² “This flood of words should be answered!
    Does all this talking make Job right?
³ Do you think we don’t have
    an answer for you?
Do you think no one will warn you
    when you laugh at God?
⁴ You say to God,
    ‘My arguments are right,
    and you can see I am pure.’
⁵ I wish God would answer you
    and tell you that you are wrong.
⁶ He could tell you the secret of wisdom.
    He would tell you that every story has two sides.
You can be sure of this:
    God is not punishing you as much as he should.

⁷ “Do you think you really understand God?
    Do you completely understand God All-Powerful?
⁸ That knowledge is higher than the heavens
    and deeper than the place of death.
So what can you do?
    How can you learn it all?
⁹ It is greater than the earth
    and bigger than the seas.

¹⁰ “If God decides to arrest you and take you to court,
    no one could stop him.
¹¹ God knows who is worthless.
    When he sees evil, he remembers it.
¹² A wild donkey cannot give birth to a man,
    and a stupid person will never become wise.
¹³ Prepare your heart to serve only God.
    Lift your arms and pray to him.
¹⁴ Put away the sin that you still hold on to.
    Don’t keep evil in your tent.
¹⁵ If you will do that, you could look to God without shame.
    You can stand strong and not be afraid.
¹⁶ Then you can forget your troubles,
    like water that has already passed by.
¹⁷ Your life will be brighter than the sunshine at noon.
    Life’s darkest hours will shine like the morning sun.
¹⁸ You will feel safe because there is hope.
    God will protect you and give you rest.
¹⁹ You will lie down without fear of anyone.
    Many people will come to you for help.
²⁰ Evil people might look for help,
    but they will not escape their troubles.
    Their hope leads only to death.”

² “I’m sure you think you are
    the only wise people left.
You think that when you die,
    wisdom will be gone with you.
³ But my mind is as good as yours.
    You aren’t any smarter than I am.
You haven’t said anything
    that people don’t already know.

⁴ “My friends laugh at me now.
    They say, ‘He prayed to God and got his answer.’
I am a good, innocent man,
    but still they laugh at me.
⁵ Those who have no troubles make fun of those who do.
    They hit a man when he is down.
⁶ But robbers’ tents are not bothered.
    Those who make God angry live in peace,
    even though God has them in his power.

⁷ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you.
    Or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
⁸ Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
    Or let the fish in the sea tell you their wisdom.
⁹ Everyone knows
    that the Lord made these things.
¹⁰ Every animal that lives and everyone who breathes—
    they are all under God’s power.
¹¹ But just as the tongue tastes food,
    the ears test the words they hear.
¹² People say, ‘Wisdom is to be found in those who are old.
    Long life brings understanding.’
¹³ But wisdom and power belong to God.
    Good advice and understanding are his.
¹⁴ Anything God tears down cannot be rebuilt.
    Anyone he puts in prison cannot be set free.
¹⁵ If he holds back the rain, the earth will dry up.
    If he lets the rain loose, it will flood the land.
¹⁶ God is strong and always wins.
    He controls those who fool others and those who are fooled.
¹⁷ He strips advisors of their wisdom
    and makes leaders act like fools.
¹⁸ He strips kings of their authority
    and makes them slaves.
¹⁹ He strips priests of their power
    and removes those who feel so secure in their position.
²⁰ He makes trusted advisors be silent.
    He takes away the wisdom of the older leaders.
²¹ He brings disgrace to important people.
    He takes power away from rulers.
²² He exposes even the darkest secrets.
    He sends light into places that are as dark as death.
²³ God makes nations great,
    and then he destroys them.
He makes nations grow large,
    and then he scatters their people.
²⁴ He makes their leaders foolish.
    He makes them wander around in the desert.
²⁵ They are like someone feeling their way in the dark.
    They are like drunks who don’t know where they are going.

13 “I have seen all this before.
    I have already heard everything you say.
    I understand all these things.
² I know as much as you do.
    I am as smart as you are.
³ But I don’t want to argue with you.
    I want to speak to God All-Powerful.
    I want to argue with God about my troubles.
⁴ But you men try to cover up your ignorance with lies.
    You are like worthless doctors who cannot heal anyone.
⁵ I wish you would just be quiet.
    That would be the wisest thing you could do.

⁶ “Now, listen to my argument.
    Listen to what I have to say.
⁷ Will you speak lies for God?
    Do you really believe your lies are what God wants you to say?
⁸ Are you trying to defend God against me?
    You are not being fair.
    You are choosing God’s side simply because he is God.
⁹ If God checked you very closely,
    would he see that you are right?
Do you really think you can fool God
    the same as you fool people?
¹⁰ You know that God would criticize you
    if you chose someone’s side simply because they were important.
¹¹ God’s majesty frightens you.
    You are afraid of him.
¹² The wise sayings you quote are worthless.
    Your arguments are as weak as clay.

¹³ “Be quiet and let me talk!
    I accept whatever happens to me.
¹⁴ I will put myself in danger
    and take my life in my own hands.
¹⁵ I will continue to trust God even if he kills me.^[a]
    But I will defend myself to his face.
¹⁶ And if he lets me live, it will be because I had the confidence to speak.
    No guilty person would dare meet God face to face.
¹⁷ Listen carefully to what I say.
    Let me explain.
¹⁸ I am ready now to defend myself.
    I will carefully present my arguments.
    I know I will be shown to be right.
¹⁹ If anyone can prove I am wrong,
    I will shut up and wait to die.

²⁰ “God, just give me two things,
    and then I will not hide from you:
²¹ Stop punishing me,
    and don’t frighten me with your terrors.
²² Then call to me, and I will answer you.
    Or let me speak, and you answer me.
²³ How many sins have I committed?
    What wrongs have I done?
    Show me where I went wrong or how I sinned.
²⁴ God, why do you avoid me
    and treat me like your enemy?
²⁵ Are you trying to scare me?
    I am only a leaf blowing in the wind.
    You are attacking a piece of straw!
²⁶ You have a list of terrible charges against me.
    Are you making me suffer for the sins I did when I was young?
²⁷ You have put chains on my feet.
    You watch every step I take.
    You see every move I make.
²⁸ So I am becoming weaker and weaker,
    like a piece of wood rotting away,
    like a piece of cloth eaten by moths.