As for me, is (A)my complaint [a]to a mortal?
Or (B)why should [b]I not be impatient?
Look at me, and be astonished,
And (C)put your hand over your mouth.
Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And (D)horror takes hold of my flesh.
Why (E)do the wicked still live,
Grow old, and also become very [c](F)powerful?
Their [d](G)descendants endure with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
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?

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Footnotes

  1. Job 21:4 Or against
  2. Job 21:4 Lit my spirit
  3. Job 21:7 Or superior
  4. Job 21:8 Lit seed
  5. Job 21:9 I.e., punishment
  6. Job 21:10 Lit and does not fail
  7. Job 21:12 Lit lifted up the voice
  8. Job 21:13 Or in peacefulness
  9. Job 21:13 I.e., the netherworld
  10. Job 21:15 Lit What
  11. Job 21:15 Heb Shaddai
  12. Job 21:17 Lit He

As for me, is my complaint [a]to man?
And why should I not be impatient?
[b]Mark me, and be astonished,
And lay your hand upon your mouth.
Even when I remember I am troubled,
And horror taketh hold on my flesh.
Wherefore do the wicked live,
Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?
Their seed is established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
Their houses are [c]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 [d]sing to the timbrel and harp,
And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
13 They spend their days in prosperity,
And in a moment they go down to Sheol.
14 And 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 [e]Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand:
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

17 [f]How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out?
That their calamity cometh upon them?
That God distributeth sorrows in his anger?
18 That they are as stubble before the wind,
And as chaff that the storm carrieth away?

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Footnotes

  1. Job 21:4 Or, of
  2. Job 21:5 Hebrew Look unto me.
  3. Job 21:9 Or, in peace, without fear
  4. Job 21:12 Hebrew lift up the voice.
  5. Job 21:16 Or, Ye say, Lo etc.
  6. Job 21:17 Or, How oft is the lamp of the wicked put out, And how oft cometh their calamity upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger. They are as stubble . . . away.