Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain<n id="1" /> was very great.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">After this Job lived 140 years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

<p class="poetry">You have taken notice,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for<n id="2" /> you always see<n id="3" /> one who inflicts pain and suffering.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you;<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">you deliver<n id="6" /> the fatherless.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">Because of all my enemies, people disdain me;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">my neighbors are appalled by my suffering<n id="2" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">those who know me are horrified by my condition;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">those who see me in the street run away from me.p>

<p class="poetry">For innumerable dangers<n id="1" /> surround me.p> <p class="poetry">My sins overtake mep> <p class="poetry">so I am unable to see;p> <p class="poetry">they outnumber the hairs of my headp> <p class="poetry">so my strength fails me.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">When someone comes to visit,<n id="1" /> he pretends to be friendly;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he thinks of ways to defame me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and when he leaves he slanders me.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">We heard about God&#8217;s mighty deeds, now we have seen them,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">in the city of the <sc>Lordsc>, the invincible Warrior,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in the city of our God.p> <p class="poetry">God makes it permanently secure.<n id="3" /> (Selah)p>

<p class="poetry">God looks down from heaven<n id="1" /> at the human race,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to see if there is anyone who is wise<n id="3" /> and seeks God.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look to the right and see!p> <p class="poetry">No one cares about me.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I have nowhere to run;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">no one is concerned about my life.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">All this<n id="1" /> monotony<n id="2" /> is tiresome; no one can bear<n id="3" /> to describe it:<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content<n id="5" /> with hearing.p>

<p class="poetry">Is there anything about which someone can say, &#8220;Look at this! It is new!&#8221;?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">It was already<n id="2" /> done long ago,<n id="3" /> before our time.<n id="4" />p>

<t /> I thought to myself,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Come now,<n id="2" /> I will try<n id="3" /> self-indulgent pleasure<n id="4" /> to see<n id="5" /> if it is worthwhile.&#8221;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">But I found<n id="7" /> that it also is futile.<n id="8" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Next, I decided to consider<n id="1" /> wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For what more can the king&#8217;s successor do than what the king<n id="3" /> has already done?p>

<t /><p class="poetry">There is nothing better for<n id="1" /> people<n id="2" /> than<n id="3" /> to eat and drink,p> <p class="poetry">and to find enjoyment<n id="4" /> in their<n id="5" /> work.p> <p class="poetry">I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment<n id="6" /> comes from God.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">I also thought to myself, &#8220;It is<n id="1" /> for the sake of people,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">so God can clearly<n id="3" /> show<n id="4" /> them that they are like animals.p>

<p class="poetry">But better than both is the one who has not been born<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I considered all the living who walk on earth,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">as well as the successor<n id="2" /> who would arise<n id="3" /> in his place.p>

<p class="poetry">When someone&#8217;s<n id="1" /> prosperity<n id="2" /> increases, those who consume it also increase;p> <p class="poetry">so what does its owner<n id="3" /> gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes?<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity.p> <p class="poetry">For both of them die!<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">During the days of my fleeting life<n id="1" /> I have seen both<n id="2" /> of these things:p> <p class="poetry">Sometimes<n id="3" /> a righteous person dies prematurely<n id="4" /> in spite of<n id="5" /> his righteousness,p> <p class="poetry">and sometimes<n id="6" /> a wicked person lives long<n id="7" /> in spite of his evil deeds.p>