Job 21
1 Then Job answered and said,
And Job answers and says:
2 “Listen carefully to my words, and let this be the comfort you offer to me.
“Hear my word diligently, And this is your consolation.
3 Put up with me, and I also will speak; after I have spoken, mock on.
Bear with me, and I speak, And after my speaking—you may deride.
4 As for me, is my complaint to a person? Why should I not be impatient?
[Is] my complaint [against] man? And if [so], why may my temper not become short?
5 Look at me and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.
Turn to me, and be astonished, And put hand to mouth.
6 When I think about my sufferings, I am terrified, and trembling seizes my body.
Indeed, if I have remembered, then I have been troubled. And my flesh has taken fright.
7 Why do wicked people continue to live, become old, and grow mighty in power?
Why do the wicked live? They have become old, Indeed, they have been mighty in wealth.
8 Their descendants are established with them in their sight, and their offspring are established before their eyes.
Their seed is established, Before their face with them, And their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe from fear; neither is the rod of God on them.
Their houses [are] peace without fear, Nor [is] a rod of God on them.
10 Their bull breeds; it does not fail to do so; their cow gives birth and does not lose her calf prematurely.
His bullock breeds without fail. His cow brings forth safely, and does not miscarry.
11 They send out their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
They send forth their sucklings as a flock, And their children skip,
12 They sing to the tambourine and harp and rejoice with the music of the flute.
They lift [themselves] up at timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of a pipe.
They wear out their days in good, And in a moment go down [to] Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
14 They say to God, 'Depart from us for we do not wish any knowledge of your ways.
And they say to God, Turn aside from us, And the knowledge of Your ways We have not desired.
15 What is the Almighty, that we should worship him? What advantage would we get if we prayed to him?'
What [is] the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?
16 See, is not their prosperity in their own hands? I have nothing to do with the advice of wicked people.
Behold, their good [is] not in their hand (The counsel of the wicked Has been far from me).
17 How often is it that the lamp of wicked people is put out, or that their calamity comes upon them? How often does it happen that God distributes sorrows to them in his anger?
How often is the lamp of the wicked extinguished, And their calamity comes on them? He apportions pangs in His anger.
18 How often is it that they become like stubble before the wind or like chaff that the storm carries away?
They are as straw before wind, And as chaff a windstorm has stolen away,
19 You say, 'God lays up one's guilt for his children to pay.' Let him pay it himself, so that he might know his guilt.
God lays up for his sons his sorrow, He gives repayment to him—and he knows.
20 Let his eyes see his own destruction, and let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
His own eyes see his destruction, And he drinks of the wrath of the Mighty.
21 For what does he care about his family after him when the number of his months is cut off?
For what [is] his delight in his house after him, And the number of his months cut off?
22 Can anyone teach God knowledge since he judges even those who are high?
Does [one] teach knowledge to God, Since He judges [those] on high?
23 One man dies in his full strength, being completely quiet and at ease.
This [one] dies in his perfect strength, Wholly at ease and quiet.
24 His body is full of milk, and the marrow of his bones is moist.
His breasts have been full of milk, And marrow moistens his bones.
25 Another man dies in bitterness of soul, one who has never experienced anything good.
And this [one] dies with a bitter soul, And has not eaten with gladness.
26 They lie down alike in the dust; the worms cover them both.
Together they lie down on the dust, And the worm covers them over.
27 See, I know your thoughts, and the ways in which you wish to wrong me.
Behold, I have known your thoughts, And the schemes against me you do wrongfully.
28 For you say, 'Where now is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked man once lived?'
For you say, Where [is] the house of the noble? And where the tent—the dwelling places of the wicked?
29 Have you never asked traveling people? Do you not know the evidence they can tell,
Have you not asked those passing by the way? And do you not know their signs?
30 that the wicked man is kept from the day of calamity, and that he is led away from the day of wrath?
That the wicked is spared to a day of calamity. They are brought to a day of wrath.
31 Who will condemn the wicked man's way to his face? Who will repay him for what he has done?
Who declares his way to his face? And [for] that which he has done, Who gives repayment to him?
32 Yet he will be borne to the grave; men will keep watch over his tomb.
And he is brought to the graves, And a watch is kept over the heap.
33 The clods of the valley will be sweet to him; all people will follow after him, as there were innumerable people before him.
The clods of the valley have been sweet to him, And he draws every man after him, And there is no numbering before him.
34 How then do you comfort me with nonsense, since in your answers there is nothing but falsehood?”
And how do you comfort me [with] vanity, And trespass has been left in your answers?”
