Month: August 2024

¹⁴ “Hear this, O Job;
stop and ^(X)consider the wondrous works of God.
¹⁵ Do you know how God lays his command upon them
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
¹⁶ Do you know the balancings^[b] of the clouds,
the wondrous works of him who is ^(Y)perfect in knowledge,
¹⁷ you whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind?
¹⁸ Can you, like him, ^(Z)spread out the skies,
hard as a cast metal ^(AA)mirror?
¹⁹ Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of ^(AB)darkness.
²⁰ Shall it be told him that I would speak?
Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?

²¹ “And now no one looks on the light
when it is bright in the skies,
when the wind has passed and cleared them.
²² Out of the north comes golden splendor;
God is clothed with ^(AC)awesome majesty.
²³ The Almighty—we ^(AD)cannot find him;
he is ^(AE)great in power;
^(AF)justice and abundant righteousness he will not ^(AG)violate.
²⁴ Therefore men ^(AH)fear him;
he does not regard any who are ^(AI)wise in their own conceit.”^[c]

² “Who is this that ^(AK)darkens counsel by words ^(AL)without knowledge?
^3 (AM)Dress for action^[d] like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.

⁴ “Where were you when I ^(AN)laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶ On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ when the morning stars ^(AO)sang together
and all ^(AP)the sons of God ^(AQ)shouted for joy?

⁸ “Or who ^(AR)shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
⁹ when I made clouds its garment
and ^(AS)thick darkness its swaddling band,
¹⁰ and prescribed ^(AT)limits for it
and set bars and doors,
¹¹ and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your ^(AU)proud waves be stayed’?

¹² “Have you ^(AV)commanded the morning since your days began,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
¹³ that it might take hold of ^(AW)the skirts of the earth,
and the wicked be ^(AX)shaken out of it?
¹⁴ It is changed like clay under the seal,
and its features stand out like a garment.
¹⁵ From the wicked their ^(AY)light is withheld,
and ^(AZ)their uplifted arm is broken.

¹⁶ “Have you ^(BA)entered into the springs of the sea,
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
¹⁷ Have ^(BB)the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of ^(BC)deep darkness?
¹⁸ Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare, if you know all this.

¹⁹ “Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
and where is the place of darkness,
²⁰ that you may take it to its territory
and that you may discern ^(BD)the paths to its home?
²¹ You know, for ^(BE)you were born then,
and the number of your days is great!

²² “Have you entered ^(BF)the storehouses of the snow,
or have you seen ^(BG)the storehouses of the hail,
²³ which I have reserved ^(BH)for the time of trouble,
^(BI)for the day of battle and war?
²⁴ What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?

²⁵ “Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
and ^(BJ)a way for the thunderbolt,
²⁶ to bring rain on ^(BK)a land where no man is,
on ^(BL)the desert in which there is no man,
²⁷ to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
and to make the ground sprout with ^(BM)grass?

²⁸ “Has ^(BN)the rain a father,
or who has begotten the drops of dew?
²⁹ From whose womb did ^(BO)the ice come forth,
and who has given birth to ^(BP)the frost of heaven?
³⁰ The waters become hard like stone,
and the face of the deep is ^(BQ)frozen.

³¹ “Can you bind the chains of ^(BR)the Pleiades
or loose the cords of ^(BS)Orion?
³² Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth^[e] in their season,
or can you guide ^(BT)the Bear with its children?
³³ Do you know ^(BU)the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?

³⁴ “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
that ^(BV)a flood of waters may cover you?
³⁵ Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
³⁶ Who has ^(BW)put wisdom in ^(BX)the inward parts^[f]
or given understanding to the mind?^[g]
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
³⁸ when the dust runs into a mass
and ^(BY)the clods stick fast together?

³⁹ “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
or ^(BZ)satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
⁴⁰ when they crouch in their ^(CA)dens
or lie in wait ^(CB)in their thicket?
⁴¹ Who provides for ^(CC)the raven its prey,
when its young ones cry to God for help,
and wander about for lack of food?

39 “Do you know when ^(CD)the mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe ^(CE)the calving of the does?
² Can you number the months that they fulfill,
and do you know the time when they give birth,
³ when they ^(CF)crouch, bring forth their offspring,
and are delivered of their young?
⁴ Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
they go out and ^(CG)do not return to them.

⁵ “Who has let the wild donkey go free?
Who has ^(CH)loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
⁶ to whom I have given ^(CI)the arid plain for his home
and ^(CJ)the salt land for his dwelling place?
⁷ He scorns the tumult of the city;
he hears not the shouts of the driver.
⁸ He ranges the mountains as his pasture,
and he searches after every green thing.

⁹ “Is ^(CK)the wild ox willing to serve you?
Will he spend the night at your ^(CL)manger?
¹⁰ Can you bind ^(CM)him in the furrow with ropes,
or will he harrow the valleys after you?
¹¹ Will you depend on him because his strength is great,
and will you leave to him your labor?
¹² Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain
and gather it to your threshing floor?

¹³ “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
but are they the pinions and plumage of love?^[h]
14 For she leaves her eggs to the earth
and lets them be warmed on the ground,
¹⁵ forgetting that a foot may crush them
and that the wild beast may trample them.
¹⁶ She ^(CN)deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;
though her ^(CO)labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,
¹⁷ because God has made her forget wisdom
and ^(CP)given her no share in understanding.
¹⁸ When she rouses herself to flee,^[i]
she laughs at the horse and his rider.

¹⁹ “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
²⁰ Do you make him leap like the locust?
His majestic ^(CQ)snorting is terrifying.
²¹ He paws^[j] in the valley and exults in his strength;
he ^(CR)goes out to meet the weapons.
²² He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
he does not turn back from the sword.
²³ Upon him rattle the quiver,
the flashing spear, and the javelin.
²⁴ With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground;
he cannot stand still at ^(CS)the sound of the trumpet.
²⁵ When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

²⁶ “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars
and spreads his wings toward the south?
²⁷ Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
and makes his ^(CT)nest on high?
²⁸ On the rock he dwells and makes his home,
on ^(CU)the rocky crag and stronghold.
²⁹ From there he spies out the prey;
his eyes behold it from far away.
³⁰ His young ones suck up blood,
and ^(CV)where the slain are, there is he.”

