Study Desk

"^(F1)Is a person not ^(C1)forced to labor on earth, And are his days not like the days of ^(C2)a hired worker?

-"As a slave pants for the shade, And as a hired worker who eagerly waits for his wages,

So I am allotted worthless months, And ^(C1)nights of trouble are apportioned to me.

-"When I ^(C1)lie down, I say, 'When shall I arise?' But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn.

-"My ^(C1)flesh is clothed with maggots and a crust of dirt, My skin hardens and ^(F1)oozes.

-"My days are ^(C1)swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And they come to an end ^(C2)without hope.

"Remember that my life ^(C1)is a mere breath; My eye will ^(C2)not see goodness again.

-"The ^(C1)eye of him who sees me will no longer look at me; Your eyes will be on me, but ^(C2)I will not exist.

-"When a ^(C1)cloud vanishes, it is gone; In the same way ^(C2)one who goes down to ^(F1)(C3)Sheol does not come up.

-"He will not return to his house again, Nor will ^(C1)his place know about him anymore.

"Therefore ^(C1)I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

-"Am I the sea, or ^(C1)the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?

-"If I say, '^(C1)My couch will comfort me, My bed will ^(F1)ease my complaint,'

Then You frighten me with dreams, And terrify me by visions,

So that my soul would choose suffocation, Death rather than my ^(F1)pains.

-"I ^(F1)(C1)waste away; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, ^(C2)for my days are only a breath.

-"^(C1)What is man that You exalt him, And that You ^(F1)are concerned about him,

That ^(C1)You examine him every morning And put him to the test every moment?

-"^(F1)(C1)Will You never turn Your gaze away from me, Nor leave me alone until I swallow my spittle?

-"^(C1)Have I sinned? What have I done to You, ^(C2)Watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, So that I am a burden to myself?

-"Why then ^(C1)do You not forgive my wrongdoing And take away my ^(F1)guilt? For now I will ^(C2)lie down in the dust; And You will search for me, ^(C3)but I will no longer exist."

Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,

"How long will you say these things, And the ^(C1)words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

-"Does ^(C1)God pervert justice? Or does ^(F1)the Almighty pervert what is right?

-"^(C1)If your sons sinned against Him, Then He turned them over to the ^(F1)power of their wrongdoing.

-"If you will ^(C1)search for God And implore the compassion of ^(F1)the Almighty,

If you are pure and upright, Surely now ^(C1)He will stir Himself for you And restore your righteous ^(F1)(C2)estate.

-"Though your beginning was insignificant, Yet your ^(C1)end will increase greatly.

"Please ^(C1)inquire of past generations, And consider the things searched out by their fathers.

-"For we are only of yesterday and know nothing, Because ^(C1)our days on earth are as a shadow.

-"Will they not teach you and tell you, And bring forth words from their minds?

"Can papyrus grow tall without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water?

-"While it is still green and not cut down, Yet it withers before any other ^(F1)plant.

-"So are the paths of ^(C1)all who forget God; And the ^(C2)hope of the godless will perish,

His confidence is fragile, And his trust is a ^(C1)spider's ^(F1)web.

-"He depends on his ^(C1)house, but it does not stand; He holds on to it, but it does not endure.

-"He ^(C1)flourishes before the sun, And his ^(C2)shoots spread out over his garden.

-"His roots wrap around a rock pile, He ^(F1)grasps a house of stones.

-"If he is ^(F1)removed from ^(C1)his place, Then it will deny him, saying, '^(C2)I never saw you.'

-"Behold, ^(C1)this is the joy of His way; And out of the dust others will spring.

-"Behold, ^(C1)God will not reject a person of integrity, Nor ^(C2)will He ^(F1)help evildoers.

-"He will yet fill ^(C1)your mouth with laughter, And your lips with joyful shouting.

-"Those who hate you will be ^(C1)clothed with shame, And the ^(C2)tent of the wicked will no longer exist."