Job

2* “Is quantity of talk to go unanswered,

or a loose-tongued man to pass for having right on his side?

3 Are your fine words to silence men,

and are you to scoff uncriticized

4 And say ‘My doctrine is flawless

and I was irreproachable under your eyes’?

5 But I would that God would speak

and open his lips to debate with you,

6 And tell you the secrets of wisdom,

because he is double in sense!

Know that God is overlooking part of your guilt!

7 Will you explore God

or exhaustively investigate Shaddai?

8* Higher than the sky—what will you do?

deeper than the realm of death—what will you know?

9 Its measure is longer than the earth

and wider than the sky.

10 If he goes past and locks a door

and convenes a court, who will turn him back?

11 For he knows paltry men

and sees villainy without paying attention.

12* But an empty-headed man gets brains

when a wild ass’s colt is born human.

13 If you condition your heart

and spread out your hands to him,

14 If there is villainy in your hands put it far away,

and let foul play not lodge in your tents,

15 Why, then you will lift your face out of discredit

and be in hard straits and not be afraid,

16 Because you will forget trouble,

will remember it like water that has run past,

17 Life will stand up to surpass noontime,

dusk will be like daybreak,

18 And you will rest assured, because there is hope,

will look about at everything and go to bed in security

19 And lie with no one to alarm you,

and many will seek your favor.

20 But wrong-doers’ eyes will wear out with watching,

they will not have any place left to run to,

and their hope will be exhaustion of heart.”