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
Job 21
King James Version
21 But Job answered and said,
2 Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.
3 Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.
4 As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?
5 Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.
6 Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.
7 Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?
8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.
14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
16 Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.
18 They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
19 God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
20 His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?
22 Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.
23 One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
24 His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
26 They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.
27 Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.
28 For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,
30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.
31 Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?
32 Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.
33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.
34 How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?
Job 21
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Respuesta de Job a Zofar
21 Entonces Job respondió:
2 «Escuchen atentamente mis palabras,
Y que sea este su consuelo para mí.
3 -»Tengan paciencia y hablaré;
Y después que haya hablado, se podrán burlar(A).
4 -»En cuanto a mí, ¿me quejo yo al[a] hombre(B)?
¿Y por qué no he de ser[b] impaciente(C)?
5 -»Mírenme, y quédense atónitos,
Y pongan la mano sobre su boca(D).
6 -»Aun cuando me acuerdo, me perturbo,
Y el horror se apodera de mi carne(E).
7 -»¿Por qué siguen viviendo los impíos,
Y al envejecer(F), también se hacen muy poderosos(G)?
8 -»En su presencia se afirman con ellos sus descendientes[c],
Y sus vástagos delante de sus ojos(H);
9 Sus casas están libres de temor,
Y no está la vara de Dios sobre ellos(I).
10 -»Su toro engendra sin fallar[d],
Su vaca pare y no aborta.
11 -»Envían fuera a sus niños cual rebaño,
Y sus hijos andan saltando.
12 -»Cantan[e] con pandero y arpa,
Y al son de la flauta se regocijan.
13 -»Pasan sus días en prosperidad(J),
Pero de repente descienden al[f] Seol[g].
14 -»Y dicen a Dios: “¡Apártate de nosotros(K)!
No deseamos el conocimiento de Tus caminos.
15 -”¿Quién[h] es el Todopoderoso[i], para que le sirvamos,
Y qué ganaríamos con rogarle(L)?”.
16 -»No está en mano de ellos su prosperidad;
El consejo de los impíos lejos está de mí(M).
17 ¶»¿Cuántas veces es apagada la lámpara de los impíos(N),
O cae sobre ellos su calamidad(O)?
¿Reparte Dios[j] dolores en Su ira?
18 -»¿Son como paja delante del viento(P),
Y como tamo que arrebata el torbellino(Q)?
19 -»Ustedes dicen: “Dios guarda la iniquidad de un hombre[k] para sus hijos(R)”.
Que Dios[l] le pague para que aprenda.
20 -»Vean sus ojos su ruina(S),
Y beba de la furia del Todopoderoso(T).
21 -»Pues ¿qué le importa la suerte de su casa después de él[m]
Cuando el número de sus meses haya sido cortado?
22 -»¿Puede enseñarse a Dios sabiduría(U),
Siendo que Él juzga a los encumbrados(V)?
23 -»Uno muere en pleno vigor,
Estando completamente tranquilo y satisfecho[n](W);
24 Sus costados están repletos de grasa[o],
Húmeda está la médula de sus huesos(X),
25 Mientras otro muere con alma amargada,
Y sin haber probado[p] nada bueno.
26 -»Juntos yacen en el polvo(Y),
Y los gusanos los cubren(Z).
27 ¶»Yo conozco los pensamientos de ustedes,
Y los designios con los cuales me dañarían.
28 -»Porque dicen: “¿Dónde está la casa del noble(AA),
Y dónde la tienda donde moraban los impíos(AB)?”.
29 -»¿No han preguntado a los caminantes,
Y no reconocen su testimonio[q]?
30 -»Porque el impío es preservado para el día de la destrucción(AC);
Ellos serán conducidos en el día de la ira(AD).
31 -»¿Quién le declarará en su cara sus acciones,
Y quién le pagará por lo que ha hecho?
32 -»Mientras es llevado al sepulcro,
Velarán sobre su tumba.
33 -»Los terrones del valle suavemente lo cubrirán[r](AE),
Y le seguirán[s] todos los hombres,
E innumerables otros irán delante de él(AF).
34 -»¿Cómo, pues, me consuelan(AG) en vano?
Sus respuestas están llenas de falsedad[t]».
Footnotes
- 21:4 O contra el.
- 21:4 Lit. no ha de ser mi espíritu.
- 21:8 Lit. se afirma su simiente.
- 21:10 Lit. y no falla.
- 21:12 Lit. Alzan la voz.
- 21:13 Así en muchas versiones antiguas; en el T.M., son desbaratados por el.
- 21:13 I.e. región de los muertos.
- 21:15 Lit. Qué.
- 21:15 Lit. Shaddai.
- 21:17 Lit. Él.
- 21:19 Lit. su iniquidad.
- 21:19 Lit. Él.
- 21:21 I.e. después que él muera.
- 21:23 O quieto.
- 21:24 Así en la versión siriaca; heb. incierto. Algunos traducen: sus baldes están llenos de leche.
- 21:25 Lit. comido.
- 21:29 Lit. sus señales.
- 21:33 Lit. le serán dulces.
- 21:33 Lit. se allegarán a él.
- 21:34 O infidelidad.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
