<p class="poetry">&#8220;Should not this<n id="1" /> abundance of words be answered,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">or should this<n id="3" /> talkative man<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">be vindicated?<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Sons of senseless and nameless people,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they were driven out of the land with whips.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the years that lie ahead are few,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and then I will go on the way of no return.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They grope about in darkness<n id="1" /> without light;p> <p class="poetry">he makes them stagger<n id="2" /> like drunkards.p>

<p class="poetry">And you put my feet in the stocks<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and you watch all my movements;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you put marks<n id="3" /> on the soles of my feet.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">men<n id="1" /> who were carried off<n id="2" /> before their time,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">when the flood<n id="4" /> was poured out<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">on their foundations?<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">But if God<n id="1" /> is quiet, who can condemn<n id="2" /> him?p> <p class="poetry">If he hides his face, then who can see him?p> <p class="poetry">Yet<n id="3" /> he is over the individual and the nation alike,<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Yes, you would gamble<n id="1" /> for the fatherless,p> <p class="poetry">and auction off<n id="2" /> your friend.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now the day came when<n id="2" /> the sons of God<n id="3" /> came to present themselves before<n id="4" /> the <sc>Lordsc> &#8211; and Satan<n id="5" /> also arrived among them.

<p class="poetry">Make then my pledge<n id="1" /> with you.p> <p class="poetry">Who else will put up security for me?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is the portion of the wicked manp> <p class="poetry">allotted by God,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the inheritance that evildoers receivep> <p class="poetry">from the Almighty.p>

<p class="poetry">They were banished from the community<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">people<n id="2" /> shouted at themp> <p class="poetry">like they would shout at thieves<n id="3" /> &#8211;p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">How faint is the whisper<n id="2" /> we hear of him!p> <p class="poetry">But who can understand the thunder of his power?&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now the day<n id="2" /> came when Job&#8217;s<n id="3" /> sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother&#8217;s house,

<p class="poetry">to the land of utter darkness,p> <p class="poetry">like the deepest darkness,p> <p class="poetry">and the deepest shadow and disorder,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">where even the light<n id="2" /> is like darkness.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who drinks in evil like water!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;If I have disregarded the right of my male servantsp> <p class="poetry">or my female servantsp> <p class="poetry">when they disputed<n id="1" /> with me,p>

<p class="poetry">Concerning my right, should I lie?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">My wound<n id="2" /> is incurable,p> <p class="poetry">although I am without transgression.&#8217;<n id="3" />p>

<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>