Book of Job, Chapter 21
Job 21 NWT - New World TranslationChapter 21 of Job—New World Translation (NWT)
- ¶ And Job proceeded to answer and say:
- ¶ “Listen, YOU men, attentively to my word,
And let this become YOUR consolation. - ¶ Put up with me, and I myself shall speak;
And after my speaking you may [each] deride.1 - ¶ As for me, is my concern [expressed] to man?
Or why is it that my spirit does not get impatient? - ¶ Turn YOUR faces to me and stare in amazement,
And put [YOUR] hand upon [YOUR] mouth.2 - ¶ And if I have remembered, I have also become disturbed,
And shuddering has taken hold of my flesh. - ¶ Why is it that the wicked themselves keep living,3
Have grown old, also have become superior in wealth?4 - ¶ Their offspring are firmly established with them in their sight,
And their descendants before their eyes. - ¶ Their houses are peace itself, free from dread,5
And the rod of God[a] is not upon them. - ¶ His own bull actually impregnates, and it does not waste semen;
His cow brings forth6 and suffers no abortion. - ¶ They keep sending out their young boys just like a flock,
And their own male children go skipping about. - ¶ They continue raising [their voice] with the tambourine and harp,7
And keep rejoicing at the sound of the pipe. - ¶ They spend their days in good times,8
And in a moment down to Sheʹol they descend. - ¶ And they say to the [true] God, ‘Turn away from us!9
And in the knowledge of your ways we have found no delight.10 - ¶ What does the Almighty amount to, that we should serve him,[b]11
And how do we benefit ourselves in that we have come in touch with him?’12 - ¶ Look! Their well-being is not in their own power.[c]13
The very counsel of wicked ones has kept far from me.14 - ¶ How many times is the lamp of the wicked ones extinguished,15
And [how many times] does their disaster come upon them?
[How many times] in his anger does he apportion destruction?16 - ¶ Do they become like straw before a wind,[d]17
And like chaff that a storm wind has stolen away? - ¶ God[e] himself will store up one’s hurtfulness for one’s own sons;18
He will reward him that he may know [it].19 - ¶ His eyes will see his decay,
And from the rage of the Almighty he will drink.20 - ¶ For what will his delight be in his house after him,
When the number of his months will really be cut in two?21 - ¶ Will he teach knowledge even to God,[f]22
When that One himself judges high ones?23 - ¶ This very one will die during his full self-sufficiency,24
When he is altogether carefree and at ease; - ¶ [When] his own thighs have become full of fat
And the very marrow of his bones is being kept moist. - ¶ And this other one will die with a bitter soul
When he has not eaten of good things.25 - ¶ Together in the dust they will lie down26
And maggots themselves will form a cover over them.27 - ¶ Look! I well know the thoughts of YOU men
And the schemes with which YOU would act violently against me.28 - ¶ For YOU say, ‘Where is the house of the noble one,
And where is the tent, the tabernacles of wicked ones?’29 - ¶ Have YOU not asked those traveling over the roads?
And do YOU not carefully inspect their very signs, - ¶ That at the day of disaster an evil one is spared,30
At the day of fury he is delivered?[g] - ¶ Who will tell him of his way to his very face?31
And for what he himself has done who will reward him?32 - ¶ As for him, to the graveyard he will be brought,33
And over a tomb[h] a vigil will be kept. - ¶ To him the clods of earth of a torrent valley will certainly become sweet,34
And after him he will drag all mankind,[i]35
And those before him were without number. - ¶ So how vainly YOU men try to comfort me,36
And YOUR very replies do remain as unfaithfulness!”
FOOTNOTES
- ^ “God.” Heb., ʼElohʹah. See 3:4 ftn.
- ^ Or, “we should worship him (render him sacred service).” Heb., na·ʽav·dhenʹnu.
- ^ Lit., “hand.”
- ^ “Wind.” Heb., ruʹach; Gr., a·neʹmou; Lat., venʹti.
- ^ “God.” Heb., ʼElohʹah.
- ^ “Even to God.” Heb., hal·ʼElʹ. See 22:2 ftn, “God.”
- ^ “He is delivered,” by a correction; M, “brought,” as in vs 32.
- ^ Or, “heap of sheaves.”
- ^ Or, “every earthling man.” Heb., kol-ʼa·dhamʹ.
REFERENCES
- ^ Jb 16:10, 20; 17:2; Heb 11:36
- ^ Jg 18:19; Jb 40:4; Pr 30:32
- ^ Is 55:7; Eze 33:11; Hab 1:3, 13; Ro 9:17, 22
- ^ Jb 12:6; Ps 37:7; 73:3, 12; Je 12:1
- ^ Ps 73:5
- ^ Ps 144:14
- ^ Is 5:12; 22:13; Am 6:5
- ^ Mt 24:38; Lu 12:20; 17:28; 1Co 15:32
- ^ Jb 22:17; Ps 10:11; 73:11
- ^ Jn 3:19; Ro 1:28
- ^ Ex 5:2; Ps 10:4; Ho 13:6
- ^ Jb 34:9; 35:3; Ml 3:14
- ^ Ps 49:7; Ec 8:8
- ^ Jb 22:18; Ps 1:1
- ^ Pr 20:20; 24:20
- ^ Ps 73:19; Lu 12:46
- ^ Ex 15:7; Ps 1:4; 35:5; Is 17:13; Ho 13:3; Mt 3:12
- ^ Ex 20:5
- ^ Ps 11:6; Is 26:11
- ^ Ps 75:8; Is 51:17; Je 25:15; Re 14:10
- ^ Ps 55:23
- ^ Is 40:14; Ro 11:34; 1Co 2:16
- ^ Is 40:23; 2Pe 2:4; Jd 9
- ^ Ps 49:17; Lu 12:20
- ^ 1Ki 17:12; Pr 13:21
- ^ Jb 3:19; Ec 3:20; 9:2
- ^ Jb 24:20; Is 14:11
- ^ Ps 59:3
- ^ Jb 20:7
- ^ Pr 16:4; 2Pe 2:9
- ^ Ga 2:11
- ^ Is 59:18; Ro 12:19
- ^ Jb 17:16
- ^ Jb 3:17
- ^ Ro 5:12
- ^ Jb 16:2
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