Zophar Speaks: The Wicked Will Suffer
1 Then cZophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “Therefore my dthoughts answer me,
because of my haste within me.
3 I hear censure that insults me,
and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.
4 Do you not know this from of old,
esince man was placed on earth,
5 fthat the exulting of the wicked is short,
and the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 gThough his height mount up to the heavens,
and his head reach to the clouds,
7 he will perish forever like his own hdung;
those who have seen him will say, i‘Where is he?’
8 He will fly away like ja dream and not be found;
he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 kThe eye that saw him will see him no more,
nor will his place any more behold him.
10 His children will seek the favor of the poor,
and his hands will lgive back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his myouthful vigor,
but it will lie ndown with him in the dust.
12 “Though evil is sweet in his mouth,
though he hides it ounder his tongue,
13 though he is loath to let it go
and holds it in his mouth,
14 yet his food is turned in his stomach;
it is the venom of pcobras within him.
15 He swallows down riches and vomits them up again;
God casts them out of his belly.
16 He will suck the poison of cobras;
qthe tongue of a viper will kill him.
17 He will not look upon rthe rivers,
the streams flowing with shoney and tcurds.
18 He will ugive back the fruit of his toil
and will not vswallow it down;
from the profit of his trading
he will get no enjoyment.
19 For he has crushed and abandoned the poor;
he has seized a house that he did not build.
20 “Because he wknew no xcontentment in his belly,
yhe will not let anything in which he delights escape him.
21 There was nothing left after he had eaten;
therefore his prosperity will not endure.
22 In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress;
the hand of everyone in misery will come against him.
23 To fill his belly to the full,
God1 will send his burning anger against him
and rain it upon him zinto his body.
24 aHe will flee from an iron weapon;
ba bronze arrow will strike chim through.
25 It dis drawn forth and comes out of his body;
ethe glittering point comes out of his fgallbladder;
gterrors come upon him.
26 Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures;
ha fire not fanned will devour him;
what is left in his tent will be consumed.
27 iThe heavens will reveal his iniquity,
and the earth will rise up against him.
28 The possessions of his house will be carried away,
dragged off in the day of God’s2 wrath.
29 jThis is the wicked man’s portion from God,
jthe heritage decreed for him by God.”
Job Replies: The Wicked Do Prosper
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 k“Keep listening to my words,
and let this be your comfort.
3 Bear with me, and I will speak,
and after I have spoken, lmock on.
4 As for me, is my mcomplaint against man?
Why should I not be impatient?
5 Look at me and be appalled,
and nlay your hand over your mouth.
6 When I remember, I am dismayed,
and shuddering seizes my flesh.
7 oWhy do the wicked live,
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
8 Their poffspring are established in their presence,
and their descendants before their eyes.
9 Their houses are qsafe from fear,
and rno rod of God is upon them.
10 Their bull breeds without fail;
their cow calves and sdoes not miscarry.
11 They send out their tlittle boys like a flock,
and their children dance.
12 They sing to uthe tambourine and vthe lyre
and rejoice to the sound of vthe pipe.
13 They wspend their days in prosperity,
and in xpeace they go down to ySheol.
14 They say to God, z‘Depart from us!
We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.
15 aWhat is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
And what bprofit do we get if we pray to him?’
16 Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?
cThe counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is it that dthe lamp of the wicked is put out?
That their calamity comes upon them?
That God3 distributes pains in his anger?
18 That they are like estraw before the wind,
and like fchaff that the storm carries away?
19 You say, ‘God gstores up their iniquity for their hchildren.’
Let him pay it out to them, that they may iknow it.
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction,
and let them jdrink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what do they care for their houses after them,
when kthe number of their months is cut off?
22 lWill any teach God knowledge,
seeing that he mjudges those who are on high?
23 One dies in his full vigor,
being wholly at ease and secure,
24 his pails4 full of milk
and nthe marrow of his bones moist.
25 Another dies in obitterness of soul,
never having tasted of prosperity.
26 They plie down alike in the dust,
and qthe worms cover them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts
and your schemes to wrong me.
28 For you say, r‘Where is the house of the prince?
Where is sthe tent in which the wicked lived?’
29 Have you not asked those who travel the roads,
and do you not accept their testimony
30 that tthe evil man is spared in the day of calamity,
that he is rescued in the day of wrath?
31 Who declares his way uto his face,
and who vrepays him for what he has done?
32 When he is wcarried to the grave,
watch is kept over his tomb.
33 xThe clods of the valley are sweet to him;
yall mankind follows after him,
and those who go before him are innumerable.
34 How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?
There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.”
Messengers from John the Baptist
1 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
2 eNow when John heard fin prison about the deeds of gthe Christ, he sent word by hhis disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you ithe one who is to come, or shall we jlook for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 kthe blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers1 are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and lthe poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who mis not offended by me.”
7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out ninto the wilderness to see? oA reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man2 dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? pA prophet?3 Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,
q“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 rFrom the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,4 and the violent take it by force. 13 rFor all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is sElijah who is to come. 15 tHe who has ears to hear,5 let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came uneither eating vnor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came weating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, xa friend of ytax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”6
Woe to Unrepentant Cities
20 zThen he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 a“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in bTyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 cBut I tell you, it will be more bearable on dthe day of judgment for bTyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, eCapernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to fHades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 cBut I tell you that git will be more tolerable on dthe day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest
25 hAt that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, iLord of heaven and earth, that jyou have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and krevealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your lgracious will.7 27 mAll things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son nexcept the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone oto whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 pCome to qme, all who labor and are rheavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and slearn from me, for I am tgentle and lowly in heart, and uyou will find rest for your souls. 30 For vmy yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
