In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.

For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled.

I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh.

“Behold, you have admonished and instructed many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

But now that this has happened to you,
you have become exhausted.
It strikes you, and you are dismayed.

Remember, I pray thee, Who, being innocent, hath perished? And where have the upright been cut off?

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.

How much more the dwellers in houses of clay, which, in the dust, have their foundation, which are crushed sooner than a moth:

I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

Now his children have no safe place, and they are crushed before the judges, for no one takes up their cause.

To set the low on a high place, And the mourners have been high in safety.

But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.

“So the helpless have hope,
And injustice shuts its mouth.

He will keep you safe from the evil tongue; and you will have no fear of wasting when it comes.

You will make sport of destruction and need, and will have no fear of the beasts of the earth.

For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

You'll know that you'll have many children; and that your offspring will be like the grass of the earth.

Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

For then should it be heavier than the sand of the sea.

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.

Surely the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me;
my spirit drinks their poison.
God’s terrors are arrayed against me.

I have refused to touch such things; they are like loathsome food to me.

Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should have patience?

Is it not that I have no help in me, And that wisdom is driven quite from me?

The despairing, from his friend, should have lovingkindness, or, the reverence of the Almighty, he may forsake.

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;

By the time they are warm they have been cut off, By its being hot they have been Extinguished from their place.

Consider the paths of Tema, and the ways of Sheba, wherein they have put their trust.

They were ashamed that one hath trusted, They have come unto it and are confounded.

Surely now ye have become the same! Ye see a downfall, and are afraid.

Is it because I have said, 'Give to me,' or, 'Offer a bribe for me from your wealth'?

Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

How powerful have been upright sayings, And what doth reproof from you reprove?

Let your minds be changed, and do not have an evil opinion of me; yes, be changed, for my righteousness is still in me.

Have I said anything that's unjust? I can discern evil, can't I?"

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

For like as a bond servant desireth the shadow, and as a hireling would fain have an end of his work:

So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.

If I lay down then I said, 'When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.

He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.

When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;

I have wasted away -- not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days are vanity.

What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him,

How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?

I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;

Insomuch, that wherein soever thou hadst little afore, thou shouldest now have great abundance.

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:

(For we are but of yesterday, and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are gone like a shade:)

If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.

Truly I have known that it is so, And what -- is man righteous with God?

Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.

See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.

God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.

“For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.

Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.

I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.

One thing, there is, for which cause, I have said it, The blameless and the lawless, he bringeth to an end.

If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.

My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,

They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.

I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.

If I be then a wicked doer, why have I laboured in vain?

If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,

Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.

There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.

I will say to God, Do not put me down as a sinner; make clear to me what you have against me.

Does it delight you to oppress or despise what you have made, while you smile at the plans of the wicked?

‘Do You have eyes of flesh?
Do You see as a man sees?

Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay;
So will You turn me into dust again?

‘Have You not poured me out like milk
And curdled me like cheese?

‘[You have] clothed me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews.

‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your providence (divine care, supervision) has preserved my spirit.

And these Thou hast laid up in Thy heart, I have known that this is with Thee.

If I have sinned, then couldst thou watch me, and, from mine iniquity, thou wouldst not acquit me:

If I have done wickedly -- woe to me, And righteously -- I lift not up my head, Full of shame -- then see my affliction,

""You have brought new witnesses against me, you're even more angry with me you've brought fresh troops to attack me!

So why did you bring me forth from the womb? I should have passed away, {and no eye should have seen me}.

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

Are not the days of my life small in number? Let your eyes be turned away from me, so that I may have a little pleasure,

And thou sayest, 'Pure is my discourse, And clean I have been in Thine eyes.'

If you put far away the evil of your hands, and let no wrongdoing have a place in your tent;

Then mightest thou lift up thy face without shame! Then shouldest thou be sure, and have no need to fear.

For you will forget your suffering,
recalling it only as waters that have flowed by.

And thou shalt have confidence, because there shall be hope; and having searched about thee, thou shalt take rest in safety.

And thou hast rested, And none is causing trembling, And many have entreated thy face;

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And they shall have no way to flee; And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.

No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

"I'm a laughingstock to my friends, someone who called on God. But then he answered this upright and blameless man, and I have become a laughingstock.

{Those at ease have contempt} for [the] thought of {disaster}, [but it is] ready for those unstable of foot.

At peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.

Have not the ears pleasure in hearing, and the mouth in tasting the thing that it eateth?

Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.