3:13 “You have criticized me sharply,” 1 says the Lord, “but you ask, ‘How have we criticized you?’ 3:14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped 2 by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord who rules over all? 3 3:15 So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. 4 In fact, those who challenge 5 God escape!’”
1 tn Heb “your words are hard [or “strong”] against me”; cf. NIV “said harsh things against me”; TEV, NLT “said terrible things about me.”
2 tn Heb “What [is the] profit”; NIV “What did we gain.”
3 sn The people’s public display of self-effacing piety has gone unrewarded by the
4 tn Heb “built up” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “prosper”; NLT “get rich.”
5 tn Or “test”; NRSV, CEV “put God to the test.”