Bible in 90 Days

² “How long will you say such things?^(B)
    Your words are a blustering wind.^(C)
3 Does God pervert justice?^(D)
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?^(E)
4 When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.^(F)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead^(G) with the Almighty,^(H)
6 if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf^(I)
    and restore you to your prosperous state.^(J)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous^(K) will your future be.^(L)

⁸ “Ask the former generation^(M)
    and find out what their ancestors learned,
⁹ for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,^(N)
    and our days on earth are but a shadow.^(O)
10 Will they not instruct^(P) you and tell you?
    Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?^(Q)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?^(R)
    Can reeds^(S) thrive without water?
¹² While still growing and uncut,
    they wither more quickly than grass.^(T)
13 Such is the destiny^(U) of all who forget God;^(V)
    so perishes the hope of the godless.^(W)
14 What they trust in is fragile^[a];
    what they rely on is a spider’s web.^(X)
15 They lean on the web,^(Y) but it gives way;
    they cling to it, but it does not hold.^(Z)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
    spreading its shoots^(AA) over the garden;^(AB)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
    and looks for a place among the stones.
¹⁸ But when it is torn from its spot,
    that place disowns^(AC) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’^(AD)
19 Surely its life withers^(AE) away,
    and^[b] from the soil other plants grow.^(AF)

²⁰ “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless^(AG)
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.^(AH)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter^(AI)
    and your lips with shouts of joy.^(AJ)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,^(AK)
    and the tents^(AL) of the wicked will be no more.”^(AM)

² “Indeed, I know that this is true.
    But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?^(AN)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,^(AO)
    they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.^(AP)
4 His wisdom^(AQ) is profound, his power is vast.^(AR)
    Who has resisted^(AS) him and come out unscathed?^(AT)
5 He moves mountains^(AU) without their knowing it
    and overturns them in his anger.^(AV)
6 He shakes the earth^(AW) from its place
    and makes its pillars tremble.^(AX)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;^(AY)
    he seals off the light of the stars.^(AZ)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens^(BA)
    and treads on the waves of the sea.^(BB)
9 He is the Maker^(BC) of the Bear^[c] and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.^(BD)
10 He performs wonders^(BE) that cannot be fathomed,
    miracles that cannot be counted.^(BF)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
    when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.^(BG)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?^(BH)
    Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’^(BI)
13 God does not restrain his anger;^(BJ)
    even the cohorts of Rahab^(BK) cowered at his feet.

¹⁴ “How then can I dispute with him?
    How can I find words to argue with him?^(BL)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;^(BM)
    I could only plead^(BN) with my Judge^(BO) for mercy.^(BP)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
    I do not believe he would give me a hearing.^(BQ)
17 He would crush me^(BR) with a storm^(BS)
    and multiply^(BT) my wounds for no reason.^(BU)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
    but would overwhelm me with misery.^(BV)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!^(BW)
    And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him^[d]?^(BX)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
    if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.^(BY)

²¹ “Although I am blameless,^(BZ)
    I have no concern for myself;^(CA)
    I despise my own life.^(CB)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
    ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’^(CC)
23 When a scourge^(CD) brings sudden death,
    he mocks the despair of the innocent.^(CE)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,^(CF)
    he blindfolds its judges.^(CG)
    If it is not he, then who is it?^(CH)

²⁵ “My days are swifter than a runner;^(CI)
    they fly away without a glimpse of joy.^(CJ)
26 They skim past^(CK) like boats of papyrus,^(CL)
    like eagles swooping down on their prey.^(CM)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,^(CN)
    I will change my expression, and smile,’
²⁸ I still dread^(CO) all my sufferings,
    for I know you will not hold me innocent.^(CP)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
    why should I struggle in vain?^(CQ)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap^(CR)
    and my hands^(CS) with cleansing powder,^(CT)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit^(CU)
    so that even my clothes would detest me.^(CV)

³² “He is not a mere mortal^(CW) like me that I might answer him,^(CX)
    that we might confront each other in court.^(CY)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,^(CZ)
    someone to bring us together,^(DA)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,^(DB)
    so that his terror would frighten me no more.^(DC)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,^(DD)
    but as it now stands with me, I cannot.^(DE)

10 “I loathe my very life;^(DF)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.^(DG)
2 I say to God:^(DH) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges^(DI) you have against me.^(DJ)
3 Does it please you to oppress me,^(DK)
    to spurn the work of your hands,^(DL)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?^(DM)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?^(DN)
5 Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,^(DO)
6 that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin^(DP)—
⁷ though you know that I am not guilty^(DQ)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?^(DR)

⁸ “Your hands shaped^(DS) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?^(DT)
9 Remember that you molded me like clay.^(DU)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?^(DV)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
¹¹ clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together^(DW) with bones and sinews?
¹² You gave me life^(DX) and showed me kindness,^(DY)
    and in your providence^(DZ) watched over^(EA) my spirit.

