욥기 21

1욥이 대답하여 가로되 2너희는 내 말을 자세히 들으라 이것이 너희의 위로가 될 것이니라 3나를 용납하여 말하게 하라 내가 말한 후에 또 조롱할지니라 4나의 원망이 사람을 향하여 하는 것이냐 내가 어찌 초급하지 아니하겠느냐 5너희는 나를 보아라, 놀라라, 손으로 입을 가리우라 6내가 추억하기만 하여도 답답하고 두려움이 내 몸을 잡는구나 7어찌하여 악인이 살고 수를 누리고 세력이 강하냐 8씨가 그들의 앞에서 그들과 함께 굳게 서고 자손이 그들의 목전에서 그러하구나 9그 집이 평안하여 두려움이 없고 하나님의 매가 그 위에 임하지 아니하며 10그 수소는 영락없이 새끼를 배게 하고 그 암소는 새끼를 낳고 낙태하지 않는구나 11그들은 아이들을 내어보냄이 양떼 같고 그 자녀들은 춤추는구나 12그들이 소고와 수금으로 노래하고 피리 불어 즐기며 13그 날을 형통하게 지내다가 경각간에 음부에 내려가느니라 14그러할지라도 그들은 하나님께 말하기를 우리를 떠나소서 우리가 주의 도리 알기를 즐겨하지 아니하나이다 15전능자가 누구기에 우리가 섬기며 우리가 그에게 기도한들 무슨 이익을 얻으랴 하는구나 16그들의 복록이 그들의 손으로 말미암은 것이 아니니라 악인의 계획은 나와 판이하니라 17악인의 등불이 꺼짐이나 재앙이 그들에게 임함이나 하나님이 진노하사 그들을 곤고케 하심이나 18그들이 바람 앞에 검불 같이, 폭풍에 불려가는 겨 같이 되는 일이 몇 번이나 있었느냐 19하나님이 그의 죄악을 쌓아 두셨다가 그 자손에게 갚으신다 하거니와 그 몸에 갚으셔서 그로 깨닫게 하셔야 할 것이라 20자기의 멸망을 자기의 눈으로 보게 하시며 전능자의 진노를 마시게 하셔야 할 것이니라 21그의 달 수가 진하면 자기 집에 대하여 무슨 관계가 있겠느냐 22그러나 하나님은 높은 자들을 심판하시나니 누가 능히 하나님께 지식을 가르치겠느냐 23어떤 사람은 죽도록 기운이 충실하여 평강하며 안일하고 24그 그릇에는 젖이 가득하며 그 골수는 윤택하였고 25어떤 사람은 죽도록 마음에 고통하고 복을 맛보지 못하였어도 26이 둘이 일반으로 흙 속에 눕고 그 위에 구더기가 덮이는구나 27내가 너희의 생각을 알고 너희가 나를 해하려는 궤휼도 아노라 28너희의 말이 왕후의 집이 어디 있으며 악인의 거하던 장막이 어디 있느뇨 하는구나 29너희가 길 가는 사람들에게 묻지 아니하였느냐 그들의 증거를 알지 못하느냐 30악인은 남기워서 멸망의 날을 기다리움이 되고 멸망의 날을 맞으러 끌려 나감이 된다 하느니라 31누가 능히 그의 행위를 면박하며 누가 능히 그의 소위를 보응하랴마는 32그를 무덤으로 메어 가고 사람이 그 무덤을 지키리라 33그는 골짜기의 흙덩이를 달게 여기고 그 앞선 자가 무수함 같이 모든 사람이 그 뒤를 좇으리라 34이러한즉 너희의 위로가 헛되지 아니하냐 너희의 대답은 거짓뿐이니라

