Zophar
1-2 Job, you upset me. Now I'm impatient to answer.
3 What you have said is an insult,
but I know how to reply to you.
4 Surely you know that from ancient times,
when we humans were first placed on earth,
5 no wicked people have been happy for long.
6 They may grow great, towering to the sky,
so great that their heads reach the clouds,
7 but they will be blown away like dust.
Those who used to know them
will wonder where they have gone.
8 They will vanish like a dream, like a vision at night,
and never be seen again.
9 The wicked will disappear from the place where they used to live;
10 and their children will make good what they stole from the poor.
11 Their bodies used to be young and vigorous,
but soon they will turn to dust.
12-13 Evil tastes so good to them
that they keep some in their mouths to enjoy its flavor.
14 But in their stomachs the food turns bitter,
as bitter as any poison could be.
15 The wicked vomit up the wealth they stole;
God takes it back, even out of their stomachs.
16 What the evil people swallow is like poison;
it kills them like the bite of a deadly snake.
17 They will not live to see rivers of olive oil
or streams that flow with milk and honey.
18 They will have to give up all they have worked for;
they will have no chance to enjoy their wealth,
19 because they oppressed and neglected the poor
and seized houses someone else had built.
20 Their greed is never satisfied.
21 When they eat, there is nothing left over,
but now their prosperity comes to an end.
22 At the height of their success
all the weight of misery will crush them.
23 Let them eat all they want!
God will punish them in fury and anger.
24 When they try to escape from an iron sword,
a bronze bow will shoot them down.
25 Arrows stick through their bodies;
the shiny points drip with their blood,
and terror grips their hearts.
26 Everything they have saved is destroyed;
a fire not lit by human hands
burns them and all their family.
27 Heaven reveals their sin,
and the earth gives testimony against them.
28 All their wealth will be destroyed
in the flood of God's anger.
29 This is the fate of wicked people,
the fate that God assigns to them.
Cofars: bezdievju prieki ir īsi
1 Cofars no Naamas viņam atbildēja, sacīdams:
2 “Patiesi, manas bažas liek man atbildēt
nemiera dēļ, kas manī.
3 Rājienu dzirdu, kas mani aizvaino!
Mans gudrības gars palīdzēs atbildēt.
4 Vai nezini – kopš laikiem ir tā,
kopš cilvēks likts virs zemes,
5 ka ļaundaru gaviles tik tepat,
ka bezgoža līksmība tikai mirkli!
6 Kaut viņa dižums līdz debesīm sniedz
un viņa galva mākoņus skar,
7 kā paša mēsls uz mūžiem tas zudīs,
kas viņu pazinis, teiks: kur šis ir?
8 Kā sapnis tas aizlidos – to neatradīs,
kā nakts rēgs tas izgaisīs!
9 Acs, kas to redzēja, to vairs neskatīs,
viņa mājvieta to vairs neredzēs.
10 Nabagiem glaimos viņa dēli,
paša rokām tam manta būs jāatdod!
11 Vēl jaunības spēka pilni tam kauli,
bet līdz ar viņu tas pīšļos aizies.
12 Kaut salda viņa mutē negantība,
kaut viņš bēdzina to zem mēles,
13 sargā un neatdod,
glabā to savā mutē,
14 maize tam iekšās pārvērtīsies –
par čūsku žulti tā kļūs viņa miesās!
15 Cik mantas šis norijis, tikpat izvems, –
no viņa vēdera izraus to Dievs,
16 čūsku indi viņš zīdīs,
nonāvēs viņu odzes mēle,
17 neieraudzīs viņš straumes –
upes un strautus, kur medus un krējums!
18 Ko guvis, to atdos, – vis neaprīs,
mantu, ko iemainījis, vis nebaudīs,
19 jo viņš apspieda, atstūma nabagos,
namu sev ņēma, ko nav cēlis,
20 viņa vēders nezināja miera,
no viņa kārības nekur tverties.
21 Nekas neglābās no viņa rijības –
tādēļ nepaliks viņam labums!
22 Kad visa papilnam, jau ciešanas klāt –
grūtdieņu rokas stiepjas pēc viņa!
23 Lai pilns tiek tam vēders,
viņš tam uzsūtīs savu dusmu svelmi –
kā lietu to izlies viņa iekšās!
24 No dzelzs asmens tas bēg,
vara loks to ķer:
25 izvelk tam, no muguras iznāk,
šautra tam no aknām iznāk!
Briesmas pār viņu!
26 Tumsa gaida uz viņa mantu,
neviena nekurta uguns to aprīs,
kas paliks viņa teltī – tas izkūpēs!
27 Debesis atklās viņa vainu,
un zeme sacelsies pret to,
28 zudīs, kas iekrāts tā namā, –
viņš aizrauts viņa dusmu dienā.
29 Tāds ļaundara guvums no Dieva –
mantojums, kuru tam lēmis Dievs!”
