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Job 20-21
American Standard Version
Job 20-21
American Standard Version
20 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me,
[a]Even by reason of my haste that is in me.
3 I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame;
[b]And the spirit of my understanding answereth me.
4 Knowest thou not this of old time,
Since man was placed upon earth,
5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 Though his height mount up to the heavens,
And his head reach unto the clouds;
7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung:
They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found:
Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9 The eye which saw him shall see him no more;
Neither shall his place any more behold him.
10 [c]His children shall seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands shall give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his youth,
But it shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth,
Though he hide it under his tongue,
13 Though he spare it, and will not let it go,
But keep it still within his mouth;
14 Yet his food in his bowels is turned,
It is the gall of asps within him.
15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again;
God will cast them out of his belly.
16 He shall suck the poison of asps:
The viper’s tongue shall slay him.
17 He shall not look upon the rivers,
The flowing streams of honey and butter.
18 That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down;
According to the substance [d]that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice.
19 For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor;
He hath violently taken away a house, [e]and he shall not build it up.
20 Because he knew no quietness [f]within him,
He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.
21 There was nothing left that he devoured not;
Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits:
The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.
23 [g]When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him,
And will rain it upon him [h]while he is eating.
24 He shall flee from the iron weapon,
And the bow of brass shall strike him through.
25 He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body;
Yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall:
Terrors are upon him.
26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures:
A fire not blown by man shall devour him;
[i]It shall consume that which is left in his tent.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity,
And the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall depart;
His goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God,
And the heritage appointed unto him by God.
21 Then Job answered and said,
2 Hear diligently my speech;
And let this be your consolations.
3 Suffer me, and I also will speak;
And after that I have spoken, [j]mock on.
4 As for me, is my complaint [k]to man?
And why should I not be impatient?
5 [l]Mark me, and be astonished,
And lay your hand upon your mouth.
6 Even when I remember I am troubled,
And horror taketh hold on my flesh.
7 Wherefore do the wicked live,
Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?
8 Their seed is established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are [m]safe from fear,
Neither is the rod of God upon them.
10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not;
Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.
12 They [n]sing to the timbrel and harp,
And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
13 They spend their days in prosperity,
And in a moment they go down to Sheol.
14 And they say unto God, Depart from us;
For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
16 [o]Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand:
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 [p]How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out?
That their calamity cometh upon them?
That God distributeth sorrows in his anger?
18 That they are as stubble before the wind,
And as chaff that the storm carrieth away?
19 [q]Ye say, God layeth up his iniquity for his children.
Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it:
20 Let his own eyes see his destruction,
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what careth he for his house after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?
22 Shall any teach God knowledge,
Seeing he judgeth those that are high?
23 One dieth in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and quiet:
24 His pails are full of milk,
And the marrow of his bones is moistened.
25 And another dieth in bitterness of soul,
And never tasteth of good.
26 They lie down alike in the dust,
And the worm covereth them.
27 Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the devices wherewith ye would wrong me.
28 For ye say, Where is the house of the prince?
And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?
29 Have ye not asked wayfaring men?
And do ye not know their evidences,
30 That the evil man is [r]reserved to the day of calamity?
That they are [s]led forth to the day of wrath?
31 Who shall declare his way to his face?
And who shall repay him what he hath done?
32 [t]Yet shall he be borne to the grave,
And men shall keep watch over the tomb.
33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him,
And all men shall draw after him,
As there were innumerable before him.
34 How then comfort ye me [u]in vain,
Seeing in your answers there remaineth only [v]falsehood?
Footnotes
- Job 20:2 Or, And by reason of this my haste is within me
- Job 20:3 Or, But out of my understanding my spirit answereth me
- Job 20:10 Or, as otherwise read, The poor shall oppress his children
- Job 20:18 Hebrew of his exchange.
- Job 20:19 Or, which he builded not
- Job 20:20 Or, in his greed. Hebrew in his belly.
- Job 20:23 Or, Let it be for the filling of his belly that God shall cast etc.
- Job 20:23 Or, as his food
- Job 20:26 Or, It shall go ill with him that is left
- Job 21:3 Or, thou shalt mock
- Job 21:4 Or, of
- Job 21:5 Hebrew Look unto me.
- Job 21:9 Or, in peace, without fear
- Job 21:12 Hebrew lift up the voice.
- Job 21:16 Or, Ye say, Lo etc.
- Job 21:17 Or, How oft is the lamp of the wicked put out, And how oft cometh their calamity upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger. They are as stubble . . . away.
- Job 21:19 Or, God layeth up his iniquity for his children: He rewardeth him, and he shall know it. His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink etc.
- Job 21:30 Or, spared in etc.
- Job 21:30 Or, led away in etc.
- Job 21:32 Or, Moreover he is borne to the grave, And keepeth watch over his tomb. The clods of the valley are sweet unto him; And all men draw etc.
