Job 21
1 Mgbe ahụ, Job zara sị:
Then Job replied,
2 “Gee ntị nke ọma nʼokwu m; ka nke a bụrụ nkasiobi ị ga-enye m.
“Listen to what I say, all [three] of you; that is the only thing that you can do that will comfort me.
3 Nwee ndidi ka m kwuchaa okwu m, mgbe m kwuchara, gaa nʼihu ịkwa m emo.
Be patient with me, and allow me to speak. Then, after I am finished speaking, you can continue to make fun of me.
4 “Ọ bụ mmadụ ka m na-ekpesara? Gịnị ka m ga-eji ghara ịbụ onye na-enweghị ndidi?
“It is certainly not [RHQ] people against whom I am complaining, [but God] And it is certainly [RHQ] right for me to be impatient!
5 Lee m anya ka ahụ maa gị jijiji; were aka gị kpuchie ọnụ gị.
Look at me! Does what you see not cause you to be appalled and to put your hands over your mouths [and say no more]?
6 Mgbe m chere echiche maka nke a, egwu tụrụ m meekwa ka ahụ m maa jijiji.
When I think about [what has happened to me], I am frightened and my entire body shakes.
7 Gịnị mere ndị ajọ omume ji enwe ndụ ogologo, ghọọ okenye, baakwa ụba nʼịdị ike?
“[But let me ask this: ] ‘Why do wicked people continue to live, and become prosperous, and not die until they are very old?’
8 Ha na-ahụ ụmụ ka ha na-akwụsike ike gburugburu ha, ụmụ ha ka ha ji anya ha ahụ.
They have their children around them, and they watch them while they [grow up and] start to live in their own houses, and they enjoy their grandchildren.
9 Ha na-ebi ndụ udo nʼezinaụlọ ha na-atụghị egwu na ihe ọjọọ ọbụla ga-adakwasị ha; mkpara Chineke adịghịkwa adakwasị ha.
Wicked people live in their own houses without being afraid, and God does not punish [MTY] them.
10 Oke ehi ha na-agba nne ehi ha na-esepụghị aka; nne ehi ha na-amụ ụmụ, ha adịghị ekwo ime.
Their bulls always mate with the cows successfully, and the cows give birth to calves and never miscarry.
11 Ha na-ezipụ ụmụ ha dịka igwe atụrụ; ụmụntakịrị ha na-etegharị egwu.
Wicked people send their young children outside [to play], and the children play [happily] like [SIM] lambs [in a pasture].
12 Ha na-abụ abụ nʼụda egwu otiti na ụbọ akwara; ha na-aṅụrịkwa ọṅụ nʼụda nke ọja.
Some children dance and sing, while others shake tambourines and play lyres, and they are happy when they hear people playing flutes.
Wicked people enjoy having good things all the time that they are alive, and they die quietly/peacefully and go down to the place of the dead. (Sheol h7585)
14 Ma ndị a na-asị Chineke, ‘Hapụ anyị aka, ọ dịghị anyị mkpa ịmata ụzọ gị.
While they are alive, they say to God, ‘Do not bother us; we do not want to know how you want us to conduct our lives!
15 Onye ka Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile bụ, anyị ga-eji jeere ya ozi? Uru gịnị ka ịrịọ ya arịrịọ ga-abara anyị?’
Why do you, Almighty God, think that we should serve you? (What advantage do we get if we pray to you?/It is useless for us to pray to you.) [RHQ]’
16 Ma ọganihu ha adịghị nʼaka ha ya mere ana m ewezuga onwe m site na ndụmọdụ ndị na-emebi iwu.
Think about it: Wicked people think that it is because of what they have done that they have become prosperous, but I do not understand why they think like that.
17 “Ma ugboro ole ka a na-emenyụ ọkụ oriọna nke ndị na-emebi iwu? Ugboro ole ka nhụju anya na-adakwasị ha, bụ nke Chineke kenyere ha nʼiwe ya?
(“How often does it happen that wicked people die [MET] before they are old?/Very seldom do wicked people die [MET] before they are old.) [RHQ] (Do they ever experience disasters?/They seldom experience disasters.) [RHQ] (Does God ever punish them because of being very angry with them?/God never punishes them because of being very angry with them.) [RHQ]
18 Ugboro ole ka ha dịka ahịhịa kpọrọ nkụ nʼihu ikuku, maọbụ dịka igbugbo ọka nke ikuku siri ike na-efesasị?
[He does not blow] them away like wind blows away straw; they are never carried off by a whirlwind.
