² “Hear my words, you men who think you are wise.
    Listen to me, you men who think you know a lot.
³ The ear tests words
    as the tongue tastes food.
⁴ Let’s decide for ourselves what is right.
    And let’s learn together what is good.

⁵ “Job says, ‘I am not guilty.
    But God has refused me a fair trial.
⁶ Instead of getting a fair trial,
    I am called a liar.
I have been seriously hurt,
    even though I have not sinned.’
⁷ There is no other man like Job.
    He takes insults as if he were drinking water.
⁸ He is around people who do evil.
    He spends time with wicked men.
⁹ This is because he says, ‘It does not help a man
    to try and please God.’

¹⁰ “So listen to me, you who can understand.
    God All-Powerful can never do wrong!
    It is impossible for God to do evil.
¹¹ God pays a person back for what he has done.
    God gives him what his actions deserve.
¹² Truly God will never do wrong!
    God All-Powerful will never twist what is right.
¹³ No one chose God to rule over the earth.
    No one put him in charge of the whole world.
¹⁴ God could decide
    to take away his spirit and breath.
¹⁵ If he did, all people would die together.
    And they would all turn back into dust.

¹⁶ “If you can understand, hear this.
    Listen to what I have to say.
¹⁷ Can anyone govern who hates what is right?
    How can you blame God who is both fair and powerful?
¹⁸ God is the one who says to kings, ‘You are worth nothing.’
    And he says to important people, ‘You are evil.’
¹⁹ God is not better to princes than other people.
    He is not better to rich people than poor people.
    This is because he made them all with his own hands.
²⁰ They can die in a moment, in the middle of the night.
    The rich are struck down, and then they pass away.
    Powerful people die without man’s help.

²¹ “God watches where people go.
    He sees every step they take.
²² There is no dark place or deep shadow
    where those who do evil can hide from God.
²³ God does not need to watch people more closely.
    He does not need for men to come before him for judging.
²⁴ Without asking questions, God breaks powerful people into pieces.
    And he puts other people in their place.
²⁵ This is because God knows what people do.
    He defeats them in the night, and they are crushed.
²⁶ He punishes them for the evil things they do.
    He does it so that everyone else can watch.
²⁷ This is because they stopped following God.
    They did not care about any of his ways.
²⁸ God lets the cry of poor people reach him.
    He hears the cry of the needy.
²⁹ But if God keeps quiet, who can blame him?
    If he hides his face, no one can see him.
But God still rules over both men and nations.
³⁰     He still keeps wicked men from ruling.
    And he keeps them from trapping others.

³¹ “But suppose such a man says to God,
    ‘I am guilty, but I will not sin anymore.
³² Teach me what I cannot see.
    If I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
³³ So, Job, should God reward you the way you want
    when you will not change your heart and life?
You must decide, not I.
    So tell me what you know.

³⁴ “Men who understand speak.
    And wise men who hear me say,
³⁵ ‘Job speaks without knowing what is true.
    His words show he does not understand.’
³⁶ I wish Job would be tested completely
    because he answered like an evil man!
³⁷ Job has sinned, and now he turns against God.
    He claps his hands as an insult.
    And he speaks more and more against God.”