¹³ “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:^(EB)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me^(EC)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.^(ED)
15 If I am guilty^(EE)—woe to me!^(EF)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,^(EG)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in^[e] my affliction.^(EH)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion^(EI)
    and again display your awesome power against me.^(EJ)
17 You bring new witnesses against me^(EK)
    and increase your anger toward me;^(EL)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.^(EM)

¹⁸ “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?^(EN)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.^(EO)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!^(EP)
20 Are not my few days^(EQ) almost over?^(ER)
    Turn away from me^(ES) so I can have a moment’s joy^(ET)
21 before I go to the place of no return,^(EU)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,^(EV)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness^(EW) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”^(EX)

² “Are all these words to go unanswered?^(EZ)
    Is this talker to be vindicated?^(FA)
3 Will your idle talk^(FB) reduce others to silence?
    Will no one rebuke you when you mock?^(FC)
4 You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawless^(FD)
    and I am pure^(FE) in your sight.’
⁵ Oh, how I wish that God would speak,^(FF)
    that he would open his lips against you
⁶ and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom,^(FG)
    for true wisdom has two sides.
    Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.^(FH)

⁷ “Can you fathom^(FI) the mysteries of God?
    Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
⁸ They are higher^(FJ) than the heavens^(FK) above—what can you do?
    They are deeper than the depths below^(FL)—what can you know?^(FM)
9 Their measure^(FN) is longer than the earth
    and wider than the sea.^(FO)

¹⁰ “If he comes along and confines you in prison
    and convenes a court, who can oppose him?^(FP)
11 Surely he recognizes deceivers;
    and when he sees evil, does he not take note?^(FQ)
12 But the witless can no more become wise
    than a wild donkey’s colt^(FR) can be born human.^[f](FS)

¹³ “Yet if you devote your heart^(FT) to him
    and stretch out your hands^(FU) to him,^(FV)
14 if you put away^(FW) the sin that is in your hand
    and allow no evil^(FX) to dwell in your tent,^(FY)
15 then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;^(FZ)
    you will stand firm^(GA) and without fear.^(GB)
16 You will surely forget your trouble,^(GC)
    recalling it only as waters gone by.^(GD)
17 Life will be brighter than noonday,^(GE)
    and darkness will become like morning.^(GF)
18 You will be secure, because there is hope;
    you will look about you and take your rest^(GG) in safety.^(GH)
19 You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,^(GI)
    and many will court your favor.^(GJ)
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,^(GK)
    and escape will elude them;^(GL)
    their hope will become a dying gasp.”^(GM)

² “Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
    and wisdom will die with you!^(GN)
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know all these things?^(GO)

⁴ “I have become a laughingstock^(GP) to my friends,^(GQ)
    though I called on God and he answered^(GR)—
    a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!^(GS)
5 Those who are at ease have contempt^(GT) for misfortune
    as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.^(GU)
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed,^(GV)
    and those who provoke God are secure^(GW)—
    those God has in his hand.^[g]

⁷ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,^(GX)
    or the birds in the sky,^(GY) and they will tell you;^(GZ)
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish in the sea inform you.
⁹ Which of all these does not know^(HA)
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?^(HB)
10 In his hand is the life^(HC) of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.^(HD)
11 Does not the ear test words
    as the tongue tastes food?^(HE)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?^(HF)
    Does not long life bring understanding?^(HG)

¹³ “To God belong wisdom^(HH) and power;^(HI)
    counsel and understanding are his.^(HJ)
14 What he tears down^(HK) cannot be rebuilt;^(HL)
    those he imprisons cannot be released.^(HM)
15 If he holds back the waters,^(HN) there is drought;^(HO)
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.^(HP)
16 To him belong strength and insight;^(HQ)
    both deceived and deceiver are his.^(HR)
17 He leads rulers away stripped^(HS)
    and makes fools of judges.^(HT)
18 He takes off the shackles^(HU) put on by kings
    and ties a loincloth^[h] around their waist.^(HV)
19 He leads priests away stripped^(HW)
    and overthrows officials long established.^(HX)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
    and takes away the discernment of elders.^(HY)
21 He pours contempt on nobles^(HZ)
    and disarms the mighty.^(IA)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness^(IB)
    and brings utter darkness^(IC) into the light.^(ID)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;^(IE)
    he enlarges nations,^(IF) and disperses them.^(IG)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;^(IH)
    he makes them wander in a trackless waste.^(II)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;^(IJ)
    he makes them stagger like drunkards.^(IK)

