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
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
Wycliffe Bible
21 Forsooth Job answered, and said,
2 I pray you, hear ye my words, and do ye penance.
3 Suffer ye me, that I speak; and laugh ye after my words, if it shall seem to you worthy to do so. (Allow ye me, that I speak; and then laugh ye after my words, if it shall seem worthy for you to do so.)
4 Whether my disputing is against man, that skillfully I ought not to be [made] sorry? (Is my disputing against man? have I not good cause, or a good reason, to be impatient?)
5 Perceive ye me, and be ye astonished; and set ye your finger upon your mouth.
6 And when I bethink me, I dread, and trembling shaketh my flesh. (And when I think about all of this, I am afraid, and my flesh shaketh and trembleth.)
7 Why therefore live wicked men? They be enhanced, and strengthened with riches. (And so why do the wicked live so long? Indeed they be exalted, and can enjoy their riches.)
8 Their seed dwelleth before them (Their descendants, or their children, live with them); the company of their kinsmen, and of the sons of their sons, dwelleth in their sight.
9 Their houses be secure, and peaceable; and the rod, or scourge, of God is not upon them. (Their houses be secure, and at peace; and the scourge of God is not upon them.)
10 The cow of them conceived, and calved not a dead calf; (yea,) the cow calved, and is not deprived of her calf.
11 Their little children go out as flocks; and their young children full out joy with playings. (Their little children go out to play like lambs; and their young children dance with joy.)
12 They hold the tympan, and (the) harp; and they (dance with) joy at the sound of the organ.
13 They lead in goods (all) their days; and in a point, (or suddenly,) they go down to hells, that is, to burials, or the grave. (They get good things for themselves all their days; and then, in a moment, that is, without pain, or suffering, they go down to Sheol, in peace.)
14 Which men said to God, Go thou away from us; we desire not the knowing of thy ways. (And they said to God, Go thou away from us; we do not desire to know of thy ways.)
15 Who is Almighty God, that we serve him? and what profiteth it to us, if we pray (to) him?
16 Nevertheless for their goods be not in their hand, or power, the counsel of wicked men be far from me. (And they say, that all their good things come from their own hands, or their own effort; may the counsel of the wicked be far from me!)
17 How oft shall the lantern of wicked men be quenched, and flowing shall come upon them, and God shall part with them the sorrows of his strong vengeance? (How often is the lantern of the wicked quenched, and destruction shall come upon them? how often shall God impart to them the sorrows of his strong vengeance?)
18 They shall be as chaff before the face of the wind; and as a dead spark, that the whirlwind scattereth abroad. (Be they ever like chaff before the face of the wind? or like a dead spark that the whirlwind scattereth abroad?)
19 (Ye say,) God shall keep the sorrow of the father to his sons; and when he hath yielded to them vengeance, then he shall know it. (Ye say, God shall put the father’s punishment upon his sons; but I say, No! he shall yield vengeance to him who deserveth it, and he shall know it.)
20 His eyes shall see their slaying (His eyes shall see his own slaughter); and he shall drink of the strong vengeance of Almighty God.
21 For why what pertaineth it to him of his house(hold) after him, though the number of his months be half taken away? (For what careth him about his family, or his children, after him, when his own days and months be numbered?)
22 Whether any man shall teach God knowing, which deemeth them that be (on) high? (Shall anyone teach God knowledge, he who even judgeth those who be on high?)
23 This evil man dieth strong and whole, rich and blessful to the world (rich and blessed before the world).
24 His entrails be full of fatness; and his bones be moisted with marrow.
25 And another man dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and without any riches.
26 Nevertheless they shall sleep together in (the) dust, and worms shall cover them.
27 Certainly I know your wicked thoughts, and your sentences against me.
28 For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where be the tabernacles of wicked men? (and where be the homes of the wicked?)
29 Ask ye this of each way-goer; and ye shall know, that he knoweth these same things,
30 that is, that an evil man shall be kept (safe) into the day of perdition, and he shall be led (forth unscathed un)to the day of strong vengeance.
31 Who shall reprove his ways before him? (Who shall rebuke him for his ways?) and who shall yield to him (for) those things, which he hath done?
32 He shall be led to the sepulchres; and he shall wake in the heap of dead men. (He shall be led to the graves, or to the tombs; and he shall stand watch over many of the dead/and many shall stand watch at his tomb.)
33 He was sweet to the stones, either filths, of hell; and he draweth each man after him, and unnumberable men went before him. (The dust of the earth shall be sweet to him/shall lie gently upon him; and he draweth each person after him, like the innumerable people who went before him.)
34 How therefore comfort ye me in vain, since your answers be showed to (be) contrary (to) the truth? (And so your comfort for me is in vain, for your answers be shown to be contrary to the truth!)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2001 by Terence P. Noble