Job 21 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 21 ▼
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1 Then Job answered, and said: Then Job answered and said: Then Job replied:
2 Hear, I beseech you, my words, and do penance. “Keep listening to my words, and let this be your comfort. “Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me.
3 Suffer me, and I will speak, and after, if you please, laugh at my words. Bear with me, and I will speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on.
4 Is my debate against man, that I should not have just reason to be troubled? As for me, is my complaint against man? Why should I not be impatient? “Is my complaint directed to a human being? Why should I not be impatient?
5 Hearken to me and be astonished, and lay your finger on your mouth. Look at me and be appalled, and lay your hand over your mouth. Look at me and be appalled; clap your hand over your mouth.
6 As for me, when I remember, I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh. When I remember, I am dismayed, and shuddering seizes my flesh. When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body.
7 Why then do the wicked live, are they advanced, and strengthened with riches? Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?
8 Their seed continueth before them, a multitude of kinsmen, and of children's children in their sight. Their offspring are established in their presence, and their descendants before their eyes. They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are secure and peaceable, and the rod of God is not upon them. Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them. Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not on them.
10 Their cattle have conceived, and failed not: their cow has calved, and is not deprived of her fruit. Their bull breeds without fail; their cow calves and does not miscarry. Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry.
11 Their little ones go out like a flock, and their children dance and play. They send out their little boys like a flock, and their children dance. They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about.
12 They take the timbrel, and the harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. They sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre; they make merry to the sound of the pipe.
13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment they go down to hell. They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol. They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.
14 Who have said to God: Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what doth it profit us 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?’ Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?’
16 Yet because their good things are not in their hand, may the counsel of the wicked be far from me. Behold, is not their prosperity 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.
17 How often shall the lamp of the wicked be put out, and a deluge come upon them, and he shall distribute the sorrows of his wrath? “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? “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?
18 They shall be as chaff before the face of the wind, and as ashes which the whirlwind scattereth. That they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away? How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale?
19 God shall lay up the sorrow of the father for his children: and when he shall repay, then shall he know. You say, ‘God stores up their iniquity for their children.’ Let him pay it out to them, that they may 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!
20 His eyes shall see his own destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. Let their own eyes see their destruction, and let them 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.
21 For what is it to him what befalleth his house after him: and if the number of his months be diminished by one half? For what do they care for their houses after them, when the number of their months is cut off? For what do they care about the families they leave behind when their allotted months come to an end?
22 Shall any one teach God knowledge, who judgeth those that are high? Will any teach God knowledge, seeing that he judges those who are on high? “Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest?
23 One man dieth strong, and hale, rich and happy. One dies in his full vigor, being wholly at ease and secure, One person dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease,
24 His bowels are full of fat, and his bones are moistened with marrow. his pails full of milk and the marrow of his bones moist. well nourished in body, bones rich with marrow.
25 But another dieth in bitterness of soul without any riches: Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted of prosperity. Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good.
26 And yet they shall sleep together in the dust, and worms shall cover them. They lie down alike in the dust, and the worms cover them. Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both.
27 Surely I know your thoughts, and your unjust judgments against me. “Behold, I know your thoughts and your schemes to wrong me. “I know full well what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 For you say: Where is the house of the prince ? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked? For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’ You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great, the tents where the wicked lived?’
29 Ask any one of them that go by the way, and you shall perceive that he knoweth these same things. Have you not asked those who travel the roads, and do you not accept their testimony Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
30 Because the wicked man is reserved to the day of destruction, and he shall be brought to 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 are spared from the day of calamity, that they are delivered from the day of wrath?
31 Who shall reprove his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done? Who declares his way to his face, and who repays him for what he has done? Who denounces their conduct to their face? Who repays them for what they have done?
32 He shall be brought to the graves, and shall watch in the heap of the dead. When he is carried to the grave, watch is kept over his tomb. They are carried to the grave, and watch is kept over their tombs.
33 He hath been acceptable to the gravel of Cocytus, and he shall draw every man after him, and there are innumerable before him. The clods of the valley are sweet to him; all mankind follows after him, and those who go before him are innumerable. The soil in the valley is sweet to them; everyone follows after them, and a countless throng goes before them.
34 How then do ye comfort me in vain, whereas your answer is shewn to be repugnant to truth ? How then will you comfort me with empty nothings? There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.” “So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”
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