13 “My eyes have seen all this,^(IL)
    my ears have heard and understood it.
² What you know, I also know;
    I am not inferior to you.^(IM)
3 But I desire to speak to the Almighty^(IN)
    and to argue my case with God.^(IO)
4 You, however, smear me with lies;^(IP)
    you are worthless physicians,^(IQ) all of you!^(IR)
5 If only you would be altogether silent!^(IS)
    For you, that would be wisdom.^(IT)
6 Hear now my argument;
    listen to the pleas of my lips.^(IU)
7 Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?
    Will you speak deceitfully for him?^(IV)
8 Will you show him partiality?^(IW)
    Will you argue the case for God?
⁹ Would it turn out well if he examined you?^(IX)
    Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?^(IY)
10 He would surely call you to account
    if you secretly showed partiality.^(IZ)
11 Would not his splendor^(JA) terrify you?
    Would not the dread of him fall on you?^(JB)
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
    your defenses are defenses of clay.^(JC)

¹³ “Keep silent^(JD) and let me speak;^(JE)
    then let come to me what may.^(JF)
14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy
    and take my life in my hands?^(JG)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope^(JH) in him;^(JI)
    I will surely^[i] defend my ways to his face.^(JJ)
16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,^(JK)
    for no godless^(JL) person would dare come before him!^(JM)
17 Listen carefully to what I say;^(JN)
    let my words ring in your ears.
¹⁸ Now that I have prepared my case,^(JO)
    I know I will be vindicated.^(JP)
19 Can anyone bring charges against me?^(JQ)
    If so, I will be silent^(JR) and die.^(JS)

²⁰ “Only grant me these two things, God,
    and then I will not hide from you:
²¹ Withdraw your hand^(JT) far from me,
    and stop frightening me with your terrors.^(JU)
22 Then summon me and I will answer,^(JV)
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.^(JW)
23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?^(JX)
    Show me my offense and my sin.^(JY)
24 Why do you hide your face^(JZ)
    and consider me your enemy?^(KA)
25 Will you torment^(KB) a windblown leaf?^(KC)
    Will you chase^(KD) after dry chaff?^(KE)
26 For you write down bitter things against me
    and make me reap the sins of my youth.^(KF)
27 You fasten my feet in shackles;^(KG)
    you keep close watch on all my paths^(KH)
    by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

²⁸ “So man wastes away like something rotten,
    like a garment^(KI) eaten by moths.^(KJ)

14 “Mortals, born of woman,^(KK)
    are of few days^(KL) and full of trouble.^(KM)
2 They spring up like flowers^(KN) and wither away;^(KO)
    like fleeting shadows,^(KP) they do not endure.^(KQ)
3 Do you fix your eye on them?^(KR)
    Will you bring them^[j] before you for judgment?^(KS)
4 Who can bring what is pure^(KT) from the impure?^(KU)
    No one!^(KV)
5 A person’s days are determined;^(KW)
    you have decreed the number of his months^(KX)
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.^(KY)
6 So look away from him and let him alone,^(KZ)
    till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.^(LA)

⁷ “At least there is hope for a tree:^(LB)
    If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
    and its new shoots^(LC) will not fail.^(LD)
8 Its roots may grow old in the ground
    and its stump^(LE) die in the soil,
⁹ yet at the scent of water^(LF) it will bud
    and put forth shoots like a plant.^(LG)
10 But a man dies and is laid low;^(LH)
    he breathes his last and is no more.^(LI)
11 As the water of a lake dries up
    or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,^(LJ)
12 so he lies down and does not rise;^(LK)
    till the heavens are no more,^(LL) people will not awake
    or be roused from their sleep.^(LM)

¹³ “If only you would hide me in the grave^(LN)
    and conceal me till your anger has passed!^(LO)
If only you would set me a time
    and then remember^(LP) me!^(LQ)
14 If someone dies, will they live again?
    All the days of my hard service^(LR)
    I will wait for my renewal^[k](LS) to come.
¹⁵ You will call and I will answer you;^(LT)
    you will long for the creature your hands have made.^(LU)
16 Surely then you will count my steps^(LV)
    but not keep track of my sin.^(LW)
17 My offenses will be sealed^(LX) up in a bag;^(LY)
    you will cover over my sin.^(LZ)

¹⁸ “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles^(MA)
    and as a rock is moved from its place,^(MB)
19 as water wears away stones
    and torrents^(MC) wash away the soil,^(MD)
    so you destroy a person’s hope.^(ME)
20 You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;^(MF)
    you change their countenance and send them away.^(MG)
21 If their children are honored, they do not know it;
    if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.^(MH)
22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies^(MI)
    and mourn only for themselves.^(MJ)”

² “Would a wise person answer with empty notions
    or fill their belly with the hot east wind?^(ML)
3 Would they argue with useless words,
    with speeches that have no value?^(MM)
4 But you even undermine piety
    and hinder devotion to God.^(MN)
5 Your sin^(MO) prompts your mouth;^(MP)
    you adopt the tongue of the crafty.^(MQ)
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
    your own lips testify against you.^(MR)

