<p class="poetry">For what hope does the godless have when he is cut off,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">when God takes away his life?<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;What is mankind<n id="1" /> that you make so much of them,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and that you pay attention<n id="3" /> to them?p>

<p class="poetry">What is man that he should be pure,p> <p class="poetry">or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?p>

<p class="poetry">that you may take them to their bordersp> <p class="poetry">and perceive the pathways to their homes?<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">What is my strength, that I should wait?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and what is my end,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">that I should prolong my life?p>

<p class="poetry">For we were born yesterday<n id="1" /> and do not have knowledge,p> <p class="poetry">since our days on earth are but a shadow.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Is it good for you<n id="1" /> to oppress,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to<n id="3" /> despise the work of your hands,p> <p class="poetry">while<n id="4" /> you smile<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">on the schemes of the wicked?p>

<p class="poetry">Who is the Almighty, that<n id="1" /> we should serve him?p> <p class="poetry">What would we gainp> <p class="poetry">if we were to pray<n id="2" /> to him?&#8217;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Is it of any special benefit<n id="1" /> to the Almightyp> <p class="poetry">that you should be righteous,p> <p class="poetry">or is it any gain to himp> <p class="poetry">that you make your ways blameless?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For all of them,<n id="1" /> the morning is to themp> <p class="poetry">like deep darkness;p> <p class="poetry">they are friends with the terrors of darkness.p>

<p class="poetry">then what will I do when God confronts me in judgment;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">when he intervenes,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">how will I respond to him?p>

<p class="poetry">if I have rejoiced because of the extent of my wealth,p> <p class="poetry">or because of the great wealth my hand had gained,p>

<p class="poetry">And I have waited.<n id="1" /> But because they do not speak,p> <p class="poetry">because they stand there and answer no more,p>

<p class="poetry">Is it your opinion<n id="1" /> that God<n id="2" /> should recompense it,p> <p class="poetry">because you reject this?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">But you must choose, and not I,p> <p class="poetry">so tell us what you know.p>

<p class="poetry">Should he be informed that I want<n id="1" /> to speak?p> <p class="poetry">If a man speaks, surely he would be swallowed up!p>

<p class="poetry">They were distressed,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">because each one had been<n id="2" /> so confident;p> <p class="poetry">they arrived there,<n id="3" /> but were disappointed.p>

<p class="poetry">that<n id="1" /> you must search out<n id="2" /> my iniquity,p> <p class="poetry">and inquire about my sin,p>

<p class="poetry">For he fulfills his decree against me,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and many such things are his plans.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For I am full of words,p> <p class="poetry">and the spirit within me<n id="1" /> constrains me.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">then he reveals<n id="1" /> to them what they have done,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and their transgressions,p> <p class="poetry">that they were behaving proudly.p>