Job 21

1 Then Job answered:

1 Then Job answered,

2 “Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me.

2 “Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.

3 Bear with me while I speak; then, after I have spoken, you may go on mocking.

3 Allow me, and I also will speak. After I have spoken, mock on.

4 Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient?

4 As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn’t I be impatient?

5 Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth.

5 Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.

6 When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror.

6 When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh.

7 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?

7 “Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?

8 Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes.

8 Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes.

9 Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them.

9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

10 Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.

10 Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry.

11 They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,

11 They send out their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.

12 singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.

12 They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

13 They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.

13 They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol.

14 Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.

14 They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways.

15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’

15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’

16 Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.

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

17 How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction?

17 “How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger?

18 Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?

18 How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away?

19 It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it.

19 You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.

20 Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty.

20 Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21 For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?

21 For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?

22 Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?

22 “Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?

23 One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease.

23 One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

24 His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.

24 His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.

25 Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity.

25 Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.

26 But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both.

26 They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.

27 Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me.

27 “Behold, I know your thoughts, the plans with which you would wrong me.

28 For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’

28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’

29 Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports?

29 Haven’t you asked wayfaring men? Don’t you know their evidences,

30 Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath.

30 that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, that they are led out to the day of wrath?

31 Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?

31 Who will declare his way to his face? Who will repay him what he has done?

32 He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.

32 Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men will keep watch over the tomb.

33 The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number.

33 The clods of the valley will be sweet to him. All men will draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.

34 So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”

34 So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”