Job 21
1 And Job answereth and saith: —
Then Job answered,
2 Hear ye diligently my word, And this is your consolation.
“Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.
3 Bear with me, and I speak, And after my speaking — ye may deride.
Allow me, and I also will speak. After I have spoken, mock on.
4 I — to man [is] my complaint? and if [so], wherefore May not my temper become short?
As for me, is my complaint to man? Why should not I be impatient?
5 Turn unto me, and be astonished, And put hand to mouth.
Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.
6 Yea, if I have remembered, then I have been troubled. And my flesh hath taken fright.
When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh.
7 Wherefore do the wicked live? They have become old, Yea, they have been mighty in wealth.
“Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?
8 Their seed is established, Before their face with them, And their offspring before their eyes.
Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses [are] peace without fear, Nor [is] a rod of God upon them.
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
10 His bullock hath eaten corn, and doth not loath. His cow bringeth forth safely, And doth not miscarry.
Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and do not miscarry.
11 They send forth as a flock their sucklings, And their children skip,
They send out their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.
12 They lift [themselves] up at timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of an organ.
They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol (Sheol h7585).
14 And they say to God, 'Turn aside from us, And the knowledge of Thy ways We have not desired.
They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we do not want to know about your ways.
15 What [is] the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?'
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’
16 Lo, not in their hand [is] their good, (The counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)
Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 How oft is the lamp of the wicked extinguished, And come on them doth their calamity? Pangs He apportioneth in His anger.
“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 They are as straw before wind, And as chaff a hurricane hath stolen away,
How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away?
19 God layeth up for his sons his sorrow, He giveth recompense unto him — and he knoweth.
You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.
20 His own eyes see his destruction, And of the wrath of the Mighty he drinketh.
Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what [is] his delight in his house after him, And the number of his months cut off?
For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?
22 To God doth [one] teach knowledge, And He the high doth judge?
“Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?
23 This [one] dieth in his perfect strength, Wholly at ease and quiet.
One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
24 His breasts have been full of milk, And marrow his bones doth moisten.
His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.
25 And this [one] dieth with a bitter soul, And have not eaten with gladness.
Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.
26 Together — on the dust they lie down, And the worm doth cover them over.
They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.
27 Lo, I have known your thoughts, And the devices against me ye do wrongfully.
“Behold, I know your thoughts, the plans with which you would wrong me.
28 For ye say, 'Where [is] the house of the noble? And where the tent — The tabernacles of the wicked?'
For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’
29 Have ye not asked those passing by the way? And their signs do ye not know?
Have not you asked wayfaring men? Do not you know their evidences,
30 That to a day of calamity is the wicked spared. To a day of wrath they are brought.
that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, that they are led out to the day of wrath?
31 Who doth declare to his face his way? And [for] that which he hath done, Who doth give recompence to him?
Who will declare his way to his face? Who will repay him what he has done?
32 And he — to the graves he is brought. And over the heap a watch is kept.
Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men will keep watch over the tomb.
33 Sweet to him have been the clods of the valley, And after him every man he draweth, And before him there is no numbering.
The clods of the valley will be sweet to him. All men will draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.
34 And how do ye comfort me [with] vanity, And in your answers hath been left trespass?
So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”
