[1] Then Job answered:
[2] “Listen to what I say. Let that be your way of comforting me.
[3] Be patient while I speak. Then after I have finished speaking, you may make fun of me.
[4] “I am not complaining against people. There is a good reason why I am not patient.
[5] Look at me and be shocked. Put your hand over your mouth, and stare at me in shock!
[6] When I think about what happened to me I feel afraid, and my body shakes!
[7] Why do evil people live long lives? Why do they grow old and successful?
[8] Evil people watch their children grow with them. Evil people live to see their grandchildren.
[9] Their homes are safe and they are not afraid. God doesn’t use a stick to punish evil people.
[10] Their bulls never fail to mate. Their cows have baby calves, and the baby calves don’t die at birth.
[11] Evil people send their children out to play like lambs. Their children dance around.
[12] They sing and dance to the sound of harps and flutes.
[13] Evil people enjoy success during their lives. Then they die and go to their grave without suffering.
[14] But evil people say to God, 'Leave us alone! We don’t care what you want us to do!’
[15] And the evil people say, 'Who is God All-Powerful? We don’t need to serve him! It won’t help to pray to him!’
[16] “It is true, evil people don’t make their own success. I can’t follow their advice.
[17] But, how often does God blow out the light of evil people? How often does trouble come to the evil people? When does God become angry at them and punish them?
[18] Does God blow the evil people away, like the wind blows straw, like strong winds blow the grain husks?
[19] But you say, 'God punishes a child for his father’s sins.’ No! Let God punish the evil person himself. Then that evil person will know he is being punished for his own sins!
[20] Let the sinner see his own punishment. Let him feel the anger of God All-Powerful.
[21] When the evil person’s life is finished, and he is dead, he won’t care about the family he leaves behind.
[22] “No person can teach knowledge to God. God judges even people in high places.
[23] One person dies after a full and successful life. He lived a life completely safe and comfortable.
[24] His body was well fed and his bones were still strong.
[25] But another person dies after a hard life, with a bitter soul. He never enjoyed anything good.
[26] In the end, both of those people will lie together in the dirt. The worms will cover them both.
[27] “But, I know what you are thinking, and I know you want to hurt me.
[28] You might say: 'Show me a good man’s house. Now, show me where evil people live.’
[29] “Surely you have talked with travelers. Surely you will accept their stories.
[30] Evil people are spared when disaster comes. They survive when God shows his anger.
[31] Nobody criticizes an evil person to his face for the bad things he did. No person punishes him for the evil he did.
[32] When that evil person is carried to the grave, a guard will stand near his grave.
[33] So even the soil in the valley will be pleasant for that evil person. And thousands of people will join the march to his grave.
[34] “So you can’t comfort me with your empty words. Your answers don’t help at all!”