⁷ “Are you the first man ever born?^(MS)
    Were you brought forth before the hills?^(MT)
8 Do you listen in on God’s council?^(MU)
    Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?^(MV)
9 What do you know that we do not know?
    What insights do you have that we do not have?^(MW)
10 The gray-haired and the aged^(MX) are on our side,
    men even older than your father.^(MY)
11 Are God’s consolations^(MZ) not enough for you,
    words^(NA) spoken gently to you?^(NB)
12 Why has your heart^(NC) carried you away,
    and why do your eyes flash,
¹³ so that you vent your rage^(ND) against God
    and pour out such words^(NE) from your mouth?^(NF)

¹⁴ “What are mortals, that they could be pure,
    or those born of woman,^(NG) that they could be righteous?^(NH)
15 If God places no trust in his holy ones,^(NI)
    if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,^(NJ)
16 how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt,^(NK)
    who drink up evil^(NL) like water!^(NM)

¹⁷ “Listen to me and I will explain to you;
    let me tell you what I have seen,^(NN)
18 what the wise have declared,
    hiding nothing received from their ancestors^(NO)
19 (to whom alone the land^(NP) was given
    when no foreigners moved among them):
²⁰ All his days the wicked man suffers torment,^(NQ)
    the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.^(NR)
21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears;^(NS)
    when all seems well, marauders attack him.^(NT)
22 He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness;^(NU)
    he is marked for the sword.^(NV)
23 He wanders about^(NW) for food like a vulture;^(NX)
    he knows the day of darkness^(NY) is at hand.^(NZ)
24 Distress and anguish^(OA) fill him with terror;^(OB)
    troubles overwhelm him, like a king^(OC) poised to attack,
²⁵ because he shakes his fist^(OD) at God
    and vaunts himself against the Almighty,^(OE)
26 defiantly charging against him
    with a thick, strong shield.^(OF)

²⁷ “Though his face is covered with fat
    and his waist bulges with flesh,^(OG)
28 he will inhabit ruined towns
    and houses where no one lives,^(OH)
    houses crumbling to rubble.^(OI)
29 He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure,^(OJ)
    nor will his possessions spread over the land.^(OK)
30 He will not escape the darkness;^(OL)
    a flame^(OM) will wither his shoots,^(ON)
    and the breath of God’s mouth^(OO) will carry him away.^(OP)
31 Let him not deceive^(OQ) himself by trusting what is worthless,^(OR)
    for he will get nothing in return.^(OS)
32 Before his time^(OT) he will wither,^(OU)
    and his branches will not flourish.^(OV)
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,^(OW)
    like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.^(OX)
34 For the company of the godless^(OY) will be barren,
    and fire will consume^(OZ) the tents of those who love bribes.^(PA)
35 They conceive trouble^(PB) and give birth to evil;^(PC)
    their womb fashions deceit.”

² “I have heard many things like these;
    you are miserable comforters,^(PD) all of you!^(PE)
3 Will your long-winded speeches never end?^(PF)
    What ails you that you keep on arguing?^(PG)
4 I also could speak like you,
    if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
    and shake my head^(PH) at you.
⁵ But my mouth would encourage you;
    comfort^(PI) from my lips would bring you relief.^(PJ)

⁶ “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
    and if I refrain, it does not go away.^(PK)
7 Surely, God, you have worn me out;^(PL)
    you have devastated my entire household.^(PM)
8 You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
    my gauntness^(PN) rises up and testifies against me.^(PO)
9 God assails me and tears^(PP) me in his anger^(PQ)
    and gnashes his teeth at me;^(PR)
    my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.^(PS)
10 People open their mouths^(PT) to jeer at me;^(PU)
    they strike my cheek^(PV) in scorn
    and unite together against me.^(PW)
11 God has turned me over to the ungodly
    and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.^(PX)
12 All was well with me, but he shattered me;
    he seized me by the neck and crushed me.^(PY)
He has made me his target;^(PZ)
13     his archers surround me.^(QA)
Without pity, he pierces^(QB) my kidneys
    and spills my gall on the ground.
¹⁴ Again and again^(QC) he bursts upon me;
    he rushes at me like a warrior.^(QD)

¹⁵ “I have sewed sackcloth^(QE) over my skin
    and buried my brow in the dust.^(QF)
16 My face is red with weeping,^(QG)
    dark shadows ring my eyes;^(QH)
17 yet my hands have been free of violence^(QI)
    and my prayer is pure.^(QJ)

¹⁸ “Earth, do not cover my blood;^(QK)
    may my cry^(QL) never be laid to rest!^(QM)
19 Even now my witness^(QN) is in heaven;^(QO)
    my advocate is on high.^(QP)
20 My intercessor^(QQ) is my friend^[l](QR)
    as my eyes pour out^(QS) tears^(QT) to God;
²¹ on behalf of a man he pleads^(QU) with God
    as one pleads for a friend.

