Job 20:1–22:30

Zophar

20 Then Zophar the Naamathitep replied:

2 “My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer

because I am greatly disturbed.q

3 I hear a rebuker that dishonors me,

and my understanding inspires me to reply.

4 “Surely you know how it has been from of old,s

ever since mankinda was placed on the earth,

5 that the mirth of the wickedt is brief,

the joy of the godlessu lasts but a moment.v

6 Though the pridew of the godless person reaches to the heavensx

and his head touches the clouds,y

7 he will perish forever,z like his own dung;

those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’a

8 Like a dreamb he flies away,c no more to be found,

banishedd like a vision of the night.e

9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;

his place will look on him no more.f

10 His childreng must make amends to the poor;

his own hands must give back his wealth.h

11 The youthful vigori that fills his bonesj

will lie with him in the dust.k

12 “Though evill is sweet in his mouth

and he hides it under his tongue,m

13 though he cannot bear to let it go

and lets it linger in his mouth,n

14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;o

it will become the venom of serpentsp within him.

15 He will spit out the richesq he swallowed;

God will make his stomach vomitr them up.

16 He will suck the poisons of serpents;

the fangs of an adder will kill him.t

17 He will not enjoy the streams,

the riversu flowing with honeyv and cream.w

18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;x

he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.y

19 For he has oppressed the poorz and left them destitute;a

he has seized housesb he did not build.

20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;c

he cannot save himself by his treasure.d

21 Nothing is left for him to devour;

his prosperity will not endure.e

22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;f

the full force of misery will come upon him.g

23 When he has filled his belly,h

God will vent his burning angeri against him

and rain down his blows on him.j

24 Though he fleesk from an iron weapon,

a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.l

25 He pulls it out of his back,

the gleaming point out of his liver.

Terrorsm will come over him;n

26 total darknesso lies in wait for his treasures.

A firep unfanned will consume himq

and devour what is left in his tent.r

27 The heavens will expose his guilt;

the earth will rise up against him.s

28 A flood will carry off his house,t

rushing watersb on the day of God’s wrath.u

29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,

the heritage appointed for them by God.”v

Job

21 Then Job replied:

2 “Listen carefully to my words;w

let this be the consolation you give me.x

3 Bear with me while I speak,

and after I have spoken, mock on.y

4 “Is my complaintz directed to a human being?

Why should I not be impatient?a

5 Look at me and be appalled;

clap your hand over your mouth.b

6 When I think about this, I am terrified;c

trembling seizes my body.d

7 Why do the wicked live on,

growing old and increasing in power?e

8 They see their children established around them,

their offspring before their eyes.f

9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;g

the rod of God is not on them.h

10 Their bulls never fail to breed;

their cows calve and do not miscarry.i

11 They send forth their children as a flock;j

their little ones dance about.

12 They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;k

they make merry to the sound of the pipe.l

13 They spend their years in prosperitym

and go down to the graven in peace.a o

14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!p

We have no desire to know your ways.q

15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?

What would we gain by praying to him?’r

16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands,

so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.s

17 “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?t

How often does calamityu come upon them,

the fate God allots in his anger?v

18 How often are they like straw before the wind,

like chaffw swept awayx by a gale?y

19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’z

Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!a

20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;b

let them drinkc the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.d

21 For what do they care about the families they leave behinde

when their allotted monthsf come to an end?g

22 “Can anyone teach knowledge to God,h

since he judges even the highest?i

23 One person dies in full vigor,j

completely secure and at ease,k

24 well nourishedl in body,b

bonesm rich with marrow.n

25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,o

never having enjoyed anything good.

26 Side by side they lie in the dust,p

and wormsq cover them both.r

27 “I know full well what you are thinking,

the schemes by which you would wrong me.

28 You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,s

the tents where the wicked lived?’t

29 Have you never questioned those who travel?

Have you paid no regard to their accounts—

30 that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,u

that they are delivered fromc the day of wrath?v

31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?

Who repays them for what they have done?w

32 They are carried to the grave,

and watch is kept over their tombs.x

33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;y

everyone follows after them,

and a countless throng goesd before them.z

34 “So how can you console mea with your nonsense?

Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”b

Eliphaz

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanitec replied:

2 “Can a man be of benefit to God?d

Can even a wise person benefit him?e

3 What pleasuref would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?g

What would he gain if your ways were blameless?h

4 “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you

and brings charges against you?i

5 Is not your wickedness great?

Are not your sinsj endless?k

6 You demanded securityl from your relatives for no reason;m

you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.n

7 You gave no watero to the weary

and you withheld food from the hungry,p

8 though you were a powerful man, owning landq—

an honored man,r living on it.s

9 And you sent widowst away empty-handedu

and broke the strength of the fatherless.v

10 That is why snaresw are all around you,x

why sudden peril terrifies you,y

11 why it is so darkz you cannot see,

and why a flood of water covers you.a

12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven?b

And see how lofty are the highest stars!

13 Yet you say, ‘What does God know?c

Does he judge through such darkness?d

14 Thick cloudse veil him, so he does not see usf

as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’g

15 Will you keep to the old path

that the wickedh have trod?i

16 They were carried off before their time,j

their foundationsk washed away by a flood.l

17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!

What can the Almighty do to us?’m

18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,n

so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.o

19 The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;p

the innocent mockq them, saying,

20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,r

and fires devours their wealth.’

21 “Submit to God and be at peacet with him;u

in this way prosperity will come to you.v

22 Accept instruction from his mouthw

and lay up his wordsx in your heart.y

23 If you returnz to the Almighty, you will be restored:a

If you remove wickedness far from your tentb

24 and assign your nuggetsc to the dust,

your goldd of Ophire to the rocks in the ravines,f

25 then the Almighty will be your gold,g

the choicest silver for you.h

26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almightyi

and will lift up your facej to God.k

27 You will pray to him,l and he will hear you,m

and you will fulfill your vows.n

28 What you decide on will be done,o

and lightp will shine on your ways.q

29 When people are brought lowr and you say, ‘Lift them up!’

then he will save the downcast.s

30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,t

who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”u