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
Tree of Life Version
Job’s Dialogue on the Wicked
21 Then Job replied:
2 “Listen carefully to my words;
let this be your consolation.
3 Bear with me as I speak,
and after I have spoken, mock on.
4 As for me, is my complaint against man?
If so, why should I not be impatient?
5 Look at me and be appalled;
put your hand over your mouth.
6 When I think of it, I am terrified
and my flesh shudders.
7 Why do the wicked go on living,
growing old and increasing in power?
8 Their children are established in their presence,
their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their homes have peace and are free from fear;
no rod of God is on them.
10 His bull breeds without fail;
his cow calves and do not miscarry.
11 They send out their little ones like a flock
and their children dance.
12 They sing to the tambourine and harp
and rejoice at the sound of the flute.
13 They spend their days in prosperity,
and in a moment go down to Sheol.
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
We have no desire to know Your ways.
15 Who is Shaddai that we should serve Him?
What would we gain if we pray to Him?’
16 Look, their prosperity is not in their own hands;
the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out
or calamity fallen on them?
How often does He allot pain in His anger?
18 How often are they like straw before the wind;
like chaff swept away by a storm?
19 You say, ‘God stores up the punishment for his children.’
Let Him repay the wicked so he may know it!
20 Let his own eyes see his ruin;
let him drink the wrath of Shaddai.
21 For what does he care for his family that he leaves behind,
when the number of his months has come to an end?
22 “Can anyone teach God knowledge,
since He judges even the highest.
23 One dies in his full strength,[a]
completely secure and at ease.
24 His pails are full of milk;
His bones are moist with marrow.
25 Yet another dies in bitterness of soul,
never having tasted goodness.
26 Together they lie in the dust
and worms cover over them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts,
the schemes by which you wrong me.
28 For you ask, ‘Where is the nobleman’s house
and the tent where the wicked lived?’
29 Have you not asked travelers?
Do you not recognize their accounts
30 that the wicked are spared for the day of calamity
that they are brought to the day of wrath?
31 Who declares his conduct to his face?
Who repays him for what he has done?
32 He is brought to the grave,
and watch is kept over his tomb.
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to him;
everyone follows after him,
and countless are those before him.
34 “So how will your futility comfort me,
for your answers remain nothing but falsehood?”
Footnotes
- Job 21:23 Lit. in the bone of his perfection.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.