⁹ But you have ^(A)rejected us and disgraced us
and ^(B)have not gone out with our armies.
¹⁰ You have made us ^(C)turn back from the foe,
and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
¹¹ You have made us like ^(D)sheep for slaughter
and have ^(E)scattered us among the nations.
^12 (F)You have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.
¹³ You have made us ^(G)the taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and ^(H)scorn of those around us.
¹⁴ You have made us ^(I)a byword among the nations,
^(J)a laughingstock^[a] among the peoples.
¹⁵ All day long my disgrace is before me,
and ^(K)shame has covered my face
¹⁶ at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
at the sight of ^(L)the enemy and the avenger.

^17 (M)All this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten you,
and we have not been false to your covenant.
¹⁸ Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our ^(N)steps ^(O)departed from your way;
¹⁹ yet you have ^(P)broken us in the place of ^(Q)jackals
and covered us with ^(R)the shadow of death.
²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God
or ^(S)spread out our hands to ^(T)a foreign god,
^21 (U)would not God discover this?
^(V)For he knows the secrets of the heart.
²² Yet ^(W)for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

^23 (X)Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! ^(Y)Do not reject us forever!
²⁴ Why ^(Z)do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
²⁵ For our ^(AA)soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
²⁶ Rise up; ^(AB)come to our help!
^(AC)Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

² “Hear my words, you wise men,
and give ear to me, you who know;
³ for ^(A)the ear tests words
as the palate tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose ^(B)what is right;
let us know among ourselves what is good.
⁵ For Job has said, ‘I am ^(C)in the right,
and ^(D)God has taken away my right;
⁶ in spite of my right I am counted a liar;
my wound is incurable, though I am ^(E)without transgression.’
⁷ What man is like Job,
who ^(F)drinks up scoffing like water,
⁸ who travels in company with evildoers
and walks ^(G)with wicked men?
⁹ For ^(H)he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
that he should take delight in God.’

¹⁰ “Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding:
far be it from God that he should ^(I)do wickedness,
and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
¹¹ For according to ^(J)the work of a man he will repay him,
and ^(K)according to his ways he will make it befall him.
¹² Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
and ^(L)the Almighty will not pervert justice.
¹³ Who gave him charge over the earth,
and who ^(M)laid on him^[a] the whole world?
¹⁴ If he should ^(N)set his heart to it
and ^(O)gather to himself his ^(P)spirit and his breath,
¹⁵ all flesh would perish together,
and man would ^(Q)return to dust.

¹⁶ “If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.
^17 (R)Shall one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
¹⁸ who ^(S)says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’
¹⁹ who ^(T)shows no partiality to princes,
nor regards the rich ^(U)more than the poor,
for ^(V)they are all the work of his hands?
²⁰ In a moment ^(W)they die;
at ^(X)midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
and the mighty are taken away by ^(Y)no human hand.

²¹ “For his eyes are on ^(Z)the ways of a man,
and he sees all his ^(AA)steps.
²² There is no ^(AB)gloom or ^(AC)deep darkness
where evildoers may hide themselves.
²³ For God^[b] has no need to consider a man further,
that he should go before God in ^(AD)judgment.
²⁴ He ^(AE)shatters the mighty without investigation
and sets ^(AF)others in their place.
²⁵ Thus, knowing their works,
he ^(AG)overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
²⁶ He strikes them for their wickedness
in a place for all to see,
²⁷ because they turned aside from ^(AH)following him
and had no regard for any of his ways,
²⁸ so that they ^(AI)caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
and he ^(AJ)heard the cry of the afflicted—
²⁹ When he is quiet, who can condemn?
When he hides his face, who can behold him,
whether it be a nation or a man?—
³⁰ that a godless man should not reign,
that he should not ensnare the people.

³¹ “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more;
^32 (AK)teach me what I do not see;
if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
³³ Will he then make repayment to suit you,
because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
therefore ^(AL)declare what you know.^[c]
34 Men of understanding will say to me,
and the wise man who hears me will say:
³⁵ ‘Job ^(AM)speaks without knowledge;
his words are without insight.’
³⁶ Would that Job were tried to the end,
because he answers like wicked men.
³⁷ For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he ^(AN)claps his hands among us
and multiplies his words against God.”

² “Do you think this to be just?
Do you say, ^(AO)‘It is my right before God,’
³ that you ask, ^(AP)‘What advantage have I?
How am I better off than if I had sinned?’
⁴ I will answer you
and ^(AQ)your friends with you.
^5 (AR)Look at the heavens, and see;
and behold the clouds, which are higher than you.
⁶ If you have sinned, ^(AS)what do you accomplish against him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
^7 (AT)If you are righteous, what do you give to him?
Or what does he receive from your hand?
⁸ Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself,
and your righteousness ^(AU)a son of man.

⁹ “Because of the multitude of ^(AV)oppressions people ^(AW)cry out;
they call for help because of the arm of ^(AX)the mighty.^[d]
10 But none says, ‘Where is God my ^(AY)Maker,
who gives ^(AZ)songs in the night,
¹¹ who teaches us ^(BA)more than the beasts of the earth
and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
¹² There they ^(BB)cry out, but he does not answer,
because of the pride of evil men.
¹³ Surely God does not hear an empty cry,
nor does the Almighty regard it.
¹⁴ How much less when you say that you ^(BC)do not see him,
that the case is before him, and you are ^(BD)waiting for him!
¹⁵ And now, because ^(BE)his anger does not punish,
and he does not take much note of transgression,^[e]
16 Job opens his mouth in empty talk;
he ^(BF)multiplies words ^(BG)without knowledge.”

