<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>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;If I go to the east, he is not there,p> <p class="poetry">and to the west, yet I do not perceive him.p>

<p class="poetry">My feet<n id="1" /> have followed<n id="2" /> his steps closely;p> <p class="poetry">I have kept to his way and have not turned aside.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I have not departed from the commands of his lips;p> <p class="poetry">I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my allotted portion.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">But God<n id="1" /> drags off the mighty by his power;p> <p class="poetry">when God<n id="2" /> rises up against him, he has no faith in his life.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">He locks the waters in his clouds,p> <p class="poetry">and the clouds do not burst with the weight of them.p>

<p class="poetry">I will maintain my righteousnessp> <p class="poetry">and never let it go;p> <p class="poetry">my conscience<n id="1" /> will not reproach mep> <p class="poetry">for as long as I live.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">He goes to bed wealthy, but will do so no more.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">When he opens his eyes, it is all gone.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">It hurls itself against him without pity<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">as he flees headlong from its power.p>

<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">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">for I rescued the poor who cried out for help,p> <p class="poetry">and the orphan who<n id="1" /> had no one to assist him;p>

<p class="poetry">I cry out to you,<n id="1" /> but you do not answer me;p> <p class="poetry">I stand up,<n id="2" /> and you only look at me.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">My heart<n id="1" /> is in turmoil<n id="2" /> unceasingly;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">the days of my affliction confront me.p>

<p class="poetry">If I ate my morsel of bread myself,p> <p class="poetry">and did not share any of it with orphans<n id="1" /> &#8211;p>

<p class="poetry">I<n id="1" /> have not even permitted my mouth<n id="2" /> to sinp> <p class="poetry">by asking<n id="3" /> for his life through a curse &#8211;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">But no one says, &#8216;Where is God, my Creator,p> <p class="poetry">who gives songs in the night,<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Then<n id="1" /> they cry out &#8211; but he does not answer &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">because of the arrogance of the wicked.p>