One person dies in full vigor,
completely secure and at ease,
well nourished in body,
bones rich with marrow.
Another dies in bitterness of soul,
never having enjoyed anything good. (Job 21:23-25)
The simplistic justice taught to Job and his friends is that God rewards righteous persons with vigor, nourishment, and riches, while wicked persons are given bitterness and poverty. But Job sees role reversal: Wicked persons enjoy vigor, nourishment, and riches, and Job, a righteous man in his own self-evaluation, is about to die in bitterness and poverty.
Justice is not that simplistic in my experience. Righteous persons may enjoy the experiences in their living, but not necessarily so. Wicked persons may suffer the consequences of their hurtful actions in their living, but not always. Who knows? The balance of justice may wait in eternity.
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