Job's Reply to Zophar
You Think You Are So Great
* 1 Job said to his friends:
2 You think you are so great,
with all the answers.
3 But I know as much as you do,
and so does everyone else.
4 I have always lived right,
and God answered my prayers;
now friends make fun of me.
5 It's easy to condemn
those who are suffering,
when you have no troubles.
6 Robbers and other godless people
live safely at home and say,
“God is in our hands!”
If You Want To Learn
7 If you want to learn,
then go and ask
the wild animals and the birds,
8 the flowers and the fish.
9 Any of them can tell you
what the Lord has done.
10 Every living creature
is in the hands of God.
11 We hear with our ears,
taste with our tongues,
12 and gain some wisdom from those
who have lived a long time.
13 But God is the real source
of wisdom and strength.
14 No one can rebuild
what he destroys, or release
those he has imprisoned.
15 God can hold back the rain
or send a flood,
16 just as he rules over liars
and those they lie to.
17 God shames counselors,
turns judges into fools,
18 and makes slaves of kings.
19 God removes priests and others
who have great power—
20 he confuses wise,
experienced advisors,
21 puts mighty kings to shame,
and takes away their power.
22 God turns darkness to light;
23 he makes nations strong,
then shatters their strength.
24 God strikes their rulers senseless,
then leaves them to roam
through barren deserts,
25 lost in the dark, staggering
like someone drunk.
1 Ob ge Joba ǁkhawa ge ǃeream:
2 “Amase, sago ge khoego.
Sago gā-aisib ge sago ǀkha nî ǁō.
3 Tita tsîn ge sago khami ǁnâuǃāba ūhâ;
sago ǃoagu ta ge ǂkhariǃgôasen tide.
Tari-e nēn hoana a ǀū?
4 Tita ge ti ǀhōsaga âiǂuixūse ǀgui ība;
tita Eloba ǂgaiǀî tsî gere ǃereamhe ta;
ǂhanu-ai tsî ǂnao-o khoeta ge âiǂuihe ra ta.
5 ǃGomsi-e ǀū khoen ge ǂōǂōsib
tsî tsâb ǃnâ hâ khoena ra ǃhō;
ǁîn ge ǃnôara khoen di ǁnā.
6 Xawen ge ǃnari-aona ǂkhîb ǃnâ ra ǁom,
ǁîn omdi ǃnân ge sâsase ǁan hâ,
tsî eloxoresan ge ǁî-aitsama ǂgomǃgâsen hâ;
ǁîn ge Eloban ǁîn ǁkhāsib ǃnâ ūhâ ti ra ǂgom.
7 “Xawe xamarina dî, on ge nî ǁkhāǁkhā tsi;
tamas ka io ǀhomanina, on ge nî mîba tsi.
8 Tamas ka io ǃhūbaiba ǃoa ǃhoa, ob ge nî ǁkhāǁkhā tsi,
tamas ka io an hurib di ǁauna ǂanǂan tsi.
9 Nē xūn hoan ǃnâ tari-e a ǀū,
ǃKhūb ge hoana a kurusa?
10 ǁÎb ǃommi ǃnâb ge hoaraga ûitsama kurusaben di ûib
tsî ǀoms mâ khoe-i hoa-i dis tsîna hâ.
11 Sa nammi ǂû-e ra tsâtsâ khami ra
ge sa ǂgaera mîde ra ǁnâu ǂgao.
12 “Kairasib ǃnâs ge gā-aisib ra hāsa;
ǂgui kurigu ge ǁnâuǃāba ra ǀkhī-ūga.
13 Gā-aisib tsî ǁkhāsib tsîn ge Elob tawa hâ;
ǀapemās tsî ǁnâuǃāb tsîra tsîna.
14 ǁÎb ga khôaǁnâ, o i khoe-i xare-e ǁkhawa a omkhâi ǁoa;
ǁîb ga ǂganamǂgā khoe-i ge
khoe-i xare-i xa ǃnoraǃnorahe ǁkhā tide.
15 ǁGammab ga ǃkhō-oa, ob ra ǀkhuruba hâ;
ǁîbab ga ǁnāxū, ob ra ǃhūba dâuǃkhūhe.
16 “ǀGaib tsî gā-aisib tsîn ge Elob tawa hâ;
ǂgaeǂhapuhe ra-i tsî ǂgaeǂhapu-ao-i tsî hoan ge a ǁîb di.
17 Gao-aogu ǀapemā-aogab ge ǀōǂai ra ǂgaeǂguibē
tsîb ge ǀgoraǃgâ-aoga ra gâre kai.
18 Gao-aogu ǀgaibab ra hîkākā
tsîb khobosis ǃgaesengu ǀkha ǁîga ra ǃgae.
19 Pristergab ge ǀōǂai ra ǂgaeǂguibē
tsî ǁkhāsib ǃnâ hâna ra ūǁnâ.
20 ǂGomǃgâhe hân ǃhoaǁkhāsibab ra ǀhana
tsîb ǂgaeǂgui-aogu di ǃgâi ǀgoraǃgâs ǁkhāsiba ra ūbe.
21 Taosibab ge ǂgaeǂgui-aogu danadi ai ra ǁhōǂui
tsîb ge ǀgaisagu ǀgaiba ra ǀhana.
22 ǃKhaenas ǃgam xūnab ge ra ǂhaiǂhai
tsîb ge ǃgamsib ǃkhaenas diba ra ǃnâǃnâ.
23 ǁÎb ge ǁaede kaikai tsî ǁîde ǁkhawa ra hîkākā;
ǁîde ǂapaǂoa kai tsî ge ǁîde ǁkhawa ra ǀgaruǀgaru.
24 ǃHūbaib ǂgaeǂgui-aogab ge ǁnâuǃāb âga ǀhana
tsî ǁîga ǂgaro-o ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ ra kāma kai.
25 ǃNâ-i ǀkhaiǃnâ ǃkhaenas ǃnâ gu ge ra tsananama;
ǀhorosemagu khami gu ge ra ǁnākeǁgapi.
