¹⁰ “Therefore, hear me, you who have sense,
    far be it from God that he should do wickedness,
    and from the Almighty^[a] that he should do wrong.
¹¹ For according to their deeds he will repay them,
    and according to their ways he will make it befall them.
¹² Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
    and the Almighty^[b] will not pervert justice.
¹³ Who gave him charge over the earth
    and who laid on him^[c] the whole world?
¹⁴ If he should take back his spirit^[d] to himself,
    and gather to himself his breath,
¹⁵ all flesh would perish together,
    and all mortals return to dust.

¹⁶ “If you have understanding, hear this;
    listen to what I say.
¹⁷ Shall one who hates justice govern?
    Will you condemn one who is righteous and mighty,
¹⁸ who says to a king, ‘You scoundrel!’
    and to princes, ‘You wicked men!’;
¹⁹ who shows no partiality to nobles,
    nor regards the rich more than the poor,
    for they are all the work of his hands?
²⁰ In a moment they die;
    at midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
    and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.

²¹ “For his eyes are upon the ways of mortals,
    and he sees all their steps.
²² There is no gloom or deep darkness
    where evildoers may hide themselves.
²³ For he has not appointed a time^[e] for anyone
    to go before God in judgment.
²⁴ He shatters the mighty without investigation,
    and sets others in their place.
²⁵ Thus, knowing their works,
    he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
²⁶ He strikes them for their wickedness
    while others look on,
²⁷ because they turned aside from following him,
    and had no regard for any of his ways,
²⁸ so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
    and he heard the cry of the afflicted—
²⁹ When he is quiet, who can condemn?
    When he hides his face, who can behold him,
    whether it be a nation or an individual?—
³⁰ so that the godless should not reign,
    or those who ensnare the people.

³¹ “For has anyone said to God,
    ‘I have endured punishment; I will not offend any more;
³² teach me what I do not see;
    if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
³³ Will he then pay back to suit you,
    because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
    therefore declare what you know.^[f]
34 Those who have sense will say to me,
    and the wise who hear me will say,
³⁵ ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
    his words are without insight.’
³⁶ Would that Job were tried to the limit,
    because his answers are those of the wicked.
³⁷ For he adds rebellion to his sin;
    he claps his hands among us,
    and multiplies his words against God.”

⁹ “Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out;
    they call for help because of the arm of the mighty.
¹⁰ But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
    who gives strength in the night,
¹¹ who teaches us more than the animals of the earth,
    and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?’
¹² There they cry out, but he does not answer,
    because of the pride of evildoers.
¹³ Surely God does not hear an empty cry,
    nor does the Almighty^[g] regard it.
¹⁴ How much less when you say that you do not see him,
    that the case is before him, and you are waiting for him!
¹⁵ And now, because his anger does not punish,
    and he does not greatly heed transgression,^[h]
16 Job opens his mouth in empty talk,
    he multiplies words without knowledge.”