English Standard Version

New King James Version

Job Replies: The Wicked Do Prosper

Then Job answered and said:

1

Job’s Discourse on the Wicked

Then Job answered and said:

2

“Keep listening to my words,
and let this be your comfort.

2

“Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your [a]consolation.

3

Bear with me, and I will speak,
and after I have spoken, mock on.

3

Bear with me that I may speak,
And after I have spoken, keep mocking.

4

As for me, is my complaint against man?
Why should I not be impatient?

4

“As for me, is my complaint against man?
And if it were, why should I not be impatient?

5

Look at me and be appalled,
and lay your hand over your mouth.

5

Look at me and be astonished;
Put your hand over your mouth.

6

When I remember, I am dismayed,
and shuddering seizes my flesh.

6

Even when I remember I am terrified,
And trembling takes hold of my flesh.

7

Why do the wicked live,
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?

7

Why do the wicked live and become old,
Yes, become mighty in power?

8

Their offspring are established in their presence,
and their descendants before their eyes.

8

Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.

9

Their houses are safe from fear,
and no rod of God is upon them.

9

Their houses are safe from fear,
Neither is [b]the rod of God upon them.

10

Their bull breeds without fail;
their cow calves and does not miscarry.

10

Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves without miscarriage.

11

They send out their little boys like a flock,
and their children dance.

11

They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.

12

They sing to the tambourine and the lyre
and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.

12

They sing to the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice to the sound of the flute.

13

They spend their days in prosperity,
and in peace they go down to Sheol.

13

They spend their days in wealth,
And [c]in a moment go down to the [d]grave.

14

They say to God, ‘Depart from us!
We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.

14

Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

15

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’

15

Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’

16

Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

16

Indeed [e]their prosperity is not in their hand;
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

17

“How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out?
That their calamity comes upon them?
That Goda distributes pains in his anger?

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?

18

That they are like straw before the wind,
and like chaff that the storm carries away?

18

They are like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that a storm [f]carries away.

19

You say, ‘God stores up their iniquity for their children.’
Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it.

19

They say, ‘God [g]lays up [h]one’s iniquity for his children’;
Let Him recompense him, that he may know it.

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Let their own eyes see their destruction,
and let them drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

20

Let his eyes see his destruction,
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21

For what do they care for their houses after them,
when the number of their months is cut off?

21

For what does he care about his household after him,
When the number of his months is cut in half?

22

Will any teach God knowledge,
seeing that he judges those who are on high?

22

“Can anyone teach God knowledge,
Since He judges those on high?

23

One dies in his full vigor,
being wholly at ease and secure,

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One dies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and secure;

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his pailsb full of milk
and the marrow of his bones moist.

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His [i]pails are full of milk,
And the marrow of his bones is moist.

25

Another dies in bitterness of soul,
never having tasted of prosperity.

25

Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul,
Never having eaten with pleasure.

26

They lie down alike in the dust,
and the worms cover them.

26

They lie down alike in the dust,
And worms cover them.

27

“Behold, I know your thoughts
and your schemes to wrong me.

27

“Look, I know your thoughts,
And the schemes with which you would wrong me.

28

For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince?
Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’

28

For you say,
‘Where is the house of the prince?
And where is [j]the tent,
The dwelling place of the wicked?’

29

Have you not asked those who travel the roads,
and do you not accept their testimony

29

Have you not asked those who travel the road?
And do you not know their signs?

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that the evil man is spared in the day of calamity,
that he is rescued in the day of wrath?

30

For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom;
They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.

31

Who declares his way to his face,
and who repays him for what he has done?

31

Who condemns his way to his face?
And who repays him for what he has done?

32

When he is carried to the grave,
watch is kept over his tomb.

32

Yet he shall be brought to the grave,
And a vigil kept over the tomb.

33

The clods of the valley are sweet to him;
all mankind follows after him,
and those who go before him are innumerable.

33

The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him;
Everyone shall follow him,
As countless have gone before him.

34

How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?
There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.”

34

How then can you comfort me with empty words,
Since [k]falsehood remains in your answers?”

Parallel

English Standard Version

New King James Version

Job 21

Job 21