Job 21:14
New International Version
Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.

New Living Translation
And yet they say to God, ‘Go away. We want no part of you and your ways.

English Standard Version
They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.

Berean Standard Bible
Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.

King James Bible
Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

New King James Version
Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

New American Standard Bible
“Yet they say to God, ‘Go away from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.

NASB 1995
“They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.

NASB 1977
“And they say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Thy ways.

Legacy Standard Bible
They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.

Amplified Bible
“Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

Christian Standard Bible
Yet they say to God, “Leave us alone! We don’t want to know your ways.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Yet they say to God: “Leave us alone! We don’t want to know Your ways.

American Standard Version
And they say unto God, Depart from us; For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

Contemporary English Version
Those who are evil say to God All-Powerful, "Leave us alone! Don't bother us with your teachings.

English Revised Version
Yet they said unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But they say to God, 'Leave us alone. We don't want to know your ways.

Good News Translation
The wicked tell God to leave them alone; they don't want to know his will for their lives.

International Standard Version
"They say to God, 'Turn away from us! We have no desire to know your ways.

Majority Standard Bible
Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.

NET Bible
So they say to God, 'Turn away from us! We do not want to know your ways.

New Heart English Bible
They tell God, 'Depart from us, for we do not want to know about your ways.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore they say to God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

World English Bible
They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they say to God, Turn aside from us, "" And the knowledge of Your ways "" We have not desired.

Young's Literal Translation
And they say to God, 'Turn aside from us, And the knowledge of Thy ways We have not desired.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will say to God, Depart from us; and we desired not the knowledge of thy ways.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who have said to God: Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Who has said to God, “Depart from us, for we do not want the knowledge of your ways.

New American Bible
Yet they say to God, “Depart from us, for we have no desire to know your ways!

New Revised Standard Version
They say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We do not desire to know your ways.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They say to God, Depart from us; for we do not desire to know thy ways.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they were saying to God: ‘Depart from us’, and ‘We do not want to know your ways!’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Yet they said unto God: 'Depart from us; For we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Yet such a man says to the Lord, Depart from me; I desire not to know thy ways.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: God will Punish the Wicked
13They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace. 14Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways. 15Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’…

Cross References
Psalm 10:4
In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God.

Proverbs 1:29-30
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. / They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.

Romans 1:28
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

Isaiah 30:11
Get out of the way; turn off the road. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!”

Jeremiah 9:6
You dwell in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to know Me,” declares the LORD.

John 3:19-20
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. / Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Psalm 14:1
For the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good.

Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. / For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, / in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.

Psalm 73:11
The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?”

Romans 3:11
There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

Isaiah 5:12
At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.

2 Peter 3:5
But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

Psalm 36:1-2
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD. An oracle is in my heart regarding the transgression of the wicked man: There is no fear of God before his eyes. / For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin.

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore they say to God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of your ways.

they say

Job 22:17
Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

Psalm 10:4,11
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts…

Luke 8:28,37
When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not…

for we

Proverbs 1:7,22,29
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction…

John 3:19,20
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil…

John 8:45-47
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not…

Jump to Previous
Alone Depart Desire Desired Leave Turn Want Ways
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Alone Depart Desire Desired Leave Turn Want Ways
Job 21
1. Job shows that even in the judgment of man he has reason to be grieved
7. Sometimes the wicked prosper, though they despise God
16. Sometimes their destruction is manifest
21. The happy and unhappy are alike in death
27. The judgment of the wicked is in another world














Yet they say to God
This phrase introduces the audacity of the wicked, who directly address God with defiance. In the Hebrew text, the word for "say" is "אָמַר" (amar), which implies not just speaking but declaring or commanding. This highlights the arrogance and boldness of those who reject God. Historically, this reflects the attitude of many who, despite witnessing God's power and creation, choose to turn away. It is a reminder of the persistent rebellion against divine authority that has been present since the fall of man.

Leave us alone!
The Hebrew root here is "סוּר" (sur), meaning to turn aside or depart. This is a strong imperative, showing a deliberate and forceful rejection of God's presence. It is not merely a passive neglect but an active dismissal. This reflects the sinful nature of humanity, which desires autonomy from God. Theologically, it underscores the human tendency to seek independence from divine guidance, a theme prevalent throughout Scripture, from Adam and Eve's disobedience to the Israelites' repeated rebellions.

For we have no desire
The phrase "no desire" translates from the Hebrew "חָפֵץ" (chaphets), which means to delight in or take pleasure in. This indicates a complete lack of interest or pleasure in God's ways. It is a willful ignorance and a choice to find satisfaction elsewhere. This reflects the condition of the heart that is hardened against God, a theme echoed in Romans 1:28, where people did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer.

to know Your ways
The word "know" comes from the Hebrew "יָדַע" (yada), which implies an intimate, experiential knowledge. It is not just intellectual understanding but a deep, relational knowing. "Your ways" refers to God's paths, His commandments, and His divine order. This phrase highlights the rejection of a relationship with God and His righteous standards. Biblically, knowing God's ways is associated with wisdom and life (Proverbs 3:6), and the refusal to know them leads to folly and destruction.

(14) Therefore they say unto God.--Should be, Yet they said unto God, Depart from us, &c.

Verse 14. - Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us. It is this impunity which leads the wicked to renounce God altogether. They think that they get on very well without God, and consequently have no need to serve him. Job puts their thoughts into words (vers. 14, 15), and thus very graphically represents their tone of feeling. For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. The wicked feel no interest in God; they do not trouble themselves about him; his ways are "far above out of their sight," and they do not care to know them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Yet they say
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to God:
לָ֭אֵל (lā·’êl)
Preposition | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

‘Leave us alone!
ס֣וּר (sūr)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5493: To turn aside

For we have no
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

desire
חָפָֽצְנוּ׃ (ḥā·p̄ā·ṣə·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 2654: To incline to, to bend, to be pleased with, desire

to know
וְדַ֥עַת (wə·ḏa·‘aṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1847: Knowledge

Your ways.
דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ (də·rā·ḵe·ḵā)
Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action


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OT Poetry: Job 21:14 They tell God 'Depart from us (Jb)
Job 21:13
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