Job 20; Job 21

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Job 20

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied,

2 "My troubled thoughts force me to answer you. That's because I'm very upset.

3 What you have just said makes fun of me. So I really have to reply to you.

4 "I'm sure you must know how things have always been. They've been that way ever since man was placed on this earth.

5 Those who are evil are happy for only a short time. The joy of ungodly people lasts only for a moment.

6 Their pride might reach all the way up to the heavens. Their heads might touch the clouds.

7 But they will disappear forever, like the waste from their own bodies. Anyone who has seen them will say, 'Where did they go?'

8 Like a dream they will fly away. They will never be seen again. They will be driven away like visions in the night.

9 The eyes that saw them won't see them anymore. Even their own families won't remember them.

10 Their children must pay back what they took from poor people. Their own hands must give back the wealth they stole.

11 They might feel young and very strong. But they will soon lie down in the dust of their graves.

12 "Anything that is evil tastes sweet to them. They keep it under their tongues for a while.

13 They can't stand to let it go. So they hold it in their mouths.

14 But their food will turn sour in their stomachs. It will become like the poison of a serpent inside them.

15 They will spit out the rich food they swallowed. God will make their stomachs throw it up.

16 They will suck the poison of a serpent. The fangs of an adder will kill them.

17 They won't enjoy streams that flow with honey. They won't enjoy rivers that flow with cream.

18 What they worked for they must give back before they can eat it. They won't enjoy what they have earned.

19 They've crushed poor people and left them with nothing. They've taken over houses they didn't even build.

20 "No matter how much they have, they always long for more. But their treasure can't save them.

21 There isn't anything left for them to eat up. Their success won't last.

22 While they are enjoying the good life, trouble will catch up with them. Terrible suffering will come on them.

23 When they've filled their stomachs, God will pour out his burning anger on them. He'll strike them down with blow after blow.

24 They might run away from iron weapons. But arrows that have bronze tips will wound them.

25 They will pull the arrows out of their backs. They will remove the shining tips from their livers. They will be filled with terror.

26 Total darkness hides and waits for their treasures. God will send a fire that will destroy them. It will burn up everything that's left in their tents.

27 Heaven will show their guilt to everyone. The earth will be a witness against them.

28 A flood will carry their houses away. Rushing water will wash them away on the day when God judges.

29 Now you know what God will do to sinful people. Now you know what he has planned for them."

Job 21

1 Job replied,

2 "Listen carefully to what I'm saying. Let that be the comfort you people give me.

3 Put up with me while I speak. After I've spoken, you can make fun of me!

4 "I'm not arguing with mere human beings. So why shouldn't I be angry and uneasy?

5 Look at me and be amazed. Put your hand over your mouth and stop talking!

6 When I think about these things, I'm terrified. My whole body trembles.

7 Why do sinful people keep on living? The older they grow, the richer they get.

8 They see their children grow up around them. They watch their family increase in number.

9 Their homes are safe. They don't have to be afraid. God isn't punishing them.

10 Every time their bulls mate, their cows become pregnant. And the calves don't die before they are born.

11 Sinful people send their children out like a flock of lambs. Their little ones dance around.

12 They sing to the music of tambourines and harps. They have a good time while flutes are being played.

13 Those who are evil spend their years living well. They go down to their graves in peace.

14 But they say to God, 'Leave us alone! We don't want to know how you want us to live.

15 Who is the Mighty One? Why should we serve him? What would we get if we prayed to him?'

16 But they aren't in control of their own success. So I don't pay any attention to the advice they give.

17 "How often are their lamps blown out? How often does trouble come on them? How often does God punish them when he's angry?

18 How often are they like dried-up seed coverings blowing in the wind? How often are they like straw swept away by a storm?

19 People say, 'God punishes a man's children for his sins.' But let him punish the man himself. Then he'll learn a lesson from it.

20 Let his own eyes see how he is destroyed. Let him drink the wine of the Mighty One's anger.

21 What does he care about the family he leaves behind? What does he care about them when his life comes to an end?

22 "Can anyone teach God anything? After all, he judges even the angels in heaven.

23 Some people die while they are still very strong. They are completely secure. They have an easy life.

24 They are well fed. Their bodies are healthy.

25 Others die while their spirits are bitter. They've never enjoyed anything good.

26 Side by side they lie in the dust of death. The worms in their graves cover all of them.

27 "I know exactly what you people are thinking. I know you are planning to do bad things to me.

28 You are saying to yourselves, 'Where is the great man's house now? Where are the tents where his evil family lived?'

29 Haven't you ever asked questions of those who travel? Haven't you paid any attention to their stories?

30 They'll tell you that sinful people are spared from the day of trouble. They'll say that those people are saved from the day when God will judge.

31 Who speaks against them for the way they act? Who pays them back for what they've done?

32 Their bodies will be carried to their graves. Guards will watch over their tombs.

33 The soil in the valley will be pleasant to those who have died. Many people will walk along behind their bodies. Many others will walk in front of them.

34 "So how can you comfort me with your speeches? They don't make any sense at all. Your answers are nothing but lies!"

Job 20; Job 21

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Job 20

Job 21