face toward God.

You'll entreat him and he'll listen to you as you fulfill your vows.

When you make a decision on something, it will be established for you, and light will brighten your way.

He'll even deliver the guilty, who will be delivered through your innocence."

If only I knew where to find him, I would visit him where he has taken his seat.

My feet stay where his footsteps lead; I kept on his pathway and haven't turned aside.

They are wet from mountain rains; without shelter, they cling to a rock.

"The fatherless are torn from the breast; the poor are taken away as security for a loan.

"Then there are those who rebel against the light; they are not acquainted with its ways; and they don't stay on its course.

They're exalted momentarily, but then they are gone; they are humbled, just like all the others. They are cut down like heads of corn.

How much less is man, who is only a maggot, or a man's children, who are only worms!"

"What a help you are to the weak! How powerfully you deliver those without strength!

The pillars of the heavens tremble and are astounded at his rebuke.

Indeed, these are the fringes of his ways, and how faint is the whisper we've heard of it! But who can comprehend the thunder of his might?"

For where is the hope of the godless when he is eliminated; when God takes away his life?

whatever he stores up, the righteous will wear, and the innocent will inherit that silver!

"Surely there are mines for silver and places where gold is refined.

Iron is taken from the ground; and copper is smelted from ore.

Mankind limits the darkness as they search the deepest depths for ore in unfathomable darkness.

where stones are sapphire and gold dust can be found,

a place where birds of prey never fly, and the eyes of the falcon have never seen.

"Where can wisdom be found? Where is understanding's home?

It cannot be compared to gold from Ophir, with precious onyx, or with sapphire.

"From where, then, does wisdom originate? Where does understanding live?

God understands how to get there; he knows where they live.

"I wish I could go back to how things were a few months ago; when God used to watch over me,

"The Almighty was still with me back then, and my children were still around me.

The voices of the commanders-in-chief were hushed, and their tongues would cling to the roofs of their mouths."

because I delivered the poor who were crying for help, along with orphans who had no one to help them.

Those who were about to die blessed me, and I made widows sing for joy.

I put on righteousness like clothing; my just decisions were like a robe and a turban.

"I used to say: "I will die in my home. I'm going to live as many days as there are grains of sand on the shore.

"But now they mock me; men who are far younger than I, whose fathers I would have hated to entrust with my own sheep dogs.

Driven away from human company, they were shouted at as though they were thieves.

My clothes are disheveled by his forceful treatment of me; he restricts my movement like the collar of my cloak.

You changed toward me, and now you're cruel to me; with your mighty hand you are persecuting me;

But my harp is in mourning; my flute plays only songs for those who are weeping."

"If I've lived my life in the company of vanity, or run quickly to embrace deception,

If I have stepped away from the way, or if my heart covets whatever my eyes see, or if some other blemish clings to my hands,

what I've planted, let another eat or let my crops be uprooted."

"If I refused to grant the desire of the poor or exhausted the eyes of the widow,

(even a poor man had grown up with me as if I were his father, and even though I had guided the widow from the time I was born),

if I've observed someone who is about to die for lack of clothes or if I have no clothing to give to the poor,

if I look at the sun when it shines or the moon as it rises in steady splendor,

"Have I rejoiced in the destruction of those who hate me, or have I been happy that evil caught up with him?

I'll wear it on my shoulder, or tie it on my head for a crown!

"If my land were to cry out against me or if all its furrows wept as one,

Elihu waited to have a word with Job, since the others were older than he,

Barachel's son Elihu from Buz responded and said: "I'm younger than you are. Because you're older, I was terrified to tell you what I know.

"Look! I have waited to hear your speech, so I listened to your insights while you searched for the right words to say.

Indeed, I paid close attention to you all, but none of you were able to refute Job or answer his arguments convincingly.

let him not direct a rebuke toward me. I won't be responding to him with your arguments.

since I don't know the first thing about how to flatter; and the one who made me would sweep me away as if I were nothing."

Answer me, if you can! Present your case! Take your stand in my presence!

Look! As far as God is concerned, I'm just like you are I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay.

Why are you arguing with him? He doesn't have to give explanations for what he does to you!

in a dream or night vision, when a deep sleep falls on mankind while they sleep on their beds.

That's when he opens the ear of mankind, authenticating his messages to them,

His flesh wastes away; his bones, which once couldn't be seen, are visible.

to show favor to him and to plead, "Deliver him from having to go down to the Pit I know where his ransom is!'

Since the ear tests words like a palate tastes food,

"Therefore you men of understanding, listen to me! Far be it for God to practice wickedness, or the Almighty to do what is wrong,

If he were to decide to do so, that is, to take back to himself his spirit and breath of life,

Can one say to a king, "You're vile!' or to nobles, "You're wicked!'?

Who isn't partial to princes? Who doesn't give preference to the nobles over the poor? Nevertheless, all of them are his handiwork.

Thus he acknowledges their behavior, and overcomes them; when night time comes, they are crushed.

"He strikes the wicked among them in a place where they can be seen

to keep the godless man from reigning or laying a snare for the people."

"Men of understanding, speak to me! Are any of you men wise? Then listen to me!

"Are you saying that it's just for you to claim, "I'm more righteous than God?'

After all, you've asked what your benefit will be: "What will I profit from refraining from sin?'

I'm going to respond to that statement, and to your friends with you."

"Observe the heavens! Take a look around! Look! The clouds are higher than you, aren't they?

If you are righteous, what will you add to him? What can God receive from your efforts?

Your wickedness affects only yourself; and your righteousness, only human beings.

"They cry out because they have many oppressors; they cry for help because the powerful are abusing them.

He never asks, "Where is God, my Creator, who gives me songs in the night,

Even though you complain that you can't perceive him, your case is already pending for judgment in his presence so keep on placing your hope in him.

"So now, if he doesn't inflict punishment in his anger, then he doesn't keep track of your many transgressions.

He won't stop looking at righteous people; he seats them on thrones with kings forever, and they are exalted.