Study Desk

"Therefore hear me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God that He would do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong.

"For God pays a man according to his work, And He will make every man find [appropriate] compensation according to his way.

"Surely God will not act wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

"Who put God in charge over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?

"If God should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself [that is, withdraw from man] His [life-giving] spirit and His breath,

"God who says to a king, 'You are worthless and vile,' Or to princes and nobles, 'You are wicked and evil'?

"For has anyone said to God, 'I have endured my chastisement; I will not offend anymore;

'For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his [unacknowledged] sin; He claps his hands among us [in open mockery and contempt of God], And he multiplies his words [of accusation] against God.'"

"If you are righteous, what do you give God, Or what does He receive from your hand?

"Your wickedness affects only a man such as you, And your righteousness affects only a son of man [but it cannot affect God, who is sovereign].

"But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs [of rejoicing] in the night,

"Surely God will not listen to an empty cry [which lacks trust], Nor will the Almighty regard it.

"Behold, God is mighty, and yet does not despise anyone [nor regard any as trivial]; He is mighty in the strength and power of understanding.

"Take heed and be careful, do not turn to wickedness, For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.

"Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a ruler or a teacher like Him?

"Who has appointed God His way, And who can say [to Him], 'You have done wrong'?

"Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable.

"God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.

"God seals (brings to a standstill, stops) [by severe weather] the hand of every man, That all men [whom He has made] may know His work [that is, His sovereign power and their subjection to it].

"Ice is made by the breath of God, And the expanse of the waters is frozen.