12  Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,

and rthe Almighty will not pervert justice.

13  Who gave him charge over the earth,

and who slaid on him1 the whole world?

14  If he should tset his heart to it

and ugather to himself his vspirit and his breath,

15  all flesh would perish together,

and man would wreturn to dust.

16  “If you have understanding, hear this;

listen to what I say.

17  xShall one who hates justice govern?

Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,

18  who ysays to a king, ‘Worthless one,’

and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’

19  who zshows no partiality to princes,

nor regards the rich amore than the poor,

for bthey are all the work of his hands?

20  In a moment cthey die;

at dmidnight the people are shaken and pass away,

and the mighty are taken away by eno human hand.

21  “For his eyes are on fthe ways of a man,

and he sees all his fsteps.

22  There is no ggloom or hdeep darkness

where evildoers may hide themselves.

23  For God2 has no need to consider a man further,

that he should go before God in ijudgment.

24  He jshatters the mighty without investigation

and sets lothers in their place.

25  Thus, knowing their works,

he moverturns them in the night, and they are crushed.

26  He strikes them for their wickedness

in a place for all to see,

27  because they turned aside from nfollowing him

and had no regard for any of his ways,

28  so that they ocaused the cry of the poor to come to him,

and he pheard the cry of the afflicted—

29  When he is quiet, who can condemn?

When he hides his face, who can behold him,

whether it be a nation or a man?—

30  that a godless man should not reign,

that he should not ensnare the people.

31  “For has anyone said to God,

‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more;

32  rteach me what I do not see;

if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?

33  Will he then make repayment to suit you,

because you reject it?

For you must choose, and not I;

therefore sdeclare what you know.3

34  Men of understanding will say to me,

and the wise man who hears me will say:

35  ‘Job tspeaks without knowledge;

his words are without insight.’

36  Would that Job were tried to the end,

because he answers like wicked men.

37  For he adds rebellion to his sin;

he uclaps his hands among us

and multiplies his words against God.”