<p class="poetry">After I had spoken, they did not respond;p> <p class="poetry">my words fell on them drop by drop.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Moreover, the strength of their<n id="1" /> hands &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">what use was it to me?p> <p class="poetry">Men whose strength<n id="2" /> had perished;p>

<p class="poetry">By the brush<n id="1" /> they would gather<n id="2" /> herbs from the salt marshes,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and the root of the broom tree was their food.p>

<p class="poetry">so that they had to live<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">in the dry stream beds,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in the holes of the ground, and among the rocks.p>

<p class="poetry">They destroy<n id="1" /> my path;p> <p class="poetry">they succeed in destroying me<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">without anyone assisting<n id="3" /> them.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">then let my wife turn the millstone<n id="1" /> for another man,p> <p class="poetry">and may other men have sexual relations with her.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">whose heart did not bless me<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">as he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep,<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">if I have rejoiced because of the extent of my wealth,p> <p class="poetry">or because of the great wealth my hand had gained,p>

<p class="poetry">then this<n id="1" /> also would be iniquity to be judged,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">for I would have been false<n id="3" /> to God above.p>

<p class="poetry">if<n id="1" /> I have covered my transgressions as men do,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">by hiding<n id="3" /> iniquity in my heart,<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">So these three men refused to answer<n id="2" /> Job further, because he was righteous in his<n id="3" /> own eyes.

<p class="poetry">I said to myself, &#8216;Age<n id="1" /> should speak,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and length of years<n id="3" /> should make wisdom known.&#8217;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">Who entrusted<n id="1" /> to him the earth?p> <p class="poetry">And who put him over<n id="2" /> the whole world?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">But<n id="1" /> Job will be tested to the end,p> <p class="poetry">because his answers are like those of wicked men.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">&#8220;People<n id="1" /> cry outp> <p class="poetry">because of the excess of oppression;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they cry out for helpp> <p class="poetry">because of the power<n id="3" /> of the mighty.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">And further,<n id="1" /> when you sayp> <p class="poetry">that his anger does not punish,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and that he does not know transgression!<n id="3" />p>