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Job’s Seventh Speech: A Response to Zophar
Then Job spoke again:
Then Job spoke again:
Job Replies: The Wicked Do Prosper
Then Job answered and said:
Then Job answered and said:
“Listen closely to what I am saying.
That’s one consolation you can give me.
That’s one consolation you can give me.
“Keep listening to my words,
and let this be your comfort.
and let this be your comfort.
Bear with me, and let me speak.
After I have spoken, you may resume mocking me.
After I have spoken, you may resume mocking me.
Bear with me, and I will speak,
and after I have spoken, mock on.
and after I have spoken, mock on.
“My complaint is with God, not with people.
I have good reason to be so impatient.
I have good reason to be so impatient.
As for me, is my complaint against man?
Why should I not be impatient?
Why should I not be impatient?
Look at me and be stunned.
Put your hand over your mouth in shock.
Put your hand over your mouth in shock.
Look at me and be appalled,
and lay your hand over your mouth.
and lay your hand over your mouth.
When I think about what I am saying, I shudder.
My body trembles.
My body trembles.
When I remember, I am dismayed,
and shuddering seizes my flesh.
and shuddering seizes my flesh.
“Why do the wicked prosper,
growing old and powerful?
growing old and powerful?
Why do the wicked live,
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
They live to see their children grow up and settle down,
and they enjoy their grandchildren.
and they enjoy their grandchildren.
Their offspring are established in their presence,
and their descendants before their eyes.
and their descendants before their eyes.
Their homes are safe from every fear,
and God does not punish them.
and God does not punish them.
Their houses are safe from fear,
and no rod of God is upon them.
and no rod of God is upon them.
Their bulls never fail to breed.
Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.
Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.
Their bull breeds without fail;
their cow calves and does not miscarry.
their cow calves and does not miscarry.
They let their children frisk about like lambs.
Their little ones skip and dance.
Their little ones skip and dance.
They send out their little boys like a flock,
and their children dance.
and their children dance.
They sing with tambourine and harp.
They celebrate to the sound of the flute.
They celebrate to the sound of the flute.
They sing to the tambourine and the lyre
and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.
and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.
They spend their days in prosperity,
and in peace they go down to Sheol.
and in peace they go down to Sheol.
And yet they say to God, ‘Go away.
We want no part of you and your ways.
We want no part of you and your ways.
They say to God, ‘Depart from us!
We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.
We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.
Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him?
What good will it do us to pray?’
What good will it do us to pray?’
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’
And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’
(They think their prosperity is of their own doing,
but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)
but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)
Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
“Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished.
Do they ever have trouble?
Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger?
Do they ever have trouble?
Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger?
Are they driven before the wind like straw?
Are they carried away by the storm like chaff?
Not at all!
Are they carried away by the storm like chaff?
Not at all!
That they are like straw before the wind,
and like chaff that the storm carries away?
and like chaff that the storm carries away?
“‘Well,’ you say, ‘at least God will punish their children!’
But I say he should punish the ones who sin,
so that they understand his judgment.
But I say he should punish the ones who sin,
so that they understand his judgment.
You say, ‘God stores up their iniquity for their children.’
Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it.
Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it.
Let them see their destruction with their own eyes.
Let them drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty.
Let them drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty.
Let their own eyes see their destruction,
and let them drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
and let them drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
For they will not care what happens to their family
after they are dead.
after they are dead.
For what do they care for their houses after them,
when the number of their months is cut off?
when the number of their months is cut off?
“But who can teach a lesson to God,
since he judges even the most powerful?
since he judges even the most powerful?
Will any teach God knowledge,
seeing that he judges those who are on high?
seeing that he judges those who are on high?
One person dies in prosperity,
completely comfortable and secure,
completely comfortable and secure,
One dies in his full vigor,
being wholly at ease and secure,
being wholly at ease and secure,
the picture of good health,
vigorous and fit.
vigorous and fit.
Another person dies in bitter poverty,
never having tasted the good life.
never having tasted the good life.
Another dies in bitterness of soul,
never having tasted of prosperity.
never having tasted of prosperity.
But both are buried in the same dust,
both eaten by the same maggots.
both eaten by the same maggots.
They lie down alike in the dust,
and the worms cover them.
and the worms cover them.
“Look, I know what you’re thinking.
I know the schemes you plot against me.
I know the schemes you plot against me.
“Behold, I know your thoughts
and your schemes to wrong me.
and your schemes to wrong me.
You will tell me of rich and wicked people
whose houses have vanished because of their sins.
whose houses have vanished because of their sins.
For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince?
Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’
Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’
But ask those who have been around,
and they will tell you the truth.
and they will tell you the truth.
Have you not asked those who travel the roads,
and do you not accept their testimony
and do you not accept their testimony
Evil people are spared in times of calamity
and are allowed to escape disaster.
and are allowed to escape disaster.
that the evil man is spared in the day of calamity,
that he is rescued in the day of wrath?
that he is rescued in the day of wrath?
No one criticizes them openly
or pays them back for what they have done.
or pays them back for what they have done.
Who declares his way to his face,
and who repays him for what he has done?
and who repays him for what he has done?
When they are carried to the grave,
an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb.
an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb.
When he is carried to the grave,
watch is kept over his tomb.
watch is kept over his tomb.
A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery.
Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest,
and the earth gives sweet repose.
Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest,
and the earth gives sweet repose.
The clods of the valley are sweet to him;
all mankind follows after him,
and those who go before him are innumerable.
all mankind follows after him,
and those who go before him are innumerable.