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 Listen diligently to my speech, and let this be your consolation. “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 that I may speak; and after I have spoken, then mock on. 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 I will utter my complaint to men, why my spirit is distressed. 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 Return to me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon 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 Even when I think of it, I tremble, and terror takes hold of 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 do the ungodly live, and why are the mighty in power full of years? 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 descendants are established in their sight with them, and their children before their eyes. 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 safe from fear, neither is the rod of God 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 bull breeds, and fails not; their cow calves, and does not cast her calf. 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 children stand firm like a flock, and their boys dance. 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 timbrels and harps, and rejoice at the sound of singing. 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 prosperity, and then suddenly go down to Sheol. 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 They say to God, Depart from us; for we do not desire to know 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 Moreover, they say, Who is God, that we should serve him? And what would we gain, that we should 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 Lo, they have no power over their prosperity; the counsel of the ungodly is 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 is it that the wicked are left without an heir! how often their destruction comes upon them! God distributes sorrows in his anger. “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 are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away. 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 reserves man's iniquity for his children; he pays it back to him, and he shall know it. 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 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 pleasure has he in his house after him, when a portion of his years shall be reserved for his posterity? 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 teach God knowledge, seeing it is he who judges the proud? 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 dies in his full strength, sound of body, being wholly confident, and at ease. 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 body is full of fat, and his bones are filled with marrow. his pails full of milk and the marrow of his bones moist. well nourished in body, bones rich with marrow.
25 And another dies in the bitterness of his soul, never having tasted prosperity. Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted of prosperity. Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good.
26 They shall lie down in the dust, and the 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 Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which you wrongfully imagine 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 righteous? And where is the place in which the wicked has pitched his tent? 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 Have you not asked those who pass by the way? And do you not recognize their tokens? 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 For the evil man is reserved for the day of destruction, he shall be remembered in 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 can show him the way? And who shall repay him for what he has 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 Yet he shall be brought to the grave, he is reserved for misfortune. 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 The depths of the valley shall swallow him, and many shall be drawn in after him, even as there are innumerable ahead of 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 can you comfort me in vain, seeing that your abominable answers are multiplied before me? 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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