Job 21

Job Says God Will Deal with the Wicked

1 Then Job ^{▼▼ Lit answered and said}answered, 2 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation.
3 “Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may ^bmock.
4 “As for me, is ^cmy complaint ^{▼▼ Or against}to man?
And ^ewhy should ^{▼▼ Lit my spirit}I not be impatient?
5 “Look at me, and be astonished,
And ^gput your hand over your mouth.
6 “Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And ^hhorror takes hold of my flesh.
7 “Why ⁱdo the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very ^jpowerful?
8 “Their ^{▼▼ Lit seed
,} ^ldescendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses ^mare safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them.
10 “His ox mates ^{▼▼ Lit and does not fail}without fail;
His cow calves and does not abort.
11 “They send forth their little ones like the flock,
And their children skip about.
12 “They ^{▼▼ Lit lifted up the voice}sing to the timbrel and harp
And rejoice at the sound of the flute.
13 “They ^pspend their days in prosperity,
And ^{▼▼ So with most versions; M.T. are shattered by Sheol}suddenly they go down to ^{▼▼ I.e. the nether world}Sheol.
14 “They say to God, ‘ ^sDepart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 ‘ ^{▼▼ Lit What}Who is ^{▼▼ Heb Shaddai}the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And ^vwhat would we gain if we entreat Him?’
16 “Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The ^wcounsel of the wicked is far from me.

17 “How often is ^xthe lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their ^ycalamity fall on them?
Does ^{▼▼ Lit He}God apportion destruction in His anger?
18 “Are they as ^aastraw before the wind,
And like ^abchaff which the storm carries away?
19 “You say, ‘ ^acGod stores away ^{▼▼ Lit his}a man’s iniquity for his sons.’
Let ^{▼▼ Lit Him}God repay him so that he may know it.
20 “Let his ^afown eyes see his decay,
And let him ^agdrink of the wrath of ^{▼▼ Heb Shaddai}the Almighty.
21 “For what does he care for his household ^{▼▼ I.e. after he dies}after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?
22 “Can anyone ^ajteach God knowledge,
In that He ^akjudges those on high?
23 “One ^aldies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and ^{▼▼ Or quiet}satisfied;
24 His ^{▼▼ So with Syr; Heb uncertain. Some render as, his pails are full of milk}sides are filled out with fat,
And the ^aomarrow of his bones is moist,
25 While another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even ^{▼▼ Lit eating}tasting anything good.
26 “Together they ^aqlie down in the dust,
And ^arworms cover them.

27 “Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plans by which you would wrong me.
28 “For you say, ‘Where is the house of ^asthe nobleman,
And where is the ^attent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’
29 “Have you not asked wayfaring men,
And do you not recognize their ^{▼▼ Lit signs}witness?
30 “For the ^avwicked is reserved for the day of calamity;
They will be led forth at ^awthe day of fury.
31 “Who will ^{▼▼ Lit declare his way to his face}confront him with his actions,
And who will repay him for what he has done?
32 “While he is carried to the grave,
Men will keep watch over his tomb.
33 “The ^ayclods of the valley will ^{▼▼ Lit be sweet to him}gently cover him;
Moreover, ^baall men will ^{▼▼ Lit draw}follow after him,
While countless ones go before him.
34 “How then will you vainly ^bccomfort me,
For your answers remain full of ^{▼▼ Or faithlessness}falsehood?”