2  “Do you think this to be just?

Do you say, ^v‘It is my right before God,’

3  that you ask, ^w‘What advantage have I?

How am I better off than if I had sinned?’

4  I will answer you

and ^xyour friends with you.

5  ^yLook at the heavens, and see;

and behold the clouds, which are higher than you.

6  If you have sinned, ^zwhat do you accomplish against him?

And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?

7  ^aIf you are righteous, what do you give to him?

Or what does he receive from your hand?

8  Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself,

and your righteousness ^ba son of man.

9  “Because of the multitude of ^coppressions people ^dcry out;

they call for help because of the arm of ^ethe mighty.¹

10  But none says, ‘Where is God my ^fMaker,

who gives ^gsongs in the night,

11  who teaches us ^hmore than the beasts of the earth

and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’

12  There they ⁱcry out, but he does not answer,

because of the pride of evil men.

13  Surely God does not hear an empty cry,

nor does the Almighty regard it.

14  How much less when you say that you ^jdo not see him,

that the case is before him, and you are ^kwaiting for him!

15  And now, because ^lhis anger does not punish,

and he does not take much note of transgression,²

16  Job opens his mouth in empty talk;

he ^mmultiplies words ⁿwithout knowledge.”

2  “Bear with me a little, and I will show you,

for I have yet something to say on God’s behalf.

3  I will get my knowledge from ^oafar

and ascribe ^prighteousness to my ^qMaker.

4  For truly my words are not false;

one who is ^rperfect in knowledge is with you.

5  “Behold, God is mighty, and ^sdoes not despise any;

he is ^tmighty in strength of understanding.

6  He does not keep the wicked alive,

but gives ^uthe afflicted their right.

7  He does not withdraw his ^veyes from the righteous,

but with ^wkings on the throne

he sets them forever, and they are ^xexalted.

8  And if they are ^ybound in chains

and caught in the cords of affliction,

9  then he declares to them their work

and their transgressions, that they are ^zbehaving arrogantly.

10  He ^aopens their ears to instruction

and commands that they ^breturn from iniquity.

11  ^cIf they listen and serve him,

they ^dcomplete their days in prosperity,

and their years in pleasantness.

12  But if they do not listen, they ^eperish by the sword

and die ^fwithout knowledge.

13  “The ^ggodless in heart cherish anger;

they do not cry for help when he ^hbinds them.

14  They ⁱdie in youth,

and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.

15  He delivers ^jthe afflicted by their affliction

and ^kopens their ear by adversity.

16  He also allured you out of distress

into ^la broad place where there was no cramping,

and what was set on your ^mtable was full of ⁿfatness.

17  “But you are full of the judgment on the wicked;

judgment and justice seize you.

18  Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing,

and let not the greatness of ^othe ransom turn you aside.

19  Will your ^pcry for help avail to keep you from distress,

or all the force of your strength?

20  Do not long for ^qthe night,

when peoples vanish ^rin their place.

21  Take care; ^sdo not turn to iniquity,

for this you have chosen rather than affliction.

22  Behold, God is exalted in his power;

who is ^ta teacher like him?

23  Who has ^uprescribed for him his way,

or who can say, ^v‘You have done wrong’?

24  “Remember to ^wextol his work,

of which men have ^xsung.

25  All mankind has looked on it;

man beholds it from afar.

26  Behold, God is great, and we ^yknow him not;

the number of his ^zyears is unsearchable.

27  For he draws up the drops of water;

they distill his ^amist in ^brain,

28  which ^cthe skies pour down

and drop on mankind abundantly.

29  Can anyone understand ^dthe spreading of the clouds,

the thunderings of his ^epavilion?

30  Behold, he scatters his lightning about him

and covers the roots of the sea.

31  For by these he ^fjudges peoples;

he gives ^gfood in abundance.

32  He covers his ^hhands with the lightning

and commands it to strike the mark.

33  Its crashing declares his presence;³

the cattle also declare that he rises.

1  “At this also my heart trembles

and leaps out of its place.

23  Then ^aIsrael came to Egypt;

Jacob ^bsojourned in ^cthe land of Ham.

24  And the Lord ^dmade his people very fruitful

and made them stronger than their foes.

25  He ^eturned their hearts to hate his people,

to ^fdeal craftily with his servants.

26  He ^gsent Moses, his servant,

and Aaron, ^hwhom he had chosen.

27  ⁱThey performed his signs among them

and miracles in ^cthe land of Ham.

28  He ^jsent darkness, and made the land dark;

they ^kdid not rebel¹ against his words.

29  He turned their waters into blood

and ^lcaused their fish to die.

19  That your trust may be in the Lord,

I have made them known to you today, even to you.

20  Have I not written for you ^sthirty sayings

of counsel and knowledge,