Job 21
Christian Standard Bible
Job’s Reply to Zophar
21 Then Job answered:
2 Pay close attention to my words;
let this be the consolation you offer.
3 Bear with me while I speak;
then after I have spoken, you may continue mocking.
4 As for me, is my complaint(A) against a human being?
Then why shouldn’t I be impatient?
5 Look at me and shudder;(B)
put your hand over your mouth.(C)
6 When I think about it, I am terrified
and my body trembles(D) in horror.
7 Why do the wicked continue to live,
growing old and becoming powerful?
8 Their children are established while they are still alive,[a]
and their descendants, before their eyes.
9 Their homes are secure and free of fear;(E)
no rod from God strikes them.(F)
10 Their bulls breed without fail;
their cows calve and do not miscarry.
11 They let their little ones run around like lambs;
their children skip about,
12 singing to the tambourine and lyre
and rejoicing at the sound of the flute.(G)
13 They spend[b] their days in prosperity(H)
and go down to Sheol in peace.
14 Yet they say to God, “Leave us alone!
We don’t want to know your ways.(I)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him,
and what will we gain by pleading with him?” (J)
16 But their prosperity is not of their own doing.
The counsel of the wicked is far from me!(K)
17 How often is the lamp(L) of the wicked put out?
Does disaster[c] come on them?
Does he apportion destruction in his anger?
18 Are they like straw before the wind,
like chaff(M) a storm sweeps away?
19 God reserves a person’s punishment for his children.(N)
Let God repay the person himself, so that he may know it.
20 Let his own eyes see his demise;
let him drink from the Almighty’s wrath!(O)
21 For what does he care about his family once he is dead,(P)
when the number of his months has run out?(Q)
22 Can anyone teach God knowledge,(R)
since he judges the exalted ones?[d]
23 One person dies in excellent health,[e]
completely secure[f] and at ease.
24 His body is[g] well fed,[h]
and his bones are full of marrow.[i]
25 Yet another person dies with a bitter(S) soul,
having never tasted prosperity.
26 But they both lie in the dust,
and worms cover them.(T)
27 I know your thoughts very well,
the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 For you say, “Where now is the nobleman’s house?”
and “Where are the tents(U) the wicked lived in?”
29 Have you never consulted those who travel the roads?
Don’t you accept their reports?[j]
30 Indeed, the evil person is spared from the day of disaster,
rescued from the day of wrath.
31 Who would denounce his behavior to his face?
Who would repay(V) him for what he has done?
32 He is carried to the grave,
and someone keeps watch over his tomb.
33 The dirt on his grave is[k] sweet to him.
Everyone follows behind him,
and those who go before him are without number.
34 So how can you offer me such futile comfort?
Your answers are deceptive.
Footnotes
- 21:8 Lit established before them with them
- 21:13 Alt Hb tradition reads fully enjoy
- 21:17 Lit their disaster
- 21:22 Probably angels
- 21:23 Lit in bone of his perfection
- 21:23 Text emended; MT reads health, all at ease
- 21:24 Or His sides are; Hb obscure
- 21:24 Lit is full of milk
- 21:24 Lit and the marrow of his bones is watered
- 21:29 Lit signs
- 21:33 Lit The clods of the wadi are
Job 21
New King James Version
Job’s Discourse on the Wicked
21 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your [a]consolation.
3 Bear with me that I may speak,
And after I have spoken, keep (A)mocking.
4 “As for me, is my complaint against man?
And if it were, why should I not be impatient?
5 Look at me and be astonished;
(B)Put your hand over your mouth.
6 Even when I remember I am terrified,
And trembling takes hold of my flesh.
7 (C)Why do the wicked live and become old,
Yes, become mighty in power?
8 Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe from fear,
(D)Neither is [b]the rod of God upon them.
10 Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves (E)without miscarriage.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.
12 They sing to the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice to the sound of the flute.
13 They (F)spend their days in wealth,
And [c]in a moment go down to the [d]grave.
14 (G)Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 (H)Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And (I)what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’
16 Indeed [e]their prosperity is not in their hand;
(J)The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out?
How often does their destruction come upon them,
The sorrows God (K)distributes in His anger?
18 (L)They are like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that a storm [f]carries away.
19 They say, ‘God [g]lays up [h]one’s iniquity (M)for his children’;
Let Him recompense him, that he may know it.
20 Let his eyes see his destruction,
And (N)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 is cut in half?
22 “Can(O) anyone teach God knowledge,
Since He judges those on high?
23 One dies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and secure;
24 His [i]pails are full of milk,
And the marrow of his bones is moist.
25 Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul,
Never having eaten with pleasure.
26 They (P)lie down alike in the dust,
And worms cover them.
