Job 21
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
Job Replies: The Wicked Often Go Unpunished
21 Then Job answered:
2 ‘Listen carefully to my words,
and let this be your consolation.
3 Bear with me, and I will speak;
then after I have spoken, mock on.
4 As for me, is my complaint addressed to mortals?
Why should I not be impatient?
5 Look at me, and be appalled,
and lay your hand upon your mouth.
6 When I think of it I am dismayed,
and shuddering seizes my flesh.
7 Why do the wicked live on,
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
8 Their children are established in their presence,
and their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe from fear,
and no rod of God is upon them.
10 Their bull breeds without fail;
their cow calves and never miscarries.
11 They send out their little ones like a flock,
and their children dance around.
12 They sing to the tambourine and the lyre,
and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.
13 They spend their days in prosperity,
and in peace they go down to Sheol.
14 They say to God, “Leave us alone!
We do not desire to know your ways.
15 What is the Almighty,[a] that we should serve him?
And what profit do we get if we pray to him?”
16 Is not their prosperity indeed their own achievement?[b]
The plans of the wicked are repugnant to me.
17 ‘How often is the lamp of the wicked put out?
How often does calamity come upon them?
How often does God[c] distribute pains in his anger?
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
and like chaff that the storm carries away?
19 You say, “God stores up their iniquity for their children.”
Let it be paid back to them, so that they may know it.
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction,
and let them drink of the wrath of the Almighty.[d]
21 For what do they care for their household after them,
when the number of their months is cut off?
22 Will any teach God knowledge,
seeing that he judges those that are on high?
23 One dies in full prosperity,
being wholly at ease and secure,
24 his loins full of milk
and the marrow of his bones moist.
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,
never having tasted of good.
26 They lie down alike in the dust,
and the worms cover them.
27 ‘Oh, I know your thoughts,
and your schemes to wrong me.
28 For you say, “Where is the house of the prince?
Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?”
29 Have you not asked those who travel the roads,
and do you not accept their testimony,
30 that the wicked are spared on the day of calamity,
and are rescued on the day of wrath?
31 Who declares their way to their face,
and who repays them for what they have done?
32 When they are carried to the grave,
a watch is kept over their tomb.
33 The clods of the valley are sweet to them;
everyone will follow after,
and those who went before are innumerable.
34 How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?
There is nothing left of your answers but 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
English Standard Version
Job Replies: The Wicked Do Prosper
21 Then Job answered and said:
2 (A)“Keep listening to my words,
and let this be your comfort.
3 Bear with me, and I will speak,
and after I have spoken, (B)mock on.
4 As for me, is my (C)complaint against man?
Why should I not be impatient?
5 Look at me and be appalled,
and (D)lay your hand over your mouth.
6 When I remember, I am dismayed,
and shuddering seizes my flesh.
7 (E)Why do the wicked live,
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
8 Their (F)offspring are established in their presence,
and their descendants before their eyes.
9 Their houses are (G)safe from fear,
and (H)no rod of God is upon them.
10 Their bull breeds without fail;
their cow calves and (I)does not miscarry.
11 They send out their (J)little boys like a flock,
and their children dance.
12 They sing to (K)the tambourine and (L)the lyre
and rejoice to the sound of (M)the pipe.
13 They (N)spend their days in prosperity,
and in (O)peace they go down to (P)Sheol.
14 They say to God, (Q)‘Depart from us!
We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.
15 (R)What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
And what (S)profit do we get if we pray to him?’
16 Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?
(T)The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is it that (U)the lamp of the wicked is put out?
That their calamity comes upon them?
That God[a] distributes pains in his anger?
18 That they are like (V)straw before the wind,
and like (W)chaff that the storm carries away?
19 You say, ‘God (X)stores up their iniquity for their (Y)children.’
Let him pay it out to them, that they may (Z)know it.
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction,
and let them (AA)drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what do they care for their houses after them,
when (AB)the number of their months is cut off?
22 (AC)Will any teach God knowledge,
seeing that he (AD)judges those who are on high?
23 One dies in his full vigor,
being wholly at ease and secure,
24 his pails[b] full of milk
and (AE)the marrow of his bones moist.
25 Another dies in (AF)bitterness of soul,
never having tasted of prosperity.
26 They (AG)lie down alike in the dust,
and (AH)the worms cover them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts
and your schemes to wrong me.
28 For you say, (AI)‘Where is the house of the prince?
Where is (AJ)the tent in which the wicked lived?’
29 Have you not asked those who travel the roads,
and do you not accept their testimony
30 that (AK)the evil man is spared in the day of calamity,
that he is rescued in the day of wrath?
31 Who declares his way (AL)to his face,
and who (AM)repays him for what he has done?
32 When he is (AN)carried to the grave,
watch is kept over his tomb.
33 (AO)The clods of the valley are sweet to him;
(AP)all mankind follows after him,
and those who go before him are innumerable.
34 How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?
There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.”
Job 21
Ang Biblia (1978)
Si Job ay tumutol sa kaginhawahan ng makasalanan; itinanggi ang pagtanggap ng parusa ng mga makasalanan.
