Study Desk

With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;

He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;

Will you say in God's name what is not right, and put false words into his mouth?

Will you have respect for God's person in this cause, and put yourselves forward as his supporters?

Will not his glory put you in fear, so that your hearts will be overcome before him?

As for man, the son of woman, his days are short and full of trouble.

If his days are ordered, and you have knowledge of the number of his months, having given him a fixed limit past which he may not go;

Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.

But man comes to his death and is gone: he gives up his spirit, and where is he?

So man goes down to his last resting-place and comes not again: till the heavens come to an end, they will not be awake or come out of their sleep.

You overcome him for ever, and he is gone; his face is changed in death, and you send him away.

His sons come to honour, and he has no knowledge of it; they are made low, but he is not conscious of it.

Only his flesh still has pain, and his soul is sad.

Truly, he puts no faith in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his eyes;

The evil man is in pain all his days, and the number of the years stored up for the cruel is small.

A sound of fear is in his ears; in time of peace destruction will come on him:

He has no hope of coming safe out of the dark, and his fate will be the sword;

Because his hand is stretched out against God, and his heart is lifted up against the Ruler of all,

Running against him like a man of war, covered by his thick breastplate; even like a king ready for the fight,

Because his face is covered with fat, and his body has become thick;