The Daily Audio Bible

² “My troubled thoughts cause me to answer.
    I am very upset.
³ I hear you criticize, and I am insulted.
    But I understand how to answer you.

⁴ “You know how it has been for a long time.
    It has been this way since man was put on the earth.
⁵ The happiness of an evil person is very short.
    The joy of a person without God lasts only a moment.
⁶ His pride may be as high as the heavens.
    His head may touch the clouds.
⁷ But he will be gone forever, like his own dung.
    People who knew him will say, ‘Where is he?’
⁸ He will fly away like a dream.
    He will not be found again.
    He will be chased away like a vision in the night.
⁹ Those who saw him will not see him again.
    The place where he lived will see him no more.
¹⁰ His children will have to make up for how he mistreated the poor.
    He will have to give his wealth back with his own hands.
¹¹ He has the strength of his youth in his bones.
    But it will lie with him in the dust of death.

¹² “Evil may taste sweet in the evil person’s mouth.
    He may hide it under his tongue.
¹³ He cannot stand to let go of it.
    So he keeps it in his mouth.
¹⁴ But his food will turn sour in his stomach.
    It will be like the poison of a snake inside him.
¹⁵ He has swallowed riches, but he will spit them out.
    God will make the evil person’s stomach vomit them up.
¹⁶ He will suck the poison of snakes.
    The snake’s poisonous fangs will kill him.
¹⁷ He will not admire the sparkling streams
    or the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
¹⁸ He must give back what he worked for without eating it.
    He will not enjoy the money he made from his trading.
¹⁹ This is because he has troubled the poor people and left them with nothing.
    He has taken houses he did not build.

²⁰ “The evil person has no rest from his desire.
    Nothing escapes his selfishness.
²¹ But nothing will be left for him to eat.
    His riches will not continue.
²² When he still has plenty, trouble will catch up to him.
    Great misery will come down on him.
²³ The evil person may eat until his stomach is full.
    But then God will send his burning anger against him.
    God will send blows of punishment down on him like rain.
²⁴ The evil person may run away from an iron weapon.
    But then a bronze arrow will stab him.
²⁵ He will pull the arrow out of his back.
    He will pull its point out of his liver.
Terrors will come over him.
²⁶     Total darkness waits for his treasure.
A fire not fanned by people will destroy him.
    That fire will burn up what is left of his tent.
²⁷ The heavens will show his guilt.
    The earth will rise up against him.
²⁸ A flood will carry his house away.
    The rushing waters will come on the day of God’s anger.
²⁹ This is what God plans for evil people.
    This is what he has decided they will receive.”

² “Listen carefully to my words.
    Let this be the way you comfort me.
³ Be patient while I speak.
    After I have finished, you may continue to make fun of me if you wish.

⁴ “My complaint is not just against people.
    I have reason to be impatient.
⁵ Look at me then and be shocked.
    Put your hand over your mouth in shock.
⁶ When I think about this, I am terribly afraid.
    My body shakes!
⁷ Why do evil people live a long time?
    They grow old and become more powerful.
⁸ They see their children become strong around them.
    They watch their children grow up.
⁹ Their homes are safe and without fear.
    God does not punish them.
¹⁰ Their bulls never fail to mate.
    Their cows have healthy calves.
¹¹ Their children run and play like flocks of lambs.
    Their little ones dance about.
¹² They sing to the music of tambourines and harps.
    The sound of the flute makes them happy.
¹³ Evil people enjoy success during their lives.
    Then they go down in peace to where the dead are.
¹⁴ But they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    We don’t want to know your ways.
¹⁵ Who is God All-Powerful that we should serve him?
    We would gain nothing by praying to him.’
¹⁶ But the wicked think they succeed by their own strength.
    Their way of thinking is not godly.
¹⁷ Yet how often is the lamp of evil people turned off?
    How often does trouble come to them?
    How often do they suffer the punishment God plans in his anger?
¹⁸ How often are they like straw in the wind
    or like chaff that is blown away by a storm?
¹⁹ It is said, ‘God saves up a man’s punishment for the man’s children.’
    God should punish the evil person himself so he will know it.
²⁰ His eyes should see his own destruction.
    He should suffer the anger of God All-Powerful.
²¹ He does not care about the family he leaves behind
    when his life has come to an end.

