Job 20-21
New American Standard Bible 1995
Zophar Says, “The Triumph of the Wicked Is Short”
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite [a]answered,
2 “Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me [b]respond,
Even because of my [c]inward agitation.
3 “I listened to (A)the reproof which insults me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4 “Do you know this from (B)of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,
5 That the (C)triumphing of the wicked is short,
And (D)the joy of the godless momentary?
6 “Though his loftiness [d](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;
Even 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 [e]favor the poor,
And his hands (M)give back his wealth.
11 “His (N)bones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it lies down with him [f]in the dust.
12 “Though (O)evil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he [g]desires it and will not let it go,
But holds it (P)in his [h]mouth,
14 Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the [i]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 slays him.
17 “He does not look at (S)the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
18 “He (T)returns what he has attained
And cannot swallow it;
As to the riches of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy them.
19 “For he has (U)oppressed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.
20 “Because he knew no quiet [j]within him,
He does (V)not retain anything he desires.
21 “Nothing remains [k]for him to devour,
Therefore (W)his prosperity does not endure.
22 “In the fullness of his plenty 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 will (Z)rain it on him [l]while he is eating.
24 “He may (AA)flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.
25 “It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from (AB)his gall.
(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 iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28 “The (AG)increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away (AH)in the day of His anger.
29 “This is the wicked man’s (AI)portion from God,
Even the heritage decreed to him by God.”
Job Says God Will Deal with the Wicked
21 Then Job [m]answered,
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.
4 “As for me, is (AK)my complaint [n]to man?
And (AL)why should [o]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,
Continue on, also become very (AP)powerful?
8 “Their [p](AQ)descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses (AR)are safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them.
10 “His ox mates [q]without fail;
His cow calves and does not abort.
11 “They send forth their little ones like the flock,
And their children skip about.
12 “They [r]sing to the timbrel 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 “They say to God, ‘(AT)Depart 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 entreat Him?’
16 “Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The (AV)counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is (AW)the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their (AX)calamity 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 stores away [x]a man’s iniquity for his sons.’
Let [y]God repay him so that he may know it.
20 “Let his (BB)own eyes see his decay,
And let him (BC)drink of the wrath of [z]the Almighty.
21 “For what does he care for his household [aa]after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?
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 at ease and [ab]satisfied;
24 His [ac]sides are filled out with fat,
And the (BG)marrow of his bones is moist,
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)worms cover them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plans by which you would wrong 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 wayfaring men,
And do you not recognize their [ae]witness?
30 “For the (BL)wicked is reserved for the day of calamity;
They will be led forth at (BM)the day of fury.
31 “Who will [af]confront him with his actions,
And who will repay him for what he has done?
32 “While he is carried to the grave,
Men will keep watch over his tomb.
33 “The (BN)clods of the valley will [ag]gently cover him;
Moreover, (BO)all men will [ah]follow after him,
While countless ones go before him.
34 “How then will you vainly (BP)comfort me,
For your answers remain full of [ai]falsehood?”
Footnotes
- Job 20:1 Lit answered and said
- 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 has compassion on
- 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 21:1 Lit answered and said
- Job 21:4 Or against
- Job 21:4 Lit my spirit
- Job 21:8 Lit seed
- Job 21:10 Lit and does not fail
- Job 21:12 Lit lifted up the voice
- Job 21:13 So with most versions; M.T. are shattered by Sheol
- Job 21:13 I.e. the nether world
- Job 21:15 Lit What
- Job 21:15 Heb Shaddai
- Job 21:17 Lit He
- Job 21:19 Lit his
- Job 21:19 Lit Him
- Job 21:20 Heb Shaddai
- Job 21:21 I.e. after he dies
- Job 21:23 Or quiet
- Job 21:24 So with Syr; Heb uncertain. Some render as, his pails are full of milk
- Job 21:25 Lit eating
- Job 21:29 Lit signs
- Job 21:31 Lit declare his way to his face
- Job 21:33 Lit be sweet to him
- Job 21:33 Lit draw
- Job 21:34 Or faithlessness
Colossians 1
New American Standard Bible 1995
Thankfulness for Spiritual Attainments
1 (A)Paul, (B)an apostle of Jesus Christ [a](C)by the will of God, and (D)Timothy [b]our brother,
2 To the [c](E)saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: (F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 (G)We give thanks to God, (H)the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 (I)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the (J)love which you have [d]for (K)all the [e]saints; 5 because of the (L)hope (M)laid up for you in [f]heaven, of which you previously (N)heard in the word of truth, [g]the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as [h](O)in all the world also it is constantly bearing (P)fruit and [i]increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you (Q)heard of it and [j]understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from (R)Epaphras, our (S)beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your (T)love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason also, (U)since the day we heard of it, (V)we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the [k](W)knowledge of His will in all spiritual (X)wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will (Y)walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, [l](Z)to please Him in all respects, (AA)bearing fruit in every good work and [m]increasing in the [n]knowledge of God; 11 (AB)strengthened with all power, according to [o]His glorious might, [p]for the attaining of all steadfastness and [q]patience; (AC)joyously 12 giving thanks to (AD)the Father, who has qualified us [r]to share in (AE)the inheritance of the [s]saints in (AF)Light.
