Daily Bread

² “Would a wise person answer with empty notions
    or fill their belly with the hot east wind?^(B)
3 Would they argue with useless words,
    with speeches that have no value?^(C)
4 But you even undermine piety
    and hinder devotion to God.^(D)
5 Your sin^(E) prompts your mouth;^(F)
    you adopt the tongue of the crafty.^(G)
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
    your own lips testify against you.^(H)

⁷ “Are you the first man ever born?^(I)
    Were you brought forth before the hills?^(J)
8 Do you listen in on God’s council?^(K)
    Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?^(L)
9 What do you know that we do not know?
    What insights do you have that we do not have?^(M)
10 The gray-haired and the aged^(N) are on our side,
    men even older than your father.^(O)
11 Are God’s consolations^(P) not enough for you,
    words^(Q) spoken gently to you?^(R)
12 Why has your heart^(S) carried you away,
    and why do your eyes flash,
¹³ so that you vent your rage^(T) against God
    and pour out such words^(U) from your mouth?^(V)

¹⁴ “What are mortals, that they could be pure,
    or those born of woman,^(W) that they could be righteous?^(X)
15 If God places no trust in his holy ones,^(Y)
    if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,^(Z)
16 how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt,^(AA)
    who drink up evil^(AB) like water!^(AC)

¹⁷ “Listen to me and I will explain to you;
    let me tell you what I have seen,^(AD)
18 what the wise have declared,
    hiding nothing received from their ancestors^(AE)
19 (to whom alone the land^(AF) was given
    when no foreigners moved among them):
²⁰ All his days the wicked man suffers torment,^(AG)
    the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.^(AH)
21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears;^(AI)
    when all seems well, marauders attack him.^(AJ)
22 He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness;^(AK)
    he is marked for the sword.^(AL)
23 He wanders about^(AM) for food like a vulture;^(AN)
    he knows the day of darkness^(AO) is at hand.^(AP)
24 Distress and anguish^(AQ) fill him with terror;^(AR)
    troubles overwhelm him, like a king^(AS) poised to attack,
²⁵ because he shakes his fist^(AT) at God
    and vaunts himself against the Almighty,^(AU)
26 defiantly charging against him
    with a thick, strong shield.^(AV)

²⁷ “Though his face is covered with fat
    and his waist bulges with flesh,^(AW)
28 he will inhabit ruined towns
    and houses where no one lives,^(AX)
    houses crumbling to rubble.^(AY)
29 He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure,^(AZ)
    nor will his possessions spread over the land.^(BA)
30 He will not escape the darkness;^(BB)
    a flame^(BC) will wither his shoots,^(BD)
    and the breath of God’s mouth^(BE) will carry him away.^(BF)
31 Let him not deceive^(BG) himself by trusting what is worthless,^(BH)
    for he will get nothing in return.^(BI)
32 Before his time^(BJ) he will wither,^(BK)
    and his branches will not flourish.^(BL)
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,^(BM)
    like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.^(BN)
34 For the company of the godless^(BO) will be barren,
    and fire will consume^(BP) the tents of those who love bribes.^(BQ)
35 They conceive trouble^(BR) and give birth to evil;^(BS)
    their womb fashions deceit.”

² “I have heard many things like these;
    you are miserable comforters,^(BT) all of you!^(BU)
3 Will your long-winded speeches never end?^(BV)
    What ails you that you keep on arguing?^(BW)
4 I also could speak like you,
    if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
    and shake my head^(BX) at you.
⁵ But my mouth would encourage you;
    comfort^(BY) from my lips would bring you relief.^(BZ)

⁶ “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
    and if I refrain, it does not go away.^(CA)
7 Surely, God, you have worn me out;^(CB)
    you have devastated my entire household.^(CC)
8 You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
    my gauntness^(CD) rises up and testifies against me.^(CE)
9 God assails me and tears^(CF) me in his anger^(CG)
    and gnashes his teeth at me;^(CH)
    my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.^(CI)
10 People open their mouths^(CJ) to jeer at me;^(CK)
    they strike my cheek^(CL) in scorn
    and unite together against me.^(CM)
11 God has turned me over to the ungodly
    and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.^(CN)
12 All was well with me, but he shattered me;
    he seized me by the neck and crushed me.^(CO)
He has made me his target;^(CP)
13     his archers surround me.^(CQ)
Without pity, he pierces^(CR) my kidneys
    and spills my gall on the ground.
¹⁴ Again and again^(CS) he bursts upon me;
    he rushes at me like a warrior.^(CT)

¹⁵ “I have sewed sackcloth^(CU) over my skin
    and buried my brow in the dust.^(CV)
16 My face is red with weeping,^(CW)
    dark shadows ring my eyes;^(CX)
17 yet my hands have been free of violence^(CY)
    and my prayer is pure.^(CZ)

¹⁸ “Earth, do not cover my blood;^(DA)
    may my cry^(DB) never be laid to rest!^(DC)
19 Even now my witness^(DD) is in heaven;^(DE)
    my advocate is on high.^(DF)
20 My intercessor^(DG) is my friend^[a](DH)
    as my eyes pour out^(DI) tears^(DJ) to God;
²¹ on behalf of a man he pleads^(DK) with God
    as one pleads for a friend.

²² “Only a few years will pass
    before I take the path of no return.^(DL)

³ “Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.^(DR)
    Who else will put up security^(DS) for me?^(DT)
4 You have closed their minds to understanding;^(DU)
    therefore you will not let them triumph.
⁵ If anyone denounces their friends for reward,^(DV)
    the eyes of their children will fail.^(DW)

⁶ “God has made me a byword^(DX) to everyone,^(DY)
    a man in whose face people spit.^(DZ)
7 My eyes have grown dim with grief;^(EA)
    my whole frame is but a shadow.^(EB)
8 The upright are appalled at this;
    the innocent are aroused^(EC) against the ungodly.
⁹ Nevertheless, the righteous^(ED) will hold to their ways,
    and those with clean hands^(EE) will grow stronger.^(EF)

¹⁰ “But come on, all of you, try again!
    I will not find a wise man among you.^(EG)
11 My days have passed,^(EH) my plans are shattered.
    Yet the desires of my heart^(EI)
12 turn night into day;^(EJ)
    in the face of the darkness light is near.^(EK)
13 If the only home I hope for is the grave,^(EL)
    if I spread out my bed^(EM) in the realm of darkness,^(EN)
14 if I say to corruption,^(EO) ‘You are my father,’
    and to the worm,^(EP) ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’
¹⁵ where then is my hope—^(EQ)
    who can see any hope for me?^(ER)
16 Will it go down to the gates of death?^(ES)
    Will we descend together into the dust?”^(ET)