²² “Only a few years will pass
    before I take the path of no return.^(QV)

³ “Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.^(RB)
    Who else will put up security^(RC) for me?^(RD)
4 You have closed their minds to understanding;^(RE)
    therefore you will not let them triumph.
⁵ If anyone denounces their friends for reward,^(RF)
    the eyes of their children will fail.^(RG)

⁶ “God has made me a byword^(RH) to everyone,^(RI)
    a man in whose face people spit.^(RJ)
7 My eyes have grown dim with grief;^(RK)
    my whole frame is but a shadow.^(RL)
8 The upright are appalled at this;
    the innocent are aroused^(RM) against the ungodly.
⁹ Nevertheless, the righteous^(RN) will hold to their ways,
    and those with clean hands^(RO) will grow stronger.^(RP)

¹⁰ “But come on, all of you, try again!
    I will not find a wise man among you.^(RQ)
11 My days have passed,^(RR) my plans are shattered.
    Yet the desires of my heart^(RS)
12 turn night into day;^(RT)
    in the face of the darkness light is near.^(RU)
13 If the only home I hope for is the grave,^(RV)
    if I spread out my bed^(RW) in the realm of darkness,^(RX)
14 if I say to corruption,^(RY) ‘You are my father,’
    and to the worm,^(RZ) ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’
¹⁵ where then is my hope—^(SA)
    who can see any hope for me?^(SB)
16 Will it go down to the gates of death?^(SC)
    Will we descend together into the dust?”^(SD)

² “When will you end these speeches?^(SF)
    Be sensible, and then we can talk.
³ Why are we regarded as cattle^(SG)
    and considered stupid in your sight?^(SH)
4 You who tear yourself^(SI) to pieces in your anger,^(SJ)
    is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?
    Or must the rocks be moved from their place?^(SK)

⁵ “The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out;^(SL)
    the flame of his fire stops burning.^(SM)
6 The light in his tent^(SN) becomes dark;^(SO)
    the lamp beside him goes out.^(SP)
7 The vigor^(SQ) of his step is weakened;^(SR)
    his own schemes^(SS) throw him down.^(ST)
8 His feet thrust him into a net;^(SU)
    he wanders into its mesh.
⁹ A trap seizes him by the heel;
    a snare^(SV) holds him fast.^(SW)
10 A noose^(SX) is hidden for him on the ground;
    a trap^(SY) lies in his path.^(SZ)
11 Terrors^(TA) startle him on every side^(TB)
    and dog^(TC) his every step.
¹² Calamity^(TD) is hungry^(TE) for him;
    disaster^(TF) is ready for him when he falls.^(TG)
13 It eats away parts of his skin;^(TH)
    death’s firstborn devours his limbs.^(TI)
14 He is torn from the security of his tent^(TJ)
    and marched off to the king^(TK) of terrors.^(TL)
15 Fire resides^[m] in his tent;^(TM)
    burning sulfur^(TN) is scattered over his dwelling.
¹⁶ His roots dry up below^(TO)
    and his branches wither above.^(TP)
17 The memory of him perishes from the earth;^(TQ)
    he has no name^(TR) in the land.^(TS)
18 He is driven from light into the realm of darkness^(TT)
    and is banished^(TU) from the world.^(TV)
19 He has no offspring^(TW) or descendants^(TX) among his people,
    no survivor^(TY) where once he lived.^(TZ)
20 People of the west are appalled^(UA) at his fate;^(UB)
    those of the east are seized with horror.
²¹ Surely such is the dwelling^(UC) of an evil man;^(UD)
    such is the place^(UE) of one who does not know God.”^(UF)

² “How long will you torment^(UG) me
    and crush^(UH) me with words?
³ Ten times^(UI) now you have reproached^(UJ) me;
    shamelessly you attack me.
⁴ If it is true that I have gone astray,
    my error^(UK) remains my concern alone.
⁵ If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me^(UL)
    and use my humiliation against me,
⁶ then know that God has wronged me^(UM)
    and drawn his net^(UN) around me.^(UO)

⁷ “Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response;^(UP)
    though I call for help,^(UQ) there is no justice.^(UR)
8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;^(US)
    he has shrouded my paths in darkness.^(UT)
9 He has stripped^(UU) me of my honor^(UV)
    and removed the crown from my head.^(UW)
10 He tears me down^(UX) on every side till I am gone;
    he uproots my hope^(UY) like a tree.^(UZ)
11 His anger^(VA) burns against me;
    he counts me among his enemies.^(VB)
12 His troops advance in force;^(VC)
    they build a siege ramp^(VD) against me
    and encamp around my tent.^(VE)

