New American Standard Bible 1995

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1Then Job answered,

1Then Job answered:

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

2Pay close attention to my words; let this be the consolation you offer.

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

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

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

4As for me, is my complaint against a man? Then why shouldn't I be impatient?

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

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

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

6When I think about it, I am terrified and my body trembles in horror.

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

7Why do the wicked continue to live, growing old and becoming powerful?

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

8Their children are established while they are still alive, and their descendants, before their eyes.

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

9Their homes are secure and free of fear; no rod from God strikes them.

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

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

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

11They let their little ones run around like lambs; their children skip about,

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

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

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

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

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

14Yet they say to God: "Leave us alone! We don't want to know Your ways.

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

15Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what will we gain by pleading with Him?"

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

16But their prosperity is not of their own doing. The counsel of the wicked is far from me!

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?

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

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

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

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

19God reserves a person's punishment for his children. Let God repay the person himself, so that he may know it.

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

20Let his own eyes see his demise; let him drink from the Almighty's wrath!

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

21For what does he care about his family once he is dead, when the number of his months has run out?

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

22Can anyone teach God knowledge, since He judges the exalted ones?

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

23One person dies in excellent health, completely secure and at ease.

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

24His body is well fed, and his bones are full of marrow.

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

25Yet another person dies with a bitter soul, having never tasted prosperity.

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

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

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

27I know your thoughts very well, the schemes you would wrong me with.

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

28For you say, "Where now is the nobleman's house?" and "Where are the tents the wicked lived in?"

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

29Have you never consulted those who travel the roads? Don't you accept their reports?

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

30Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of disaster, rescued from the day of wrath.

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

31Who would denounce his behavior to his face? Who would repay him for what he has done?

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

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

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

33The dirt on his grave is sweet to him. Everyone follows behind him, and those who go before him are without number.

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

34So how can you offer me such futile comfort? Your answers are deceptive.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.