² “How long will you speak these things,
And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?
^3 (A)Does God subvert judgment?
Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
⁴ If ^(B)your sons have sinned against Him,
He has cast them away ^[a]for their transgression.
^5 (C)If you would earnestly seek God
And make your supplication to the Almighty,
⁶ If you were pure and upright,
Surely now He would ^[b]awake for you,
And prosper your rightful dwelling place.
⁷ Though your beginning was small,
Yet your latter end would ^(D)increase abundantly.

⁸ “For^(E) inquire, please, of the former age,
And consider the things discovered by their fathers;
⁹ For ^(F)we were born yesterday, and know ^[c]nothing,
Because our days on earth are a shadow.
¹⁰ Will they not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their heart?

¹¹ “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the reeds flourish without water?
^12 (G)While it is yet green and not cut down,
It withers before any other plant.
¹³ So are the paths of all who ^(H)forget God;
And the hope of the ^(I)hypocrite shall perish,
¹⁴ Whose confidence shall be cut off,
And whose trust is ^[d]a spider’s web.
^15 (J)He leans on his house, but it does not stand.
He holds it fast, but it does not endure.
¹⁶ He grows green in the sun,
And his branches spread out in his garden.
¹⁷ His roots wrap around the rock heap,
And look for a place in the stones.
^18 (K)If he is destroyed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’

¹⁹ “Behold, this is the joy of His way,
And ^(L)out of the earth others will grow.
²⁰ Behold, ^(M)God will not ^[e]cast away the blameless,
Nor will He uphold the evildoers.
²¹ He will yet fill your mouth with laughing,
And your lips with ^[f]rejoicing.
²² Those who hate you will be ^(N)clothed with shame,
And the dwelling place of the wicked ^[g]will come to nothing.”