² “Bear with me a little, and I will show you,
for I have yet something to say on God's behalf.
³ I will get my knowledge from ^(BH)afar
and ascribe ^(BI)righteousness to my ^(BJ)Maker.
⁴ For truly my words are not false;
one who is ^(BK)perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ “Behold, God is mighty, and ^(BL)does not despise any;
he is ^(BM)mighty in strength of understanding.
⁶ He does not keep the wicked alive,
but gives ^(BN)the afflicted their right.
⁷ He does not withdraw his ^(BO)eyes from the righteous,
but with ^(BP)kings on the throne
he sets them forever, and they are ^(BQ)exalted.
⁸ And if they are ^(BR)bound in chains
and caught in the cords of affliction,
⁹ then he declares to them their work
and their transgressions, that they are ^(BS)behaving arrogantly.
¹⁰ He ^(BT)opens their ears to instruction
and commands that they ^(BU)return from iniquity.
^11 (BV)If they listen and serve him,
they ^(BW)complete their days in prosperity,
and their years in pleasantness.
¹² But if they do not listen, they ^(BX)perish by the sword
and die ^(BY)without knowledge.

¹³ “The ^(BZ)godless in heart cherish anger;
they do not cry for help when he ^(CA)binds them.
¹⁴ They ^(CB)die in youth,
and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.
¹⁵ He delivers ^(CC)the afflicted by their affliction
and ^(CD)opens their ear by adversity.
¹⁶ He also allured you out of distress
into ^(CE)a broad place where there was no cramping,
and what was set on your ^(CF)table was full of ^(CG)fatness.

¹⁷ “But you are full of the judgment on the wicked;
judgment and justice seize you.
¹⁸ Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing,
and let not the greatness of ^(CH)the ransom turn you aside.
¹⁹ Will your ^(CI)cry for help avail to keep you from distress,
or all the force of your strength?
²⁰ Do not long for ^(CJ)the night,
when peoples vanish ^(CK)in their place.
²¹ Take care; ^(CL)do not turn to iniquity,
for this you have chosen rather than affliction.
²² Behold, God is exalted in his power;
who is ^(CM)a teacher like him?
²³ Who has ^(CN)prescribed for him his way,
or who can say, ^(CO)‘You have done wrong’?

²⁴ “Remember to ^(CP)extol his work,
of which men have ^(CQ)sung.
²⁵ All mankind has looked on it;
man beholds it from afar.
²⁶ Behold, God is great, and we ^(CR)know him not;
the number of his ^(CS)years is unsearchable.
²⁷ For he draws up the drops of water;
they distill his ^(CT)mist in ^(CU)rain,
²⁸ which ^(CV)the skies pour down
and drop on mankind abundantly.
²⁹ Can anyone understand ^(CW)the spreading of the clouds,
the thunderings of his ^(CX)pavilion?
³⁰ Behold, he scatters his lightning about him
and covers the roots of the sea.
³¹ For by these he ^(CY)judges peoples;
he gives ^(CZ)food in abundance.
³² He covers his ^(DA)hands with the lightning
and commands it to strike the mark.
³³ Its crashing declares his presence;^[f]
the cattle also declare that he rises.

^4 (J)You are my King, O God;
^(K)ordain salvation for Jacob!
⁵ Through you we ^(L)push down our foes;
through your name we ^(M)tread down those who rise up against us.
⁶ For not in ^(N)my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
⁷ But you have saved us from our foes
and have ^(O)put to shame those who hate us.
^8 (P)In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

⁵ “If I have walked with lies
or my feet have run after deception,
⁶ ⌞then⌟ let God weigh me on honest scales,
and he will know I have integrity.

⁷ “If my steps have left the ⌞proper⌟ path,
or my heart has followed ⌞the desire of⌟ my eyes,
or my hands are stained ⌞with sin⌟,
⁸ ⌞then⌟ let someone else eat what I have planted,
and let my crops be uprooted.

⁹ “If I have been seduced by a woman
or I have secretly waited near my neighbor’s door,
¹⁰ ⌞then⌟ let my wife grind for another ⌞man⌟,
and let other ⌞men⌟ kneel over her.
¹¹ That would be a scandal,
and that would be a criminal offense.
¹² It would be a fire that burns even in Abaddon.
It would uproot my entire harvest.

¹³ “If I have abused the rights of my servants, male or female,
when they have disagreed with me,
¹⁴ then what could I do if God rises up?
If he examines me, how could I answer him?
¹⁵ Didn’t he who made me in my mother’s belly make them?
Didn’t the same God form us in the womb?

¹⁶ “If I have refused the requests of the poor
or made a widow’s eyes stop ⌞looking for help⌟,
¹⁷ or have eaten my food alone
without letting the orphan eat any of it….
¹⁸ (From my youth the orphan grew up with me
as though I were his father,
and from my birth I treated the widow kindly.)
¹⁹ If I have seen anyone die because he had no clothes
or a poor person going naked….
²⁰ (If his body didn’t bless me,
or the wool from my sheep didn’t keep him warm….)
²¹ If I have shaken my fist at an orphan
because I knew that others would back me up in court,
²² ⌞then⌟ let my shoulder fall out of its socket,
and let my arm be broken at the elbow.

²³ “A disaster from God terrifies me.
In the presence of his majesty I can do nothing.

²⁴ “If I put my confidence in gold
or said to fine gold, ‘I trust you’….
²⁵ If I enjoyed being very rich
because my hand had found great ⌞wealth⌟….
²⁶ If I saw the light shine
or the moon move along in its splendor
²⁷ so that my heart was secretly tempted,
and I threw them a kiss with my hand,
²⁸ then that, too, would be a criminal offense,
and I would have denied God above.

²⁹ “If I enjoyed the ruin of my enemy
or celebrated when harm came to him
³⁰ (even though I didn’t speak sinfully
by calling down a curse on his life)….

