Job 21 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 21 ▼
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BSB
Berean Standard Bible
ESV
English Standard Version
KJV
King James Version
NIV
New International Version
NLT
New Living Translation
1 Then Job answered: Then Job answered and said: But Job answered and said, Then Job replied: Then Job spoke again:
2 “Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me. “Keep listening to my words, and let this be your comfort. Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations. “Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me. “Listen closely to what I am saying. That’s one consolation you can give me.
3 Bear with me while I speak; then, after I have spoken, you may go on mocking. Bear with me, and I will speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on. Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. Bear with me, and let me speak. After I have spoken, you may resume mocking me.
4 Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient? As for me, is my complaint against man? Why should I not be impatient? As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled? “Is my complaint directed to a human being? Why should I not be impatient? “My complaint is with God, not with people. I have good reason to be so impatient.
5 Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth. Look at me and be appalled, and lay your hand over your mouth. Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth. Look at me and be appalled; clap your hand over your mouth. Look at me and be stunned. Put your hand over your mouth in shock.
6 When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror. When I remember, I am dismayed, and shuddering seizes my flesh. Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh. When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body. When I think about what I am saying, I shudder. My body trembles.
7 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? “Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful?
8 Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their offspring are established in their presence, and their descendants before their eyes. Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes. They live to see their children grow up and settle down, and they enjoy their grandchildren.
9 Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them. Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not on them. Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them.
10 Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry. Their bull breeds without fail; their cow calves and does not miscarry. Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry. Their bulls never fail to breed. Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about, They send out their little boys like a flock, and their children dance. They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about. They let their children frisk about like lambs. Their little ones skip and dance.
12 singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute. They sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre; they make merry to the sound of the pipe. They sing with tambourine and harp. They celebrate to the sound of the flute.
13 They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace. They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol. They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. They spend their days in prosperity, then go down to the grave in peace.
14 Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways. They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways. And yet they say to God, ‘Go away. We want no part of you and your ways.
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’ What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’ What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?’ Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?’
16 Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked. Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand? The counsel of the wicked is far from me. Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me. But their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked. (They think their prosperity is of their own doing, but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)
17 How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction? “How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity comes upon them? That God distributes pains in his anger? How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger. “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger? “Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished. Do they ever have trouble? Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger?
18 Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm? That they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away? They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away. How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale? Are they driven before the wind like straw? Are they carried away by the storm like chaff? Not at all!
19 It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it. You say, ‘God stores up their iniquity for their children.’ Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it. God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it. It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’ Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it! “‘Well,’ you say, ‘at least God will punish their children!’ But I say he should punish the ones who sin, so that they understand his judgment.
20 Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty. Let their own eyes see their destruction, and let them drink of the wrath of the Almighty. His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. Let their own eyes see their destruction; let them drink the cup of the wrath of the Almighty. Let them see their destruction with their own eyes. Let them drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty.
21 For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out? For what do they care for their houses after them, when the number of their months is cut off? For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst? For what do they care about the families they leave behind when their allotted months come to an end? For they will not care what happens to their family after they are dead.
22 Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high? Will any teach God knowledge, seeing that he judges those who are on high? Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high. “Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest? “But who can teach a lesson to God, since he judges even the most powerful?
23 One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease. One dies in his full vigor, being wholly at ease and secure, One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. One person dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease, One person dies in prosperity, completely comfortable and secure,
24 His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow. his pails full of milk and the marrow of his bones moist. His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow. well nourished in body, bones rich with marrow. the picture of good health, vigorous and fit.
25 Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity. Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted of prosperity. And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure. Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good. Another person dies in bitter poverty, never having tasted the good life.
26 But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both. They lie down alike in the dust, and the worms cover them. They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them. Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both. But both are buried in the same dust, both eaten by the same maggots.
27 Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me. “Behold, I know your thoughts and your schemes to wrong me. Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me. “I know full well what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me. “Look, I know what you’re thinking. I know the schemes you plot against me.
28 For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’ For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’ For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked? You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great, the tents where the wicked lived?’ You will tell me of rich and wicked people whose houses have vanished because of their sins.
29 Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports? Have you not asked those who travel the roads, and do you not accept their testimony Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens, Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts— But ask those who have been around, and they will tell you the truth.
30 Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath. that the evil man is spared in the day of calamity, that he is rescued in the day of wrath? That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity, that they are delivered from the day of wrath? Evil people are spared in times of calamity and are allowed to escape disaster.
31 Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done? Who declares his way to his face, and who repays him for what he has done? Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done? Who denounces their conduct to their face? Who repays them for what they have done? No one criticizes them openly or pays them back for what they have done.
32 He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb. When he is carried to the grave, watch is kept over his tomb. Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb. They are carried to the grave, and watch is kept over their tombs. When they are carried to the grave, an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb.
33 The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number. The clods of the valley are sweet to him; all mankind follows after him, and those who go before him are innumerable. The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him. The soil in the valley is sweet to them; everyone follows after them, and a countless throng goes before them. A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery. Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest, and the earth gives sweet repose.
34 So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.” How then will you comfort me with empty nothings? There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.” How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood? “So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!” “How can your empty clichés comfort me? All your explanations are lies!”
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