<p class="poetry">Does God listen to his cryp> <p class="poetry">when distress overtakes him?p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Surely<n id="2" /> there is a mine<n id="3" /> for silver,p> <p class="poetry">and a place where gold is refined.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;As soon as the ear heard these things,<n id="1" /> it blessed me,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me,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">Because God has untied<n id="1" /> my tent cord and afflicted me,p> <p class="poetry">people throw off all restraint in my presence.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I know that you are bringing<n id="1" /> me to death,p> <p class="poetry">to the meeting place for all the living.p>

<p class="poetry">For I would have committed<n id="1" /> a shameful act,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">an iniquity to be judged.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">but from my youth I raised the orphan<n id="1" /> like a father,p> <p class="poetry">and from my mother&#8217;s womb<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I guided the widow!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the calamity from God was a terror to me,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and by reason of his majesty<n id="2" /> I was powerless.p>

<p class="poetry">if I looked at the sun<n id="1" /> when it was shining,p> <p class="poetry">and the moon advancing as a precious thing,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 rejoiced over the misfortune of my enemy<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">or exulted<n id="3" /> because calamity<n id="4" /> found him &#8211;p>

<p class="poetry">for I do not know how to give honorary titles,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">if I did,<n id="2" /> my Creator would quickly do away with me.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Why do you contend against him,p> <p class="poetry">that he does not answer all a person&#8217;s<n id="1" /> words?p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;For God speaks, the first time in one way,p> <p class="poetry">the second time in another,p> <p class="poetry">though a person does not perceive<n id="1" /> it.p>

<p class="poetry">If you have any words,<n id="1" /> reply to me;p> <p class="poetry">speak, for I want to justify you.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the ear assesses<n id="1" /> wordsp> <p class="poetry">as the mouth<n id="2" /> tastes food.p>

<p class="poetry">For Job says, &#8216;I am innocent,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but God turns away my right.p>

<p class="poetry">For he says, &#8216;It does not profit a manp> <p class="poetry">when he makes his delight with God.&#8217;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">For he repays a person for his work,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and according to the conduct of a person,p> <p class="poetry">he causes the consequences to find him.<n id="2" />p>