<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">Bear with me<n id="1" /> and I<n id="2" /> will speak,p> <p class="poetry">and after I have spoken<n id="3" /> you may mock.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">They sing<n id="1" /> to the accompaniment of tambourine and harp,p> <p class="poetry">and make merry to the sound of the flute.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">And Job took up his discourse again:<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;p> <p class="poetry">it sweeps him out of his place.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Job continued<n id="2" /> his speech:p>

<p class="poetry">You pick me up on the wind and make me ride on it;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you toss me about<n id="2" /> in the storm.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">With my knowledge I will speak comprehensively,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and to my Creator I will ascribe righteousness.<n id="2" />p>

But when they gazed intently<n id="1" /> from a distance but did not recognize<n id="2" /> him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Oh,<n id="1" /> if only my grief<n id="2" /> could be weighed,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and my misfortune laid<n id="4" /> on the scales too!<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">If<n id="1" /> I say,<n id="2" /> &#8220;My bed will comfort me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">my couch will ease<n id="4" /> my complaint,&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">He would certainly rebuke<n id="1" /> youp> <p class="poetry">if you secretly<n id="2" /> showed partiality!p>

<p class="poetry">Why<n id="1" /> do I put myself in peril,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and take my life in my hands?p>

<p class="poetry">Although you were a powerful man,<n id="1" /> owning land,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">an honored man<n id="3" /> living on it,<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">They go about naked, without clothing,p> <p class="poetry">and go hungry while they carry the sheaves.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Surely<n id="1" /> I would wear it proudly<n id="2" /> on my shoulder,p> <p class="poetry">I would bind<n id="3" /> it on me like a crown;p>

<p class="poetry">for I do not know how to give honorary titles,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">if I did,<n id="2" /> my Creator would quickly do away with me.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Has anyone said to God,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I have endured chastisement,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but I will not act wrongly any more.p>

<p class="poetry">If I am guilty,<n id="1" /> woe<n id="2" /> to me,p> <p class="poetry">and if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I am full of shame,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and satiated with my affliction.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">For<n id="1" /> then you will lift up your facep> <p class="poetry">without<n id="2" /> blemish;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">you will be securely established<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and will not fear.p>