Job 20:1–22:30
20 Thena Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts bring me back
⌊for the sake of⌋b my inward excitement.c
3 I hear discipline that insults me,
and a spirit beyond my understanding answers me.
4 “Did youd know this from of old,
since the setting of the human being on earth,
5 that the rejoicing of the wicked is ⌊short⌋,e
and the joy of the godless ⌊lasts only a moment⌋?f
6 Even though his stature mounts up to the heaven,
and his head reaches to the clouds,
7 he will perish forever like his dung;
those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He will fly away like a dream, and they will not find him,
and he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 The eye that saw him ⌊will not see him again⌋,g
and his place will no longer behold him.
10 His children will seek favors from the poor,
and his hands will return his wealth.
11 His bones were full of his vigor,
buth it will lie down with him oni the dust.
12 “Though wickedness tastes sweet in his mouth,
and he hides it under his tongue,
13 though he spares it and does not let it go
and holds it back in the midst of his palate,
14 in his bowels his food is turned,
the venom of horned vipers is ⌊within him⌋.j
15 He swallows riches, butk he vomits theml up;
God drives themm out from his stomach.
16 He will suck the poison of horned vipers;
the viper’s tongue will kill him.
17 ⌊He will not enjoy the streams⌋,n
the torrents of honey and curds.
18 Returning the products of his toil, he will not swallow;o
according to the profit of his trade, ⌊he will not enjoy⌋,p
19 for he has oppressed; he has abandoned the poor;
he has seized a house butq did not build it.
20 Because he has not known satisfaction in his stomach,
⌊he lets nothing escape that he desires⌋.r
21 ⌊There is nothing left after he has eaten⌋;s
therefore his prosperity will not endure.
22 In the fullness of his excess ⌊he will be in distress⌋;t
all of misery’s power will come upon him.
23 ⌊When his stomach fills up⌋,u God will send ⌊his burning anger⌋v upon him,
and he will let it rain down upon himw as his food.
24 “He will flee from an iron weapon,
but an arrow of bronze will pierce him.
25 He draws it forth, and it comes out from his body,
and the glittering point comes from his gall-bladder;
terrors come upon him.
26 ⌊Total darkness⌋x is hidden for his treasures;y
⌊an unfanned fire⌋z will devour him;
the remnanta ⌊will be consumed⌋b in his tent.
27 The heavens will reveal his guilt,
and the earth will rise up against him.
28 The products of his house will be carried awayc
like gushing watersd on the day of his wrath.
29 This is a wicked human being’s portion from God
and the inheritance of his decree from God.”e
Job’s Seventh Speech: A Response to Zophar
21 Thena Job answered and said,
2 “Listen carefully to my words,
and let this be yourb consolation.
3 Bear with me, and I myselfc will speak;
thend after my speaking you can mock.
4 As for me, is my complaint for human beings?
And if so, why cannot I be impatient?
and place your hand on your mouth.
6 And when I think of it, I am horrified,e
and shuddering seizes my flesh.
grow old, even grow mighty in power?
8 With them their offspring are established ⌊before them⌋,f
and their descendants before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe without fear,
and the rod of God is not upon them.
10 His bull breeds and does not fail;
his cow calves and does not miscarry.
11 They send out their little ones like the flock,
and their children dance around.
12 They ⌊sing⌋g to the tambourine and lyre,
and they rejoice to the sound of the long flute.
13 They spend their days in prosperity,
and in peace they go down to Sheol.
14 And they say to God, ‘Turn away from us,
forh we do not desire to know your ways.
15 Who is Shaddai that we should serve him,
ori what would we benefit when we plead with him?’
16 Look, their prosperity is not in their hands;
the schemes of the wicked are repugnantj to me.
17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out,
and their disaster comes upon them?
Hek distributes pains in his anger.
18 How often are they like straw ⌊before⌋l the wind,
and like chaff that the storm carries away?
19 ‘God stores up his iniquity for his children’?m
Then let him repay it to him thatn he may know.
20 Let his eyes see his decay,
and let him drink from the wrath of Shaddai,
21 for what ⌊does he care for⌋o his house after him,
when the number of his months isp cut off?
22 Can anyone teach knowledge to God,
sinceq he himselfr judges high ones?
23 This one dies ⌊in full prosperity⌋,s
⌊completely⌋t at ease and secure.
24 His vats are full with milk
and the marrow of his bones is moist.
25 Yetu another dies with a bitter inner selfv
and has not tasted prosperity.
26 They lie down together in the dust,
and maggots cover them.
27 “Look, I know yourw thoughts
and the schemes you devise against me.
28 For you say, ‘Where is the nobleman’s house,
and where are ⌊the tents in which the wicked dwell⌋?’x
29 Do you not ask those traveling the roads,
and do you not take notice of their accounts?
30 Indeed, the wicked is spared from the day of disaster;
he is delivered from the day of wrath.
31 Who denounces his way to his face?
And who repays him for what he has done?
32 Wheny he is brought to the grave,
thenz someone stands guard over the tomb.
33 The clods of the valley are sweet to him;
everyone will follow after him,
and ⌊before⌋a him ⌊they are innumerable⌋.b
34 Soc how will you comfort me with emptiness,
whend fraud is left in your answers?”
22 Thena Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “Can a man be of use to God?
Yes, can the wise be of use to him?
3 Is it a pleasure to Shaddai if you are righteous,
orb a gain if you make your ways blameless?
4 Does he reprove you because of your reverence
or enter into judgment with you?
5 Is not your wickedness great,
and there is no end to your iniquities?
6 “Indeed, you have required a pledge from your family for nothing,
and you have stripped off the clothes of the naked.
7 You have given no water for the weary to drink,
and you withheld food from the hungry.
8 And the land ⌊belongs to the man of power⌋,c
and ⌊the favored⌋d lives in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty-handed,
and the arms of orphans were crushed.
10 Therefore trapping nets are all around you,
and panic suddenly terrifies you,
11 or it is so dark you cannot see,
and a flood of water covers you.
12 “Is not God in the height of the heavens?
Bute see how lofty are ⌊the highest stars⌋.f
13 And you ask, ‘What does God know?
Can he judge through deep gloom?
14 Thick clouds are a covering for him, so that he does not see;
and he walks about on the dome of heaven.’
15 Will you keep to the way of old
that the people of mischief have trod,
16 who were snatched away ⌊before their time⌋,g
whose foundation was washed away by a current?
17 Those who said to God, ‘Turn away from us,’
and ‘What can Shaddai do to us?’
18 Yeth he himselfi filled up their houses with good things,
butj the schemes of the wicked are repugnant to me.
19 The righteous see, and they rejoice,
butk the innocent one mocks at them.
20 ⌊Surely⌋l our foe perishes,
and fire has consumed their remainder.m
21 “Please reconcile yourself with him,
and be at peace; ⌊in this way⌋,n good will come to you.
22 Please receive instruction from his mouth,
and place his words in your heart.
23 If you return to Shaddai, you will be restored;
if you remove wickedness from your tent,
24 and if you put gold ore in the dust,
and the gold of Ophir in the rock of wadis,
25 theno Shaddai will be your gold ore
and ⌊your precious silver⌋.p
26 Indeed, then you will delight yourself in Shaddai,
and ⌊you will expect that God will be good to you⌋.q
27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you,
and you will pay your vows.
28 And you will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,
and light will shine on your ways.
29 When they are humiliated, ⌊you say⌋,r ‘It is pride,’
30 He will deliver the guilty,
and he will escape because of the cleanness of your hands.”