Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?

When thy sons sinned against him, did not he punish them for their wickedness?

If thou wouldest live a pure and godly life; should he not wake up unto thee immediately, and give thee the beauty of righteousness again?

(For of yesterday we are, and we know not, For a shadow are our days on earth.)

Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

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

Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:

He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

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

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

Those hating thee do put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!

If he delight to strive with Him -- He doth not answer him one of a thousand.

Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

Who does great things not to be searched out; yes, wonders without number.

Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

For, with a tempest, would he fall upon me, and would multiply my wounds without need;

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

“It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.’

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

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

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing?

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.

Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

That you take note of my sin, searching after my wrongdoing,

Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews.

If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

And why from the womb Hast Thou brought me forth? I expire, and the eye doth not see me.

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

Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

A land of darkness, as thick darkness; of the shadow of death, and not orders, and the brightness, as thick darkness.

Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?

For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?

If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.

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

“Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character];
And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?

Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?

Behold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening.

Taking away the heart of the heads of the people of the earth, and he will cause them to wander in a waste, not a way.

They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.

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

Give ear to the argument of my mouth, and take note of the words of my lips.

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

Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

Are not your memorable sayings, proverbs of ashes? Breastworks of clay, your breastworks?

Lo, He doth slay me -- I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.

He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

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

Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.

“You also put my feet in the stocks [as punishment]
And [critically] observe all my paths;
You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep],

He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, and thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass,

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

If thou wouldest but call me, I should obey thee: only despise not the work of thine own hands.

For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

To reason with a word not useful? And speeches -- no profit in them?

As for shame, thou hast set it aside - else wouldest thou not make so many words before God.

Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?

“Are the consolations of God [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you,
[Or] were we too gentle toward you [in our first speech] to be effective?

Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

Take note and give ear to my words; and I will say what I have seen:

Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:

To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:

“A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears;
While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].

He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.

And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.

He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.

He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.

Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.

It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

He is like a vine whose grapes do not come to full growth, or an olive-tree dropping its flowers.

Shall not thy vain words come yet to an end? Or, hast thou yet any more to say?

I also, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul's stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.

I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.

Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.