² “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
³ I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
⁴ For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ “Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
He is mighty in strength ^[a]of understanding.
⁶ He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the oppressed.
⁷ He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But they are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.
⁸ And if they are bound in ^[b]fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
⁹ Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
That they have acted ^[c]defiantly.
¹⁰ He also opens their ear to ^[d]instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.
¹¹ If they obey and serve Him,
They shall spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures.
¹² But if they do not obey,
They shall perish by the sword,
And they shall die ^[e]without knowledge.

¹³ “But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
¹⁴ They^[f] die in youth,
And their life ends among the ^[g]perverted persons.
¹⁵ He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears in oppression.

¹⁶ “Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
Into a broad place where there is no restraint;
And what is set on your table would be full of richness.
¹⁷ But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
¹⁸ Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;
For a large ransom would not help you avoid it.
¹⁹ Will your riches,
Or all the mighty forces,
Keep you from distress?
²⁰ Do not desire the night,
When people are cut off in their place.
²¹ Take heed, do not turn to iniquity,
For you have chosen this rather than affliction.

²² “Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
²³ Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?

²⁶ “Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him;
Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
²⁷ For He draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
²⁸ Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
²⁹ Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
³⁰ Look, He scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
³¹ For by these He judges the peoples;
He gives food in abundance.
³² He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to ^[h]strike.
³³ His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning ^[i]the rising storm.