Job 21
NKJV Parallel NET [BSB CSB ESV HCS KJV ISV NAS NET NIV NLT HEB]
New King James VersionNET Bible
1Then Job answered and said:1Then Job answered:
2“Listen carefully to my speech, And let this be your consolation.2"Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you offer me.
3Bear with me that I may speak, And after I have spoken, keep mocking.3Bear with me and I will speak, and after I have spoken you may mock.
4“As for me, is my complaint against man? And if it were, why should I not be impatient?4Is my complaint against a man? If so, why should I not be impatient?
5Look at me and be astonished; Put your hand over your mouth.5Look at me and be appalled; put your hands over your mouths.
6Even when I remember I am terrified, And trembling takes hold of my flesh.6For, when I think about this, I am terrified and my body feels a shudder.
7Why do the wicked live and become old, Yes, become mighty in power?7"Why do the wicked go on living, grow old, even increase in power?
8Their descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes.8Their children are firmly established in their presence, their offspring before their eyes.
9Their houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them.9Their houses are safe and without fear; and no rod of punishment from God is upon them.
10Their bull breeds without failure; Their cow calves without miscarriage.10Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry.
11They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance.11They allow their children to run like a flock; their little ones dance about.
12They sing to the tambourine and harp, And rejoice to the sound of the flute.12They sing to the accompaniment of tambourine and harp, and make merry to the sound of the flute.
13They spend their days in wealth, And in a moment go down to the grave.13They live out their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.
14Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.14So they say to God, 'Turn away from us! We do not want to know your ways.
15Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’15Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain if we were to pray to him?'
16Indeed their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me.16But their prosperity is not their own doing. The counsel of the wicked is far from me!
17“How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? How often does their destruction come upon them, The sorrows God distributes in His anger?17"How often is the lamp of the wicked extinguished? How often does their misfortune come upon them? How often does God apportion pain to them in his anger?
18They are like straw before the wind, And like chaff that a storm carries away.18How often are they like straw before the wind, and like chaff swept away by a whirlwind?
19They say, ‘God lays up one’s iniquity for his children’; Let Him recompense him, that he may know it.19You may say, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his children!' Instead let him repay the man himself so that he may know it!
20Let his eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.20Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the anger of the Almighty.
21For what does he care about his household after him, When the number of his months is cut in half?21For what is his interest in his home after his death, when the number of his months has been broken off?
22“Can anyone teach God knowledge, Since He judges those on high?22Can anyone teach God knowledge, since he judges those that are on high?
23One dies in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and secure;23"One man dies in his full vigor, completely secure and prosperous,
24His pails are full of milk, And the marrow of his bones is moist.24his body well nourished, and the marrow of his bones moist.
25Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, Never having eaten with pleasure.25And another man dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted anything good.
26They lie down alike in the dust, And worms cover them.26Together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover over them both.
27“Look, I know your thoughts, And the schemes with which you would wrong me.27"Yes, I know what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent, The dwelling place of the wicked?’28For you say, 'Where now is the nobleman's house, and where are the tents in which the wicked lived?'
29Have you not asked those who travel the road? And do you not know their signs?29Have you never questioned those who travel the roads? Do you not recognize their accounts--
30For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom; They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.30that the evil man is spared from the day of his misfortune, that he is delivered from the day of God's wrath?
31Who condemns his way to his face? And who repays him for what he has done?31No one denounces his conduct to his face; no one repays him for what he has done.
32Yet he shall be brought to the grave, And a vigil kept over the tomb.32And when he is carried to the tombs, and watch is kept over the funeral mound,
33The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him; Everyone shall follow him, As countless have gone before him.33The clods of the torrent valley are sweet to him; behind him everybody follows in procession, and before him goes a countless throng.
34How then can you comfort me with empty words, Since falsehood remains in your answers?”34So how can you console me with your futile words? Nothing is left of your answers but deception!"
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Job 20
Top of Page
Top of Page