<p class="poetry">a hidden path<n id="1" /> no bird of prey knows &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">no falcon&#8217;s<n id="2" /> eye has spotted it.p>

<p class="poetry">Proud beasts<n id="1" /> have not set foot on it,p> <p class="poetry">and no lion has passed along it.p>

<p class="poetry">Mankind does not know its place;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">it cannot be found in the land of the living.p>

<p class="poetry">Fine gold cannot be given in exchange for it,p> <p class="poetry">nor can its price be weighed out in silver.p>

<p class="poetry">The topaz of Cush<n id="1" /> cannot be compared with it;p> <p class="poetry">it cannot be purchased with pure gold.p>

<p class="poetry">If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and they did not cause the light of my face to darken.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Job<n id="1" /> has not directed<n id="2" /> his words to me,p> <p class="poetry">and so I will not reply to him with your arguments.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,p> <p class="poetry">nor should my pressure<n id="1" /> be heavy on you.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">that<n id="1" /> Job speaks without knowledgep> <p class="poetry">and his words are without understanding.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Surely it is an empty cry<n id="1" /> &#8211; God does not hear it;p> <p class="poetry">the Almighty does not take notice of it.p>

<p class="poetry">It laughs at fear and is not dismayed;p> <p class="poetry">it does not shy away from the sword.p>

<p class="poetry">I have spoken once, but I cannot answer;p> <p class="poetry">twice, but I will say no more.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with moral impropriety.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Or why<n id="1" /> was<n id="2" /> I not buried<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">like a stillborn infant,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">like infants<n id="5" /> who have never seen the light?<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">For evil does not come up from the dust,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">nor does trouble spring up from the ground,p>

<p class="poetry">Then I would yet have my comfort,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">then<n id="2" /> I would rejoice,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">in spite of pitiless pain,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">for<n id="5" /> I have not concealed the words<n id="6" /> of the Holy One.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">Will you never<n id="1" /> look away from me,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">will you not let me alone<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">long enough to swallow my spittle?p>

<p class="poetry">He leans against his house but it does not hold up,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he takes hold<n id="2" /> of it but it does not stand.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Surely, God does not reject a blameless man,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">nor does he grasp the hand<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">of the evildoers.p>

<p class="poetry">If<n id="1" /> he passes by me, I cannot see<n id="2" /> him,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">if he goes by, I cannot perceive him.<n id="4" />p>