1 Then Job answered,

2 "Listen diligently to my speech.

Let this be your consolation.

3 Allow me, and I also will speak.

After I have spoken, mock on.

4 As for me, is my complaint to man?

Why shouldn’t I be impatient?

5 Look at me, and be astonished.

Lay your hand on your mouth.

6 When I remember, I am troubled.

Horror takes hold of my flesh.

7 "Why do the wicked live,

become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?

8 Their child is established with them in their sight,

their offspring before their eyes.

9 Their houses are safe from fear,

neither is the rod of God upon them.

10 Their bulls breed without fail.

Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry.

11 They send out their little ones like a flock.

Their children dance.

12 They sing to the tambourine and harp,

and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

13 They spend their days in prosperity.

In an instant they go down to Sheol.

14 They tell God, ‘Depart from us,

for we don’t want to know about your ways.

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

What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’

16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand.

The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

17 "How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out,

that their calamity comes on them,

that God distributes sorrows in his anger?

18 How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind,

as chaff that the storm carries away?

19 You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’

Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.

20 Let his own eyes see his destruction.

Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21 For what does he care for his house after him,

when the number of his months is cut off?

22 "Shall any teach God knowledge,

since he judges those who are high?

23 One dies in his full strength,

being wholly at ease and quiet.

24 His pails are full of milk.

The marrow of his bones is moistened.

25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,

and never tastes of good.

26 They lie down alike in the dust.

The worm covers them.

27 "Behold, I know your thoughts,

the plans with which you would wrong me.

28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince?

Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’

29 Haven’t you asked wayfaring men?

Don’t you know their evidences,

30 that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity,

that they are led out to the day of wrath?

31 Who will declare his way to his face?

Who will repay him what he has done?

32 Yet he will be borne to the grave.

Men will keep watch over the tomb.

33 The clods of the valley will be sweet to him.

All men will draw after him,

as there were innumerable before him.

34 So how can you comfort me with nonsense,

because in your answers there remains only falsehood?"

1 Maar Job het geantwoord en gesê:

2 Luister goed na my rede, en laat dit die vertroostinge wees wat julle aanbied.

3 Verdra my, dat ek ook kan spreek; en nadat ek gespreek het, kan jy spot.

4 Wat my aangaan, geld my geklaag dan 'n mens? Of waarom sou ek nie ongeduldig word nie?

5 Kyk my aan, en wees verskrik; en lê die hand op die mond.

6 Ja, as ek daaraan dink, is ek glad verslae, en verskrikking gryp my vlees aan.

7 Waarom bly die goddelose lewe, word hulle oud, ja, neem hulle toe in krag?

8 Hulle nakomelinge bestaan voor hulle in hul gemeenskap, en hul spruite voor hulle oë.

9 Hul huise het vrede, sonder skrik; en die roede van God is op hulle nie.

10 Sy stier bespring en mis nie; sy koei kalf en het geen misdrag nie.

11 Hulle laat hul jong seuns loop soos 'n trop kleinvee, en hul kinders spring rond.

12 Hulle sing by die tamboeryn en siter en is bly by die klank van die fluit.

13 In voorspoed slyt hulle hul dae, en in 'n oomblik sink hulle in die doderyk af.

14 Tog het hulle tot God gesê: Bly ver van ons af; en: In die kennis van u weë het ons geen behae nie.

15 Wat is die Almagtige dat ons Hom sou dien? En wat baat dit ons dat ons biddend by Hom aandring?

17 Hoe selde gaan die lamp van die goddelose dood en oorval hul ondergang hulle! Deel Hy smarte uit in sy toorn,

18 word hulle soos strooi voor die wind, en soos kaf wat die stormwind wegvoer?

19 Julle sê: God spaar sy onheil vir sy kinders op. Ek sê: Hy moes dit aan homself vergeld, dat hy kan voel!

20 Sy eie oë moes sy ongeluk sien, en s,lf moes hy drink van die grimmigheid van die Almagtige.

21 Want wat gee hy om sy huis n hom as die getal van sy maande afgesny is?

22 Wil iemand aan God kennis leer, Hom wat die hemelse wesens oordeel?

23 Die een sterwe in volkome geluk, heeltemal gerus en tevrede.

24 Sy emmers is vol melk, en die murg van sy gebeente word deur en deur bevogtig.

25 Die ander daarenteen sterwe met bitterheid van siel sonder dat hy van die goeie geniet het.

26 Saam lê hulle in die stof, en die wurms oordek hulle.

27 Kyk, ek ken julle gedagtes en die slim planne waarmee julle gewelddadig teen my optree.

28 As julle sê: Waar is die huis van die tiran, en waar die woontent van die goddelose --

29 het julle dan nie navraag gedoen by die reisigers nie hulle bewyse kan julle tog nie loën nie!:

30 dat die kwaaddoeners gespaar word op die dag van ondergang, dat hulle weggelei word op die dag van grimmigheid?

31 Wie gee hom openlik sy gedrag te kenne; en het hy gehandel -- wie sal hom dit vergeld?

32 Dan word hy na die graf gebring, en hulle sorg vir sy grafheuwel.

33 Sag lê op hom die kluite van die dal; en agter hom trek al die mense aan soos daar ontelbares voor hom gewees het.

34 Hoe troos julle my dan op so 'n nietige manier? En julle antwoorde -- net troubreuk bly oor!