The Incomparable Christ
13 [t]For He rescued us from the [u](AG)domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of [v](AH)His beloved Son, 14 (AI)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 [w]He is the (AJ)image of the (AK)invisible God, the (AL)firstborn of all creation. 16 For [x](AM)by Him all things were created, (AN)both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether (AO)thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—(AP)all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He [y](AQ)is before all things, and in Him all things [z]hold together. 18 He is also (AR)head of (AS)the body, the church; and He is (AT)the beginning, (AU)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For [aa]it was (AV)the Father’s good pleasure for all (AW)the [ab]fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to (AX)reconcile all things to Himself, having made (AY)peace through (AZ)the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, (BA)whether things on earth or things in [ac]heaven.
21 And although you were (BB)formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now (BC)reconciled you in His fleshly (BD)body through death, in order to (BE)present you before Him (BF)holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in [ad]the faith firmly (BG)established and steadfast, and not moved away from the (BH)hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed (BI)in all creation under heaven, (BJ)and of which I, Paul, [ae]was made a [af](BK)minister.
24 (BL)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh (BM)I [ag]do my share on behalf of (BN)His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking [ah]in Christ’s afflictions. 25 (BO)Of this church I [ai]was made a minister according to the (BP)stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might [aj]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, (BQ)the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His [ak]saints, 27 to whom (BR)God willed to make known what is (BS)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is (BT)Christ in you, the (BU)hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, (BV)admonishing every man and teaching every man [al]with all (BW)wisdom, so that we may (BX)present every man [am](BY)complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I (BZ)labor, (CA)striving (CB)according to His [an]power, which [ao]mightily works within me.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:1 Lit through
- Colossians 1:1 Lit the
- Colossians 1:2 Or holy ones
- Colossians 1:4 Or toward
- Colossians 1:4 Or holy ones
- Colossians 1:5 Lit the heavens
- Colossians 1:5 Or of the gospel
- Colossians 1:6 Or it is in the world
- Colossians 1:6 Or spreading abroad
- Colossians 1:6 Or came really to know
- Colossians 1:9 Or real knowledge
- Colossians 1:10 Lit unto all pleasing
- Colossians 1:10 Or growing by the knowledge
- Colossians 1:10 Or real knowledge
- Colossians 1:11 Lit the might of His glory
- Colossians 1:11 Lit unto all
- Colossians 1:11 Or patience with joy
- Colossians 1:12 Lit unto the portion of
- Colossians 1:12 Or holy ones
- Colossians 1:13 Lit Who rescued
- Colossians 1:13 Lit authority
- Colossians 1:13 Lit the Son of His love
- Colossians 1:15 Lit Who is
- Colossians 1:16 Or in
- Colossians 1:17 Or has existed prior to
- Colossians 1:17 Or endure
- Colossians 1:19 Or all the fullness was pleased to dwell
- Colossians 1:19 I.e. fullness of deity
- Colossians 1:20 Lit the heavens
- Colossians 1:23 Or in faith
- Colossians 1:23 Lit became
- Colossians 1:23 Or servant
- Colossians 1:24 Or representatively...fill up
- Colossians 1:24 Lit of
- Colossians 1:25 Lit became
- Colossians 1:25 Lit make full the word of God
- Colossians 1:26 Or holy ones
- Colossians 1:28 Lit in
- Colossians 1:28 Or perfect
- Colossians 1:29 Lit working
- Colossians 1:29 Lit in power
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
