Online Bible

2 “Hear my words, you wise men,And listen to me, you who have so much knowledge.3 “For ^athe ear puts words to the testAs the palate tastes food.4 “Let us choose for ourselves that which is right;Let us know among ourselves what is good.5 “For Job has said, ‘^aI am righteous and innocent,But ^bGod has taken away my right; Job 33:96 Although I am right, I am accounted a liar.My ^awound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’7 “What man is like Job,Who ^adrinks up derision like water,8 Who goes ^ain company with those who do evilAnd walks with wicked men?9 “For he has said, ‘^aIt profits a man nothingWhen he takes delight and is pleased with God and obeys Him.’

10 “Therefore hear me, you men of understanding.Far be it from God that He would ^ado wickedness,And from the Almighty to do wrong.11 “For God pays a man according to ^ahis work,And He will make every man find appropriate compensation according to his way.12 “Surely ^aGod will not act wickedly,Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.13 “Who ^aput God in charge over the earth?And who ^bhas laid on Him the whole world?14 “If God should determine to do so,If He should ^agather to Himself that is, withdraw from man His life-giving spirit and His breath,15 All ^aflesh would perish together,And man would ^breturn to dust. Ps 104:29; Eccl 12:7

16 “If you now have understanding, hear this;Listen to the sound of my words.17 “Shall ^aone who hates justice and is an enemy of right govern?And ^bwill you condemn Him who is just and mighty?18 “God who says to a king, ‘You are worthless and vile,’Or to princes and nobles, ‘You are wicked and evil’?19 “Who is not ^apartial to princes,Nor does He regard the rich above the poor,For they all are the ^bwork of His hands.20 “In a moment they die, even ^aat midnightThe people are shaken and pass away,And ^bthe powerful are taken away without a human hand.

21 “For God’s ^aeyes are on the ways of a man,And He sees all his steps. Ps 34:15; Prov 5:21; Jer 16:1722 “There is ^ano darkness nor deep shadowWhere the evildoers may hide themselves.23 “For He sets no ^aappointed time for a man,That he should appear before Him in judgment.24 “He breaks ^amighty men without inquiry,And sets others in their place. Dan 2:2125 “Therefore He ^aknows of their works,And ^bHe overthrows them in the night,So that they are crushed and destroyed.26 “He ^astrikes them like the wickedIn a public place,27 Because they ^aturned aside from following HimAnd would ^bnot consider or show regard for any of His ways, 1+@Sam 15:1128 So that they caused ^athe cry of the poor to come to Him,And He ^bheard the cry of the afflicted. Ex 22:23; James 5:429 “When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?When He hides His face withdrawing His favor and help, who then can behold Him and make supplication to Him,Whether it be a nation or a man by himself?—30 “So that ^agodless men would not ruleNor be snares for the people.

31 “For has anyone said to God,‘I have endured my chastisement;I will not offend anymore;32 Teach me what I do not see in regard to how I have sinned;If I have ^adone wrong (injustice, unrighteousness) ,I will not do it again’?33 “Shall God’s ^aretribution for your sins be on your terms, because you refuse to accept it?For you must do the choosing, and not I;Therefore say what you truthfully know.34 “Men of understanding will tell me,Indeed, every wise man who hears me will agree,35 ‘Job ^aspeaks without knowledge,And his words are without wisdom and insight.36 ‘Job ought to be tried ¹to the limitBecause he answers ^alike wicked men!37 ‘For he adds ^arebellion in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God to his unacknowledged sin;He ^bclaps his hands among us in open mockery and contempt of God,And he multiplies his words of accusation against God.’”