Book of Job, Chapter 21
Job 21 NASB - New American Standard BibleChapter 21 of Job—New American Standard Bible (NASB)
- ¶ Then Job [a]answered,
- ¶ “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation. - “Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may 1mock. - “As for me, is 2my complaint [b]to man?
And 3why should [c]I not be impatient? - “Look at me, and be astonished,
And 4put your hand over your mouth. - “Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And 5horror takes hold of my flesh. - “Why 6do the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very 7powerful? - “Their [d]8descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes, - Their houses 9are safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them. - “His ox mates [e]without fail;
His cow calves and does not abort. - “They send forth their little ones like the flock,
And their children skip about. - “They [f]sing to the timbrel and harp
And rejoice at the sound of the flute. - “They 10spend their days in prosperity,
And [g]suddenly they go down to [h]Sheol. - “They say to God, ‘11Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways. - ‘[i]Who is [j]the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And 12what would we gain if we entreat Him?’ - “Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The 13counsel of the wicked is far from me. - ¶ “How often is 14the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their 15calamity fall on them?
Does [k]God apportion destruction in His anger? - “Are they as 16straw before the wind,
And like 17chaff which the storm carries away? - “You say, ‘18God stores away [l]a man’s iniquity for his sons.’
Let [m]God repay him so that he may know it. - “Let his 19own eyes see his decay,
And let him 20drink of the wrath of [n]the Almighty. - “For what does he care for his household [o]after him,
When the number of his months is cut off? - “Can anyone 21teach God knowledge,
In that He 22judges those on high? - “One 23dies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and [p]satisfied; - His [q]sides are filled out with fat,
And the 24marrow of his bones is moist, - While another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even [r]tasting anything good. - “Together they 25lie down in the dust,
And 26worms cover them. - ¶ “Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plans by which you would wrong me. - “For you say, ‘Where is the house of 27the nobleman,
And where is the 28tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’ - “Have you not asked wayfaring men,
And do you not recognize their [s]witness? - “For the 29wicked is reserved for the day of calamity;
They will be led forth at 30the day of fury. - “Who will [t]confront him with his actions,
And who will repay him for what he has done? - “While he is carried to the grave,
Men will keep watch over his tomb. - “The 31clods of the valley will [u]gently cover him;
Moreover, 32all men will [v]follow after him,
While countless ones go before him. - “How then will you vainly 33comfort me,
For your answers remain full of [w]falsehood?”
FOOTNOTES
- ^ Lit answered and said
- ^ Or against
- ^ Lit my spirit
- ^ Lit seed
- ^ Lit and does not fail
- ^ Lit lifted up the voice
- ^ So with most versions; M.T. are shattered by Sheol
- ^ I.e. the nether world
- ^ Lit What
- ^ Heb Shaddai
- ^ Lit He
- ^ Lit his
- ^ Lit Him
- ^ Heb Shaddai
- ^ I.e. after he dies
- ^ Or quiet
- ^ So with Syr; Heb uncertain. Some render as, his pails are full of milk
- ^ Lit eating
- ^ Lit signs
- ^ Lit declare his way to his face
- ^ Lit be sweet to him
- ^ Lit draw
- ^ Or faithlessness
REFERENCES
- ^ Jb 11:3; 17:2
- ^ Jb 7:11
- ^ Jb 6:11
- ^ Jg 18:19; Jb 13:5; 29:9; 40:4
- ^ Ps 55:5
- ^ Jb 9:24; Ps 73:3; Je 12:1; Hab 1:13
- ^ Jb 12:19
- ^ Ps 17:14
- ^ Jb 12:6
- ^ Jb 21:23; 36:11
- ^ Jb 22:17
- ^ Jb 22:17; 34:9
- ^ Jb 22:18
- ^ Jb 18:5, 6
- ^ Jb 31:2, 3
- ^ Jb 13:25; Ps 83:13
- ^ Ps 1:4; 35:5; Is 17:13; Ho 13:3
- ^ Ex 20:5; Je 31:29; Eze 18:2
- ^ Nu 14:28-32; Je 31:30; Eze 18:4
- ^ Ps 60:3; Is 51:17; Je 25:15; Re 14:10
- ^ Jb 35:11; 36:22; Is 40:14; Ro 11:34
- ^ Jb 4:18; 15:15; Ps 82:1
- ^ Jb 20:11; 21:13
- ^ Pr 3:8
- ^ Jb 3:13; 20:11; Ec 9:2
- ^ Jb 24:20; Is 14:11
- ^ Jb 1:3; 31:37
- ^ Jb 8:22; 18:21
- ^ Jb 20:29; Pr 16:4; 2Pe 2:9
- ^ Jb 21:17, 20; 40:11
- ^ Jb 3:22; 17:16
- ^ Jb 3:19; 24:24
- ^ Jb 16:2
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