19 A na-asị, ‘Chineke na-akpakọtara ụmụ ha ntaramahụhụ nke njehie ha.’ Ka a kwụghachi ha ya, ka ha nwee ike mata ya.
You say, ‘When people have committed sins, God waits and punishes their children because of those sins;’ but [I say that] God should punish those who sin, [not their children, ] in order that the sinners will know [that it is because of their own sins that they are being punished].
20 Ka anya ha hụ mbibi nke onwe ya, ka ha ṅụọ ọnụma nke Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile dịka mmiri.
I hope/wish that wicked people will experience themselves being destroyed, that they will experience being punished by an angry Almighty God.
21 Gịnị gbasara ha banyere ezinaụlọ ha hapụrụ mgbe ọnwa ndị e kenyere ya bịara na ngwụcha?
After wicked people are dead, they are not at all concerned [RHQ] about what happens to their families [MTY].
22 “Ọ dị onye pụrụ izi Chineke ihe ọmụma, ebe ọ bụ ya na-ekpe ndị kachasị elu ikpe?
“Since God judges [everyone, ] even those that are in heaven, (who can teach God anything?/certainly no one can teach God anything.) [RHQ]
23 Otu onye na-anwụ mgbe o jupụtara nʼike na ume, mgbe ọ nọ na nchekwa na udo,
Some people die while they are very healthy, while they are peaceful, when they are not afraid of anything.
24 mgbe ahụ ya bụ nke eji ezi nri zụọ nke ọma, ọkpụkpụ ya jupụtakwara nʼụmị.
Their bodies are fat; their bones are strong.
25 Onye ọzọ na-anwụ nʼihe ilu nke mkpụrụobi, nʼihi na o nweghị mgbe o riri ezi ihe ọbụla.
Other people die being very miserable; they have never experienced good things happening to them.
26 Nke ọbụla nʼime ha dina nʼakụkụ ibe ya nʼime aja, ikpuru kpuchikwara ha abụọ.
But both rich and poor people die and are buried, and maggots eat their bodies. [Everyone dies, so it is clear that dying is not always the punishment for being wicked].
27 “Amaara m nke ọma ihe bụ echiche unu na nzube unu ji emegide m.
“Listen, I know what you [three] are thinking. I know the evil things that you plan to do to me.
28 Unu ga-ajụ m ajụjụ sị, ‘Ugbu a, ole ụlọ oke mmadụ ahụ. Ụlọ ikwu ndị ahụ ebe ndị na-emebi iwu biiri?’
You say, ‘What happened to the tents in which wicked people were living? The houses of evil rulers have been destroyed!’
29 Ọ bụ na unu ajụbeghị ndị njem ajụjụ? Ọ bụ na unu ejighị ihe ha kọrọ mere ihe,
But have you never inquired of people who travel much? Do you not believe their reports about what they have seen,
30 na a na-echebe ndị ọjọọ pụọ nʼụbọchị nhụju anya, na a na-anapụta ha site nʼụbọchị oke iwe?
that wicked people usually do not suffer at the time when there are great disasters; that wicked people are the ones who are rescued when God is angry [and punishes people] [MTY]?
31 Onye na-atụ ha mmehie ha nʼihu? Onye kwa na-akwụghachi ha ụgwọ ihe ha mere?
There is no one [RHQ] who accuses wicked people, and there is no one who (pays them back/gives them the punishment that they deserve) for all the evil things that they have done.
32 A na-eburu ha gaa nʼili, a na-echekwa ili ha nche.
The corpses of wicked people are carried to their graves, and people are put there to guard those graves.
33 Aja dị na ndagwurugwu na-atọ ha ụtọ; Mmadụ niile na-eso ha nʼazụ, na ọtụtụ a na-apụghị ịgụta ọnụ na-ebu ha ụzọ nʼaga.
A huge number [HYP] of people go to the grave site. Some go in front of the procession and some come behind. And the clods of dirt thrown on the graves of those wicked people who have died are like a nice blanket.
34 “Ya mere, olee otu unu ga-esi were okwu na-enweghị isi kasịe m obi? Ọ dịghị ihe fọdụrụ nʼọsịịsa unu ma ọ bụghị naanị okwu ụgha.”
“So how can you console me by talking nonsense? Every reply that you make is full of lies!”