³¹ “If the people who were in my tent had said,
‘We wish we had never filled ⌞our stomachs⌟ with his food’….
³² (The visitor never spent the night outside,
because I opened my door to the traveler.)

³³ “If I have covered my disobedience like Adam
and kept my sin to myself,
³⁴ because I dreaded the large, noisy crowd
and because the contempt of the ⌞local⌟ mobs terrified me
so that I kept quiet and didn’t go outside….

³⁵ “If only I had someone who would listen to me!
Look, here is my signature!
Let the Almighty answer me.
Let the prosecutor write ⌞his complaint⌟ on a scroll.
³⁶ I would certainly carry it on my shoulder
and place it on my head like a crown.
³⁷ I would tell him the number of my steps
and approach him like a prince.

³⁸ “If my land has cried out against me,
and its furrows have wept….
³⁹ If I have eaten its produce without paying for it
and made its owners breathe their last,
⁴⁰ ⌞then⌟ let it grow thistles instead of wheat,
and foul-smelling weeds instead of barley.”

¹⁰ “That is why I say, ‘Listen to me!
Let me tell you what I know.’
¹¹ I waited for you to speak.
I listened for you to share your understanding
until you could find the right words.
¹² I’ve paid close attention to you,
but none of you refuted Job.
None of you has an answer to what he says.
¹³ So don’t say, ‘We’ve found wisdom.
Let God, not humans, defeat him.’
¹⁴ Job did not choose his words to refute me,
so I won’t answer him with your speeches.

¹⁵ “Job’s friends have been overwhelmed and don’t have any more answers.
They don’t have another word to say.
¹⁶ Should I wait because they don’t speak,
because they stand there and don’t have any more answers?

¹⁷ “I’ll give my answer.
I’ll tell you what I know.
¹⁸ I’m full of words.
The Spirit within me forces me ⌞to speak⌟.
¹⁹ My belly is like ⌞a bottle of⌟ wine that has not been opened,
like new wineskins that are ready to burst.
²⁰ I must speak to get relief.
I must open my mouth and answer.
²¹ I won’t be partial toward anyone
or flatter anyone.
²² I don’t know how to flatter.
If I did, my maker would soon carry me away.

⁴ “God’s Spirit has made me.
The breath of the Almighty gives me life.
⁵ Answer me if you can.
Present your case to me, and take your stand.
⁶ Indeed, I stand in front of God as you do.
I, too, was formed from a piece of clay.
⁷ You certainly don’t need to be terrified of me.
I won’t put too much pressure on you.

43 Judge me, O God,
and plead my case against an ungodly nation.
Rescue me from deceitful and unjust people.
² You are my fortress, O God!
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I walk around in mourning
while the enemy oppresses me?
³ Send your light and your truth.
Let them guide me.
Let them bring me to your holy mountain
and to your dwelling place.
⁴ Then let me go to the altar of God, to God my ⌞highest⌟ joy,
and I will give thanks to you on the lyre, O God, my God.

⁵ Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in God,
because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my God.

⁵ “Above the ground food grows,
but beneath it the food decays as if ⌞it were burned⌟ by fire.
⁶ That place’s stones are sapphire.
Its dust contains gold.
⁷ No bird of prey knows the way to it.
No hawk’s eye has ever seen it.
⁸ No proud beast has ever walked on it.
No ferocious lion has ever passed over it.

⁹ “Humans exert their power on the flinty rocks
and overturn mountains at their base.
¹⁰ They cut out mineshafts in the rocks.
Their eyes see every precious thing.
¹¹ They explore^[a] the sources of rivers
so that they bring hidden treasures to light.

²⁰ “Where does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding live?
²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of every living being,
hidden even from the birds in the air.
²² Decay and Death say,
‘We’ve heard a rumor about it.’

¹¹ “⌞Any⌟ ears that heard me blessed me.
⌞Any⌟ eyes that saw me spoke well of me,
¹² because I rescued the poor who called ⌞for help⌟
and the orphans who had no one to help them.
¹³ I received a blessing from the dying.
I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
¹⁴ I put on righteousness, and it was my clothing.
I practiced justice, and it was my robe and my turban.
¹⁵ I was eyes for the blind person.
I was feet for the lame person.
¹⁶ I was father to the needy.
I carefully investigated cases brought by strangers.
¹⁷ I broke the teeth of the wicked person
and made him drop the prey out of his mouth.

¹⁸ “I thought, ‘I may die in my own house,
but I will make my days as numerous as the sand.
¹⁹ My roots will grow toward the water,
and dew will lie on my branches all night.
²⁰ My power will be fresh ⌞every day⌟,
and the bow in my hand will remain new.’

²¹ “People listened to me eagerly,
quietly waiting for my advice.
²² After I had spoken, they wouldn’t speak again.
After all, my words fell gently on them.
²³ They were as eager to hear me as they were for rain.
They opened their mouths wide as if waiting for a spring shower.
²⁴ When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it,
but the expression on my face did not change.
²⁵ I decided how they should live.
I sat as their leader.
I lived like a king among his troops,
like one who comforts mourners.

⁹ “And now they make fun of me with songs.
I have become a joke to them.
¹⁰ Since they consider me disgusting, they keep their distance from me
and don’t hesitate to spit in my face.
¹¹ Because God has untied my cord and has made me suffer,
they are no longer restrained in my presence.
¹² They have attacked me on my right side like a mob.
They trip my feet
and then prepare ways to destroy me.
¹³ Yes, they remove all traces of my path in order to destroy me.
No one is there to help me against them.
¹⁴ They come through a wide hole ⌞in the wall⌟.
They crawl through the ruins.
¹⁵ Terrors are directed toward me.
They blow away my dignity like the wind.
My prosperity vanishes like a cloud.