27 “Look, I know your thoughts,
And the schemes with which you would wrong me.
28 For you say,
‘Where is the house of the prince?
And where is [j]the tent,
The dwelling place of the wicked?’
29 Have you not asked those who travel the road?
And do you not know their signs?
30 (Q)For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom;
They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.
31 Who condemns his way to his face?
And who repays him for what he has done?
32 Yet he shall be brought to the grave,
And a vigil kept over the tomb.
33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him;
(R)Everyone shall follow him,
As countless have gone before him.
34 How then can you comfort me with empty words,
Since [k]falsehood remains in your answers?”
Footnotes
Jób 21
Hungarian Bible: Easy-to-Read Version
Jób hatodik válasza
21 Akkor Jób így felelt:
2 „Azzal vigasztaljatok,
hogy meghallgattok figyelmesen!
3 Engedjetek engem is beszélni,
s várjátok ki türelmesen, míg befejezem,
azután gúnyolódjatok csak tovább!
4 Mert én nem emberekre panaszkodom!
Nem ok nélkül türelmetlenkedem.
5 Nézzetek csak meg engem, és rémüljetek el!
Tegyétek kezetek a szátokra!
6 Ha arra gondolok, mi történt velem,
elfog a rémület, és testem beleremeg.
7 Miért élhetnek a gonoszok hosszú életet?
Miért öregedhetnek meg gazdagságban, erőben?
8 Szemük láttára nőnek fel gyermekeik,
meglátják felcseperedni unokáikat is.
9 Otthonukban béke és biztonság,
nem éri őket Isten büntetése.
10 Nyájaik szaporodnak, csordáik gyarapodnak,
teheneik erős borjakat ellenek.
11 Gyermekeik előttük játszanak,
ugrándoznak, mint a bárányok,
12 énekelnek, táncolnak,
hangszerekkel vigadnak.
13 Gondtalan bőségben töltik napjaikat,
szenvedés nélkül, békésen szállnak alá a sírba.
14 Pedig ezt mondták Istennek:
»Ne törődj velünk, mert mi sem törődünk veled!«
15 »Ugyan, kicsoda a Mindenható, hogy őt szolgáljuk?!
Ugyan, mi hasznunk belőle, ha őt imádjuk?!«
16 Pedig a gonoszok sorsa nincs a saját kezükben!
Tanácsuk távol legyen tőlem!
17 De vajon gyakran kialszik a gonoszok mécsese?
Sokszor jön rájuk veszedelem?
Mikor kell érezniük Isten haragját,
és bünteti-e őket fájdalommal?
18 Vajon elsöpri Isten a gonoszokat,
mint szélvihar a szalmaszálat,
mint forgószél a polyvát?
19 Talán azt mondjátok: »Igen, de Isten a fiakat bünteti
apáik vétkeiért!«
Nem így van! Büntesse meg Isten őket magukat!
Tanulják meg a gonoszok,
hogy mindenki a maga vétkéért szenved!
20 Hadd lássa meg saját szemével,
milyen keserves a büntetés!
Ő maga igyon a Mindenható haragjából!
21 Mert, ha élete végéhez ért,
ha már meghalt,
ugyan törődik-e még gyermekeivel,
akiket itt hagyott?
22 Ki taníthatná bölcsességre Istent?
Hiszen ő ítéli még a magasságban élőket is!
23 Az egyik ember gazdagságban hal meg,
kényelemben és békességben.
24 Teste jól táplált,
erős és egészséges.
25 A másik meg keserű lélekkel száll a sírba,
mert soha nem volt része jólétben, örömben.
26 Mégis, mindketten a porban fekszenek,
és férgek takarják be őket.
27 Látjátok, tudom, mit forgattok a fejetekben,
s milyen terveket szőttetek ellenem.
28 Hiszen azt mondtátok: »Hol lakik
az a híres gazdag ember?
Hol találjuk a bűnös Jób házát?«
29 Beszéltetek-e az utazókkal,
meghallgattátok-e bölcs szavukat?
30 Nem azt mondták ők is, hogy Isten a gonoszokat
a veszedelem napjáig megkíméli,
s haragja napjára tartogatja?
31 De ki veti szemükre a gonoszoknak vétkeiket?
Ki fizet meg nekik azért, amit másokkal tettek?
32 Bizony, a gonoszokat díszes kísérettel temetik,
síremléküket is gondosan ápolják.
33 A gonosz még a sírjában is elégedetten fekszik,
mert tömegek kísérik utolsó útjára,
és ezrek vonulnak előtte.
34 Ilyen üres fecsegéssel akartok engem vigasztalni?
Hiszen minden szavatok hamis és igazságtalan!”
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2003, 2012 by World Bible Translation Center