¹Ayub menjawab, "Dengarkan apa yang akan kukatakan; hanya itu yang kuminta sebagai penghiburan.

¹Then Job answered and said,

²(21:1)

²Hear diligently my speech; And let this be your consolations.

³Izinkanlah aku ganti bicara, setelah itu boleh lagi kamu menghina!

³Suffer me, and I also will speak; And after that I have spoken, mock on.

⁴Bukan dengan manusia aku bertengkar, jadi tak mengapalah jika aku kurang sabar.

⁴As for me, is my complaint to man? And why should I not be impatient?

⁵Pandanglah aku, maka kamu akan tercengang, kamu terpaku dan mulutmu bungkam.

⁵Mark me, and be astonished, And lay your hand upon your mouth.

⁶Jika kupikirkan keadaanku ini gemetarlah aku karena ngeri.

⁶Even when I remember I am troubled, And horror taketh hold on my flesh.

⁷Mengapa orang jahat diberi umur panjang oleh Allah, dan harta mereka terus bertambah?

⁷Wherefore do the wicked live, Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?

⁸Mereka hidup cukup lama sehingga melihat anak cucu mereka menjadi dewasa.

⁸Their seed is established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes.

⁹Rumah tangga mereka aman sentosa; Allah tidak mendatangkan bencana atas mereka.

⁹Their houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them.

¹⁰Ternak mereka berkembang biak, dan tanpa kesulitan, beranak.

¹⁰Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

¹¹Anak-anak orang jahat berlompatan dengan gembira, seperti domba muda yang bersukaria.

¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance.

¹²Diiringi bunyi rebana, seruling dan kecapi, mereka ramai bernyanyi dan menari-nari.

¹²They sing to the timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

¹³Hari-harinya dihabiskan dalam kebahagiaan, dan mereka meninggal penuh kedamaian.

¹³They spend their days in prosperity, And in a moment they go down to Sheol.

¹⁴Padahal mereka telah berkata kepada Allah, "Jauhilah kami dan pergilah! Kami tak peduli dan tak ingin mengerti maksud dan kehendak-Mu bagi hidup kami."

¹⁴And they say unto God, Depart from us; For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

¹⁵Pikir mereka, "Melayani Allah tak ada gunanya, dan berdoa kepada-Nya tiada manfaatnya.

¹⁵What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

¹⁶Bukankah karena kekuatan kita saja, tercapailah segala maksud dan tujuan kita?" Akan tetapi aku sama sekali tidak setuju dengan jalan pikiran dan pendapat begitu.

¹⁶Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand: The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷Pernahkah pelita orang jahat dipadamkan, dan mereka ditimpa bencana dan kemalangan? Pernahkah Allah marah kepada mereka, sehingga mereka dihukum-Nya?

¹⁷How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity cometh upon them? That [God] distributeth sorrows in his anger?

¹⁸Pernahkah mereka seperti jerami dan debu yang ditiup oleh badai dan oleh angin lalu?

¹⁸That they are as stubble before the wind, And as chaff that the storm carrieth away?

¹⁹Kamu berkata, "Anak dihukum Allah karena dosa ayahnya." Tapi kataku: Orang berdosa itulah yang harus dihukum Allah, agar mereka sadar bahwa karena dosa mereka, maka Allah mengirimkan hukuman-Nya.

¹⁹[Ye say], God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it:

²⁰Biarlah orang berdosa menanggung dosanya sendiri, biarlah dirasakannya murka Allah Yang Mahatinggi.

²⁰Let his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹Jika manusia habis masanya di dunia, masih pedulikah ia entah keluarganya bahagia?

²¹For what careth he for his house after him, When the number of his months is cut off?

²²Dapatkah manusia mengajar Allah, sedangkan Allah sendiri yang menghakimi makhluk di surga?

²²Shall any teach God knowledge, Seeing he judgeth those that are high?

²³Ada orang yang sehat selama hidupnya; ia meninggal dengan puas dan lega. Matinya tenang dengan rasa bahagia, sedang tubuhnya masih penuh tenaga.

²³One dieth in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and quiet:

²⁴(21:23)

²⁴His pails are full of milk, And the marrow of his bones is moistened.

²⁵Tapi ada pula yang mati penuh kepahitan, tanpa pernah mengenyam kebahagiaan.

²⁵And another dieth in bitterness of soul, And never tasteth of good.

²⁶Namun di kuburan, mereka sama-sama terbaring; dikerumuni oleh ulat dan cacing.

²⁶They lie down alike in the dust, And the worm covereth them.

²⁷Memang aku tahu apa yang kamu pikirkan dan segala kejahatan yang kamu rancangkan.

²⁷Behold, I know your thoughts, And the devices wherewith ye would wrong me.

²⁸Tanyamu, "Di mana rumah penguasa yang melakukan perbuatan durhaka?"

²⁸For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?

²⁹Belumkah kamu menanyai orang yang banyak bepergian? Tidak percayakah kamu berita yang mereka laporkan?

²⁹Have ye not asked wayfaring men? And do ye not know their evidences,

³⁰Kata mereka, "Pada hari Allah memberi hukuman, para penjahat akan diselamatkan."

³⁰That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity? That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

³¹Tak ada yang menggugat kelakuannya; tak ada yang membalas kejahatannya.

³¹Who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done?

³²Ia dibawa ke kuburan, dan dimasukkan ke dalam liang lahat; makamnya dijaga dan dirawat.

³²Yet shall he be borne to the grave, And men shall keep watch over the tomb.

³³Ribuan orang berjalan mengiringi jenazahnya; dengan lembut tanah pun menimbuninya.

³³The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, And all men shall draw after him, As there were innumerable before him.

³⁴Jadi, penghiburanmu itu kosong dan segala jawabanmu bohong!"

³⁴How then comfort ye me in vain, Seeing in your answers there remaineth [only] falsehood?