Job 21
Lexham English Bible
Job’s Seventh Speech: A Response to Zophar
21 Then[a] Job answered and said,
2 “Listen carefully to my words,
and let this be your[b] consolation.
3 Bear with me, and I myself[c] will speak;
then[d] after my speaking you can mock.
4 As for me, is my complaint for human beings?
And if so, why cannot I be impatient?
5 Turn to me and be appalled,
and place your hand on your mouth.
6 And when I think of it, I am horrified,[e]
and shuddering seizes my flesh.
7 “Why do the wicked live,
grow old, even grow mighty in power?
8 With them their offspring are established before them,[f]
and their descendants before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe without fear,
and the rod of God is not upon them.
10 His bull breeds and does not fail;
his cow calves and does not miscarry.
11 They send out their little ones like the flock,
and their children dance around.
12 They sing[g] to the tambourine and lyre,
and they rejoice to the sound of the long flute.
13 They spend their days in prosperity,
and in peace they go down to Sheol.
14 And they say to God, ‘Turn away from us,
for[h] we do not desire to know your ways.
15 Who is Shaddai that we should serve him,
or[i] what would we benefit when we plead with him?’
16 Look, their prosperity is not in their hands;
the schemes of the wicked are repugnant[j] to me.
17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out,
and their disaster comes upon them?
He[k] distributes pains in his anger.
18 How often are they like straw before[l] the wind,
and like chaff that the storm carries away?
19 ‘God stores up his iniquity for his children’?[m]
Then let him repay it to him that[n] he may know.
20 Let his eyes see his decay,
and let him drink from the wrath of Shaddai,
21 for what does he care for[o] his house after him,
when the number of his months is[p] cut off?
22 Can anyone teach knowledge to God,
since[q] he himself[r] judges high ones?
23 This one dies in full prosperity,[s]
completely[t] at ease and secure.
24 His vats are full with milk
and the marrow of his bones is moist.
25 Yet[u] another dies with a bitter inner self[v]
and has not tasted prosperity.
26 They lie down together in the dust,
and maggots cover them.
27 “Look, I know your[w] thoughts
and the schemes you devise against me.
28 For you say, ‘Where is the nobleman’s house,
and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’[x]
29 Do you not ask those traveling the roads,
and do you not take notice of their accounts?
30 Indeed, the wicked is spared from the day of disaster;
he is delivered from the day of wrath.
31 Who denounces his way to his face?
And who repays him for what he has done?
32 When[y] he is brought to the grave,
then[z] someone stands guard over the tomb.
33 The clods of the valley are sweet to him;
everyone will follow after him,
and before[aa] him they are innumerable.[ab]
34 So[ac] how will you comfort me with emptiness,
when[ad] fraud is left in your answers?”
Footnotes
- Job 21:1 Hebrew “And”
- Job 21:2 Plural
- Job 21:3 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 21:3 Hebrew “and”
- Job 21:6 Hebrew “and I am horrified”
- Job 21:8 Literally “to their faces”
- Job 21:12 Literally “they lift up their voices”
- Job 21:14 Hebrew “and”
- Job 21:15 Hebrew “and”
- Job 21:16 Or “the plan of the wicked is repugnant”
- Job 21:17 The antecedent is “God,” or possibly “the Almighty”
- Job 21:18 Literally “to the faces of”
- Job 21:19 Or “You say, ‘God stores up his iniquity for his children.’”
- Job 21:19 Hebrew “and”
- Job 21:21 Literally “his joy in”
- Job 21:21 Hebrew “are”
- Job 21:22 Hebrew “and”
- Job 21:22 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 21:23 Literally “in the vigor of his prosperity”
- Job 21:23 Literally “all of him”
- Job 21:25 Hebrew “And”
- Job 21:25 Or “soul”
- Job 21:27 Plural
- Job 21:28 Literally “tent of dwelling places of wicked”
- Job 21:32 Hebrew “And”
- Job 21:32 Hebrew “and”
- Job 21:33 Literally “to the faces of”
- Job 21:33 Literally “there is not number”
- Job 21:34 Hebrew “And”
- Job 21:34 Hebrew “and”
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
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