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.
But you refuse to turn away from your sins. So God won’t treat you the way you want to be treated. You must decide, Job. I can’t do it for you. So tell me what you know.
Sometimes grace is shown to sinful people. But they still don’t learn to do what is right. They keep on doing evil even in a land where others are honest and fair. They don’t have any respect for the majesty of the Lord.
“Who are you so afraid of that you have not been faithful to me? You have not remembered me. What you do doesn’t even bother you. I have not punished you for a long time. That is why you are not afraid of me.
“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.
People of Jacob, you are proud that the Lord is your God. But he has made a promise in his own name. He says, “I will never forget anything Israel has done.
God isn’t a mere human. He can’t lie. He isn’t a human being. He doesn’t change his mind. He speaks, and then he acts. He makes a promise, and then he keeps it.
So don’t judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord returns. He will bring to light what is hidden in the dark. He will show the real reasons why people do what they do. At that time each person will receive their praise from God.
The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. Instead, he is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins.