<p class="poetry">Why do you hide your face<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and regard me as your enemy?p>

<p class="poetry">then the Almighty himself will be your gold,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and the choicest<n id="2" /> silver for you.p>

<p class="poetry">Can you send out lightning bolts, and they go?p> <p class="poetry">Will they say to you, &#8216;Here we are&#8217;?p>

<p class="poetry">If<n id="1" /> I have sinned &#8211; what have I done to you,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">O watcher of men?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Why have you set me as your target?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Have I become a burden to you?<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">and reveal to you the secrets of wisdom &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">for true wisdom has two sides<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">so that you would know<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">that God has forgiven some of your sins.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Will they not<n id="1" /> instruct you and<n id="2" /> speak to you,p> <p class="poetry">and bring forth words<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">from their understanding?<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Do you have eyes of flesh,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">or do you see<n id="2" /> as a human being sees?<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Or speak<n id="1" /> to the earth<n id="2" /> and it will teach you,p> <p class="poetry">or let the fish of the sea declare to you.p>

<p class="poetry">Whatever you decide<n id="1" /> on a matter,p> <p class="poetry">it will be established for you,p> <p class="poetry">and light will shine on your ways.p>

<p class="poetry">But you say, &#8216;What will it profit you,&#8217;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and, &#8216;What do I gain by not sinning?&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Have the gates of death been revealed to you?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Have you seen the gates of deepest darkness?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do you have an arm as powerful as God&#8217;s,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and can you thunder with a voice like his?p>

<p class="poetry">Then I myself will acknowledge<n id="1" /> to youp> <p class="poetry">that your own right hand can save you.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For you will have a pact with the stones<n id="1" /> of the field,p> <p class="poetry">and the wild animals<n id="2" /> will be at peace<n id="3" /> with you.p>

<p class="poetry">Look, we have investigated this, so it is true.p> <p class="poetry">Hear it,<n id="1" /> and apply it for your own<n id="2" /> good.&#8221;<n id="3" />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>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;But now, ask the animals and they<n id="2" /> will teach you,p> <p class="poetry">or the birds of the sky and they will tell you.p>

and the Sabeans<n id="1" /> swooped down<n id="2" /> and carried them all away, and they killed<n id="3" /> the servants with the sword!<n id="4" /> And I &#8211; only I alone<n id="5" /> &#8211; escaped to tell you!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">While this one was still speaking,<n id="1" /> another messenger arrived<n id="2" /> and said, &#8220;The fire of God<n id="3" /> has fallen from heaven<n id="4" /> and has burned up the sheep and the servants &#8211; it has consumed them! And I &#8211; only I alone &#8211; escaped to tell you!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, &#8220;The Chaldeans<n id="1" /> formed three bands and made a raid<n id="2" /> on the camels and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword!<n id="3" /> And I &#8211; only I alone &#8211; escaped to tell you!&#8221;p>