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?
19 “You 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!”