‏ Job 21

Job Says God Will Deal with the Wicked

1 Then Job responded,
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 amock me.

4 “As for me, is bmy complaint
Or against
to a mortal?
Or dwhy should
Lit my spirit
I not be impatient?

5 “Look at me, and be astonished,
And fput your hand over your mouth.

6 “Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And ghorror takes hold of my flesh.

7 “Why hdo the wicked still live,
Grow old, and also become very
Or superior
jpowerful?

8 “Their
Lit seed
ldescendants endure with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,

9 Their houses mare safe from fear,
And the
I.e., punishment
rod of God is not on them.

10 “His ox mates
Lit and does not fail
without fail;
His cow calves and does not miscarry.

11 “They send out their boys like the flock,
And their children dance.

12 “They
Lit lifted up the voice
sing with the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice at the sound of the flute.

13 “They qspend their days in prosperity,
And
Or in peacefulness
suddenly they go down to
I.e., the netherworld
Sheol.

14 “Yet they say to God, ‘ tGo away 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 wwhat would we gain if we plead with Him?’

16 “Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The xadvice of the wicked is far from me.


17 “How often is ythe lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their zdisaster fall on them?
Does
Lit He
God apportion destruction in His anger?

18 “Are they as abstraw before the wind,
And like acchaff which the storm carries away?

19You say,adGod saves up
Lit his
a person’s
Or disaster
wrongdoing for his sons.’
Let
Lit Him
God repay him so that he may know it.

20 “Let his ahown eyes see his destruction,
And let him aidrink of the wrath of
Heb Shaddai
the Almighty.

21 “For what does he care about his household
I.e., after he dies
after him,
When the number of his months is at an end?

22 “Can anyone alteach God knowledge,
In that He amjudges those on high?

23 “One andies in his full strength,
Being wholly undisturbed and at ease;

24 His
As in Syriac; Heb uncertain. Some render as his pails are full of milk
sides are filled with fat,
And the apmarrow of his bones is wet,

25 While another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even
Lit eating
tasting anything good.

26 “Together they arlie down in the dust,
And asmaggots cover them.


27 “Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plots you devise against me.

28 “For you say, ‘Where is the house of atthe nobleman,
And where is the autent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’

29 “Have you not asked travelers,
And do you not examine their
Lit signs
evidence?

30 “For the awwicked person is spared
Or for the day
a day of disaster;
They
Or will be led to the day
are led away from aza day of fury.

31 “Who
Lit declares his way to his face
confronts him with his actions,
And who repays him for what he has done?

32 “When he is carried to the grave,
People will keep watch over his tomb.

33 “The bbclods of the valley will
Lit be sweet to him
gently cover him;
Moreover, bdall mankind will
Lit draw
follow after him,
While countless others go before him.

34 “So how dare you give me empty bfcomfort?
For your answers remain nothing but falsehood!”
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