¹³ “He has alienated my family^(VF) from me;
    my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.^(VG)
14 My relatives have gone away;
    my closest friends^(VH) have forgotten me.
¹⁵ My guests^(VI) and my female servants^(VJ) count me a foreigner;
    they look on me as on a stranger.
¹⁶ I summon my servant, but he does not answer,
    though I beg him with my own mouth.
¹⁷ My breath is offensive to my wife;
    I am loathsome^(VK) to my own family.
¹⁸ Even the little boys^(VL) scorn me;
    when I appear, they ridicule me.^(VM)
19 All my intimate friends^(VN) detest me;^(VO)
    those I love have turned against me.^(VP)
20 I am nothing but skin and bones;^(VQ)
    I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.^[n]

²¹ “Have pity on me, my friends,^(VR) have pity,
    for the hand of God has struck^(VS) me.
²² Why do you pursue^(VT) me as God does?^(VU)
    Will you never get enough of my flesh?^(VV)

²³ “Oh, that my words were recorded,
    that they were written on a scroll,^(VW)
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool^(VX) on^[o] lead,
    or engraved in rock forever!^(VY)
25 I know that my redeemer^[p](VZ) lives,^(WA)
    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.^[q]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
    yet^[r] in^[s] my flesh I will see God;^(WB)
27 I myself will see him
    with my own eyes^(WC)—I, and not another.
    How my heart yearns^(WD) within me!

²⁸ “If you say, ‘How we will hound^(WE) him,
    since the root of the trouble lies in him,^[t]’
²⁹ you should fear the sword yourselves;
    for wrath will bring punishment by the sword,^(WF)
    and then you will know that there is judgment.^[u]”^(WG)

² “My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
    because I am greatly disturbed.^(WI)
3 I hear a rebuke^(WJ) that dishonors me,
    and my understanding inspires me to reply.

⁴ “Surely you know how it has been from of old,^(WK)
    ever since mankind^[v] was placed on the earth,
⁵ that the mirth of the wicked^(WL) is brief,
    the joy of the godless^(WM) lasts but a moment.^(WN)
6 Though the pride^(WO) of the godless person reaches to the heavens^(WP)
    and his head touches the clouds,^(WQ)
7 he will perish forever,^(WR) like his own dung;
    those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’^(WS)
8 Like a dream^(WT) he flies away,^(WU) no more to be found,
    banished^(WV) like a vision of the night.^(WW)
9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;
    his place will look on him no more.^(WX)
10 His children^(WY) must make amends to the poor;
    his own hands must give back his wealth.^(WZ)
11 The youthful vigor^(XA) that fills his bones^(XB)
    will lie with him in the dust.^(XC)

¹² “Though evil^(XD) is sweet in his mouth
    and he hides it under his tongue,^(XE)
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
    and lets it linger in his mouth,^(XF)
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;^(XG)
    it will become the venom of serpents^(XH) within him.
¹⁵ He will spit out the riches^(XI) he swallowed;
    God will make his stomach vomit^(XJ) them up.
¹⁶ He will suck the poison^(XK) of serpents;
    the fangs of an adder will kill him.^(XL)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
    the rivers^(XM) flowing with honey^(XN) and cream.^(XO)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;^(XP)
    he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.^(XQ)
19 For he has oppressed the poor^(XR) and left them destitute;^(XS)
    he has seized houses^(XT) he did not build.

²⁰ “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;^(XU)
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.^(XV)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.^(XW)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;^(XX)
    the full force of misery will come upon him.^(XY)
23 When he has filled his belly,^(XZ)
    God will vent his burning anger^(YA) against him
    and rain down his blows on him.^(YB)
24 Though he flees^(YC) from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.^(YD)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors^(YE) will come over him;^(YF)
26     total darkness^(YG) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire^(YH) unfanned will consume him^(YI)
    and devour what is left in his tent.^(YJ)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.^(YK)
28 A flood will carry off his house,^(YL)
    rushing waters^[w] on the day of God’s wrath.^(YM)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”^(YN)

² “Listen carefully to my words;^(YO)
    let this be the consolation you give me.^(YP)
3 Bear with me while I speak,
    and after I have spoken, mock on.^(YQ)

