<p class="poetry">It is higher<n id="1" /> than the heavens &#8211; what can you do?p> <p class="poetry">It is deeper than Sheol<n id="2" /> &#8211; what can you know?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">If you sin, how does it affect God?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">If your transgressions are many,p> <p class="poetry">what does it do to him?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">If you are righteous, what do you give to God,p> <p class="poetry">or what does he receive from your hand?p>

<p class="poetry">Why<n id="1" /> has your heart carried you away,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and why do your eyes flash,<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">How painful<n id="1" /> are honest words!p> <p class="poetry">But<n id="2" /> what does your reproof<n id="3" /> prove?<n id="4" />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">&#8220;Refrain from talking<n id="1" /> with me so that<n id="2" /> I may speak;p> <p class="poetry">then let come to me<n id="3" /> what may.<n id="4" />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">What do you know that we don&#8217;t know?p> <p class="poetry">What do you understand that we don&#8217;t understand?<n id="1" />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">Will<n id="1" /> there be an end to your<n id="2" /> windy words?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Or what provokes<n id="4" /> you that you answer?<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">For what is his interest<n id="1" /> in his homep> <p class="poetry">after his death,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">when the number of his monthsp> <p class="poetry">has been broken off?<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">But you have said, &#8216;What does God know?p> <p class="poetry">Does he judge through such deep darkness?<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I would know with what words<n id="1" /> he would answer me,p> <p class="poetry">and understand what he would say to me.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;How you have helped<n id="1" /> the powerless!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">How you have saved the person who has no strength!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">How you have advised the one without wisdom,p> <p class="poetry">and abundantly<n id="1" /> revealed your insight!p>

<p class="poetry">Let us evaluate<n id="1" /> for ourselves what is right;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">let us come to know among ourselves what is good.p>

<p class="poetry">Tell us what we should<n id="1" /> say to him.p> <p class="poetry">We cannot prepare a case<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because of the darkness.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Indeed, I am completely unworthy<n id="1" /> &#8211; how could I reply to you?p> <p class="poetry">I put<n id="2" /> my hand over my mouth to silence myself.<n id="3" />p>