Study Desk

For the dread that I dread comes upon me,And what I am afraid of befalls me.

The lion perishes for lack of prey,And the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

For vexation kills the ignorant fool,And jealousy puts to death the simple.

For wickedness does not come out from the dust,Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

For man is born for trouble,As sparks fly upward.

"But as for me, I would seek God,And I would set my cause before God,

For He inflicts pain and gives relief;He wounds, and His hands also heal.

For your covenant will be with the stones of the field,And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

You will know that your tent is at peace,For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.

Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.Hear it, and know for yourself."

For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;Therefore my words have been rash.

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,Their poison my spirit drinks;The horrors of God are arranged against me.

"For the despairing man lovingkindness should be from his friend;But he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

The caravans of Tema looked;The travelers of Sheba hoped for them.

They were ashamed for they had trusted;They came there and were humiliated.

Have I said, ‘Give me something,'Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,'

You would even cast lots for the orphansAnd bargain over your friend.

As a slave who pants for the shade,And as a hired man who eagerly hopes for his wages,

I have rejected everything; I will not live forever.Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

Why then do You not forgive my transgressionAnd take away my iniquity?For now I will lie down in the dust;And You will seek me earnestly, but I will not be."