21 Nang magkagayo'y sumagot si Job, at nagsabi,
2 Pakinggan ninyong mainam ang aking pananalita;
At ito'y maging inyong mga kaaliwan.
3 Pagdalitaan ninyo ako, at ako nama'y magsasalita,
(A)At pagkatapos na ako'y makapagsalita, ay manuya kayo.
4 Tungkol sa akin, ay sa tao ba ang aking daing?
At bakit hindi ako maiinip?
5 Tandaan ninyo ako, at matigilan kayo.
At (B)ilagay ninyo ang inyong kamay sa inyong bibig,
6 Pagka aking naaalaala nga ay nababagabag ako,
At kikilabutan ang humahawak sa aking laman.
7 (C)Bakit nabubuhay ang masama,
Nagiging matanda, oo, nagiging malakas ba sa kapangyarihan?
8 Ang kanilang binhi ay natatatag nakasama nila sa kanilang paningin,
At ang kanilang mga suwi ay nasa harap ng kanilang mga mata.
9 Ang kanilang mga bahay ay tiwasay na walang takot,
Kahit ang pamalo man ng Dios ay wala sa kanila.
10 Ang kanilang baka ay naglilihi, at hindi nababaog;
Ang kanilang baka ay nanganganak, at hindi napapahamak ang kaniyang guya.
11 Kaniyang inilabas ang kanilang mga bata na gaya ng kawan,
At ang kanilang mga anak ay nangagsasayawan,
12 Sila'y nangagaawitan na katugma ng pandereta at alpa,
At nangagkakatuwa sa tunog ng (D)plauta.
13 Kanilang ginugugol ang kanilang mga kaarawan sa kaginhawahan,
At sa isang sandali ay nagsisilusong sila sa Sheol.
14 At sinasabi nila sa Dios: Lumayo ka sa amin;
Sapagka't hindi namin ninanasa ang pagkaalam ng inyong mga lakad.
15 (E)Ano ang Makapangyarihan sa lahat na siya'y paglilingkuran namin?
At anong pakinabang magkakaroon kami, kung kami ay magsidalangin sa kaniya?
16 Narito, ang kanilang kaginhawahan ay wala sa kanilang kamay:
(F)Ang payo ng masama ay malayo sa akin.
17 (G)Gaano kadalas pinapatay ang ilawan ng masama?
Na ang kanilang kapahamakan ay dumarating ba sa kanila?
Na nagbabahagi ba ang Dios ng mga kapanglawan sa kaniyang galit?
18 (H)Na sila'y gaya ng dayami sa harap ng hangin,
At gaya ng ipa na tinatangay ng bagyo?
19 Inyong sinasabi, (I)Inilalapat ng Dios ang kaniyang parusa sa kaniyang mga anak.
Gantihin sa kaniyang sarili upang maalaman niya.
20 Makita ng kaniyang mga mata ang kaniyang pagkagiba,
At (J)uminom siya ng poot ng Makapangyarihan sa lahat.
21 Sapagka't anong kasayahan magkakaroon siya sa kaniyang bahay pagkamatay niya,
Pagka ang bilang ng kaniyang mga buwan ay nahiwalay sa gitna?
22 (K)May makapagtuturo ba ng kaalaman sa Dios?
Dangang kaniyang hinahatulan yaong nangasa mataas.
23 Isa'y namamatay sa kaniyang lubos na kalakasan,
Palibhasa't walang bahala at tahimik:
24 Ang kaniyang mga suso ay puno ng gatas,
At ang utak ng kaniyang mga buto ay halumigmig.
25 At ang iba'y namamatay sa paghihirap ng kaluluwa,
At kailan man ay hindi nakakalasa ng mabuti.
26 Sila'y (L)nahihigang magkakasama sa alabok,
At tinatakpan sila ng uod.
27 Narito, aking nalalaman ang inyong pagiisip,
At ang mga maling haka ng inyong inaakala laban sa akin.
28 Sapagka't inyong sinasabi, (M)Saan naroon ang bahay ng prinsipe?
At saan naroon ang tolda na tinatahanan ng masama?
29 Hindi ba ninyo itinanong sa kanilang nangagdadaan?
At hindi ba ninyo nalalaman ang kanilang mga pinagkakakilanlan?
30 (N)Na ang masamang tao ay natataan sa kaarawan ng kasakunaan?
Na sila'y pinapatnubayan sa kaarawan ng kapootan?
31 Sinong magpapahayag ng kaniyang lakad sa kaniyang mukha?
At sinong magbabayad sa kaniya ng kaniyang ginawa?
32 Gayon ma'y dadalhin siya sa libingan,
At magbabantay ang mga tao sa libingan.
33 Ang mga bugal ng libis ay mamabutihin niya,
At lahat ng tao ay magsisisunod sa kaniya,
Gaya ng nauna sa kaniya na walang bilang.
34 Paano ngang inyong aaliwin ako ng walang kabuluhan,
Dangang sa inyong mga sagot ang naiiwan lamang ay kabulaanan?
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Ang Biblia Copyright © Philippine Bible Society 1905, 1915, 1933, 1978