1Then Job answered, 2“Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation. 3Allow me, and I also will speak; After I have spoken, mock on. 4As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn’t I be impatient? 5Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth. 6When 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? 8Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes. 9Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. 10Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry. 11They send out their little ones like a flock. Their children dance. 12They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe. 13They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol. 14They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways. 15What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’ 16Behold, 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? 18How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away? 19You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it. 20Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. 21For 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? 23One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. 24His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened. 25Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good. 26They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them. 27“Behold, I know your thoughts, the devices with which you would wrong me. 28For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’ 29Haven’t you asked wayfaring men? Don’t you know their evidences, 30that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led out to the day of wrath? 31Who shall declare his way to his face? Who shall repay him what he has done? 32Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men shall keep watch over the tomb. 33The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him. All men shall draw after him, as there were innumerable before him. 34So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”

1Maar Job antwoordde en zeide: 2Hoort aandachtelijk mijn rede, en laat dit zijn uw vertroostingen. 3Verdraagt mij, en ik zal spreken; en nadat ik gesproken zal hebben, spot dan. 4Is (mij aangaande) mijn klacht tot den mens? Doch of het zo ware, waarom zou mijn geest niet verdrietig zijn? 5Ziet mij aan, en wordt verbaasd, en legt de hand op den mond. 6Ja, wanneer ik daaraan gedenk, zo word ik beroerd, en mijn vlees heeft een gruwen gevat. 7Waarom leven de goddelozen, worden oud, ja, worden geweldig in vermogen? 8Hun zaad is bestendig met hen voor hun aangezicht, en hun spruiten zijn voor hun ogen. 9Hun huizen hebben vrede zonder vreze, en de roede Gods is op hen niet. 10Zijn stier bespringt, en mist niet; zijn koe kalft, en misdraagt niet. 11Hun jonge kinderen zenden zij uit als een kudde, en hun kinderen huppelen. 12Zij heffen op met de trommel en de harp, en zij verblijden zich op het geluid des orgels. 13In het goede verslijten zij hun dagen; en in een ogenblik dalen zij in het graf. 14Nochtans zeggen zij tot God: Wijk van ons, want aan de kennis Uwer wegen hebben wij geen lust. 15Wat is de Almachtige, dat wij Hem zouden dienen? En wat baat zullen wij hebben, dat wij Hem aanlopen zouden? 16Doch ziet, hun goed is niet in hun hand; de raad der goddelozen is verre van mij. 17Hoe dikwijls geschiedt het, dat de lamp der goddelozen uitgeblust wordt, en hun verderf hun overkomt; dat God hun smarten uitdeelt in Zijn toorn! 18Dat zij gelijk stro worden voor den wind, en gelijk kaf, dat de wervelwind wegsteelt; 19Dat God Zijn geweld weglegt, voor Zijn kinderen, hem vergeldt, dat hij het gewaar wordt; 20Dat zijn ogen zijn ondergang zien, en hij drinkt van de grimmigheid des Almachtigen! 21Want wat lust zou hij na zich aan zijn huis hebben, als het getal zijner maanden afgesneden is? 22Zal men God wetenschap leren, daar Hij de hogen richt? 23Deze sterft in de kracht zijner volkomenheid, daar hij gans stil en gerust was; 24Zijn melkvaten waren vol melk, en het merg zijner benen was bevochtigd. 25De ander daarentegen sterft met een bittere ziel, en hij heeft van het goede niet gegeten. 26Zij liggen te zamen neder in het stof, en het gewormte overdekt ze. 27Ziet, ik weet ulieder gedachten, en de boze verdichtselen, waarmede gij tegen mij geweld doet. 28Want gij zult zeggen: Waar is het huis van den prins, en waar is de tent van de woningen der goddelozen? 29Hebt gijlieden niet gevraagd de voorbijgaanden op den weg, en kent gij hun tekenen niet? 30Dat de boze onttrokken wordt ten dage des verderfs; dat zij ten dage der verbolgenheden ontvoerd worden. 31Wie zal hem in het aangezicht zijn weg vertonen? Als hij wat doet, wie zal hem vergelden? 32Eindelijk wordt hij naar de graven gebracht, en is gedurig in den aardhoop. 33De kluiten des dals zijn hem zoet, en hij trekt na zich alle mensen; en dergenen, die voor hem geweest zijn, is geen getal. 34Hoe vertroost gij mij dan met ijdelheid, dewijl in uw antwoorden overtreding overig is?