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Job 21
Lexham English Bible

Job’s Seventh Speech: A Response to Zophar

21 Then[a] Job answered and said,

2 “Listen carefully to my words,
and let this be your[b] consolation.
3 Bear with me, and I myself[c] will speak;
then[d] after my speaking you can mock.
4 As for me, is my complaint for human beings?
And if so, why cannot I be impatient?
5 Turn to me and be appalled,
and place your hand on your mouth.
6 And when I think of it, I am horrified,[e]
and shuddering seizes my flesh.
7 “Why do the wicked live,
grow old, even grow mighty in power?
8 With them their offspring are established before them,[f]
and their descendants before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe without fear,
and the rod of God is not upon them.
10 His bull breeds and does not fail;
his cow calves and does not miscarry.
11 They send out their little ones like the flock,
and their children dance around.
12 They sing[g] to the tambourine and lyre,
and they rejoice to the sound of the long flute.
13 They spend their days in prosperity,
and in peace they go down to Sheol.
14 And they say to God, ‘Turn away from us,
for[h] we do not desire to know your ways.
15 Who is Shaddai that we should serve him,
or[i] what would we benefit when we plead with him?’
16 Look, their prosperity is not in their hands;
the schemes of the wicked are repugnant[j] to me.
17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out,
and their disaster comes upon them?
He[k] distributes pains in his anger.
18 How often are they like straw before[l] the wind,
and like chaff that the storm carries away?
19 ‘God stores up his iniquity for his children’?[m]
Then let him repay it to him that[n] he may know.
20 Let his eyes see his decay,
and let him drink from the wrath of Shaddai,
21 for what does he care for[o] his house after him,
when the number of his months is[p] cut off?
22 Can anyone teach knowledge to God,
since[q] he himself[r] judges high ones?
23 This one dies in full prosperity,[s]
completely[t] at ease and secure.
24 His vats are full with milk
and the marrow of his bones is moist.
25 Yet[u] another dies with a bitter inner self[v]
and has not tasted prosperity.
26 They lie down together in the dust,
and maggots cover them.
27 “Look, I know your[w] thoughts
and the schemes you devise against me.
28 For you say, ‘Where is the nobleman’s house,
and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’[x]
29 Do you not ask those traveling the roads,
and do you not take notice of their accounts?
30 Indeed, the wicked is spared from the day of disaster;
he is delivered from the day of wrath.
31 Who denounces his way to his face?
And who repays him for what he has done?
32 When[y] he is brought to the grave,
then[z] someone stands guard over the tomb.
33 The clods of the valley are sweet to him;
everyone will follow after him,
and before[aa] him they are innumerable.[ab]
34 So[ac] how will you comfort me with emptiness,
when[ad] fraud is left in your answers?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 21:1 Hebrew “And”
  2. Job 21:2 Plural
  3. Job 21:3 Emphatic personal pronoun
  4. Job 21:3 Hebrew “and”
  5. Job 21:6 Hebrew “and I am horrified”
  6. Job 21:8 Literally “to their faces”
  7. Job 21:12 Literally “they lift up their voices”
  8. Job 21:14 Hebrew “and”
  9. Job 21:15 Hebrew “and”
  10. Job 21:16 Or “the plan of the wicked is repugnant”
  11. Job 21:17 The antecedent is “God,” or possibly “the Almighty”
  12. Job 21:18 Literally “to the faces of”
  13. Job 21:19 Or “You say, ‘God stores up his iniquity for his children.’”
  14. Job 21:19 Hebrew “and”
  15. Job 21:21 Literally “his joy in”
  16. Job 21:21 Hebrew “are”
  17. Job 21:22 Hebrew “and”
  18. Job 21:22 Emphatic personal pronoun
  19. Job 21:23 Literally “in the vigor of his prosperity”
  20. Job 21:23 Literally “all of him”
  21. Job 21:25 Hebrew “And”
  22. Job 21:25 Or “soul”
  23. Job 21:27 Plural
  24. Job 21:28 Literally “tent of dwelling places of wicked”
  25. Job 21:32 Hebrew “And”
  26. Job 21:32 Hebrew “and”
  27. Job 21:33 Literally “to the faces of”
  28. Job 21:33 Literally “there is not number”
  29. Job 21:34 Hebrew “And”
  30. Job 21:34 Hebrew “and”
Listen to 約伯記 21
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約伯記 21
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

