The Living Bible (165 page)

Job
20

The speech of Zophar the Naamathite:

    
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 “I hasten to reply, for I have the answer for you.
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 You have tried to make me feel ashamed of myself for calling you a sinner, but my spirit won’t let me stop.

    
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 “Don’t you realize that ever since man was first placed upon the earth,
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 the triumph of the wicked has been short-lived, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?
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 Though the godless be proud as the heavens and walk with his nose in the air,
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 yet he shall perish forever, cast away like his own dung. Those who knew him will wonder where he has gone.
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 He will fade like a dream.
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 Neither his friends nor his family will ever see him again.

    
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 “His children shall beg from the poor, their hard labor shall repay his debts.
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 Though still a young man, his bones shall lie in the dust.

    
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 “He enjoyed the taste of his wickedness, letting it melt in his mouth,
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 sipping it slowly, lest it disappear.

    
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 “But suddenly the food he has eaten turns sour within him.
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 He will vomit the plunder he gorged. God won’t let him keep it down.
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 It is like poison and death to him.
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 He shall not enjoy the goods he stole; they will not be butter and honey to him after all.
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 His labors shall not be rewarded; wealth will give him no joy.
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 For he has oppressed the poor and foreclosed their homes; he will never recover.
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 Though he was always greedy, now he has nothing; of all the things he dreamed of—none remain.
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 Because he stole at every opportunity, his prosperity shall not continue.

    
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 “He shall run into trouble at the peak of his powers; all the wicked shall destroy him.
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 Just as he is about to fill his belly, God will rain down wrath upon him.
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 He will be chased and struck down.
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 The arrow is pulled from his body—and the glittering point comes out from his gall. The terrors of death are upon him.

    
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 “His treasures will be lost in deepest darkness. A raging fire will devour his goods, consuming all he has left.
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 The heavens will reveal his sins, and the earth will give testimony against him.
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 His wealth will disappear beneath the wrath of God.
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 This is what awaits the wicked man, for God prepares it for him.”

Job
21

Job’s reply:

    
^2-3
 “Listen to me; let me speak, and afterwards, mock on.

    
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 “I am complaining about God,
*
not man; no wonder my spirit is so troubled.
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 Look at me in horror, and lay your hand upon your mouth.
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 Even I am frightened when I see myself. Horror takes hold upon me and I shudder.

    
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 “The truth is that the wicked live on to a good old age and become great and powerful.
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 They live to see their children grow to maturity around them, and their grandchildren too.
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 Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them.
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 Their cattle are productive,
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 they have many happy children,
^12-13
 they spend their time singing and dancing. They are wealthy and need deny themselves nothing; they are prosperous to the end.
¹⁴
 All this despite the fact that they ordered God away and wanted no part of him and his ways.

    
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 “‘Who is Almighty God?’ they scoff. ‘Why should we obey him? What good will it do us?’

    
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 “Look, everything the wicked touch has turned to gold! But I refuse even to deal with people like that.
¹⁷
 Yet the wicked get away with it every time. They never have trouble, and God skips them when he distributes his sorrows and anger.
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 Are they driven before the wind like straw? Are they carried away by the storm? Not at all!

    
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 “‘Well,’ you say, ‘at least God will punish their children!’ But I say that God should punish the man who sins, not his children! Let him feel the penalty himself.
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 Yes, let him be destroyed for his iniquity. Let him drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty.
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 For when he is dead, then he will never again be able to enjoy his family.

    
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 “But who can rebuke God, the supreme Judge?
^23-24
 He destroys those who are healthy, wealthy, fat, and prosperous;
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 God also destroys those in deep and grinding poverty who have never known anything good.
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 Both alike are buried in the same dust, both eaten by the same worms.

    
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 “I know what you are going to say—
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 you will tell me of rich and wicked men who came to disaster because of their sins.
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 But I reply, Ask anyone who has been around and he can tell you the truth,
^30-32
 that the evil man is usually spared in the day of calamity and allowed to escape. No one rebukes him openly. No one repays him for what he has done. And an honor guard keeps watch at his grave.
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 A great funeral procession precedes and follows him as the soft earth covers him.
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 How can you comfort me when your whole premise is so wrong?”

Job
22

Another address from Eliphaz:

    
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 “Is mere man of any worth to God? Even the wisest is of value only to himself!
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 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect?
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 Is it because you are good that he is punishing you?
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 Not at all! It is because of your wickedness! Your sins are endless!

    
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 “For instance, you must have refused to loan money to needy friends unless they gave you all their clothing as a pledge—yes, you must have stripped them to the bone.
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 You must have refused water to the thirsty and bread to the starving.
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 But no doubt you gave men of importance anything they wanted and let the wealthy live wherever they chose.
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 You sent widows away without helping them and broke the arms of orphans.
^10-11
 That is why you are now surrounded by traps and sudden fears, and darkness and waves of horror.

    
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 “God is so great—higher than the heavens, higher than the stars.
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 But you reply, ‘That is why he can’t see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness?
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 For thick clouds swirl about him so that he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.’

    
^15-16
 “Don’t you realize that those treading the ancient paths of sin are snatched away in youth, and the foundations of their lives washed out forever?
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 For they said to God, ‘Go away, God! What can you do for us?’
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 (God forbid that I should say a thing like that.) Yet they forgot that he had filled their homes with good things.
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 And now the righteous shall see them destroyed; the innocent shall laugh the wicked to scorn.
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 ‘See,’ they will say, ‘the last of our enemies have been destroyed in the fire.’

    
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 “Quit quarreling with God! Agree with him and you will have peace at last! His favor will surround you if you will only admit that you were wrong.
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 Listen to his instructions and store them in your heart.
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 If you return to God and put right all the wrong in your home, then you will be restored.
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 If you give up your lust for money and throw your gold away,
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 then the Almighty himself shall be your treasure; he will be your precious silver!

    
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 “Then you will delight yourself in the Lord and look up to God.
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 You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill all your promises to him.
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 Whatever you wish will happen! And the light of heaven will shine upon the road ahead of you.
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 If you are attacked and knocked down, you will know that there is someone who will lift you up again. Yes, he will save the humble
³⁰
 and help even sinners by your pure hands.”