Job 21
New American Standard Bible
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 (A)mock me.
4 As for me, is (B)my complaint [a]to a mortal?
Or (C)why should [b]I not be impatient?
5 Look at me, and be astonished,
And (D)put your hand over your mouth.
6 Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And (E)horror takes hold of my flesh.
7 Why (F)do the wicked still live,
Grow old, and also become very [c](G)powerful?
8 Their [d](H)descendants endure with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses (I)are safe from fear,
And the [e]rod of God is not on them.
10 His ox mates [f]without fail;
His cow calves and does not miscarry.
11 They send out their boys like the flock,
And their children dance.
12 They [g]sing with the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice at the sound of the flute.
13 They (J)spend their days in prosperity,
And [h]suddenly they go down to [i]Sheol.
14 Yet they say to God, ‘(K)Go away from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 [j]Who is [k]the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And (L)what would we gain if we plead with Him?’
16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The (M)advice of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is (N)the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their (O)disaster fall on them?
Does [l]God apportion destruction in His anger?
18 Are they as (P)straw before the wind,
And like (Q)chaff which the storm carries away?
19 You say, ‘(R)God saves up [m]a person’s [n]wrongdoing for his sons.’
Let [o]God repay him so that he may know it.
20 Let his (S)own eyes see his destruction,
And let him (T)drink of the wrath of [p]the Almighty.
21 For what does he care about his household [q]after him,
When the number of his months is at an end?
22 Can anyone (U)teach God knowledge,
In that He (V)judges those on high?
23 One (W)dies in his full strength,
Being wholly undisturbed and at ease;
24 His [r]sides are filled with fat,
And the (X)marrow of his bones is wet,
25 While another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even [s]tasting anything good.
26 Together they (Y)lie down in the dust,
And (Z)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 (AA)the nobleman,
And where is the (AB)tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’
29 Have you not asked travelers,
And do you not examine their [t]evidence?
30 For the (AC)wicked person is spared [u]a day of disaster;
They [v]are led away from (AD)a day of fury.
31 Who [w]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 (AE)clods of the valley will [x]gently cover him;
Moreover, (AF)all mankind will [y]follow after him,
While countless others go before him.
34 So how dare you give me empty (AG)comfort?
For your answers remain nothing but falsehood!”
Footnotes
- 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
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
Jobi 21
Albanian Bible
21 Atëherë Jobi u përgjigj dhe tha:
2 "Dëgjoni me kujdes atë që kam për të thënë, dhe kjo të jetë kënaqësia që më jepni.
3 Kini durim me mua dhe më lini të flas dhe, kur të kem folur, edhe talluni me mua.
4 A ankohem vallë për një njeri? Dhe pse fryma ime nuk duhet të trishtohet?
5 Shikomëni dhe habituni, dhe vini dorën mbi gojë.
6 Kur e mendoj, më zë frika dhe mishi im fillon të dridhet.
7 Pse, pra, jetojnë të pabesët dhe pse plaken dhe shtojnë pasuritë e tyre?
8 Pasardhësit e tyre fuqizohen bashkë me ta nën vështrimet e tyre dhe fëmijët e tyre lulëzojnë në sytë e tyre.
9 Shtëpitë e tyre janë në siguri, pa tmerre, dhe fshikulli i Perëndisë nuk rëndon mbi ta.
10 Demi i tyre mbars dhe nuk gabon, lopa e tyre pjell pa dështuar.
11 Dërgojnë jashtë si një kope të vegjlit e tyre dhe bijtë e tyre hedhin valle.
12 Këndojnë në tingujt e timpanit dhe të qestes dhe kënaqen me zërin e flautit.
13 I kalojnë në mirëqënie ditët e tyre, pastaj një çast zbresin në Sheol.
14 Megjithatë i thonin Perëndisë: "Largohu nga ne, sepse nuk dëshirojmë aspak të njohim rrugët e tua.
15 Kush është i Plotfuqishmi të cilit duhet t’i shërbejmë? Ç’përfitojmë veç kësaj kur e lusim?".
16 Ja, begatia e tyre a nuk është vallë në duart e tyre? Këshilla e të pabesëve është mjaft larg meje.
17 Sa herë shuhet llamba e të këqijve ose shkatërrimi bie mbi ta, vuajtjet që Perëndia cakton në zemërimin e tij?
18 A janë ata si kashta përpara erës ose si byku që e merr me vete stuhia?
19 Ju thoni se Perëndia ruan dënimin e paudhësisë së dikujt për bijtë e tij. Ta shpaguajë Perëndia, që ai të mund ta kuptojë.
20 Të shohë me sytë e tij shkatërrimin e vet dhe të pijë nga zemërimi i të Plotfuqishmit!
21 Çfarë i hyn në punë në fakt shtëpia e tij mbas vdekjes, kur numri i muajve të tij është mbushur?
22 A mundet ndokush t’i mësojë Perëndisë njohuri, atij që gjykon ata që ndodhen atje lart?
23 Dikush vdes kur ka plot fuqi, i qetë dhe i sigurt;
24 ka kovat plot me qumësht dhe palca e kockave të tij është e freskët.
25 Një tjetër përkundrazi vdes me shpirt të hidhëruar, pa pasë shijuar kurrë të mirën.
26 Që të dy dergjen bashkë në pluhur dhe krimbat i mbulojnë.
27 Ja, unë i njoh mendimet tuaja dhe planet me të cilat doni të ushtroni dhunën kundër meje.
28 Në fakt ju thoni: "Ku është shtëpia e princit, dhe ku është çadra, banesa e njerëzve të këqij?".
29 Nuk i keni pyetur ata që udhëtojnë dhe nuk i njihni shenjat e tyre?
30 Njerëzit e këqij në fakt shpëtojnë ditën e shkatërrimit dhe çohen në shpëtim ditën e zemërimit.
31 Kush e qorton për sjelljen e tij dhe kush i jep shpagim për atë që ka bërë?
32 Atë e çojnë në varr dhe i bëjnë roje varrit të tij.
33 Plisat e luginës do të jenë të ëmbël për të; tërë njerëzia do ta ndjekë, ndërsa një mori pa fund i shkon para.
34 Si mund të më ngushëlloni pra, me fjalë të kota, kur nga fjalët tuaja nuk mbetet veçse gënjeshtra?".
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
