Job 21 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 21 ▼
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1 Then Job replied: Then Job answered: Then Job answered and said:
2 “Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me. “Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me. “Keep listening to my words, and let this be your comfort.
3 Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. 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.
4 “Is my complaint directed to a human being? Why should I not be impatient? 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?
5 Look at me and be appalled; clap your hand over your mouth. 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.
6 When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body. When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror. When I remember, I am dismayed, and shuddering seizes my flesh.
7 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? 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?
8 They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes. 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.
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not on them. 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.
10 Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry. 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.
11 They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about. 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.
12 They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre; they make merry to the sound of the pipe. 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.
13 They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. 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.
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways. 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.
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?’ 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?’
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked. 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.
17 “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? 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?
18 How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale? 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?
19 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! 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.
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction; let them drink the cup of the wrath of the Almighty. 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.
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind when their allotted months come to an end? 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?
22 “Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest? 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?
23 One person dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease, One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease. One dies in his full vigor, being wholly at ease and secure,
24 well nourished in body, bones rich with marrow. His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow. his pails full of milk and the marrow of his bones moist.
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good. 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.
26 Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both. 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.
27 “I know full well what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me. 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.
28 You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great, the tents where the wicked lived?’ 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?’
29 Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts— 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
30 that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity, that they are delivered from the day of wrath? 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?
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face? Who repays them for what they have done? 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?
32 They are carried to the grave, and watch is kept over their tombs. 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.
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them; everyone follows after them, and a countless throng goes before them. 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.
34 “So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!” 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.”
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