¹⁶ “Now my life is pouring out of me.
Days of suffering seize me.
¹⁷ At night God pierces my bones.
My body doesn’t rest.
¹⁸ With great strength he grabs my clothes.
He seizes me by the collar of my robe.
¹⁹ He throws me into the dirt
so that I become like dust and ashes.

⁵ Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in God,
because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my God.

⁶ My soul is discouraged.
That is why I will remember you
in the land of Jordan, on the peaks of Hermon, on Mount Mizar.
⁷ One deep sea calls to another at the roar of your waterspouts.
All the whitecaps on your waves have swept over me.
⁸ The Lord commands his mercy during the day,
and at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
⁹ I will ask God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk around in mourning
while the enemy oppresses me?”
¹⁰ With a shattering blow to my bones,
my enemies taunt me.
They ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in God,
because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my God.

³ “If only I knew where I could find God!
I would go where he lives.
⁴ I would present ⌞my⌟ case to him.
I would have a mouthful of arguments.
⁵ I want to know the words he would use to answer me.
I want to understand the things he would say to me.
⁶ Would he sue me and hide behind great legal maneuvers?
No, he certainly would press charges against me.
⁷ Then decent people could argue with him,
and I would escape my judgment forever.
⁸ However, if I go east, he isn’t there.
If I go west, I can’t find him.
⁹ If I go northward, where he is at work, I can’t observe him.
If I turn southward, I can’t see him.
¹⁰ ⌞I can’t find him⌟ because he knows the road I take.
When he tests me,
I’ll come out as pure as gold.
¹¹ I have followed his footsteps closely.
I have stayed on his path and did not turn from it.
¹² I have not left his commands behind.
I have treasured his words in my heart.

² “⌞People⌟ move boundary markers.
They steal flocks and tend them as shepherds.
³ They drive away the orphan’s donkey.
They take the widow’s ox as security for a loan.
⁴ They force needy people off the road.
All the poor people of the country go into hiding.
⁵ Like wild donkeys in the desert,
poor people go out to do their work, looking for food.
The plains provide food for their children.
⁶ They harvest animal food in the field ⌞to feed themselves⌟.
They pick the leftover grapes in the wicked person’s vineyard.
⁷ All night they lie naked
without a covering from the cold.
⁸ They are drenched by the rainstorms in the mountains.
They hug the rocks because they can’t find shelter.

⁹ “⌞People⌟ snatch the ⌞nursing⌟ orphan from a breast
and take a poor woman’s baby as security for a loan.
¹⁰ ⌞That is why⌟ the poor go around naked.
They are hungry, yet they carry bundles of grain.
¹¹ They press out olive oil between rows ⌞of olive trees⌟.
They stomp on grapes in wine vats, yet they are thirsty.
¹² Those dying in the city groan.
Wounded people cry for help, but God pays no attention to their prayers.

¹³ “Such people are among those who rebel against the light.
They are not acquainted with its ways.
They do not stay on its paths.
¹⁴ At dawn murderers rise; they kill the poor and needy.
At night they become thieves.
¹⁵ Adulterers watch for twilight.
They say, ‘No one is watching us,’ as they cover their faces.
¹⁶ In the dark, they break into houses,
⌞but⌟ by day they lock themselves in.
They do not ⌞even⌟ know the light,
¹⁷ because morning and deep darkness are the same to them,
because they are familiar with the terrors of deep darkness.
¹⁸ Such people are like scum on the surface of the water.
Their property is cursed in the land.
People do not travel the road that goes to their vineyards.
¹⁹ ⌞Just as⌟ drought and heat steal water from snow,
so the grave steals people who sin.
²⁰ The womb forgets them.
Worms feast on them.
No one remembers them anymore,
and wickedness is snapped like a twig.
²¹ These men take advantage of childless women.
These men show no kindness to widows.
²² ⌞God⌟ will drag away ⌞these⌟ mighty men by his power.
These people may prosper,
but they will never feel secure about life.
²³ ⌞God⌟ may let them feel confident and self-reliant,
but his eyes are on their ways.
²⁴ ⌞Such people⌟ may be prosperous for a little while,
but then they’re gone.
They are brought down low and disappear like everything else.
They wither like heads of grain.

²⁵ “If it isn’t so, who can prove I’m a liar
and show that my words are worthless?”

⁷ “He stretches out his heavens^[a] over empty space.
He hangs the earth on nothing whatsoever.
⁸ He holds the water in his thick clouds,
and the clouds don’t ⌞even⌟ split under its ⌞weight⌟.
⁹ He covers his throne^[b]
by spreading his cloud over it.
¹⁰ He marks the horizon on the surface of the water
at the boundary where light meets dark.
¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astonished when he yells at them.
¹² With his power he calmed the sea.
With his insight he killed Rahab ⌞the sea monster⌟.
¹³ With his wind the sky was cleared.
With his hand he stabbed the fleeing snake.

¹⁴ “These are only glimpses of what he does.
We ⌞only⌟ hear a whisper of him!
Who can understand the thunder of his power?”

⁷ “Let my enemy be ⌞treated⌟ like wicked people.
Let anyone who attacks me be ⌞treated⌟ like unrighteous people.
⁸ After all, what hope does the godless person have when he is cut off,
when God takes away his life?
⁹ Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?
¹⁰ Can he be happy with the Almighty?
Can he call on God at all times?

⁴ I said, “O Lord, have pity on me!
Heal my soul because I have sinned against you.”
⁵ My enemies say terrible things about me:
“When will he die, and when will his family name disappear?”
⁶ When one of them comes to visit me, he speaks foolishly.
His heart collects gossip.
⌞Then⌟ he leaves to tell others.
⁷ Everyone who hates me whispers about me.
They think evil things about me and say,
⁸ “A devilish disease has attached itself to him.
He will never leave his sickbed.”
⁹ Even my closest friend whom I trusted,
the one who ate my bread,
has lifted his heel against me.
¹⁰ Have pity on me, O Lord!
Raise me up so that I can pay them back
¹¹ and my enemy cannot shout in triumph over me.
When you do this, I know that you are pleased with me.
¹² You defend my integrity,
and you set me in your presence forever.

