Study Desk

"Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward.

"It will be accomplished before his time, And his palm branch will not be green.

"He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off his flower like the olive tree.

"His anger has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth; My adversary glares at me.

"I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target.

"His arrows surround me. Without mercy He splits my kidneys open; He pours out my gall on the ground.

"O that a man might plead with God As a man with his neighbor!

"He who informs against friends for a share of the spoil, The eyes of his children also will languish.

"Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

"Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out, And the flame of his fire gives no light.

"The light in his tent is darkened, And his lamp goes out above him.

"His vigorous stride is shortened, And his own scheme brings him down.

"For he is thrown into the net by his own feet, And he steps on the webbing.

"His strength is famished, And calamity is ready at his side.

"His skin is devoured by disease, The firstborn of death devours his limbs.

"He is torn from the security of his tent, And they march him before the king of terrors.

"There dwells in his tent nothing of his; Brimstone is scattered on his habitation.

"His roots are dried below, And his branch is cut off above.

"He has no offspring or posterity among his people, Nor any survivor where he sojourned.

"Those in the west are appalled at his fate, And those in the east are seized with horror.