Job 21
1 Job
1 Then Job replied:
2 "Listen carefully to my words;S Job 13:17 2 Job 13:17 2 let this be the consolation you give me.ver 34
3 Bear with me while I speak, 3 and after I have spoken, mock on.S Job 6:14; S 11:3; S 16:10 3 Job 16:10
4 "Is my complaintS Job 7:11 directed to man? 4 Why should I not be impatient?S Job 6:3Job 6:11 4 Job 6:11
5 Look at me and be astonished; 5 clap your hand over your mouth.S Jdg 18:19Job 29:9; 40:4 5 Jdg 18:19; Job 40:4
6 When I think about this, I am terrified;S Ge 45:3 6 trembling seizes my body.S Job 4:14
7 Why do the wicked live on, 7 growing old and increasing in power?ver 13; S Job 9:24; 12:19Job 12:6Ps 37:173:3Ecc 7:15; 8:14Jer 12:1Hab 1:13Mal 3:15 7 Ps 73:3; Jer 12:1
8 They see their children established around them, 8 their offspring before their eyes.Ps 17:14Mal 3:15 8 Ps 17:14
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;S Job 5:24Ps 73:5 9 Ps 73:5 9 the rod of God is not upon them.S Job 9:34
10 Their bulls never fail to breed; 10 their cows calve and do not miscarry.Ex 23:26 10 Ex 23:26
11 They send forth their children as a flock;Ps 78:52; 107:41 11 their little ones dance about.
12 They sing to the music of tambourine and harp;Ps 33:2 12 Ps 33:2 12 they make merry to the sound of the flute.S Ge 4:21; S 1Ch 15:16Ps 71:2281:2108:2; Isa 5:12; Mt 11:17 12 Ps 81:2
13 They spend their years in prosperityS ver 7; S Job 8:7; Ps 10:1-12; 94:3Job 36:11 13 Job 36:11 13 and go down to the grave[a] Hebrew SheolJob 24:19; Ps 49:14; Isa 14:15 in peace.[b] Or in an instantS Job 3:13
14 Yet they say to God, 'Leave us alone!S Job 4:1722:17Isa 30:11 14 Job 22:17 14 We have no desire to know your ways.S Dt 32:15; S 1Sa 15:11; Ps 95:10Pr 1:29Jer 2:20,31 14 Pr 1:29
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? 15 What would we gain by praying to him?'Ex 5:2S Job 5:234:935:3; Ps 73:13; 139:20; Isa 48:5; Jer 9:6; 44:17Mal 3:14 15 Job 34:9
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands, 16 so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked.Job 22:18; Ps 1:1; 26:5; 36:1
17 "Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?S Job 18:5 17 Job 18:5 17 How often does calamityJob 18:12 come upon them, 17 the fate God allots in his anger?S Job 20:22,28
18 How often are they like straw before the wind, 18 like chaffS Job 13:25Ps 1:4 swept awayS Ge 19:15S Job 7:10; Pr 10:25 by a gale?S Ge 7:23 18 Ps 1:4
19 It is said, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his sons.'Ex 20:5Jer 31:29; Eze 18:2Jn 9:2 19 Ex 20:5 19 Let him repay the man himself, so that he will know it!Jer 25:14; 50:29; 51:6,24,56
20 Let his own eyes see his destruction;S Ex 32:33; Nu 16:22; S 2Ki 14:6; Jer 42:16 20 let him drinkJob 6:4Ps 75:8Isa 51:17 of the wrath of the Almighty.[c]-20 Verses 17 and 18 may be taken as exclamations and 19 and 20 as declarations.S Job 20:28Jer 25:15; Rev 14:10 20 Isa 51:17; Jer 25:15; Rev 14:10
21 For what does he care about the family he leaves behindJob 14:22 21 when his allotted monthsS Job 14:5 come to an end?S Job 14:21; Ecc 9:5-6
22 "Can anyone teach knowledge to God,Job 35:11; 36:2239:17; Ps 94:12Isa 40:13-14Jer 32:33Ro 11:34 22 Isa 40:13-14; Ro 11:34 22 since he judges even the highest?S Job 4:18Ps 82:186:8; 135:5 22 Ps 82:1
23 One man dies in full vigor,S Ge 15:15; S Job 13:26 23 completely secure and at ease,S Job 3:13
24 his body[d] The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. well nourished,Ps 73:4 24 his bonesJob 20:11 rich with marrow.Pr 3:8 24 Pr 3:8
