Job 21
1 To naah Job mah,
Then Job responded by saying:
2 ka lok hae kahoih ah tahngai ah; nang pathloephaih lok loe hae tiah om nasoe.
I beseech you to hear my words and to do penance.
3 Tahngai ah, lok ka thuih han vop; koeh boeh loe ka thuih pacoengah, na pahnui thui ah.
Permit me, and I will speak, and afterwards, if you see fit, you can laugh at my words.
4 Kai loe kami maw laisaep thuih? To tiah om nahaeloe, palung duem ai ah om tih maw?
Is my dispute against man, so that I would have no reason to be discouraged?
5 Kai hae na khen ah loe, dawnrai ah; pakha to ban hoi tamuep ah.
Listen to me and be astonished, and place a finger over your mouth.
6 Hae kawng hae ka poek naah ka zit moe; ka takpum boih tasoeh.
As for me, when I think it over, I am afraid, and trembling convulses my body.
7 Tipongah kasae kaminawk loe hinglung sawk o, mitong khoek to ngantui o moe, angraeng o pacoengah, thacak o loe?
Why then do the impious live, having been lifted up and strengthened with riches?
8 Anih ih caanawk loe angmah taengah khosak o moe, angmah ih acaengnawk doeh a mikhnuk ah qoeng o tahang.
They see their offspring continue before them: a commotion of close relatives and of children’s children in their sight.
9 A imnawk doeh misa zithaih om ai, Sithaw danpaekhaih thingboeng doeh nihcae nuiah krah ai.
Their houses have been secure and peaceable, and there is no staff of God over them.
10 Nihcae ih maitaw tae loe apet ai ah apaa cuk o moe, kapomh maitaw doeh acaa zuun vai ai.
Their cattle have conceived and have not miscarried; their cow has given birth and is not deprived of her newborn.
11 Nihcae ih caanawk loe tuu baktiah caeh o moe, hnawh o.
Their little ones go out like a flock, and their children jump around playfully.
12 Cingceng to boh o, katoeng kruek hoiah laa a sak o moe, tamoi lok hoiah anghoe o.
They take up the timbrel and the lyre, and they rejoice at the sound of the organ.
Their days are prolonged in wealth, yet, in an instant, they descend into hell. (Sheol h7585)
14 Nihcae loe Sithaw khaeah, Na caeh taak ah, Na loklam panoek han ka koeh o ai.
Who has said to God, “Depart from us, for we do not want the knowledge of your ways.
15 Thacak Sithaw loe kawbangmaw oh moe, a tok ka sak pae o han loe? Anih khaeah lawk ka thuih o nahaeloe, tih atho maw om tih, tiah a thuih o.
Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? And how is it helpful to us if we pray to him?”
16 Khenah, nihcae angraenghaih loe angmacae ban ah om poe ai; kazae kaminawk ih poekhaih to angqoi taak boeh.
It is true that their good things are not in their power. May the counsel of the impious be far from me!
17 Sithaw mah kasae kaminawk ih hmaithaw to paduek pae, anih palungphui pongah nihcae to amrosak moe, nihcae nuiah vai nazetto maw raihaih to phaksak?
How often will the lamp of the wicked be extinguished, and a deluge overtake them, and how often will he distribute the afflictions of his wrath?
18 Nihcae loe takhi mah hmuh ih anghnoeng baktiah oh o moe, takhi sae mah hmuh ih tavai baktiah ni oh o.
They will be like chaff before the face of the wind, and like ashes that the whirlwind scatters.
19 Nangcae mah loe, zaehaih sah kaminawk zuengah a caanawk to Sithaw mah danpaek tih, tiah na thuih o; toe kaimah loe a sak pazaehaih panoek thai hanah, Sithaw mah zaehaih sah kami angmah roe to danpaek nasoe, tiah ka thuih.
God will preserve the grief of the father for his sons, and, when he repays, then he will understand.
20 Angmah amrohaih to a mik hoi roe hnu nasoe loe, Thacak Sithaw palungphuihaih to nae nasoe.
His eyes will see his own destruction, and he will drink from the wrath of the Almighty.
21 Anih han paek ih ani hoi akhrah akoep naah loe, anih mah a caeh taak ih a caanawk hanah timaw sah pae thai tih?
For what does he care what happens to his house after him, or if the number of its months are reduced by half?
22 Mi mah maw hmuensang ah kaom kaminawk lokcaekkung Sithaw to patuk thai tih?
Can anyone teach holy knowledge to God, who judges the exalted?
23 Kami maeto loe tha oh li, misa monghaih hoiah khosak moe, nawm li nathuem,
This one dies strong and healthy, rich and happy.
24 A takpum kahoih ah qoeng tahang li moe, ahuhnawk tangkhring hoiah koi li nathuem ah duek ving.
His gut is full of fat and his bones are moistened with marrow.
25 Kalah kami maeto bae loe khosak nawmhaih tong vai ai, a hinghaih patangkhang pongah duek.
In truth, another dies in bitterness of soul, without any resources.
26 Nihnik loe maiphu thungah angsong hoi moe, sadong mah khuk khoep boeh.
And yet they will sleep together in the dust, and worms will cover them.
27 Khenah, ka nuiah sak han na pacaeng ih kahoih ai hmuen to ka panoek.
Surely, I know your thoughts and your sinful judgments against me.
28 Nang mah, angraeng ih im naa ah maw oh, kasae kaminawk ih im naa ah maw oh? tiah na thuih.
For you say, “Where is the house of the ruler, and where are the tabernacles of the impious?”
29 Kholong caeh kaminawk to lok na dueng o vai ai maw? A sak o ih angmathaih to na panoek o ai maw?
Ask any passerby whom you wish, and you will realize that he understands these same things:
30 Kahoih ai kami loe amrohaih ani hanah pahoe boeh, palungphuihaih ani hanah suek boeh pongah, anih loe vaihi loih tih boeh, tiah na poek o ai maw?
that the evil-doer is reserved for the day of destruction, and he will be led to the day of wrath.
31 A sak ih kahoih ai hmuen to mi mah maw taphong pae tih? A sak ih zaehaih baktih toengah mi mah maw pathok tih?
Who will reprove his way to his face, and who will repay him for what he has done?
32 Toe anih loe taprong ah phak naah doeh, tangprong toepkung to suem pae o tih.
He will be led to the tomb, and he will remain awake in the chaos of the dead.
33 Azawn ih long loe anih hanah luep, kami boih anih hnukah patom o ueloe, anih hmaa ah kroek laek ai kaminawk caeh o tih.
He has been found acceptable to the banks of the River of Lamentation, and he will draw any man towards him, and there are countless before him.
34 To tiah nahaeloe tih han ih azom pui ah kaom lok hoiah nang pathloep o loe? Nang pathimhaih lok ah tangtang to om ai, amsawnlok cing ni oh, tiah a naa.
Therefore, how long will you console me in vain, when your answer is shown to be repugnant to truth?
