Daily Bread

² “Do you think this is just?
    You say, ‘I am in the right,^(A) not God.’^(B)
3 Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,^[a]
    and what do I gain by not sinning?’^(C)

⁴ “I would like to reply to you
    and to your friends with you.
⁵ Look up at the heavens^(D) and see;
    gaze at the clouds so high above you.^(E)
6 If you sin, how does that affect him?
    If your sins are many, what does that do to him?^(F)
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,^(G)
    or what does he receive^(H) from your hand?^(I)
8 Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,^(J)
    and your righteousness only other people.^(K)

⁹ “People cry out^(L) under a load of oppression;^(M)
    they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.^(N)
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,^(O)
    who gives songs^(P) in the night,^(Q)
11 who teaches^(R) us^(S) more than he teaches^[b] the beasts of the earth
    and makes us wiser than^[c] the birds in the sky?’
¹² He does not answer^(T) when people cry out
    because of the arrogance^(U) of the wicked.^(V)
13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;
    the Almighty pays no attention to it.^(W)
14 How much less, then, will he listen
    when you say that you do not see him,^(X)
that your case^(Y) is before him
    and you must wait for him,^(Z)
15 and further, that his anger never punishes^(AA)
    and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.^[d](AB)
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;^(AC)
    without knowledge he multiplies words.”^(AD)