¹³ Thank the Lord God of Israel through all eternity!
Amen and amen!

⁵ A devious person has thorns and traps ahead of him.
Whoever guards himself will stay far away from them.
⁶ Train a child in the way he should go,
and even when he is old he will not turn away from it.

¹² “Though evil is sweet in his mouth
and he hides it under his tongue….
¹³ Though he savors it and won’t let go of it
and he holds it on the roof of his mouth,
¹⁴ the food in his belly turns sour.
It becomes snake venom in his stomach.
¹⁵ He vomits up the riches that he swallowed.
God forces them out of his stomach.
¹⁶ The godless person sucks the poison of snakes.
A viper’s fang kills him.
¹⁷ He won’t be able to drink from the streams
or from the rivers of honey and buttermilk.
¹⁸ He will give back what he earned without enjoying it.
He will get no joy from the profits of his business
¹⁹ because he crushed and abandoned the poor.
He has taken by force a house that he didn’t build.
²⁰ He will never know peace in his heart.
He will never allow anything he desires to escape ⌞his grasp⌟.
²¹ “Nothing is left for him to eat.
His prosperity won’t last.
²² ⌞Even⌟ with all his wealth
the full force of misery comes down on him.
²³ Let that misery fill his belly.
⌞God⌟ throws his burning anger at the godless person and makes his wrath come down on him like rain.
²⁴ If that person flees from an iron weapon,
a bronze bow will pierce him.
²⁵ He pulls it out, and it comes out of his back.
The glittering point comes out of his gallbladder.

“Terrors come quickly to the godless person:
²⁶ Total darkness waits in hiding for his treasure.
A fire that no one fans will burn him.
Whatever is left in his tent will be devoured.
²⁷ Heaven exposes his sin.
Earth rises up against him.
²⁸ A flood will sweep away his house,
a flash flood on the day of his anger.
²⁹ This is the reward God gives to the wicked person,
the inheritance God has appointed for him.”

¹⁷ “How often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?
How often does disaster happen to them?
How often does an angry God give them pain?
¹⁸ How often are they like straw in the wind
or like husks that the storm sweeps away?

¹⁹ “⌞You say,⌟ ‘God saves a person’s punishment for his children.’
God should pay back that person
so that he would know that it is a punishment.
²⁰ His eyes should see his own ruin.
He should drink from the wrath of the Almighty.
²¹ How can he be interested in his family after he’s gone,
when the number of his months is cut short?

⁵ “Aren’t you really very wicked?
Is there no end to your wrongdoing?
⁶ For no reason you take your brothers’ goods as security for a loan
and strip them of their clothes.^[b]
7 You don’t even give a tired person a drink of water,
and you take food away from hungry people.
⁸ A strong person owns the land.
A privileged person lives in it.
⁹ You send widows away empty-handed,
and the arms of orphans are broken.
¹⁰ That is why traps are all around you
and great fear suddenly grips you.
¹¹ ⌞That is why⌟ darkness surrounds you and you cannot see
and a flood of water covers you.

¹² “Isn’t God high above in the heavens?
Look how high the highest stars are!
¹³ You ask, ‘What does God know?
Can he judge ⌞anything⌟ from behind a dark cloud?
¹⁴ Thick clouds surround him so that he cannot see.
He walks above the clouds.’

¹⁵ “Are you following the old path that wicked people have taken?
¹⁶ They are snatched up before their time.
A river washes their foundation away.
¹⁷ They told God, ‘Leave us alone!
What can the Almighty do for us?’
¹⁸ Yet, he filled their homes with good things.
(The plan of the wicked is foreign to my way of thinking.)
¹⁹ The righteous saw it and were glad,
and the innocent made fun of them by saying,
²⁰ ‘Indeed, their wealth has been wiped out,
and a fire has burned up what ⌞little⌟ they had left.’

¹¹ Do not withhold your compassion from me, O Lord.
May your mercy and your truth always protect me.
¹² Countless evils have surrounded me.
My sins have caught up with me so that I can no longer see.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost heart.

¹³ O Lord, please rescue me!
Come quickly to help me, O Lord! ^[a]
14 Let all those who seek to end my life
be confused and put to shame.
Let those who want my downfall
be turned back and disgraced.
¹⁵ Let those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be stunned by their own shame.
¹⁶ Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad because of you.
Let those who love your salvation continually say,
“The Lord is great!”

¹⁷ But I am oppressed and needy.
May the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my savior.
O my God, do not delay!

⁷ “But now, God has worn me out.
You, ⌞God,⌟ have destroyed everyone who supports me.
⁸ You have shriveled me up, which itself is a witness ⌞against me⌟.
My frail body rises up and testifies against me.

¹⁵ “I have sewn sackcloth over my skin,
and I have thrown my strength in the dust.
¹⁶ My face is red from crying,
and dark shadows encircle my eyes,
¹⁷ although my hands have done nothing violent,
and my prayer is sincere.

¹⁰ “But now, all of you, come and try again!
I won’t find one wise man among you.
¹¹ My days are passing by.
My plans are broken.
My dreams ⌞are shattered⌟.
¹² You say that night is day.
Light has nearly become darkness.
¹³ If I look for the grave as my home
and make my bed in the darkness,
¹⁴ if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’
and to the worm, ‘You are my mother and sister,’
¹⁵ then where is my hope?
Can you see any hope left in me?
¹⁶ Will hope go down with me to the gates of the grave?
Will my hope rest with me in the dust?”

⁷ “His healthy stride is shortened,
and his own planning trips him up.
⁸ His own feet get him tangled in a net
as he walks around on its webbing.
⁹ A trap catches his heel.
A snare holds him.
¹⁰ A rope is hidden on the ground for him.
A trap is on his path ⌞to catch⌟ him.

