1-2 It is not right, Job, for you to say
that you are innocent in God's sight,
3 or to ask God, “How does my sin affect you?
What have I gained by not sinning?”
4 I am going to answer you and your friends too.
5 Look at the sky! See how high the clouds are!
6 If you sin, that does no harm to God.
If you do wrong many times, does that affect him?
7 Do you help God by being so righteous?
There is nothing God needs from you.
8 Others suffer from your sins,
and the good you do helps them.
9 When people are oppressed, they groan;
they cry for someone to save them.
10 But they don't turn to God, their Creator,
who gives them hope in their darkest hours.
11 They don't turn to God, who makes us wise,
wiser than any animal or bird.
12 They cry for help, but God doesn't answer,
for they are proud and evil.
13 It is useless for them to cry out;
Almighty God does not see or hear them.
14 Job, you say you can't see God;
but wait patiently—your case is before him.
15 You think that God does not punish,
that he pays little attention to sin.
16 It is useless for you to go on talking;
it is clear you don't know what you are saying.
1 Elihub ge ǃaruǀî ge ǃeream:
2 “Nēs a ǂhanu tits ra ǂâi? Sats ge
‘Nēb ge ti ǂhanuba Elob aiǃâ,’ ti ra mî.
3 Sats ga ‘Mâ ǃgâiǃgâ-e ta nî hō? Tamas ka io,
ǁore tama ta ka io, tare-e ta ǁnāpa xu nî hō?’ ti a dîo.
4 Sats tsî sa ǀhōsagu tsîgo
ta ge nî ǃeream.
5 “ǀHommi ǃoa kōkhâi, î mû;
sa ǀgapiga hâ ǃâude ǃgapaǀî!
6 ǁOrets kao, o tare-ets Elob ǃoagu ra dī?
Sa ǁoren ga ǂguiǂguisen, o tare-ets ǁîba ra dī?
7 ǂHanu-aits kao, tare-ets ǁîba ra mā,
tamas ka io tare-eb sa ǃomma xu a hō ǁkhā?
8 Sa ǂkhabasib ge sats khami ī khoe-e ra tsâǀkhā
tsîb ge sa ǂhanu-aisiba, ǀkhara khoena ra hui.
9 “Kai ǁgâiǀā-ain xan ge khoena ra huiǂgai;
ǀgaisan di ǃommi ǃnakaba xun ge ra hui-ôa.
10 Xawe i ge khoe-e dî tama:
‘Mâpab Elob ti Kuru-aob,
tsuxub ǃnâ ǁnaetsanade ra māba hâ? ti;
11 ǁnāb ǃhūbaib di ǀgurun xa ǃnāsase ra ǁkhāǁkhā daba,
tsî ǀhomaniron xa ǃnāsa gā-aisiba ra mā daba?’
12 Khoen ga huiǂgai, xaweb ge Eloba ǃeream tama hâ,
ǂkhabadī-aon di ǂnīǂnīsens ǃaroma.
13 Amase Elob ge harebeoǃnâ mîde ǃgâ tama hâ;
Hoaǀgaixab ge ǁîdi ǀkha ǁae tama hâ.
14 “Hoaǁaets ge Elobats mû tama ti ra mî,
xaweb sa ǁhōba ǁîb aiǃâ hâ,
tsîts ǃnūǃnâxase ǃâu hâse.
15 Tsî nēsits ge Elob ǁaib âb ǃnâ ǁkhara tama
tsî ǁore-i xare-eb ǂan tama ti ǂâi xawe,
16 Jobtse, ǃhoats ran ge a harebeoǃnâ;
ǂan-i ǀkhaiǃnâ mîdets ge ra ǃhoa.”
