“For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life?
“Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?
“I will instruct you in the power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
“This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty.
“Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread.
“His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not be able to weep.
“Though he piles up silver like dust And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
He may prepare it, but the just will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver.
“He has built his house like the spider’s web, Or as a hut which the watchman has made.
“Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night.
“The east wind carries him away, and he is gone, For it whirls him away from his place.
“Iron is taken from the dust, And copper is smelted from rock.
“Man puts an end to darkness, And to the farthest limit he searches out The rock in gloom and deep shadow.
“He sinks a shaft far from habitation, Forgotten by the foot; They hang and swing to and fro far from men.
“The earth, from it comes food, And underneath it is turned up as fire.
“Its rocks are the source of sapphires, And its dust contains gold.
“The path no bird of prey knows, Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it.
“The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
“He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the base.
“He hews out channels through the rocks, And his eye sees anything precious.
“He dams up the streams from flowing, And what is hidden he brings out to the light.
“But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
“Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
“The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
“It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire.
“Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; And the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls.
“The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
“Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?
“Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living And concealed from the birds of the sky.
“For He looks to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens.
“When He imparted weight to the wind And meted out the waters by measure,
When He set a limit for the rain And a course for the thunderbolt,
“And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’”
“Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me;
As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;
When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
When my steps were bathed in butter, And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
“When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square,
The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood.
“The princes stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths;
The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to their palate.
“For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,
Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper.
“The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
“I was eyes to the blind And feet to the lame.
“I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know.
“I broke the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth.
“Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand.
‘My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies all night on my branch.
“They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouth as for the spring rain.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
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