⁴ “Is my complaint^(YR) directed to a human being?
    Why should I not be impatient?^(YS)
5 Look at me and be appalled;
    clap your hand over your mouth.^(YT)
6 When I think about this, I am terrified;^(YU)
    trembling seizes my body.^(YV)
7 Why do the wicked live on,
    growing old and increasing in power?^(YW)
8 They see their children established around them,
    their offspring before their eyes.^(YX)
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;^(YY)
    the rod of God is not on them.^(YZ)
10 Their bulls never fail to breed;
    their cows calve and do not miscarry.^(ZA)
11 They send forth their children as a flock;^(ZB)
    their little ones dance about.
¹² They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;^(ZC)
    they make merry to the sound of the pipe.^(ZD)
13 They spend their years in prosperity^(ZE)
    and go down to the grave^(ZF) in peace.^[x](ZG)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!^(ZH)
    We have no desire to know your ways.^(ZI)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
    What would we gain by praying to him?’^(ZJ)
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.^(ZK)

¹⁷ “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?^(ZL)
    How often does calamity^(ZM) come upon them,
    the fate God allots in his anger?^(ZN)
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
    like chaff^(ZO) swept away^(ZP) by a gale?^(ZQ)
19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’^(ZR)
    Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!^(ZS)
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;^(ZT)
    let them drink^(ZU) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.^(ZV)
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind^(ZW)
    when their allotted months^(ZX) come to an end?^(ZY)

²² “Can anyone teach knowledge to God,^(ZZ)
    since he judges even the highest?^(AAA)
23 One person dies in full vigor,^(AAB)
    completely secure and at ease,^(AAC)
24 well nourished^(AAD) in body,^[y]
    bones^(AAE) rich with marrow.^(AAF)
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,^(AAG)
    never having enjoyed anything good.
²⁶ Side by side they lie in the dust,^(AAH)
    and worms^(AAI) cover them both.^(AAJ)

²⁷ “I know full well what you are thinking,
    the schemes by which you would wrong me.
²⁸ You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,^(AAK)
    the tents where the wicked lived?’^(AAL)
29 Have you never questioned those who travel?
    Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
³⁰ that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,^(AAM)
    that they are delivered from^[z] the day of wrath?^(AAN)
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?
    Who repays them for what they have done?^(AAO)
32 They are carried to the grave,
    and watch is kept over their tombs.^(AAP)
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;^(AAQ)
    everyone follows after them,
    and a countless throng goes^[aa] before them.^(AAR)

³⁴ “So how can you console me^(AAS) with your nonsense?
    Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”^(AAT)

² “Can a man be of benefit to God?^(AAV)
    Can even a wise person benefit him?^(AAW)
3 What pleasure^(AAX) would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?^(AAY)
    What would he gain if your ways were blameless?^(AAZ)

⁴ “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
    and brings charges against you?^(ABA)
5 Is not your wickedness great?
    Are not your sins^(ABB) endless?^(ABC)
6 You demanded security^(ABD) from your relatives for no reason;^(ABE)
    you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.^(ABF)
7 You gave no water^(ABG) to the weary
    and you withheld food from the hungry,^(ABH)
8 though you were a powerful man, owning land^(ABI)—
    an honored man,^(ABJ) living on it.^(ABK)
9 And you sent widows^(ABL) away empty-handed^(ABM)
    and broke the strength of the fatherless.^(ABN)
10 That is why snares^(ABO) are all around you,^(ABP)
    why sudden peril terrifies you,^(ABQ)
11 why it is so dark^(ABR) you cannot see,
    and why a flood of water covers you.^(ABS)

¹² “Is not God in the heights of heaven?^(ABT)
    And see how lofty are the highest stars!
¹³ Yet you say, ‘What does God know?^(ABU)
    Does he judge through such darkness?^(ABV)
14 Thick clouds^(ABW) veil him, so he does not see us^(ABX)
    as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’^(ABY)
15 Will you keep to the old path
    that the wicked^(ABZ) have trod?^(ACA)
16 They were carried off before their time,^(ACB)
    their foundations^(ACC) washed away by a flood.^(ACD)
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    What can the Almighty do to us?’^(ACE)
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,^(ACF)
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.^(ACG)
19 The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;^(ACH)
    the innocent mock^(ACI) them, saying,
²⁰ ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,^(ACJ)
    and fire^(ACK) devours their wealth.’

²¹ “Submit to God and be at peace^(ACL) with him;^(ACM)
    in this way prosperity will come to you.^(ACN)
22 Accept instruction from his mouth^(ACO)
    and lay up his words^(ACP) in your heart.^(ACQ)
23 If you return^(ACR) to the Almighty, you will be restored:^(ACS)
    If you remove wickedness far from your tent^(ACT)
24 and assign your nuggets^(ACU) to the dust,
    your gold^(ACV) of Ophir^(ACW) to the rocks in the ravines,^(ACX)
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,^(ACY)
    the choicest silver for you.^(ACZ)
26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty^(ADA)
    and will lift up your face^(ADB) to God.^(ADC)
27 You will pray to him,^(ADD) and he will hear you,^(ADE)
    and you will fulfill your vows.^(ADF)
28 What you decide on will be done,^(ADG)
    and light^(ADH) will shine on your ways.^(ADI)
29 When people are brought low^(ADJ) and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
    then he will save the downcast.^(ADK)
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,^(ADL)
    who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”^(ADM)

