<p class="poetry">Whether it is for punishment<n id="1" /> for his land,p> <p class="poetry">or whether it is for mercy,p> <p class="poetry">he causes it to find its mark.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Is my strength like that of stones?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">or is my flesh made of bronze?p>

<p class="poetry">If it is a matter of strength,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">most certainly<n id="2" /> he is the strong one!p> <p class="poetry">And if it is a matter of justice,p> <p class="poetry">he will say, &#8216;Who will summon me?&#8217;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">my<n id="1" /> lips will not speak wickedness,p> <p class="poetry">and my tongue will whisper<n id="2" /> no deceit.p>

<p class="poetry">If I sinned, then you would watch mep> <p class="poetry">and you would not acquit me of my iniquity.p>

<p class="poetry">If he comes by<n id="1" /> and confines<n id="2" /> you<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and convenes a court,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">then who can prevent<n id="5" /> him?p>

<p class="poetry">Will you show him partiality?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Will you argue the case<n id="2" /> for God?p>

<p class="poetry">For, when I think<n id="1" /> about this, I am terrified<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and my body feels a shudder.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Reply to me, if you can;p> <p class="poetry">set your arguments<n id="1" /> in order before mep> <p class="poetry">and take your stand!p>

<p class="poetry">But if they are bound in chains,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and held captive by the cords of affliction,p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Is<n id="1" /> a mortal man<n id="2" /> righteous<n id="3" /> before<n id="4" /> God?p> <p class="poetry">Or a man pure<n id="5" /> before his Creator?<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Is<n id="1" /> not my power to help myself nothing,p> <p class="poetry">and has not every resource<n id="2" /> been driven from me?p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Now then, be good enough to look<n id="1" /> at me;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and I will not<n id="3" /> lie to your face!p>

<p class="poetry">Is there any falsehood<n id="1" /> on my lips?p> <p class="poetry">Can my mouth<n id="2" /> not discern evil things?<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Am I the sea, or the creature of the deep,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">that you must put<n id="2" /> me under guard?<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Does God pervert<n id="1" /> justice?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Or does the Almighty pervert<n id="3" /> what is right?p>

<p class="poetry">If<n id="1" /> your children sinned against him,p> <p class="poetry">he gave them over<n id="2" /> to the penalty<n id="3" /> of their sin.p>

<p class="poetry">But<n id="1" /> if you will look<n id="2" /> to God,p> <p class="poetry">and make your supplication<n id="3" /> to the Almighty,p>

<p class="poetry">If he is uprooted<n id="1" /> from his place,p> <p class="poetry">then that place<n id="2" /> will disown him, saying,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I have never seen you!&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">Although<n id="1" /> I am innocent,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I could not answer him;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I could only plead<n id="4" /> with my judge<n id="5" /> for mercy.p>