And the Lord said to the Satan, See, I give all he has into your hands, only do not put a finger on the man himself. And the Satan went out from before the Lord.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The Chaldaeans made themselves into three bands, and came down on the camels and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

Let destruction take the day of my birth, and the night on which it was said, A man child has come into the world.

That night--let the thick dark take it; let it not have joy among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.

Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light.

If only my passion might be measured, and put into the scales against my trouble!

For the arrows of the Ruler of all are present with me, and their poison goes deep into my spirit: his army of fears is put in order against me.

Which are dark because of the ice, and the snow falling into them;

The camel-trains go out of their way; they go up into the waste and come to destruction.

A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again.

The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?

Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.

With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;

Will you say in God's name what is not right, and put false words into his mouth?

Will it be good for you to be searched out by him, or have you the thought that he may be guided into error like a man?

Were you the first man to come into the world? or did you come into being before the hills?

Let him not put his hope in what is false, falling into error: for he will get deceit as his reward.

God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.

They are changing night into day; they say, The light is near the dark.

Will they go down with me into the underworld? Will we go down together into the dust?

His feet take him into the net, and he goes walking into the cords.

His foot is taken in the net; he comes into its grip.

He is sent away from the light into the dark; he is forced out of the world.

And with an iron pen and lead be cut into the rock for ever!

His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.

He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.

The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.

The crushed are turned out of the way; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together.

They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and get into the cracks of the rock for cover.

Snow waters become dry with the heat: so do sinners go down into the underworld.

When those of his house who are still living come to their end by disease, they are not put into the earth, and their widows are not weeping for them.

Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone is changed into brass by the fire.

He keeps back the streams from flowing, and makes the secret things come out into the light.

The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.

After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;

And my music has been turned to sorrow, and the sound of my pipe into the noise of weeping.

A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth;

Who put the earth into his care, or made him responsible for the world?

If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again,

Then the beasts go into their holes, and take their rest.

Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?

Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,

Will you put your faith in him, because his strength is great? will you give the fruit of your work into his care?

Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?

Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?