The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Then Iyov responded:
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Then Job made answer and said,
2 "Listen carefully to my words; let this be the comfort you give me.
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Give attention with care to my words; and let this be your comfort.
3 Bear with me as I speak; then, after I have spoken, you can go on mocking.
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Let me say what is in my mind, and after that, go on making sport of me.
4 "As for me, is my complaint merely to other people? Don't I have grounds for being short-tempered?
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As for me, is my outcry against man? is it then to be wondered at if my spirit is troubled?
5 Look at me, and be appalled; cover your mouth with your hand!
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Take note of me and be full of wonder, put your hand on your mouth.
6 Whenever I recall it, I am in shock; my whole body shudders.
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At the very thought of it my flesh is shaking with fear.
7 "Why do the wicked go on living, grow old and keep increasing their power?
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Why is life given to the evil-doers? why do they become old and strong in power?
8 They see their children settled with them, their posterity assured.
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Their children are ever with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe, with nothing to fear; God's rod is not on them.
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Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them.
10 Their bulls are fertile without fail, their cows get pregnant and don't miscarry.
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Their ox is ready at all times to give seed; their cow gives birth, without dropping her young.
11 They produce flocks of babies, and their children dance around.
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They send out their young ones like a flock, and their children have pleasure in the dance,
12 They sing with tambourines and lyres and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.
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They make songs to the instruments of music, and are glad at the sound of the pipe.
13 They spend their days in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.
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Their days come to an end without trouble, and suddenly they go down to the underworld.
14 "Yet to God they said, 'Leave us alone! We don't want to know about your ways.
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Though they said to God, Go away from us, for we have no desire for the knowledge of your ways.
15 What is Shaddai, that we should serve him? What do we gain if we pray to him?'
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What is the Ruler of all, that we may give him worship? and what profit is it to us to make prayer to him?
16 Isn't their prosperity already theirs? The plans of the wicked are far from me.
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Truly, is not their well-being in their power? (The purpose of the evil-doers is far from me.)
17 "How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? How often does their calamity come upon them? How often does [God] deal out pain in his anger,
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How 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?
18 to make them like straw in the wind, like chaff carried off by a storm?
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How frequently are they as dry stems before the wind, or as grass taken away by the storm-wind?
19 God lays up for their children [the punishment for their] iniquity. He should lay it on [the wicked] themselves, so that they can feel it!
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You 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!
20 Let their own eyes see their own destruction and themselves drink the wrath of Shaddai.
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Let his eyes see his trouble, and let him be full of the wrath of the Ruler of all!
21 What joy can they have in their family after them, given that their months are numbered?
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For what interest has he in his house after him, when the number of his months is ended?
22 "Can anyone teach God knowledge? After all, he judges those who are on high.
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Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.
23 One person dies in his full strength, completely at ease and content;
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One comes to his end in complete well-being, full of peace and quiet:
24 his pails are full of milk, and the marrow in his bones is moist.
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His buckets are full of milk, and there is no loss of strength in his bones.
25 Another dies with embittered heart, never having tasted happiness.
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And another comes to his end with a bitter soul, without ever tasting good.
26 They lie down alike in the dust, and the worm covers them both.
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Together they go down to the dust, and are covered by the worm.
27 "Look, I know what you are thinking and your plans to do me wrong.
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See, I am conscious of your thoughts, and of your violent purposes against me;
28 You ask, 'Where is the great man's house? Where is the tent where the wicked once lived?'
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For you say, Where is the house of the ruler, and where is the tent of the evil-doer?
29 Haven't you ever questioned travelers? Don't you accept their testimony
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Have you not put the question to the travellers, and do you not take note of their experience?
30 that the evil man is saved on the day of disaster, rescued on the day of wrath?
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How the evil man goes free in the day of trouble, and has salvation in the day of wrath?
31 So who will confront him with his ways? Who will repay him for what he has done?
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Who will make his way clear to his face? and if he has done a thing, who gives him punishment for it?
32 For he is carried off to the grave, people keep watch over his tomb,
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He is taken to his last resting-place, and keeps watch over it.
33 the clods of the valley are sweet to him; so everyone follows his example, just as before him were countless others.
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The earth of the valley covering his bones is sweet to him, and all men come after him, as there were unnumbered before him.
34 "Why offer me such meaningless comfort? Of your answers, only the perfidy remains."
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Why 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?
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.