Job 20-21
New American Standard Bible
Zophar Says the Rejoicing of the Wicked Is Short
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite responded,
2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me [a]respond,
Even because of my [b]inward agitation.
3 I listened to (A)the reprimand which insults me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4 Do you know this from (B)ancient times,
From the establishment of mankind on earth,
5 That the (C)rejoicing of the wicked is short,
And (D)the joy of the godless momentary?
6 Though his arrogance [c](E)reaches the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,
7 He (F)perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him (G)will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He flies away like a (H)dream, and they cannot find him;
Like a vision of the night he is (I)chased away.
9 The (J)eye which saw him sees him no longer,
And (K)his place no longer beholds him.
10 His (L)sons [d]favor the poor,
And his hands (M)give back his wealth.
11 His (N)bones are full of his youthful strength,
But it lies down with him [e]in the dust.
12 “Though (O)evil tastes sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he [f]desires it and will not let it go,
But holds it (P)in his [g]mouth,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the [h]venom of cobras within him.
15 He swallows riches,
But will (Q)vomit them up;
God will expel them from his belly.
16 He sucks (R)the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue kills him.
17 He does not look at (S)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 He (T)returns the product of his labor
And cannot swallow it;
As to the riches of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy them.
19 For he has (U)oppressed and neglected the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.
20 “Because he knew no quiet [i]within him,
He does (V)not retain anything he desires.
21 Nothing remains [j]for him to devour,
Therefore (W)his prosperity does not endure.
22 In the fullness of his excess he will be cramped;
The (X)hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.
23 When he (Y)fills his belly,
God will send His fierce anger on him
And (Z)rain it on him [k]while he is eating.
24 He may (AA)flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.
25 It is drawn and comes out of his back,
Even the flashing point from (AB)his gallbladder;
(AC)Terrors come upon him,
26 Complete (AD)darkness is held in reserve for his treasures,
And unfanned (AE)fire will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27 The (AF)heavens will reveal his guilt,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 The (AG)increase of his house will disappear;
His possessions will flow away (AH)on the day of His anger.
29 This is a wicked person’s (AI)portion from God,
The inheritance decreed to him by God.”
Job Says God Will Deal with the Wicked
21 Then Job responded,
2 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation.
3 Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may (AJ)mock me.
4 As for me, is (AK)my complaint [l]to a mortal?
Or (AL)why should [m]I not be impatient?
5 Look at me, and be astonished,
And (AM)put your hand over your mouth.
6 Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And (AN)horror takes hold of my flesh.
7 Why (AO)do the wicked still live,
Grow old, and also become very [n](AP)powerful?
8 Their [o](AQ)descendants endure with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses (AR)are safe from fear,
And the [p]rod of God is not on them.
10 His ox mates [q]without fail;
His cow calves and does not miscarry.
11 They send out their boys like the flock,
And their children dance.
12 They [r]sing with the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice at the sound of the flute.
13 They (AS)spend their days in prosperity,
And [s]suddenly they go down to [t]Sheol.
14 Yet they say to God, ‘(AT)Go away from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 [u]Who is [v]the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And (AU)what would we gain if we plead with Him?’
16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The (AV)advice of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is (AW)the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their (AX)disaster fall on them?
Does [w]God apportion destruction in His anger?
18 Are they as (AY)straw before the wind,
And like (AZ)chaff which the storm carries away?
19 You say, ‘(BA)God saves up [x]a person’s [y]wrongdoing for his sons.’
Let [z]God repay him so that he may know it.
20 Let his (BB)own eyes see his destruction,
And let him (BC)drink of the wrath of [aa]the Almighty.
21 For what does he care about his household [ab]after him,
When the number of his months is at an end?
22 Can anyone (BD)teach God knowledge,
In that He (BE)judges those on high?
23 One (BF)dies in his full strength,
Being wholly undisturbed and at ease;
24 His [ac]sides are filled with fat,
And the (BG)marrow of his bones is wet,
25 While another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even [ad]tasting anything good.
26 Together they (BH)lie down in the dust,
And (BI)maggots cover them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plots you devise against me.
28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of (BJ)the nobleman,
And where is the (BK)tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’
29 Have you not asked travelers,
And do you not examine their [ae]evidence?
30 For the (BL)wicked person is spared [af]a day of disaster;
They [ag]are led away from (BM)a day of fury.
31 Who [ah]confronts him with his actions,
And who repays him for what he has done?
32 When he is carried to the grave,
People will keep watch over his tomb.
33 The (BN)clods of the valley will [ai]gently cover him;
Moreover, (BO)all mankind will [aj]follow after him,
While countless others go before him.
34 So how dare you give me empty (BP)comfort?
For your answers remain nothing but falsehood!”
Footnotes
- Job 20:2 Lit return
- Job 20:2 Lit haste within me
- Job 20:6 Lit goes up to
- Job 20:10 Or seek the favor of
- Job 20:11 Lit on
- Job 20:13 Lit spares it
- Job 20:13 Lit palate
- Job 20:14 Lit gall
- Job 20:20 Lit in his belly
- Job 20:21 Or of what he devours
- Job 20:23 Or as his food
- Job 21:4 Or against
- Job 21:4 Lit my spirit
- Job 21:7 Or superior
- Job 21:8 Lit seed
- Job 21:9 I.e., punishment
- Job 21:10 Lit and does not fail
- Job 21:12 Lit lifted up the voice
- Job 21:13 Or in peacefulness
- Job 21:13 I.e., the netherworld
- Job 21:15 Lit What
- Job 21:15 Heb Shaddai
- Job 21:17 Lit He
- Job 21:19 Lit his
- Job 21:19 Or disaster
- Job 21:19 Lit Him
- Job 21:20 Heb Shaddai
- Job 21:21 I.e., after he dies
- Job 21:24 As in Syriac; Heb uncertain. Some render as his pails are full of milk
- Job 21:25 Lit eating
- Job 21:29 Lit signs
- Job 21:30 Or for the day
- Job 21:30 Or will be led to the day
- Job 21:31 Lit declares his way to his face
- Job 21:33 Lit be sweet to him
- Job 21:33 Lit draw
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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