Job 20-23

Job 20

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,

²For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.

³I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.

⁴Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,

⁵That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?

⁶Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;

⁷Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?

⁸He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.

⁹The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.

¹⁰His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.

¹¹His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.

¹²Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;

¹³Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;

¹⁴His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.

¹⁵He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.

¹⁶He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.

¹⁷Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.

¹⁸He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.

¹⁹Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;

²⁰There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.

²¹He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.

²²Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.

²³God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.

²⁴He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;

²⁵He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.

²⁶All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.

²⁷The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.

²⁸The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.

²⁹This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.

Job 21

¹Then Job made answer and said,

²Give attention with care to my words; and let this be your comfort.

³Let me say what is in my mind, and after that, go on making sport of me.

⁴As for me, is my outcry against man? is it then to be wondered at if my spirit is troubled?

⁵Take note of me and be full of wonder, put your hand on your mouth.

⁶At the very thought of it my flesh is shaking with fear.

⁷Why is life given to the evil-doers? why do they become old and strong in power?

⁸Their children are ever with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

⁹Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them.

¹⁰Their ox is ready at all times to give seed; their cow gives birth, without dropping her young.

¹¹They send out their young ones like a flock, and their children have pleasure in the dance,

¹²They make songs to the instruments of music, and are glad at the sound of the pipe.

¹³Their days come to an end without trouble, and suddenly they go down to the underworld.

¹⁴Though they said to God, Go away from us, for we have no desire for the knowledge of your ways.

¹⁵What is the Ruler of all, that we may give him worship? and what profit is it to us to make prayer to him?

¹⁶Truly, is not their well-being in their power? (The purpose of the evil-doers is far from me.)

¹⁷How frequently is the light of the evil-doers put out, or does trouble come on them? how frequently does his wrath take them with cords?

¹⁸How frequently are they as dry stems before the wind, or as grass taken away by the storm-wind?

¹⁹You say, God keeps punishment stored up for his children. Let him send it on the man himself, so that he may have the punishment of it!

²⁰Let his eyes see his trouble, and let him be full of the wrath of the Ruler of all!

²¹For what interest has he in his house after him, when the number of his months is ended?

²²Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.

²³One comes to his end in complete well-being, full of peace and quiet:

²⁴His buckets are full of milk, and there is no loss of strength in his bones.

²⁵And another comes to his end with a bitter soul, without ever tasting good.

²⁶Together they go down to the dust, and are covered by the worm.

²⁷See, I am conscious of your thoughts, and of your violent purposes against me;

²⁸For you say, Where is the house of the ruler, and where is the tent of the evil-doer?

²⁹Have you not put the question to the travellers, and do you not take note of their experience?

³⁰How the evil man goes free in the day of trouble, and has salvation in the day of wrath?

³¹Who will make his way clear to his face? and if he has done a thing, who gives him punishment for it?

³²He is taken to his last resting-place, and keeps watch over it.

³³The earth of the valley covering his bones is sweet to him, and all men come after him, as there were unnumbered before him.

³⁴Why then do you give me comfort with words in which there is no profit, when you see that there is nothing in your answers but deceit?

Job 22

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,

²Is it possible for a man to be of profit to God? No, for a man's wisdom is only of profit to himself.

³Is it of any interest to the Ruler of all that you are upright? or is it of use to him that your ways are without sin?

⁴Is it because you give him honour that he is sending punishment on you and is judging you?

⁵Is not your evil-doing great? and there is no end to your sins.

⁶For you have taken your brother's goods when he was not in your debt, and have taken away the clothing of those who have need of it.

⁷You do not give water to the tired traveller, and from him who has no food you keep back bread.

⁸For it was the man with power who had the land, and the man with an honoured name who was living in it.

⁹You have sent widows away without hearing their cause, and you have taken away the support of the child who has no father.

¹⁰For this cause nets are round your feet, and you are overcome with sudden fear.

¹¹Your light is made dark so that you are unable to see, and you are covered by a mass of waters.

¹²Is not God as high as heaven? and see the stars, how high they are!

¹³And you say, What knowledge has God? is he able to give decisions through the deep dark?

¹⁴Thick clouds are covering him, so that he is unable to see; and he is walking on the arch of heaven.

¹⁵Will you keep the old way by which evil men went?

¹⁶Who were violently taken away before their time, who were overcome by the rush of waters:

¹⁷Who said to God, Go away from us; and, What is the Ruler of all able to do to us?

¹⁸Though he made their houses full of good things: but the purpose of the evil-doers is far from me!

¹⁹The upright saw it and were glad: and those who had done no wrong made sport of them,

²⁰Saying, Truly, their substance is cut off, and their wealth is food for the fire.

²¹Put yourself now in a right relation with him and be at peace: so will you do well in your undertakings.

²²Be pleased to take teaching from his mouth, and let his words be stored up in your heart.

²³If you come back to the Ruler of all, making yourself low before him; if you put evil far away from your tents;

²⁴And put your gold in the dust, even your gold of Ophir among the rocks of the valleys;

²⁵Then the Ruler of all will be your gold, and his teaching will be your silver;

²⁶For then you will have delight in the Ruler of all, and your face will be lifted up to God.

²⁷You will make your prayer to him, and be answered; and you will give effect to your oaths.

²⁸Your purposes will come about, and light will be shining on your ways.

²⁹For God makes low those whose hearts are lifted up, but he is a saviour to the poor in spirit.

³⁰He makes safe the man who is free from sin, and if your hands are clean, salvation will be yours.

Job 23

¹And Job made answer and said,

²Even today my outcry is bitter; his hand is hard on my sorrow.

³If only I had knowledge of where he might be seen, so that I might come even to his seat!

⁴I would put my cause in order before him, and my mouth would be full of arguments.

⁵I would see what his answers would be, and have knowledge of what he would say to me.

⁶Would he make use of his great power to overcome me? No, but he would give attention to me.

⁷There an upright man might put his cause before him; and I would be free for ever from my judge.

⁸See, I go forward, but he is not there; and back, but I do not see him;

⁹I am looking for him on the left hand, but there is no sign of him; and turning to the right, I am not able to see him.

¹⁰For he has knowledge of the way I take; after I have been tested I will come out like gold.

¹¹My feet have gone in his steps; I have kept in his way, without turning to one side or to the other.

¹²I have never gone against the orders of his lips; the words of his mouth have been stored up in my heart.

¹³But his purpose is fixed and there is no changing it; and he gives effect to the desire of his soul.

¹⁴For what has been ordered for me by him will be gone through to the end: and his mind is full of such designs.

¹⁵For this cause I am in fear before him, my thoughts of him overcome me.

¹⁶For God has made my heart feeble, and my mind is troubled before the Ruler of all.

¹⁷For I am overcome by the dark, and by the black night which is covering my face.