"Whydo you complainagainstHim That He does not givean accountof allHis doings?
"I will sayto God,Do not condemnme; Let me knowwhyYou contendwith me.
That You should seekfor my guiltAnd searchafter my sin?
"Can you discoverthe depthsof God?Can you discoverthe limitsof the Almighty?
"Will the faultfindercontendwith the Almighty?Let him who reprovesGodanswerit."
"Were He to snatchaway,whocould restrainHim? Whocould sayto Him, 'Whatare You doing?'
"Howthencan I answerHim, [And] choosemy wordsbeforeHim?
OnceGodhas spoken;TwiceI have heardthis:That powerbelongs to God;
"Woeto [the one] who quarrelswith his Maker--An earthenwarevesselamongthe vesselsof earth!Will the claysayto the potter,'Whatare you doing?'Or the thingyou are making[say], 'He hasnohands'?
Declaringthe endfrom the beginning,And from ancienttimesthings whichhave not been done,Saying,My purposewill be established,And I will accomplishallMy goodpleasure';
"I seta snarefor you and you were alsocaught,O Babylon,While you yourselfwere not aware;You have been foundand alsoseizedBecauseyou have engagedin conflictwith the LORD."
"Can your heartendure,orcan your handsbe strongin the daysthat I will dealwith you? I, the LORD,have spokenand will act.
"Allthe inhabitantsof the earthare accountedas nothing,But He doesaccordingto His willin the hostof heavenAnd [among] the inhabitantsof earth;And noone can wardoffHis handOr sayto Him, 'Whathave You done?'
Is it not lawfulfor me to dowhatI wishwith whatis my own?Oris your eyeenviousbecauseI amgenerous?'
He saidto them, "It is not for you to knowtimesorepochswhichthe Fatherhas fixedby His ownauthority;
but ifit is of God,you will not be ableto overthrowthem; or elseyou may evenbe foundfighting against God."
For WHOHAS KNOWNTHE MINDOF THE LORD,ORWHOBECAMEHIS COUNSELOR?
On the contrary,whoare you, Oman,who answers backto God?The thing moldedwill not sayto the molder,"Whydid you makeme like this,"will it?
Ordo we provokethe Lordto jealousy?We are not strongerthan He, are we?
"The secretthingsbelong to the LORDour God,but the thingsrevealedbelong to us and to our sonsforever,that we may observeallthe wordsof thislaw.