²² “No one can teach knowledge to God.
    He is the one who judges even the most important people.
²³ One man dies while he still has all his strength.
    He feels completely safe and comfortable.
²⁴ His body was well fed.
    And his bones were strong and healthy.
²⁵ But another man dies with an unhappy heart.
    He never had any happiness.
²⁶ These two men are buried next to each other.
    And worms cover both of them.

²⁷ “I know very well what you are thinking.
    I know your plans to do wrong to me.
²⁸ You say about me, ‘Now where is this great man’s house?
    And where are the tents where the evil men lived?’
²⁹ You have never asked those who travel.
    You have not listened to their stories.
³⁰ On the day of God’s anger and punishment,
    it is the evil man who is spared.
³¹ Who will accuse him to his face?
    No one pays him back for the evil he has done.
³² He is carried to his grave.
    And someone keeps watch over his tomb.
³³ The dirt in the valley will seem sweet to him.
    Everybody follows after him.
    Many people go before him.

³⁴ “So you cannot comfort me with this nonsense.
    Your answers are still only lies!”

² “A man cannot be of any real use to God.
    Even a wise man does him no good.
³ It does not help God All-Powerful for you to be good.
    He gains nothing if you are innocent.
⁴ God does not punish you for respecting him.
    He does not bring you into court for this.
⁵ No! It is because your evil is without limits.
    And your sins have no end.
⁶ You took your brothers’ things to pay a debt they didn’t owe.
    You took clothes from people and left them naked.
⁷ You did not give water to tired people.
    And you kept food away from the hungry.
⁸ You were a powerful man who owned land.
    You were honored and lived in the land.
⁹ But you sent widows away without giving them anything.
    You even mistreated orphans.
¹⁰ That is why traps are all around you.
    That is why sudden danger frightens you.
¹¹ That is why it is so dark you cannot see.
    And that is why a flood of water covers you.

¹² “God is in the highest part of heaven.
    See how high the highest stars are!
¹³ But you say, ‘God knows nothing.
    He cannot judge us through the dark clouds.
¹⁴ Thick clouds cover him so he cannot see us.
    He walks around high up in the sky.’
¹⁵ Are you going to stay on the old path
    where evil people walk?
¹⁶ They were carried away before their time was up.
    Their foundations were washed away by a flood.
¹⁷ They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    God All-Powerful can do nothing to us.’
¹⁸ But it was God who filled their houses with good things.
    He did this even though their way of thinking was not godly.

¹⁹ “Good people can watch and be glad.
    Innocent people can laugh at them and say,
²⁰ ‘Surely our enemies are destroyed.
    And fire burns up their wealth.’

²¹ “Obey God, and then you will be at peace with him.
    This way you can be happy.
²² Accept teaching from his mouth.
    Keep his words in your heart.
²³ If you return to God All-Powerful, you will be blessed again.
    Remove evil from your house.
²⁴ Throw your gold nuggets into the dust.
    Throw your fine gold to the rocks in the ravines.
²⁵ Then God All-Powerful will be your gold.
    He will be the best silver for you.
²⁶ You will find pleasure in God All-Powerful.
    And you will look up to him.
²⁷ You will pray to him, and he will hear you.
    And you will keep your promises to him.
²⁸ Anything you decide will be done.
    And light will shine on your ways.
²⁹ When terrible things happen to people, you will say, ‘Have courage.’
    Then those who are humble will be saved.
³⁰ Even the guilty will escape.
    They will be saved because your hands are clean.”

¹¹ Lord, do not hold back your mercy from me.
    Let your love and truth always protect me.
¹² Troubles have gathered around me.
    There are too many to count.
My sins have caught me.
    I cannot see a way to escape.
I have more sins than hairs on my head.
    I have lost my courage.
¹³ Please, Lord, save me.
    Hurry, Lord, to help me.
¹⁴ People are trying to kill me.
    Shame them and disgrace them.
People want to hurt me.
    Let them run away in disgrace.
¹⁵ People are making fun of me.
    Let them be shamed into silence.
¹⁶ But let those who follow you
    be happy and glad.
They love you for saving them.
    May they always say, “Praise the Lord!”

¹⁷ Lord, I am poor and helpless.
    But please remember me.
You are my helper and savior.
    My God, do not wait.

² The rich and the poor are alike
    in that the Lord made them all.

³ When a wise person sees danger ahead, he avoids it.
    But a foolish person keeps going and gets into trouble.

⁴ Respecting the Lord and not being proud
    will bring you wealth, honor and life.