“ But you say,‘ What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ Listen to me, you Israelites. What I do is always fair. What you do is not.

“你们还说：‘主的道不公平！’以色列家啊，你们当听，我的道岂不公平吗？你们的道岂不是不公平吗？

“你们却说：‘主的道不公平！’以色列家啊，你们要听，我的道不公平吗？你们的道不是不公平吗？

“你们却说：‘主的道不公平！’以色列家啊，你们要听，我的道不公平吗？你们的道不是不公平吗？

“你们说，主这样做不公平。以色列人啊，你们听着，是我的做法不公平呢？还是你们的做法不公平呢？

“你们还说：‘主所行的不公平。’以色列家啊，你们要听！我所行的哪里不公平呢？岂不是你们所行的不公平吗？

「你們還說：『主的道不公平！』以色列家啊，你們當聽，我的道豈不公平嗎？你們的道豈不是不公平嗎？

「你們卻說：『主的道不公平！』以色列家啊，你們要聽，我的道不公平嗎？你們的道不是不公平嗎？

「你們卻說：『主的道不公平！』以色列家啊，你們要聽，我的道不公平嗎？你們的道不是不公平嗎？

「你們說，主這樣做不公平。以色列人啊，你們聽著，是我的做法不公平呢？還是你們的做法不公平呢？

“你們還說：‘主所行的不公平。’以色列家啊，你們要聽！我所行的哪裡不公平呢？豈不是你們所行的不公平嗎？

『你們還說：「主所行的不公正。」以色列家啊，你們要聽！我所行的哪裏是不公正呢？豈不是你們所行的不公正麼？

惟爾曹云、主道不公、以色列家其聽之、我之道、豈非公乎、爾之道、豈非不公乎、

爾言我耶和華所行、不尚正直、以色列族宜聽我言、我所行者、惟秉大公、爾所為者、尚存偏頗。

爾曹猶言主之道不公平、不公平或作不相宜下同以色列族聽歟、我之道豈不公平、惟爾曹之道不公平、

“ Yet you say,‘ The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

“ Yet you say,‘ The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

“ Yet you say,‘ The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you?

“ But you say,‘ The Lord’s way isn’t fair.’ Now listen, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair? Instead, isn’t it your ways that are unfair?

Yet you say,‘ The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

“ Yet you say,‘ The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?

Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

“ But you say,‘ The Lord’s way isn’t fair.’ Now listen, house of Israel: Is it My way that is unfair? Instead, isn’t it your ways that are unfair?

Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

“ Yet you say,‘ The Lord’s conduct is unjust!’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?

“ Yet you say,‘ The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal?

“ You have spoken with pride against me,” says the Lord.“ But you ask,‘ What have we spoken against you?’“ You have said,‘ It is useless to serve God. What do we gain by obeying his laws? And what do we get by pretending to be sad in front of the Lord?But now we call proud people blessed. Things go well with those who do what is evil. And God doesn’t even punish those who test him.’ ”

“ In spite of that, your people say,‘ What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ But it is what you do that is not fair.

You would never kill godly people along with those who are evil, would you? Would you treat them all alike? You would never do anything like that! Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is right?”

Lord, when I bring a matter to you, you always do what is right. But now I would like to speak with you about whether you are being fair. Why are sinful people successful? Why do those who can’t be trusted have an easy life?

In spite of that, you Israelites say,‘ What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ But I will judge each of you based on how you have lived.”

You have worn out the Lord by what you keep saying.“ How have we worn him out?” you ask. You have done it by saying,“ All those who do evil things are good in the Lord’ s sight. And he is pleased with them.” Or you ask,“ Is God really fair?”

In spite of that, the Lord is good to Jerusalem. He never does anything that is wrong. Every morning he does what is fair. Each new day he does the right thing. But those who do what is wrong aren’t even ashamed of it.

But the Israelites still say,‘ What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ People of Israel, what I do is always fair. What you do is not.

He is the Rock. His works are perfect. All his ways are right. He is faithful. He doesn’t do anything wrong. He is honest and fair.

But you are a mere human being. So who are you to talk back to God? Scripture says,“ Can what is made say to the one who made it,‘ Why did you make me like this?’ ”( Isaiah 29:16; 45:9)

The heavens announce that what God decides is right. That’s because he is a God of justice.

“ You said,‘ Listen now, and I will speak. I will ask you some questions. Then I want you to answer me.’My ears had heard about you. But now my own eyes have seen you.So I hate myself. I’m really sorry for what I said about you. That’s why I’m sitting in dust and ashes.”

