^{1 Ref} Pray, call, is there any to answer thee? And unto which of the holy ones dost thou turn?

^{2 Ref} For provocation slayeth the perverse, And envy putteth to death the simple,

^{3 Ref} I -- I have seen the perverse taking root, And I mark his habitation straightway,

^{4 Ref} Far are his sons from safety, And they are bruised in the gate, And there is no deliverer.

^{5 Ref} Whose harvest the hungry doth eat, And even from the thorns taketh it, And the designing swallowed their wealth.

^{6 Ref} For sorrow cometh not forth from the dust, Nor from the ground springeth up misery.

^{7 Ref} For man to misery is born, And the sparks go high to fly.

^{8 Ref} Yet I -- I inquire for God, And for God I give my word,

^{9 Ref} Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, till there is no numbering.

^{10 Ref} Who is giving rain on the face of the land, And is sending waters on the out-places.

^{11 Ref} To set the low on a high place, And the mourners have been high `in' safety.

^{12 Ref} Making void thoughts of the subtile, And their hands do not execute wisdom.

^{13 Ref} Capturing the wise in their subtilty, And the counsel of wrestling ones was hastened,

^{14 Ref} By day they meet darkness, And as night -- they grope at noon.

^{15 Ref} And He saveth the wasted from their mouth, And from a strong hand the needy,

^{16 Ref} And there is hope to the poor, And perverseness hath shut her mouth.

^{17 Ref} Lo, the happiness of mortal man, God doth reprove him: And the chastisement of the Mighty despise not,

^{18 Ref} For He doth pain, and He bindeth up, He smiteth, and His hands heal.

^{19 Ref} In six distresses He delivereth thee, And in seven evil striketh not on thee.

^{20 Ref} In famine He hath redeemed thee from death, And in battle from the hands of the sword.

^{21 Ref} When the tongue scourgeth thou art hid, And thou art not afraid of destruction, When it cometh.

^{22 Ref} At destruction and at hunger thou mockest, And of the beast of the earth, Thou art not afraid.

^{23 Ref} (For with sons of the field `is' thy covenant, And the beast of the field Hath been at peace with thee.)

^{24 Ref} And thou hast known that thy tent `is' peace, And inspected thy habitation, and errest not,

^{25 Ref} And hast known that numerous `is' Thy seed, And thine offspring as the herb of the earth;

^{26 Ref} Thou comest in full age unto the grave, As the going up of a stalk in its season.

^{27 Ref} Lo, this -- we searched it out -- it `is' right, hearken; And thou, know for thyself!