25 Another man dies in bitterness of soul,S Job 10:1 25 never having enjoyed anything good.
26 Side by side they lie in the dust,S Job 17:16 26 and wormsS Job 7:5 cover them both.Job 24:20; Ecc 9:2-3Isa 14:11 26 Job 24:20; Ecc 9:2-3
27 "I know full well what you are thinking, 27 the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 You say, 'Where now is the great man'sJob 1:3; 12:2129:2531:37 house, 28 Job 1:3; 12:21 28 the tents where wicked men lived?'S Job 8:22 28 Job 8:22
29 Have you never questioned those who travel? 29 Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
30 that the evil man is spared from the day of calamity,Job 31:3Pr 16:4 30 Pr 16:4 30 that he is delivered from[e] Or man is reserved for the day of calamity, / that he is brought forth to the day of wrath?S Job 20:22,28S Isa 5:30; Ro 2:52Pe 2:9 30 Job 20:22,28; 2Pe 2:9
31 Who denounces his conduct to his face? 31 Who repays him for what he has done?Job 34:11; Ps 62:12; Pr 24:11-12; Isa 59:18
32 He is carried to the grave, 32 and watch is kept over his tomb.Isa 14:18
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to him;Job 3:2217:16; 24:24 33 Job 3:22; 17:16; 24:24 33 all men follow after him, 33 and a countless throng goes[f] Or / as a countless throng went before him.S Job 3:19 33 Job 3:19
34 "So how can you console mever 2Job 16:2 with your nonsense? 34 Job 16:2 34 Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!"S Job 6:15; 8:20 Job 22
1 Eliphaz
1 Then Eliphaz the TemaniteS Job 4:1 replied:
2 "Can a man be of benefit to God?Lk 17:10 2 Lk 17:10 2 Can even a wise man benefit him?S Job 7:17
3 What pleasureIsa 1:11; Hag 1:8 would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?Ps 143:2 3 Isa 1:11 3 What would he gain if your ways were blameless?Job 35:7; Pr 9:12
4 "Is it for your piety that he rebukes you 4 and brings charges against you?S Job 9:314:319:29; Ps 143:2Isa 3:14; Eze 20:35 4 Job 14:3; 19:29
5 Is not your wickedness great? 5 Are not your sinsS Ezr 9:13; S Job 15:5Job 11:6; 15:5 endless?S Job 15:13; S 20:29; 29:17 5 Job 11:6
6 You demanded securityS Ex 22:26Dt 24:6,17; Eze 18:12,16 from your brothers for no reason;S 2Ki 4:1 6 Ex 22:26 6 you stripped men of their clothing, leaving them naked.S Ex 22:27; Dt 24:12-13
7 You gave no waterMt 10:42 to the weary 7 and you withheld food from the hungry,ver 9Job 29:1231:17,21,31Isa 58:7,10; Eze 18:7; Mt 25:42 7 Job 31:17,21,31
8 though you were a powerful man, owning landS Job 15:19— 8 an honored man,Isa 3:35:139:15 living on it.S Job 12:19 8 Isa 3:3
9 And you sent widowsJob 29:13; 31:16; Ps 146:9 away empty-handedJob 24:3,21Isa 10:2; Lk 1:53 9 Job 24:3,21 9 and broke the strength of the fatherless.S ver 7; S Job 6:27; S Isa 1:17
10 That is why snaresS Job 18:9 are all around you,S Job 10:3 10 why sudden peril terrifies you,S Job 15:21
11 why it is so darkS Job 5:14 you cannot see, 11 Job 5:14 11 and why a flood of water covers you.S Ge 7:23; Job 36:28; 38:34,37Ps 69:1-2124:4-5Isa 58:10-11La 3:54 11 Ps 69:1-2; 124:4-5
12 "Is not God in the heights of heaven?S Job 11:8S 16:19 12 Job 11:8 12 And see how lofty are the highest stars!