Doesn’t the fact that we are wrong prove more clearly that God is right? Then what can we say? Can we say that God is not fair when he brings his anger down on us? As you can tell, I am just using human ways of thinking.

Haven’t you brought this on yourselves? I am the Lord your God, but you deserted me. You left me even while I was leading you.Why do you go to Egypt to drink water from the Nile River? Why do you go to Assyria to drink from the Euphrates River?You will be punished because you have sinned. You will be corrected for turning away from me. I am the Lord your God. If you desert me, bad things will happen to you. If you do not respect me, you will suffer bitterly. I want you to understand that,” announces the Lord who rules over all.“ Long ago you broke off the yoke I put on you. You tore off the ropes I tied you up with. You said,‘ I won’t serve you!’ In fact, on every high hill you lay down like a prostitute. You worshiped other gods under every green tree.You were like a good vine when I planted you. You were a healthy plant. Then how did you turn against me? How did you become a bad, wild vine?You might wash yourself with soap. You might use plenty of strong soap. But I can still see the stains your guilt covers you with,” announces the Lord and King.“ You say,‘ I am“ clean.” I haven’t followed the gods that are named Baal.’ How can you say that? Remember how you acted in the valley. Consider what you have done. You are like a female camel running quickly here and there.

The Lord is right in everything he does. He is faithful in everything he does.

“ Would you dare to claim that I am not being fair? Would you judge me in order to make yourself seem right?

“ Job, do you think it’s fair for you to say,‘ I am the one who is right, not God’?

When they received it, they began to complain about the owner.‘ These people who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said.‘ You have paid them the same as us. We have done most of the work and have been in the hot sun all day.’“ The owner answered one of them.‘ Friend,’ he said,‘ I’m being fair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for the usual day’s pay?Take your money and go. I want to give the one I hired last the same pay I gave you.Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Do you feel cheated because I gave so freely to the others?’

But Elihu the Buzite was very angry with Job. That’s because Job said he himself was right instead of God. Elihu was the son of Barakel. He was from the family of Ram.

When you did these things, I kept silent. So you thought I was just like you. But now I’m going to bring you to court. I will bring charges against you.

So no one will be considered right with God by obeying the law. Instead, the law makes us more aware of our sin.

“ Job says,‘ I’m not guilty of doing anything wrong. But God doesn’t treat me fairly.Even though I’m right, he thinks I’m a liar. Even though I’m not guilty, his arrows give me wounds that can’t be healed.’Is there anyone like Job? He accuses God as easily as he drinks water.He’s a companion of those who do evil. He spends his time with sinful people.He asks,‘ What good is it to try to please God?’“ So listen to me, you men who have understanding. God would never do what is evil. The Mighty One would never do what is wrong.

“ Why do you bring charges against me? All of you have refused to obey me,” announces the Lord.“ I punished your people. But it did not do them any good. They did not pay attention when they were corrected. You have killed your prophets by swords. You have swallowed them up like a hungry lion.“ You who are now living, consider my message. I am saying,“ Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been like a land of deep darkness? Why do my people say,‘ We are free to wander. We won’t come to you anymore’?Does a young woman forget all about her jewelry? Does a bride forget her wedding jewels? But my people have forgotten me more days than anyone can count.You are very skilled at chasing after love! Even the worst of women can learn from how you act.The blood of those you have killed is on your clothes. You have destroyed poor people who were not guilty. You did not catch them in the act of breaking in. In spite of all this,you say,‘ I’m not guilty of doing anything wrong. The Lord isn’t angry with me.’ But I will judge you. That’s because you say,‘ I haven’t sinned.’Why do you keep on changing your ways so much? Assyria did not help you. And Egypt will not help you either.So you will also leave Egypt with your hands tied together above your heads. I have turned my back on those you trust. They will not help you.

“ Tell these people all these things. They will ask you,‘ Why has the Lord decided to send so much trouble on us? We haven’t done anything wrong. We haven’t committed any sins against the Lord our God.’When they say this, here is what you should tell them.‘ I did it because your people of long ago deserted me,’ announces the Lord.‘ They followed other gods. They served them and worshiped them. They deserted me. They did not obey my law.But you have done more evil things than they did. All of you are doing what your stubborn and evil hearts want you to do. You are not obeying me.So I will throw you out of this land. I will send you away to another land. Neither you nor your people of long ago have known about it. There you will serve other gods day and night. And I will not give you any help.’

They didn’t know that God’s power makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn’t do it in God’s way.

But you are stubborn. In your heart you are not sorry for your sins. You are storing up anger against yourself. The day of God’s anger is coming. Then his way of judging fairly will be shown.God“ will pay back each person in keeping with what they have done.”( Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12)