² “Even today my complaint^(ADN) is bitter;^(ADO)
    his hand^[ab] is heavy in spite of^[ac] my groaning.^(ADP)
3 If only I knew where to find him;
    if only I could go to his dwelling!^(ADQ)
4 I would state my case^(ADR) before him
    and fill my mouth with arguments.^(ADS)
5 I would find out what he would answer me,^(ADT)
    and consider what he would say to me.
⁶ Would he vigorously oppose me?^(ADU)
    No, he would not press charges against me.^(ADV)
7 There the upright^(ADW) can establish their innocence before him,^(ADX)
    and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.^(ADY)

⁸ “But if I go to the east, he is not there;
    if I go to the west, I do not find him.
⁹ When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
    when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.^(ADZ)
10 But he knows the way that I take;^(AEA)
    when he has tested me,^(AEB) I will come forth as gold.^(AEC)
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;^(AED)
    I have kept to his way without turning aside.^(AEE)
12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;^(AEF)
    I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.^(AEG)

¹³ “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?^(AEH)
    He does whatever he pleases.^(AEI)
14 He carries out his decree against me,
    and many such plans he still has in store.^(AEJ)
15 That is why I am terrified before him;^(AEK)
    when I think of all this, I fear him.^(AEL)
16 God has made my heart faint;^(AEM)
    the Almighty^(AEN) has terrified me.^(AEO)
17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,^(AEP)
    by the thick darkness that covers my face.

24 “Why does the Almighty not set times^(AEQ) for judgment?^(AER)
    Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?^(AES)
2 There are those who move boundary stones;^(AET)
    they pasture flocks they have stolen.^(AEU)
3 They drive away the orphan’s donkey
    and take the widow’s ox in pledge.^(AEV)
4 They thrust the needy^(AEW) from the path
    and force all the poor^(AEX) of the land into hiding.^(AEY)
5 Like wild donkeys^(AEZ) in the desert,
    the poor go about their labor^(AFA) of foraging food;
    the wasteland^(AFB) provides food for their children.
⁶ They gather fodder^(AFC) in the fields
    and glean in the vineyards^(AFD) of the wicked.^(AFE)
7 Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked;
    they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.^(AFF)
8 They are drenched^(AFG) by mountain rains
    and hug^(AFH) the rocks for lack of shelter.^(AFI)
9 The fatherless^(AFJ) child is snatched^(AFK) from the breast;
    the infant of the poor is seized^(AFL) for a debt.^(AFM)
10 Lacking clothes, they go about naked;^(AFN)
    they carry the sheaves,^(AFO) but still go hungry.
¹¹ They crush olives among the terraces^[ad];
    they tread the winepresses,^(AFP) yet suffer thirst.^(AFQ)
12 The groans of the dying rise from the city,
    and the souls of the wounded cry out for help.^(AFR)
    But God charges no one with wrongdoing.^(AFS)

¹³ “There are those who rebel against the light,^(AFT)
    who do not know its ways
    or stay in its paths.^(AFU)
14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up,
    kills^(AFV) the poor and needy,^(AFW)
    and in the night steals forth like a thief.^(AFX)
15 The eye of the adulterer^(AFY) watches for dusk;^(AFZ)
    he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’^(AGA)
    and he keeps his face concealed.
¹⁶ In the dark, thieves break into houses,^(AGB)
    but by day they shut themselves in;
    they want nothing to do with the light.^(AGC)
17 For all of them, midnight is their morning;
    they make friends with the terrors^(AGD) of darkness.^(AGE)

¹⁸ “Yet they are foam^(AGF) on the surface of the water;^(AGG)
    their portion of the land is cursed,^(AGH)
    so that no one goes to the vineyards.^(AGI)
19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,^(AGJ)
    so the grave^(AGK) snatches away those who have sinned.
²⁰ The womb forgets them,
    the worm^(AGL) feasts on them;^(AGM)
the wicked are no longer remembered^(AGN)
    but are broken like a tree.^(AGO)
21 They prey on the barren and childless woman,
    and to the widow they show no kindness.^(AGP)
22 But God drags away the mighty by his power;^(AGQ)
    though they become established,^(AGR) they have no assurance of life.^(AGS)
23 He may let them rest in a feeling of security,^(AGT)
    but his eyes^(AGU) are on their ways.^(AGV)
24 For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone;^(AGW)
    they are brought low and gathered up like all others;^(AGX)
    they are cut off like heads of grain.^(AGY)

²⁵ “If this is not so, who can prove me false
    and reduce my words to nothing?”^(AGZ)