13 Yet you say, 'What does God know?ver 14Ps 10:1159:7; 64:5; 73:11; 94:7Isa 29:15Eze 9:9; Zep 1:12 13 Ps 10:11 13 Does he judge through such darkness?Ps 139:11Eze 8:12Eph 6:12 13 Eze 8:12
14 Thick cloudsJob 26:9Ps 97:2; 105:39 veil him, so he does not see usS ver 13; S 2Ki 21:16 14 Job 26:9 14 as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.'Job 37:18; Ps 18:11; Pr 8:27; Isa 40:22; Jer 23:23-24
15 Will you keep to the old path 15 that evil menJob 23:10; 34:36 have trod?Job 34:8; Ps 1:1; 50:18
16 They were carried off before their time,S Job 15:32 16 Job 15:32 16 their foundationsS Job 4:19 washed away by a flood.S Ge 7:23Job 14:19Mt 7:26-27 16 Mt 7:26-27
17 They said to God, 'Leave us alone! 17 What can the Almighty do to us?'Job 21:15
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,S Job 12:6 18 Job 12:6 18 so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked.S Job 21:16
19 "The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;Ps 5:11; 9:2; 32:1158:1064:10; 97:12107:42 19 Ps 58:10; 107:42 19 the innocent mockJob 21:3Ps 52:6 them, saying, 19 Ps 52:6
20 'Surely our foes are destroyed,Ps 18:39 20 and fireS Job 15:30 devours their wealth.' 20 Job 15:30
21 "Submit to God and be at peaceIsa 26:3,12; 27:5; Ro 5:1 with him;S Ge 17:1; Jer 9:24 21 in this way prosperity will come to you.S Job 8:7Ps 34:8-10Pr 3:10; 1Pe 5:6 21 Ps 34:8-10
22 Accept instruction from his mouthS Dt 8:3 22 and lay up his wordsS Job 6:10 in your heart.S Job 15:11; 28:23; Ps 37:31; 40:8; Pr 2:6; Eze 3:10
23 If you returnJob 8:5Isa 31:644:22; 55:7; 59:20; Jer 3:14,22; Eze 18:32Zec 1:3Mal 3:7 to the Almighty, you will be restored:S Job 5:24Isa 19:22Ac 20:32 23 Isa 19:22; Ac 20:32 23 If you remove wickedness far from your tentJob 11:14 23 Job 11:14
24 and assign your nuggetsJob 28:6 to the dust, 24 your goldPs 19:10 of OphirS Ge 10:29 to the rocks in the ravines,S Job 1:1031:25Isa 2:20; 30:22; 31:7; 40:19-20; Mt 6:19 24 Job 31:25
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,Job 31:24; Ps 49:6; 52:7; Pr 11:28 25 the choicest silver for you.2Ki 18:7Isa 33:6Mt 6:20-21 25 Isa 33:6
26 Surely then you will find delight in the AlmightyJob 27:10Ps 2:8; 16:6; 37:4Isa 58:1461:10 26 Job 27:10; Isa 58:14 26 and will lift up your faceJob 11:15 to God.Job 11:17; 33:26; Ps 27:6; 100:1
27 You will pray to him,S Job 5:27Job 33:26; 34:28Isa 58:9 and he will hear you,S Job 5:15; S Ps 86:7; S Isa 30:19 27 Isa 58:9 27 and you will fulfill your vows.S Nu 30:2
28 What you decide on will be done,Ps 103:11; 145:19 28 and lightJob 33:28; Ps 97:11; Pr 4:18 will shine on your ways.S Job 11:17
29 When men are brought lowS Est 5:12 and you say, 'Lift them up!' 29 then he will save the downcast.Ps 18:27; S Mt 23:121Pe 5:5 29 Mt 23:12; 1Pe 5:5
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,Isa 1:18; Ro 4:5 30 who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."S 2Sa 22:21Job 42:7-8 30 Job 42:7-8
