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My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
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I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
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Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
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Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
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Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man’s days,
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That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
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Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
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Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
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Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
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Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
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Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
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Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
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And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.
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If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
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If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;
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For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.
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Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
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Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!
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I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
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Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
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Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
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A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
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Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
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Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?
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Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?
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For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.
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But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;
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And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
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Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
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It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
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The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
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If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?
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For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?
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For vain men would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.
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If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;
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If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.
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For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:
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Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:
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And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday: thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.
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And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.
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Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.
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But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.
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1
And Job answered and said,
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No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
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But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
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I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
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He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
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The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
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But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
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Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
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Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
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In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
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Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
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With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
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With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
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Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
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Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
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With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
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He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
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He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
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He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
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He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
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He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
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He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
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He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
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He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
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They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
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Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.
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What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.
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Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
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But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
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O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
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Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
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Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
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Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
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Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
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He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
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Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
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Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
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Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
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Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
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Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
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He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
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Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
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Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.
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Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.
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Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.
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Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.
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Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
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How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
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Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
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Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
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For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
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Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.
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And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.
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