Job 21-23 (English Standard Version)

Job 21

Job Replies: The Wicked Do Prosper

 ¹Then Job answered and said:
 ^2(A) "Keep listening to my words,
   and let this be your comfort.
³Bear with me, and I will speak,
   and after I have spoken,^(B) mock on.
⁴As for me, is my^(C) complaint against man?
   Why should I not be impatient?
⁵Look at me and be appalled,
   and^(D) lay your hand over your mouth.
⁶When I remember, I am dismayed,
   and shuddering seizes my flesh.
^7(E) Why do the wicked live,
   reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
⁸Their^(F) offspring are established in their presence,
   and their descendants before their eyes.
⁹Their houses are^(G) safe from fear,
   and^(H) no rod of God is upon them.
¹⁰Their bull breeds without fail;
   their cow calves and^(I) does not miscarry.
¹¹They send out their^(J) little boys like a flock,
   and their children dance.
¹²They sing to^(K) the tambourine and^(L) the lyre
   and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.
¹³They^(M) spend their days in prosperity,
   and in^(N) peace they go down to^(O) Sheol.
¹⁴They say to God,^(P) 'Depart from us!
   We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.
^15(Q) What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
   And what^(R) profit do we get if we pray to him?'
¹⁶Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?
   ^(S) The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

 ¹⁷"How often is it that^(T) the lamp of the wicked is put out?
   That their calamity comes upon them?
   That God^[a] distributes pains in his anger?
¹⁸That they are like^(U) straw before the wind,
   and like^(V) chaff that the storm carries away?
¹⁹You say, 'God^(W) stores up their iniquity for their^(X) children.'
   Let him pay it out to them, that they may^(Y) know it.
²⁰Let their own eyes see their destruction,
   and let them^(Z) drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
²¹For what do they care for their houses after them,
   when^(AA) the number of their months is cut off?
^22(AB) Will any teach God knowledge,
   seeing that he^(AC) judges those who are on high?
²³One dies in his full vigor,
   being wholly at ease and secure,
²⁴his pails^[b] full of milk
   and^(AD) the marrow of his bones moist.
²⁵Another dies in^(AE) bitterness of soul,
   never having tasted of prosperity.
²⁶They^(AF) lie down alike in the dust,
   and^(AG) the worms cover them.

 ²⁷"Behold, I know your thoughts
   and your schemes to wrong me.
²⁸For you say,^(AH) 'Where is the house of the prince?
   Where is^(AI) the tent in which the wicked lived?'
²⁹Have you not asked those who travel the roads,
   and do you not accept their testimony
³⁰that^(AJ) the evil man is spared in the day of calamity,
   that he is rescued in the day of wrath?
³¹Who declares his way^(AK) to his face,
   and who^(AL) repays him for what he has done?
³²When he is^(AM) carried to the grave,
   watch is kept over his tomb.
^33(AN) The clods of the valley are sweet to him;
   ^(AO) all mankind follows after him,
   and those who go before him are innumerable.
³⁴How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?
   There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood."

Job 22

Eliphaz Speaks: Job’s Wickedness Is Great

 ¹Then^(AP) Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
 ^2(AQ) "Can a man be profitable to God?
   Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
³Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right,
   or is it gain to him if you^(AR) make your ways blameless?
⁴Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you
   and^(AS) enters into judgment with you?
⁵Is not your evil abundant?
   There is no end to your iniquities.
⁶For you have^(AT) exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing
   ^(AU) and stripped the naked of their clothing.
⁷You have given no water to the weary to drink,
   and you have^(AV) withheld bread from the hungry.
^8(AW) The man with power possessed the land,
   and^(AX) the favored man lived in it.
⁹You have^(AY) sent widows away empty,
   and^(AZ) the arms of^(BA) the fatherless were crushed.
¹⁰Therefore^(BB) snares are all around you,
   and sudden terror overwhelms you,
¹¹or^(BC) darkness, so that you cannot see,
   and a^(BD) flood of^(BE) water covers you.

 ¹²"Is not God high in the heavens?
   See^(BF) the highest stars, how lofty they are!
¹³But you say,^(BG) 'What does God know?
   Can he judge through^(BH) the deep darkness?
^14(BI) Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see,
   and he walks on the vault of heaven.'
¹⁵Will you keep to the old way
   that wicked men have trod?
¹⁶They were snatched away^(BJ) before their time;
   their foundation was washed away.
¹⁷They said to God,^(BK) 'Depart from us,'
   and^(BL) 'What can the Almighty do to us?'^[c]
18Yet he filled their houses with good things—
   but^(BM) the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
^19(BN) The righteous see it and are glad;
   the innocent one^(BO) mocks at them,
²⁰saying, 'Surely our adversaries are cut off,
   and what they left^(BP) the fire has consumed.'

 ^21(BQ) "Agree with God, and^(BR) be at peace;
   thereby good will come to you.
²²Receive instruction from^(BS) his mouth,
   and^(BT) lay up his words in your heart.
²³If you^(BU) return to the Almighty you will be^(BV) built up;
   if you^(BW) remove injustice far from your tents,
²⁴if you lay gold in^(BX) the dust,
   and gold of^(BY) Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed,
²⁵then the Almighty will be your gold
   and your precious silver.
²⁶For then you^(BZ) will delight yourself in the Almighty
   and^(CA) lift up your face to God.
²⁷You will^(CB) make your prayer to him, and he will hear you,
   and you will^(CC) pay your vows.
²⁸You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,
   and^(CD) light will shine on your ways.
²⁹For when they are humbled you say, 'It is because of pride';^[d]
   but he saves^(CE) the lowly.
³⁰He^(CF) delivers even the one who is not innocent,^[e]
   who will be delivered through^(CG) the cleanness of your hands."

Job 23

Job Replies: Where Is God?

 ¹Then Job answered and said:
 ²"Today also my^(CH) complaint is bitter;^[f]
   my^(CI) hand is heavy on account of my groaning.
³Oh,^(CJ) that I knew where I might find him,
   that I might come even to his^(CK) seat!
⁴I would^(CL) lay my case before him
   and fill my mouth with arguments.
⁵I would know what he would answer me
   and understand what he would say to me.
⁶Would he^(CM) contend with me in the greatness of his power?
   No; he would pay attention to me.
⁷There an upright man could argue with him,
   and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.

 ⁸"Behold,^(CN) I go forward, but he is not there,
   and backward, but I do not perceive him;
⁹on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;
   he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.
¹⁰But he^(CO) knows^(CP) the way that I^(CQ) take;
   when he has^(CR) tried me, I shall come out as gold.
¹¹My foot^(CS) has held fast to his steps;
   I have kept his way and have^(CT) not turned aside.
¹²I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
   I have^(CU) treasured the words of his mouth more than my^(CV) portion of food.
¹³But he is unchangeable,^[g] and^(CW) who can turn him back?
   What he^(CX) desires, that he does.
¹⁴For he will complete what he^(CY) appoints for me,
   and many such things are^(CZ) in his mind.
¹⁵Therefore I am terrified at his presence;
   when I consider, I am in dread of him.
¹⁶God has made my^(DA) heart faint;
   the Almighty has terrified me;
¹⁷yet I am not silenced because of the darkness,
   nor because thick darkness covers my face.