<p class="poetry">Men of understanding say to me &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">any wise man listening to me says &#8211;p>

<p class="poetry">thus<n id="1" /> I have been made to inherit<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">months of futility,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and nights of sorrow<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">have been appointed<n id="5" /> to me.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I will explain to you;p> <p class="poetry">listen to me,p> <p class="poetry">and what<n id="1" /> I have seen, I will declare,<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">My spirit is broken,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">my days have faded out,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the grave<n id="3" /> awaits me.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;People<n id="1" /> listened to me and waited silently;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they kept silent for my advice.p>

<p class="poetry">They waited for me as people wait<n id="1" /> for the rain,p> <p class="poetry">and they opened their mouths<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">as for<n id="3" /> the spring rains.p>

<p class="poetry">You have become cruel to me;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">with the strength of your hand you attack me.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will speak,<n id="1" /> so that I may find relief;p> <p class="poetry">I will open my lips, so that I may answer.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen to my words, you wise men;p> <p class="poetry">hear<n id="1" /> me, you learned men.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;If only I had<n id="1" /> someone to hear me!p> <p class="poetry">Here is my signature &#8211; <n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">let the Almighty answer me!p> <p class="poetry">If only I had an indictment<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">that my accuser had written.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For now<n id="1" /> I would be lying downp> <p class="poetry">and<n id="2" /> would be quiet,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I would be asleep and then at peace<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the very thing I dreaded<n id="1" /> has happened<n id="2" /> to me,p> <p class="poetry">and what I feared has come upon me.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Have I<n id="1" /> ever said,<n id="2" /> &#8216;Give me something,p> <p class="poetry">and from your fortune<n id="3" /> make gifts<n id="4" /> in my favor&#8217;?p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Teach<n id="1" /> me and I, for my part,<n id="2" /> will be silent;p> <p class="poetry">explain to me<n id="3" /> how I have been mistaken.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">How many are my<n id="1" /> iniquities and sins?p> <p class="poetry">Show me my transgression and my sin.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">These ten times<n id="1" /> you have been reproaching me;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you are not ashamed to attack me!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I would know with what words<n id="1" /> he would answer me,p> <p class="poetry">and understand what he would say to me.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">Surely<n id="1" /> I would wear it proudly<n id="2" /> on my shoulder,p> <p class="poetry">I would bind<n id="3" /> it on me like a crown;p>

<p class="poetry">Therefore I say, &#8216;Listen<n id="1" /> to me.p> <p class="poetry">I, even I, will explain what I know.&#8217;p>