7 “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?z

Where were the upright ever destroyed?a

8 As I have observed,b those who plow evilc

and those who sow trouble reap it.d

9 At the breath of Gode they perish;

at the blast of his anger they are no more.f

10 The lions may roarg and growl,

yet the teeth of the great lionsh are broken.i

11 The lion perishes for lack of prey,j

and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.k

12 “A wordl was secretly brought to me,

my ears caught a whisperm of it.n

13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night,

when deep sleep falls on people,o

14 fear and tremblingp seized me

and made all my bones shake.q

15 A spirit glided past my face,

and the hair on my body stood on end.r

16 It stopped,

but I could not tell what it was.

A form stood before my eyes,

and I heard a hushed voice:s

17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?t

Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?u

18 If God places no trust in his servants,v

if he charges his angels with error,w

19 how much more those who live in houses of clay,x

whose foundationsy are in the dust,z

who are crusheda more readily than a moth!b

20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;

unnoticed, they perish forever.c

21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,d

so that they diee without wisdom?’f

5 “Call if you will, but who will answer you?g

To which of the holy onesh will you turn?