2  “Should a ^kmultitude of words go unanswered,

and a man full of talk be judged right?

3  Should your babble silence men,

and when you mock, shall no one shame you?

4  For ^lyou say, ‘My doctrine is ^mpure,

and I am clean in God’s¹ eyes.’

5  But oh, that God would speak

and open his lips to you,

6  and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!

For he is manifold in understanding.²

Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

7  “Can you find out ⁿthe deep things of God?

Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

8  ^oIt is ^phigher than heaven³—what can you do?

Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?

9  Its measure is longer than the earth

and broader than the sea.

10  If he passes through and imprisons

and summons the court, ^qwho can turn him back?

11  For he knows worthless men;

when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?

12  But a ^rstupid man will get understanding

when a ^swild donkey’s colt is born a man!

13  ^t“If you prepare your heart,

you will stretch out your hands toward him.

14  If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,

and let not ^uinjustice dwell in your tents.

15  Surely then you will ^vlift up your face without blemish;

you will be secure and will not fear.

16  You will forget your misery;

you will remember it as waters that have passed away.

17  And your life will be brighter than the ^wnoonday;

its darkness will be like the morning.

18  And you will feel secure, because there is hope;

you will look around and ^xtake your rest in security.

19  ^yYou will lie down, and none will make you afraid;

many will court your favor.

20  But the eyes of the wicked will fail;

^zall way of escape will be lost to them,

and their hope is to breathe their last.”

2  ^a“No doubt you are the people,

and wisdom will die with you.

3  But ^bI have understanding as well as you;

I am not inferior to you.

Who does not know such things as these?

4  ^cI am a laughingstock to my friends;

I, who called to God and he answered me,

^da just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.

5  In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;

it is ready for those whose feet slip.

6  ^eThe tents of robbers are at peace,

and those who provoke God are secure,

who bring their god in their hand.⁴

7  “But ask the beasts, and they will ^fteach you;

the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;

8  or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;⁵

and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

9  Who among all these does not know

that ^gthe hand of the Lord has done this?

10  In his hand is the ^hlife of every living thing

and the breath of all mankind.

11  Does not ⁱthe ear test words

as the palate tastes food?

12  Wisdom is with the aged,

and understanding in length of days.

13  “With God⁶ are ^jwisdom and might;

he has counsel and understanding.

14  If he tears down, none can rebuild;

if he shuts a man in, none can open.

15  ^kIf he withholds the waters, they dry up;

if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.

16  With him are strength and sound wisdom;

the deceived and the deceiver are his.

17  He leads counselors away stripped,

and ^ljudges he makes fools.

18  He looses the bonds of kings

and binds a waistcloth on their hips.

19  He leads priests away stripped

and overthrows the mighty.

20  He deprives of speech those who are trusted

and takes away the discernment of the elders.

21  ^mHe pours contempt on princes

and loosens the belt of the strong.

22  ⁿHe uncovers the deeps out of darkness

and brings deep darkness to light.

23  He makes nations great, and he destroys them;

he enlarges nations, and leads them away.

24  He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth

and ^omakes them wander in a trackless waste.

25  They grope in the dark without light,

and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.

1  ^p“Behold, my eye has seen all this,

my ear has heard and understood it.

2  ^qWhat you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you.

3  But ^rI would speak to the Almighty,

and I desire to argue my case with God.

4  As for you, you ^swhitewash ^twith lies;

^uworthless physicians are you all.

5  ^vOh that you would ^wkeep silent,

and it would be your wisdom!

6  Hear now my argument

and listen to the pleadings of my lips.

7  Will you speak falsely for God

and speak deceitfully for him?

8  Will you show partiality toward him?

Will you plead the case for God?

9  Will it be well with you when he searches you out?

Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?

10  He will surely rebuke you

if in secret you show partiality.

11  Will not his ^xmajesty terrify you,

and the dread of him fall upon you?

12  Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;

your defenses are defenses of clay.

13  “Let me have silence, and I will speak,

and let come on me what may.

14  Why should I take my flesh in my teeth

and put my life in my hand?

15  ^yThough he slay me, I will hope in him;⁷

yet I will argue my ways to his face.

16  ^zThis will be my salvation,

that the godless shall not come before him.

17  ^aKeep listening to my words,

and let my declaration be in your ears.

18  Behold, I have prepared my case;

I know that ^bI shall be in the right.

19  Who is there who will contend with me?

For then I would be silent and die.

20  Only grant me two things,

then I will not hide myself from your face:

21  withdraw your hand far from me,

and ^clet not dread of you terrify me.

22  ^dThen call, and I will answer;

or let me speak, and you reply to me.

23  How many are my iniquities and my sins?

Make me know my transgression and my sin.

24  Why do you hide your face

and ^ecount me as your enemy?

25  Will you frighten a driven leaf

and pursue dry chaff?

26  For you write bitter things against me

and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

27  ^fYou put my feet in the stocks

and watch all my paths;

you set a limit for⁸ the soles of my feet.

28  Man⁹ wastes away like a ^grotten thing,

like a garment that is ^hmoth-eaten.