Job 21

1Porém Jó respondeu, dizendo: 2Ouvi atentamente minhas palavras, e seja isto vossas consolações. 3Suportai-me, e eu falarei; e depois de eu ter falado, então zombai. 4Por acaso eu me queixo de algum ser humano? Porém ainda que assim fosse ,por que meu espírito não se angustiaria? 5Olhai-me, e espantai-vos; e ponde a mão sobre a boca. 6Pois quando eu me lembro disto ,me assombro, e minha carne é tomada de tremor. 7Por que razão os perversos vivem, envelhecem, e ainda crescem em poder? 8Seus filhos progridem com eles diante de seus rostos; e seus descendentes diante de seus olhos. 9Suas casas têm paz, sem temor, e a vara de Deus não está contra eles. 10Seus touros procriam, e não falham; suas vacas geram filhotes, e não abortam. 11Suas crianças saem como um rebanho, e seus filhos saem dançando. 12Levantam a voz ao som de tamboril e de harpa e se alegram ao som de flauta. 13Em prosperidade gastam seus dias, e em um momento descem ao mundo dos mortos. 14Assim dizem a Deus: Afasta-te de nós, porque não queremos conhecer teus caminhos. 15Quem é o Todo-Poderoso, para que o sirvamos? E de que nos aproveitará que oremos a ele? 16Eis que sua prosperidade não se deve às mãos deles. Longe de mim esteja o conselho dos perversos! 17Quantas vezes sucede que a lâmpada dos perversos se apaga, e sua perdição vem sobre eles, e Deus em sua ira lhes reparte dores? 18Eles serão como palha diante do vento, como o restos de palha que o turbilhão arrebata. 19Vós dizeis : Deus guarda sua violência para seus filhos. Que Deus pague ao próprio perverso ,para que o conheça. 20Seus olhos vejam sua ruína, e beba da ira do Todo-Poderoso. 21Pois que interesse teria ele em sua casa depois de si, quando o número for cortado o número de seus meses? 22Poderia alguém ensinar conhecimento a Deus, que julga até os que estão no alto? 23Alguém morre na sua força plena, estando todo tranquilo e próspero, 24Seus baldes estando cheios de leite, e o tutano de seus ossos umedecido. 25Porém outro morre com amargura de alma, nunca tendo experimentado a prosperidade. 26Juntamente jazem no pó, e os vermes os cobrem. 27Eis que eu sei vossos pensamentos, e os mais intentos que planejais contra mim. 28Porque dizeis: Onde está a casa do príncipe?, e: Onde está tenda das moradas dos perversos? 29Por acaso não perguntastes aos que passam pelo caminho, e não conheceis seus sinais? 30Que os maus são preservados no dia da destruição, e são livrados no dia das fúrias? 31Quem lhe denunciará seu caminho em sua face? E quem lhe pagará pelo que ele fez? 32Finalmente ele é levado à sepultura, e no túmulo fazem vigilância. 33Os torrões do vale lhe são doces; e todos o seguem; e adiante dele estão inúmeros. 34Como, pois, me consolais em vão, já que vossas em vossas respostas só resta falsidade?

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?