He

He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.

He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.

Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.

Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.

If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’

If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.

If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.

For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.

He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.

If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.

If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him?

Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?

Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?

Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?

I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.

What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.

What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.

If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.

If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.

He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.

He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.

He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.

He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.

He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.

He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.

He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.

He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.

They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.

Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him as you would deceive a man?

Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.

Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.

Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.

Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.

Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that he cannot exceed,

…look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.

But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?

But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?

…so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep.

When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my renewal comes.

You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.

If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.

If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.

He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”

Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose?

What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.

He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.

He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.

He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.

For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,

…he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.

He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.

He will not escape from the darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.

He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.

Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family.

His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes.

God has delivered me to unjust men; He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked.

I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;

I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;

I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;

His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground.

He breaks me with wound upon wound; He rushes me like a mighty warrior.

He breaks me with wound upon wound; He rushes me like a mighty warrior.

Oh, that a man might plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor!

He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit.

For his own feet lead him into a net, and he wanders into its mesh.

He is torn from the shelter of his tent and is marched off to the king of terrors.

The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the land.

He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world.

He has no offspring or posterity among his people, no survivor where he once lived.

He has no offspring or posterity among his people, no survivor where he once lived.

He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; He has veiled my paths with darkness.

He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; He has veiled my paths with darkness.

He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head.

He tears me down on every side until I am gone; He uproots my hope like a tree.

He tears me down on every side until I am gone; He uproots my hope like a tree.

His anger burns against me, and He counts me among His enemies.

He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me.

I call for my servant, but he does not answer, though I implore him with my own mouth.

But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth.

…he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’

…he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’

He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.

He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.

Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,

…though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,

He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.

He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.

He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.

He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.

He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.