"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding!

On what were its bases set, or who laid its cornerstone --

You know, for you were born before them; and the number of your days is great!

She is harsh with her young, as if they were not hers; she is unconcerned about the uselessness of her labor.

Nowhere in all the land could women be found who were as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance alongside their brothers.

The nations fell into the pit they had made; their feet were caught in the net they had hidden.

The Lord revealed himself; he accomplished justice; the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. (Higgaion. Selah)

All those who behave wickedly do not understand -- those who devour my people as if they were eating bread, and do not call out to the Lord.

The depths of the sea were exposed; the inner regions of the world were uncovered by your battle cry, Lord, by the powerful breath from your nose.

He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hate me, for they were too strong for me.

To you they cried out, and they were saved; in you they trusted and they were not disappointed.

By the Lord's decree the heavens were made; by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created.

When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, and refrained from eating food. (If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!)

I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. I bowed down in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother.

Evil men will soon disappear; you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone.

Hear my prayer, O Lord! Listen to my cry for help! Do not ignore my sobbing! For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land; I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were.

For they did not conquer the land by their swords, and they did not prevail by their strength, but rather by your power, strength and good favor, for you were partial to them.

Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and all it contains belong to me.

All those who behave wickedly do not understand -- those who devour my people as if they were eating bread, and do not call out to God.

My own brothers treat me like a stranger; they act as if I were a foreigner.

The bravehearted were plundered; they "fell asleep." All the warriors were helpless.

Then they will not be like their ancestors, who were a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that was not committed and faithful to God.

The Ephraimites were armed with bows, but they retreated in the day of battle.

They ate until they were stuffed; he gave them what they desired.

They were not yet filled up, their food was still in their mouths,

They were not really committed to him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

He remembered that they were made of flesh, and were like a wind that blows past and does not return.

They were unfaithful and acted as treacherously as their ancestors; they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow.

The mountains were covered by its shadow, the highest cedars by its branches.

It said: "I removed the burden from his shoulder; his hands were released from holding the basket.

They were destroyed at Endor; their corpses were like manure on the ground.

Even before the mountains came into existence, or you brought the world into being, you were the eternal God.

He says, "Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, like they were that day at Massah in the wilderness,

Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel was one of those who prayed to him. They prayed to the Lord and he answered them.

For I eat ashes as if they were bread, and mix my drink with my tears,

He covers himself with light as if it were a garment. He stretches out the skies like a tent curtain,

When they were few in number, just a very few, and resident aliens within it,

Egypt was happy when they left, for they were afraid of them.

He shouted at the Red Sea and it dried up; he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.

They were defiled by their deeds, and unfaithful in their actions.

Their enemies oppressed them; they were subject to their authority.

They were hungry and thirsty; they fainted from exhaustion.

He sent them an assuring word and healed them; he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped.

As for their enemies, they decreased in number and were beaten down, because of painful distress and suffering.

My accusers will be covered with shame, and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.

If only I were predisposed to keep your statutes!

Then I would not be ashamed, if I were focused on all your commands.

I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules as if they were riches of all kinds.

A song of ascents. When the Lord restored the well-being of Zion, we thought we were dreaming.

The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us. We were happy.

If you, O Lord, were to keep track of sins, O Lord, who could stand before you?

to the one who remembered us when we were down, for his loyal love endures,

If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be.

If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn, and settle down on the other side of the sea,

If I were to say, "Certainly the darkness will cover me, and the light will turn to night all around me,"

my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and sewed together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence.

When there were no deep oceans I was born, when there were no springs overflowing with water;

before the mountains were set in place -- before the hills -- I was born,

I purchased male and female slaves, and I owned slaves who were born in my house; I also possessed more livestock -- both herds and flocks -- than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem.

So I again considered all the oppression that continually occurs on earth. This is what I saw: The oppressed were in tears, but no one was comforting them; no one delivers them from the power of their oppressors.

Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years -- even if he lives a long, long time, but cannot enjoy his prosperity -- even if he were to live forever -- I would say, "A stillborn child is better off than he is!"

Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these days?" for it is not wise to ask that.

Do not stare at me because I am dark, for the sun has burned my skin. My brothers were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards. Alas, my own vineyard I could not keep!

Its posts were made of silver; its back was made of gold. Its seat was upholstered with purple wool; its interior was inlaid with leather by the maidens of Jerusalem.

My lover thrust his hand through the hole, and my feelings were stirred for him.

The Lover to His Beloved: I went down to the orchard of walnut trees, to look for the blossoms of the valley, to see if the vines had budded or if the pomegranates were in bloom.

The Beloved to Her Lover: Oh, how I wish you were my little brother, nursing at my mother's breasts; if I saw you outside, I could kiss you -- surely no one would despise me!

Surging waters cannot quench love; floodwaters cannot overflow it. If someone were to offer all his possessions to buy love, the offer would be utterly despised.

The Beloved: I was a wall, and my breasts were like fortress towers. Then I found favor in his eyes.

The people will treat each other harshly; men will oppose each other; neighbors will fight. Youths will proudly defy the elderly and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected.

During the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched up to Jerusalem to do battle, but they were unable to prevail against it.

It was reported to the family of David, "Syria has allied with Ephraim." They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers. Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them.

The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. In earlier times he humiliated the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali; but now he brings honor to the way of the sea, the region beyond the Jordan, and Galilee of the nations.

All the people were aware of it, the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria. Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said,

The leaders of this nation were misleading people, and the people being led were destroyed.

They devoured on the right, but were still hungry, they ate on the left, but were not satisfied. People even ate the flesh of their own arm!

I overpowered kingdoms ruled by idols, whose carved images were more impressive than Jerusalem's or Samaria's.

My hand discovered the wealth of the nations, as if it were in a nest, as one gathers up abandoned eggs, I gathered up the whole earth. There was no wing flapping, or open mouth chirping."

At that time you will say: "I praise you, O Lord, for even though you were angry with me, your anger subsided, and you consoled me.

Babylon, the most admired of kingdoms, the Chaldeans' source of honor and pride, will be destroyed by God just as Sodom and Gomorrah were.

When the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and anxiety, and from the hard labor which you were made to perform,

But you were brought down to Sheol, to the remote slopes of the pit.

But you have been thrown out of your grave like a shoot that is thrown away. You lie among the slain, among those who have been slashed by the sword, among those headed for the stones of the pit, as if you were a mangled corpse.

The noisy city is full of raucous sounds; the town is filled with revelry. Your slain were not cut down by the sword; they did not die in battle.

All your leaders ran away together -- they fled to a distant place; all your refugees were captured together -- they were captured without a single arrow being shot.

Your very best valleys were full of chariots; horsemen confidently took their positions at the gate.

As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver and strains and cries out because of her labor pains, so were we because of you, O Lord.

We were pregnant, we strained, we gave birth, as it were, to wind. We cannot produce deliverance on the earth; people to populate the world are not born.

You will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away as if they were a menstrual rag, saying to them, "Get out!"

Your plunder disappears as if locusts were eating it; they swarm over it like locusts!

They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, "Don't respond to him."

Were the nations whom my predecessors destroyed -- the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar -- rescued by their gods?

The Lord's messenger went out and killed 185,000 troops in the Assyrian camp. When they got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses!

Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales. He lifts the coastlands as if they were dust.

Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told to you since the very beginning? Have you not understood from the time the earth's foundations were made?

Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated; your adversaries will be reduced to nothing and perish.

"Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen! Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, so we may examine them and see how they were fulfilled. Or decree for us some future events!

I have stirred up one out of the north and he advances, one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. He steps on rulers as if they were clay, like a potter treading the clay.