"Shall your boastssilencemen?And shall you scoffand nonerebuke?
"I ama joketo my friends,The one who calledon Godand He answeredhim; The just[and] blameless[man] is a joke.
"But you smearwith lies;You are allworthlessphysicians.
"Will it be wellwhenHe examinesyou? Orwill you deceiveHim as one deceivesa man?
"Surelymockersare with me, And my eyegazeson their provocation.
"Bearwith me that I may speak;Then afterI have spoken,you may mock.
"Now ifit is not so,whocan proveme a liar,And makemy speechworthless?"
"Whatmanis like Job,Whodrinksup derisionlike water,
Like godlessjestersat a feast,They gnashedat me with their teeth.
Filltheir faceswith dishonor,That they may seekYour name,O LORD.
I did not sitin the circleof merrymakers,Nordid I exult.Becauseof Your hand[upon me] I satalone,For You filledme with indignation.
Ifanyonedoes not obeyour instructionin thisletter,take special noteof that personand do not associatewith him, sothat he will be put to shame.
sound[in] speechwhich is beyond reproach,sothat the opponentwill be put to shame,havingnothingbadto sayaboutus.
that they were sayingto you, "In the lasttimethere will be mockers,followingaftertheir ownungodlylusts."