¹¹ “Terrors suddenly pounce on him from every side
and chase him every step he takes.
¹² Hunger undermines his strength.
Disaster is waiting beside him.
¹³ His skin is eaten away by disease.
Death’s firstborn son eats away at the limbs of his body.
¹⁴ He is dragged from the safety of his tent
and marched off to the king of terrors.
¹⁵ Fire lives in his tent.
Sulfur is scattered over his home.
¹⁶ His roots dry up under him.
His branches wither over him.
¹⁷ All memory about him will vanish from the earth,
and his reputation will not be known on the street corner.
¹⁸ He will be driven from the light into the dark
and chased out of the world.
¹⁹ He will not have any children or descendants among his people
or any survivor where he used to live.
²⁰ People in the west are shocked by what happens to him.
People in the east are seized with horror.
²¹ This is what happens to the homes of wicked people
and to those who do not know God.”

¹³ “My brothers stay far away from me.
My friends are complete strangers to me.
¹⁴ My relatives and my closest friends have stopped coming.
My house guests have forgotten me.
¹⁵ My female slaves consider me to be a stranger.
I am like a foreigner to them.
¹⁶ I call my slave, but he doesn’t answer, though I beg him.
¹⁷ My breath offends my wife.
I stink to my own children.
¹⁸ Even young children despise me.
If I stand up, they make fun of me.
¹⁹ All my closest friends are disgusted with me.
Those I love have turned against me.
²⁰ I am skin and bones,
and I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.

²¹ “Have pity on me, my friends!
Have pity on me because God’s hand has struck me down.
²² Why do you pursue me as God does?
Why are you never satisfied with my flesh?

⁶ You were not pleased with sacrifices and offerings.
You have dug out two ears for me.
You did not ask for burnt offerings or sacrifices for sin.
⁷ Then I said, “I have come!
(It is written about me in the scroll of the book.)
⁸ I am happy to do your will, O my God.”
Your teachings are deep within me.
⁹ I will announce the good news of righteousness
among those assembled for worship.
I will not close my lips.
You know that, O Lord.
¹⁰ I have not buried your righteousness deep in my heart.
I have been outspoken about your faithfulness and your salvation.
I have not hidden your mercy and your truth
from those assembled for worship.

² Yes, indeed. You are the people,
and wisdom will die with you!
³ But I understand things as well as you.^[a]
I do not fall short of you.
Who doesn’t know all these things?

⁴ But I am a laughingstock to my neighbor—
I, who call on God, and he answers me—
I, a righteous and complete man, am a laughingstock!
⁵ Those who are carefree do not worry about disaster.
They think it is reserved for those whose feet are slipping.
⁶ The tents of raiders are undisturbed,
and those who provoke God are secure—
those who carry their god in their hand.^[b]

⁷ Please ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Ask the birds of the sky, and they will inform you.
⁸ Complain to the earth, and it will teach you,
and the fish of the sea will tell you about it.
⁹ Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord^[c] did this?
¹⁰ The life of every living thing is in his hand,
as well as the breath^[d] in all human flesh.

¹¹ Isn’t it true that the ear tests words
and the palate tastes food?
¹² Isn’t it true that wisdom is found among the aged
and understanding among those who have had a long life?
¹³ But wisdom and power are with God.
He gives guidance and understanding.
¹⁴ If he tears something down, it cannot be rebuilt.
If he shuts a door on a man, it cannot be opened.
¹⁵ Look! He holds back the waters, and the land dries up.
He turns them loose, and the earth is overwhelmed.
¹⁶ He has strength and sound judgment.
The deceiver and the deceived both belong to him.
¹⁷ He causes royal advisors to be led away naked.
He makes fools of judges.
¹⁸ He takes away the ruling power of kings,
and he wraps a loincloth around their waist.^[e]
19 He causes priests to be led away naked,
and he brings the pillars of society down to ruin.
²⁰ He closes the lips of trusted advisors,
and he takes away good judgment from elders.
²¹ He pours contempt on nobles.
He loosens the belt of the strong.
²² He uncovers deep mysteries that were hidden in darkness.
He brings the shadow of death into the light.
²³ He raises nations to power, and then he destroys them.
He enlarges nations, and then he leads them away captive.
²⁴ He deprives the heads of the peoples of the earth of their reason.
He makes them wander in a wild land where there are no roads.
²⁵ They grope around in darkness, where there is no light.
He causes them to wander aimlessly like drunks.

13 My eyes have certainly seen all this.
My ears have heard it and understood it.
² Whatever you know, I know every bit as well.
I do not fall short of you in any way.

³ But I want to speak to the Almighty.
I am eager to argue my case with God.
⁴ All you do is plaster over problems^[f] with lies.
Such useless healers, all of you!
⁵ I wish you would shut up completely.
For you, that would be wisdom!

⁶ But now, listen to my rebuttal.
Pay attention to the arguments from my lips.
⁷ Will you misrepresent God?^[g]
Will you speak deceitfully about him?
⁸ Will you show favoritism on behalf of God
and argue his case for him?
⁹ Will it turn out well when he cross-examines you?
Can you fool God as you can fool a man?
¹⁰ He will certainly rule against you if you hide your favoritism.
¹¹ Won’t God’s majesty frighten you?
Won’t the dread he inspires overwhelm you?
¹² Your axioms are proverbs made of ashes.
Your strong points are made of clay.

¹³ Silence! Let me speak.
I intend to speak up, no matter what happens.
¹⁴ Why do I bite my flesh with my teeth?
Why do I take my life in my hands?
¹⁵ Even if he slays me, I will wait for him with hope.^[h]
No matter what, I will defend my ways to his face.
¹⁶ Even this may turn out for my salvation,
for no godless person would dare to face him.
¹⁷ Listen carefully to my words!
Give my testimony a hearing.
¹⁸ Please, listen. I have laid out my case.
I know that I am innocent.
¹⁹ Who can make a case against me?
If anyone can, I will be quiet and die.

