Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Then Job answered:

1Then Job answered,

2“Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me.

2"Listen carefully to my speech, And let this be your way of consolation.

3Bear with me while I speak; then, after I have spoken, you may go on mocking.

3"Bear with me that I may speak; Then after I have spoken, you may mock.

4Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient?

4"As for me, is my complaint to man? And why should I not be impatient?

5Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth.

5"Look at me, and be astonished, And put your hand over your mouth.

6When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror.

6"Even when I remember, I am disturbed, And horror takes hold of my flesh.

7Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?

7"Why do the wicked still live, Continue on, also become very powerful?

8Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes.

8"Their descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes,

9Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them.

9Their houses are safe from fear, And the rod of God is not on them.

10Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.

10"His ox mates without fail; His cow calves and does not abort.

11They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,

11"They send forth their little ones like the flock, And their children skip about.

12singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.

12"They sing to the timbrel and harp And rejoice at the sound of the flute.

13They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.

13"They spend their days in prosperity, And suddenly they go down to Sheol.

14Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.

14"They say to God, 'Depart from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.

15Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’

15'Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we gain if we entreat Him?'

16Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.

16"Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

17How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction?

17"How often is the lamp of the wicked put out, Or does their calamity fall on them? Does God apportion destruction in His anger?

18Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?

18"Are they as straw before the wind, And like chaff which the storm carries away?

19It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it.

19"You say, 'God stores away a man's iniquity for his sons.' Let God repay him so that he may know it.

20Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty.

20"Let his own eyes see his decay, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?

21"For what does he care for his household after him, When the number of his months is cut off?

22Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?

22"Can anyone teach God knowledge, In that He judges those on high?

23One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease.

23"One dies in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and satisfied;

24His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.

24His sides are filled out with fat, And the marrow of his bones is moist,

25Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity.

25While another dies with a bitter soul, Never even tasting anything good.

26But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both.

26"Together they lie down in the dust, And worms cover them.

27Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me.

27"Behold, I know your thoughts, And the plans by which you would wrong me.

28For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’

28"For you say, 'Where is the house of the nobleman, And where is the tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?'

29Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports?

29"Have you not asked wayfaring men, And do you not recognize their witness?

30Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath.

30"For the wicked is reserved for the day of calamity; They will be led forth at the day of fury.

31Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?

31"Who will confront him with his actions, And who will repay him for what he has done?

32He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.

32"While he is carried to the grave, Men will keep watch over his tomb.

33The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number.

33"The clods of the valley will gently cover him; Moreover, all men will follow after him, While countless ones go before him.

34So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”

34"How then will you vainly comfort me, For your answers remain full of falsehood?"

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