16 

Pray understand this,

listen to my lesson:

17 

Can one opposed to justice govern?

Would you denounce the strong God and the just,

18 

who tells a king he is a knave,

tells nobles they are villains,

19 

who never favours princes,

never prefers rich men to poor?

All are his handiwork,

20 

and suddenly, at midnight, they are dead!

Rich men are torn away,

the mighty disappear mysteriously,

21 

for God’s eye is on human life,

he watches every step that a man takes;

22 

there is no darkness, there are no black shadows,

where evildoers can ever hide.

23 

God has not to fix sessions,

in order to bring men to justice;

24 

shatters mighty men without a trial,

and leaves their place to other men;

25 

he overturns them in the night,

because he marks what they are doing;

26 

he breaks the villains in his wrath,

and strikes them down before the world,

27 

because they swerved from following his lead,

reckless of all his rules,

28 

till wails reached him from the oppressed,

and cries from the forlorn came to his ears.

29 

If he did nothing, who would dare denounce him?

Were he indifferent, who dare blame him?--

though he does watch over men and nations,

that none may reign who would beguile the people.

31 

No, tell God: ‘Now that I have suffered,

I will offend no more;

32 

teach me what I am blind to,

and, if I sinned, I will not sin again.’

33 

Leave him to deal with you, as he may please;

are you to choose the terms, not God?

34 

Say what you like,

but thinking men will say with me,

any wise man who hears me will agree,

35 

that Eyob has been speaking thoughtlessly,

his words are void of wisdom.

36 

Oh that the trials of Eyob might continue,

for his impious replies!

37 

He adds rebellion to his guilt,

by heaping scornful blasphemies on God.”