¹² "Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue,

¹³ though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth;

¹⁴ yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.

¹⁵ He has swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly.

¹⁶ He shall suck cobra venom. The viper's tongue shall kill him.

¹⁷ He shall not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.

¹⁸ That for which he labored he shall restore, and shall not swallow it down. According to the substance that he has gotten, he shall not rejoice.

¹⁹ For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.

²⁰ "Because he knew no quietness within him, he shall not save anything of that in which he delights.

²¹ There was nothing left that he didn't devour, therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

²² In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress shall overtake him. The hand of everyone who is in misery shall come on him.

²³ When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath on him. It will rain on him while he is eating.

²⁴ He shall flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow shall strike him through.

²⁵ He draws it forth, and it comes out of his body. Yes, the glittering point comes out of his liver. Terrors are on him.

²⁶ All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire shall devour him. It shall consume that which is left in his tent.

²⁷ The heavens shall reveal his iniquity. The earth shall rise up against him.

²⁸ The increase of his house shall depart. They shall rush away in the day of his wrath.

²⁹ This is the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage appointed to him by God."

¹ Then Job answered,

² "Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.

³ Allow me, and I also will speak; After I have spoken, mock on.

⁴ As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn't I be impatient?

⁵ Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.

⁶ When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh.

⁷ "Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?

⁸ Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes.

⁹ Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

¹⁰ Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don't miscarry.

¹¹ They send forth their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.

¹² They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

¹³ They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol.

¹⁴ They tell God, 'Depart from us, for we don't want to know about your ways.

¹⁵ What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?'

¹⁶ Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷ "How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger?

¹⁸ How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away?

¹⁹ You say, 'God lays up his iniquity for his children.' Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.

²⁰ Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹ For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?

²² "Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?

²³ One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

²⁴ His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.

²⁵ Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.

²⁶ They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.

²⁷ "Behold, I know your thoughts, the devices with which you would wrong me.

²⁸ For you say, 'Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?'

²⁹ Haven't you asked wayfaring men? Don't you know their evidences,

³⁰ that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

³¹ Who shall declare his way to his face? Who shall repay him what he has done?

³² Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men shall keep watch over the tomb.

³³ The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him. All men shall draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.

³⁴ So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?"

¹ Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

² "Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.

³ Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him, that you make your ways perfect?

⁴ Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?

⁵ Isn't your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.

⁶ For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

⁷ You haven't given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

⁸ But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.

⁹ You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

¹⁰ Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,

¹¹ or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.

¹² "Isn't God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!

¹³ You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?

¹⁴ Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn't see. He walks on the vault of the sky.'

¹⁵ Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,

¹⁶ who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,

¹⁷ who said to God, 'Depart from us;' and, 'What can the Almighty do for us?'

¹⁸ Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁹ The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,

²⁰ saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'

²¹ "Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you.

²² Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.

²³ If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.

²⁴ Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.

²⁵ The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.

²⁶ For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face to God.

²⁷ You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows.

²⁸ You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to you. Light shall shine on your ways.

²⁹ When they cast down, you shall say, 'be lifted up.' He will save the humble person.

³⁰ He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."

¹ Then Job answered,

² "Even today my complaint is rebellious. His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.

³ Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat!

⁴ I would set my cause in order before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵ I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would tell me.

⁶ Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, but he would listen to me.

⁷ There the upright might reason with him, so I should be delivered forever from my judge.

⁸ "If I go east, he is not there; if west, I can't find him;

⁹ He works to the north, but I can't see him. He turns south, but I can't catch a glimpse of him.

¹⁰ But he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I shall come forth like gold.

¹¹ My foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way, and not turned aside.

¹² I haven't gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

¹³ But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? What his soul desires, even that he does.

¹⁴ For he performs that which is appointed for me. Many such things are with him.

¹⁵ Therefore I am terrified at his presence. When I consider, I am afraid of him.

¹⁶ For God has made my heart faint. The Almighty has terrified me.

¹⁷ Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.

¹ "Why aren't times laid up by the Almighty? Why don't those who know him see his days?

² There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them.

³ They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow's ox for a pledge.

⁴ They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.

⁵ Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children.

⁶ They cut their provender in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.

⁷ They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.

⁸ They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter.

⁹ There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,

¹⁰ So that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.

¹¹ They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.

¹² From out of the populous city, men groan. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God doesn't regard the folly.