約伯的回答

21 約伯回答說：
2 「你們仔細聽我說，
便是給我的慰藉。
3 請容忍我把話說完，
之後任憑你們嘲笑。
4 我豈是向人抱怨？
我有理由不耐煩。
5 你們看到我會大吃一驚，
嚇得用手掩口。
6 我一想到自己，就心驚膽戰，
渾身發抖。
7 為何惡人活著，得享長壽，
勢力強大？
8 他們的兒孫圍繞膝前，
他們得見後代茁壯成長。
9 他們家中平安無懼，
他們不被上帝杖打。
10 他們的公牛繁殖力強，
他們的母牛從不掉胎。
11 他們讓孩童像羊群一樣走到戶外，
盡情地歡跳。
12 他們伴著鈴鼓和豎琴歌唱，
在笛聲中歡喜不已。
13 他們一生幸福，
安然下到陰間。
14 他們對上帝說，『離開我們，
我們不想學習你的道。
15 全能者是誰，竟要我們事奉祂？
向祂禱告有何益處？』
16 看啊，他們的幸福不在他們手中；
因此，我決不苟同他們的想法。

17 「惡人的燈何曾熄滅？
災難何曾臨到他們？
上帝何曾發怒使他們受苦？
18 他們何曾像風中的碎稭，
像被暴風捲去的糠秕？
19 你們說上帝會把懲罰留給他們的兒女，
我認為不如報應在他們本人身上，
讓他們親自領教。
20 願他們親眼看見自己滅亡。
願他們喝下全能者的烈怒。
21 因為他們的歲月一旦度盡，
又怎會關心身後的家人？

22 「上帝既審判身居高位者，
誰還能傳授知識給祂？
23 有人至死仍充滿活力，
盡享平靖安逸。
24 他營養充足，
骨骼健壯。
25 有人至死心中苦痛，
從未嚐過幸福的滋味。
26 二者都埋入塵土，
被蛆蟲覆蓋。
27 我知道你們的想法，
並那些冤枉我的詭計。
28 你們問，『權貴的房子如今何在？
惡人住的帳篷今在何方？』
29 難道你們沒有問過旅客，
不接受他們的說法？
30 就是惡人在災難之日得到倖免，
在上帝發怒之日得以逃脫。
31 誰會當面斥責他們的惡行，
因其所作所為而報應他們？
32 他們被抬入墳墓後，
還有人看守墓地。
33 他們在谷中的沃土安息，
送葬的人前呼後擁，不計其數。
34 你們的空談怎能安慰我？
你們的回答純屬荒謬。」

Listen to Job 21
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Job 21
New International Version

Job

21 Then Job replied:

2 “Listen carefully to my words;(A)
    let this be the consolation you give me.(B)
3 Bear with me while I speak,
    and after I have spoken, mock on.(C)

4 “Is my complaint(D) directed to a human being?
    Why should I not be impatient?(E)
5 Look at me and be appalled;
    clap your hand over your mouth.(F)
6 When I think about this, I am terrified;(G)
    trembling seizes my body.(H)
7 Why do the wicked live on,
    growing old and increasing in power?(I)
8 They see their children established around them,
    their offspring before their eyes.(J)
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;(K)
    the rod of God is not on them.(L)
10 Their bulls never fail to breed;
    their cows calve and do not miscarry.(M)
11 They send forth their children as a flock;(N)
    their little ones dance about.
12 They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;(O)
    they make merry to the sound of the pipe.(P)
13 They spend their years in prosperity(Q)
    and go down to the grave(R) in peace.[a](S)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!(T)
    We have no desire to know your ways.(U)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
    What would we gain by praying to him?’(V)
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(W)

17 “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?(X)
    How often does calamity(Y) come upon them,
    the fate God allots in his anger?(Z)
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
    like chaff(AA) swept away(AB) by a gale?(AC)
19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’(AD)
    Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!(AE)
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;(AF)
    let them drink(AG) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.(AH)
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind(AI)
    when their allotted months(AJ) come to an end?(AK)

22 “Can anyone teach knowledge to God,(AL)
    since he judges even the highest?(AM)
23 One person dies in full vigor,(AN)
    completely secure and at ease,(AO)
24 well nourished(AP) in body,[b]
    bones(AQ) rich with marrow.(AR)
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,(AS)
    never having enjoyed anything good.
26 Side by side they lie in the dust,(AT)
    and worms(AU) cover them both.(AV)

27 “I know full well what you are thinking,
    the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,(AW)
    the tents where the wicked lived?’(AX)
29 Have you never questioned those who travel?
    Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
30 that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,(AY)
    that they are delivered from[c] the day of wrath?(AZ)
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?
    Who repays them for what they have done?(BA)
32 They are carried to the grave,
    and watch is kept over their tombs.(BB)
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;(BC)
    everyone follows after them,
    and a countless throng goes[d] before them.(BD)

34 “So how can you console me(BE) with your nonsense?
    Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”(BF)

Footnotes

  1. Job 21:13 Or in an instant
  2. Job 21:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. Job 21:30 Or wicked are reserved for the day of calamity, / that they are brought forth to
  4. Job 21:33 Or them, / as a countless throng went
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