²⁰ Just do two things for me, God.
If you do, I will not hide from your face.
²¹ Take your hands off me,
and do not terrify me with your grandeur.^[i]
22 Summon me, and I will answer.
Or, I will speak, and you can respond to me.
²³ How much guilt and how many sins do I have?
Reveal my rebellion and my sin to me.
²⁴ Why do you hide your face?
Why do you treat me like your enemy?
²⁵ Will you toss me around^[j] like a wind-blown leaf?
Will you chase me away like dry chaff?
²⁶ You write bitter accusations against me,
and you hold me accountable for the guilt of my youth.
²⁷ You lock my feet in stocks
and station guards along all my paths.
You put your brand on the soles of my feet.

²⁸ So a man rots away like a garment eaten by moths.

14 Man born of woman has a few short days,
and they are full of anxiety.
² He blossoms like a flower, but soon withers.
He recedes like a shadow and does not remain.
³ You keep your eye on such a man.
You bring me^[k] into judgment in your presence.
⁴ Who can produce something pure from something that is impure?
No one.
⁵ Certainly his days are determined.
The number of his months has been set by you.
A limit is set, which he cannot exceed.
⁶ Turn your gaze away from him, and let him be,
until he finishes his day’s work as a hired man.

⁷ There is still hope for a tree if it is cut down.
It may grow up again and produce new shoots.
⁸ Though its roots lie dormant in the earth,
and its stump is dying in the dust,
⁹ with just a whiff of water, it shoots up again.
As a growing plant, it again sends out branches.
¹⁰ But if a man dies, he shrivels away.
When a person breathes his last, where is he?
¹¹ Waters evaporate from the sea.
A river dries up and becomes dust.
¹² In the same way, a man lies down and does not rise again.
Until the heavens pass away, he does not awaken,
and he is not aroused from his sleep.

¹³ Oh how I wish you would hide me in the grave,
that you would conceal me until your wrath has passed by,
that you would set an appointed time for me,
and then you would remember me.
¹⁴ If a man dies, will he live again?
Through all the days of my warfare,^[l]
I will wait, until change comes about for me.
¹⁵ You will call, and I myself will answer.
Then you will long for the work of your hands.

¹⁶ Now you count my steps,
but then you will no longer keep track of my sin.
¹⁷ My rebellious deeds will be sealed up in a bag,
and you will plaster over my guilt.

¹⁸ But as a mountain crumbles and falls,
and as a rock is moved from its place,
¹⁹ as water wears away stones,
and floodwaters wash away soil from the land,
so you destroy a man’s hope.
²⁰ You overpower him once and for all, and he passes away.
You change his appearance and send him away.
²¹ His sons are honored, but he is not aware of it.
They are brought low, but he does not realize it.
²² He feels the pain only of his own flesh,
and in his soul grieves only for himself.

² Does a wise man answer with windy bluster?
Does he fill his belly with the hot east wind?
³ Does he support his arguments with useless talk,
with words that provide no benefit?

⁴ But you even tear down reverence.
You hinder thoughtful reflection in the presence of God.
⁵ Your guilt instructs your mouth.
You choose deceptive language.
⁶ Your own mouth condemns you, not mine.
Your own lips testify against you.
⁷ Were you the first man to be born?
Were you brought forth before the hills?
⁸ Do you listen in on the council meetings of God?
Do you lay claim to all wisdom for yourself?
⁹ What do you know that we do not know as well?
What do you understand that we do not?
¹⁰ The gray-haired and the aged are on our side,
men older than your father.
¹¹ Are the consolations of God too small for you?
Do you think nothing of the gentle words spoken to you?
¹² Why does your heart carry you away?
Why do your eyes flash with such anger?
¹³ Why do you turn your spirit against God?
Why do you allow such words to pour out of your mouth?

¹⁴ What is man, that he could be pure,
or one born of woman, that he could be declared righteous?
¹⁵ If God does not trust in his holy ones,
and even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,
¹⁶ how much less man who is repulsive and corrupt,
who drinks down injustice like water!
¹⁷ Let me instruct you! Listen to me!
This is what I have seen. Let me tell you about it.
¹⁸ This is what wise men have declared,
wise men who hid nothing of what they had received from their fathers,
¹⁹ to whom alone the land was given,
at a time when no foreigners were present in their midst.
²⁰ Through all his days, a wicked man writhes in pain,
throughout the whole number of years stored up for a tyrant.
²¹ Terrifying sounds echo in his ears.
In peacetime the plunderer arrives.
²² The wicked man does not believe that he will return from darkness.
He is sentenced to the sword.
²³ He wanders around looking for food and asks, “Where is it?”^[m]
He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.
²⁴ Pressure and distress terrify him.
They overpower him, like a king ready to attack,
²⁵ because he has stretched out his hand against God,
and he has been arrogant toward the Almighty.
²⁶ He charges at him defiantly^[n] with a thick shield.
²⁷ Though now his face is covered with its fat,
and his hips bulge with lard,
²⁸ he will live in ruined cities,
in abandoned houses, reduced to rubble.
²⁹ He will no longer be rich.
His wealth will not last.
His possessions will no longer cover the ground.
³⁰ He will not escape from darkness.
Flames will dry up his shoots.
With a breath from God’s mouth, he will depart.
³¹ He should not trust in useless things.
He should not fool himself.
His only reward will be useless things.
³² Before his time, he will be paid in full.
His palm branches will not be green.
³³ His grapes will be shaken from the vine before they are ripe.
He will be like an olive tree that loses its blossoms.
³⁴ In the end, the community of the godless produces nothing,
and fire consumes the tents of those who take bribes.
³⁵ They conceive trouble and give birth to disaster.
Their womb produces treachery.

Death is swallowed up in victory.^[i]
55 Death, where is your sting?
Grave, where is your victory?^{[j] [k]}