- Job 21:34 Or, with vanity
- Job 21:34 Or, faithlessness
Job 20-21
New International Version
Job 20-21
New International Version
Zophar
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite(A) replied:
2 “My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
because I am greatly disturbed.(B)
3 I hear a rebuke(C) that dishonors me,
and my understanding inspires me to reply.
4 “Surely you know how it has been from of old,(D)
ever since mankind[a] was placed on the earth,
5 that the mirth of the wicked(E) is brief,
the joy of the godless(F) lasts but a moment.(G)
6 Though the pride(H) of the godless person reaches to the heavens(I)
and his head touches the clouds,(J)
7 he will perish forever,(K) like his own dung;
those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’(L)
8 Like a dream(M) he flies away,(N) no more to be found,
banished(O) like a vision of the night.(P)
9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;
his place will look on him no more.(Q)
10 His children(R) must make amends to the poor;
his own hands must give back his wealth.(S)
11 The youthful vigor(T) that fills his bones(U)
will lie with him in the dust.(V)
12 “Though evil(W) is sweet in his mouth
and he hides it under his tongue,(X)
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
and lets it linger in his mouth,(Y)
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;(Z)
it will become the venom of serpents(AA) within him.
15 He will spit out the riches(AB) he swallowed;
God will make his stomach vomit(AC) them up.
16 He will suck the poison(AD) of serpents;
the fangs of an adder will kill him.(AE)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
the rivers(AF) flowing with honey(AG) and cream.(AH)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;(AI)
he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.(AJ)
19 For he has oppressed the poor(AK) and left them destitute;(AL)
he has seized houses(AM) he did not build.
20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;(AN)
he cannot save himself by his treasure.(AO)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
his prosperity will not endure.(AP)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;(AQ)
the full force of misery will come upon him.(AR)
23 When he has filled his belly,(AS)
God will vent his burning anger(AT) against him
and rain down his blows on him.(AU)
24 Though he flees(AV) from an iron weapon,
a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.(AW)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors(AX) will come over him;(AY)
26 total darkness(AZ) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire(BA) unfanned will consume him(BB)
and devour what is left in his tent.(BC)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
the earth will rise up against him.(BD)
28 A flood will carry off his house,(BE)
rushing waters[b] on the day of God’s wrath.(BF)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
the heritage appointed for them by God.”(BG)
Job
21 Then Job replied:
2 “Listen carefully to my words;(BH)
let this be the consolation you give me.(BI)
3 Bear with me while I speak,
and after I have spoken, mock on.(BJ)
4 “Is my complaint(BK) directed to a human being?
Why should I not be impatient?(BL)
5 Look at me and be appalled;
clap your hand over your mouth.(BM)
6 When I think about this, I am terrified;(BN)
trembling seizes my body.(BO)
7 Why do the wicked live on,
growing old and increasing in power?(BP)
8 They see their children established around them,
their offspring before their eyes.(BQ)
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;(BR)
the rod of God is not on them.(BS)
10 Their bulls never fail to breed;
their cows calve and do not miscarry.(BT)
11 They send forth their children as a flock;(BU)
their little ones dance about.
12 They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;(BV)
they make merry to the sound of the pipe.(BW)
13 They spend their years in prosperity(BX)
and go down to the grave(BY) in peace.[c](BZ)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!(CA)
We have no desire to know your ways.(CB)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
What would we gain by praying to him?’(CC)
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(CD)
17 “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?(CE)
How often does calamity(CF) come upon them,
the fate God allots in his anger?(CG)
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
like chaff(CH) swept away(CI) by a gale?(CJ)
19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’(CK)
Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!(CL)
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;(CM)
let them drink(CN) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.(CO)
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind(CP)
when their allotted months(CQ) come to an end?(CR)
22 “Can anyone teach knowledge to God,(CS)
since he judges even the highest?(CT)
23 One person dies in full vigor,(CU)
completely secure and at ease,(CV)
24 well nourished(CW) in body,[d]
bones(CX) rich with marrow.(CY)
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,(CZ)
never having enjoyed anything good.
26 Side by side they lie in the dust,(DA)
and worms(DB) cover them both.(DC)
27 “I know full well what you are thinking,
the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,(DD)
the tents where the wicked lived?’(DE)
29 Have you never questioned those who travel?
Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
30 that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,(DF)
that they are delivered from[e] the day of wrath?(DG)
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?
Who repays them for what they have done?(DH)
32 They are carried to the grave,
and watch is kept over their tombs.(DI)
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;(DJ)
everyone follows after them,
and a countless throng goes[f] before them.(DK)
Footnotes
- Job 20:4 Or Adam
- Job 20:28 Or The possessions in his house will be carried off, / washed away
- Job 21:13 Or in an instant
- Job 21:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Job 21:30 Or wicked are reserved for the day of calamity, / that they are brought forth to
- Job 21:33 Or them, / as a countless throng went
American Standard Version (ASV)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.