He that is ready to slip with his feet is like a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you: and the fish of the sea shall declare unto you.

He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.

He takes away the heart of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them to stagger like a drunken man.

What you know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocks another, do you so mock him?

He will surely reprove you, if you do secretly show partiality.

Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?

Who is he that will contend with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall die.

Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from you.

Will you break a leaf driven to and fro? and will you pursue the dry stubble?

You put my feet also in the stocks, and watch closely all my paths; you set a bound to the soles of my feet.

And do you open your eyes upon such a one, and bring me into judgment with you?

Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

You shall call, and I will answer you: you will have a desire to the work of your hands.

For now you number my steps: do not watch over my sin.

And surely the mountain falling, comes to nothing, and the rock is removed out of its place.

His sons come to honor, and he knows it not; and they are brought low, but he perceives it not of them.

Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches with which he can do no good?

Have you heard the council of God? and do you limit wisdom to yourself?

Are the consolations of God too small for you? on the word that deals gently with you?

Why does your heart carry you away? and what do your eyes wink at,

He wanders abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

And he dwells in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabits, which are ready to become heaps.

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.

And you have filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me bears witness to my face.

God has delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

I was at ease, but he has broken me asunder: he has also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

He that speaks flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

The righteous also shall hold to his way, and he that has clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

But as for you all, do you return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.

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

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

Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.

His confidence shall be rooted out of his tent, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.

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

My breath is repulsive to my wife, though I make supplication for the children of my own body.

My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

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

For I know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

I have heard the rebuke of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens, and his head reaches unto the clouds;

His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

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

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

They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the flute.

They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

Have you not asked them that go by the way? and do you not know their evidences,

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

Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he has done?

Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.

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?

You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

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

Who said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do to us?

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

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

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

My foot has held fast to his steps, his way have I kept, and not turned aside.

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

Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising early for a prey: the wilderness yields food for them and for their children.

They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.

They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaves from the hungry;

Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded cries out: yet God charges not folly to them.

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.

He evil treats the barren that bears not: and does not good to the widow.

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

Is there any number to his armies? and upon whom does not his light arise?

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

To whom have you uttered words? and whose spirit came from you?

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

God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove my integrity from me.

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.

He binds the streams from overflowing; and the thing that is hid brings he forth to light.

For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven;

To make the weight for the wind; and he apportions the waters by measure.

And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the open square!

The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

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

Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

My root was spread out to the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

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.

To dwell in the clefts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.

They abhor me, they flee far from me, and hesitate not to spit in my face.

I cry unto you, and you do not hear me: I stand up, and you regard me not.

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