Job 21:4-18
New American Standard Bible
4 As for me, is (A)my complaint [a]to a mortal?
Or (B)why should [b]I not be impatient?
5 Look at me, and be astonished,
And (C)put your hand over your mouth.
6 Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And (D)horror takes hold of my flesh.
7 Why (E)do the wicked still live,
Grow old, and also become very [c](F)powerful?
8 Their [d](G)descendants endure with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses (H)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 (I)spend their days in prosperity,
And [h]suddenly they go down to [i]Sheol.
14 Yet they say to God, ‘(J)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 (K)what would we gain if we plead with Him?’
16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The (L)advice of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is (M)the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their (N)disaster fall on them?
Does [l]God apportion destruction in His anger?
18 Are they as (O)straw before the wind,
And like (P)chaff which the storm carries away?
Footnotes
Job 21:4-18
New King James Version
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;
(A)Put your hand over your mouth.
6 Even when I remember I am terrified,
And trembling takes hold of my flesh.
7 (B)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,
(C)Neither is [a]the rod of God upon them.
10 Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves (D)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 (E)spend their days in wealth,
And [b]in a moment go down to the [c]grave.
14 (F)Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 (G)Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And (H)what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’
16 Indeed [d]their prosperity is not in their hand;
(I)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 (J)distributes in His anger?
18 (K)They are like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that a storm [e]carries away.
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.
