Job 21-23
Legacy Standard Bible
God Does Not Punish the Wicked
21 Then Job answered and said,
2 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation.
3 Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may (A)mock.
4 As for me, is (B)my musing [a]to man?
And (C)why should [b]I not be impatient?
5 Look at me, and be appalled,
And (D)put your hand over your mouth.
6 Even when I remember, I am dismayed,
And (E)horror seizes my flesh.
7 Why (F)do the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very (G)powerful?
8 Their (H)seed is established with them in their presence,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses (I)are safe from dread,
And the rod of God is not on them.
10 His ox mates and does not fail;
His cow calves and does not miscarry.
11 They send forth their little ones like the flock,
And their children skip about.
12 They lift up the tambourine and harp
And are glad at the sound of the pipe.
13 They (J)spend their days in prosperity,
And [c]suddenly they go down to Sheol.
14 They say to God, ‘(K)Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 [d]Who is [e]the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And (L)what would we profit if we entreat Him?’
16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The (M)counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is (N)the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their (O)disaster fall on them?
Does [f]God apportion destruction in His anger?
18 Are they as (P)straw before the wind,
And like (Q)chaff which the storm steals away?
19 You say, ‘(R)God stores away [g]a man’s wickedness for his sons.’
Let [h]God repay him so that he may know it.
20 Let his (S)own eyes see his decay,
And let him (T)drink of the wrath of [i]the Almighty.
21 For what desire does he have for his household [j]after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?
22 Can anyone (U)teach God knowledge,
In that He (V)judges those on high?
23 One (W)dies in his full strength,
Being wholly carefree and at ease;
24 His [k]sides are filled out with fat,
And the (X)marrow of his bones is moist,
25 But another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even eats anything good.
26 Together they (Y)lie down in the dust,
And (Z)worms cover them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plans by which you do violence against me.
28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of (AA)the nobleman,
And where is the (AB)tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’
29 Have you not asked those who pass by along the way,
And do you not recognize their [l]witness?
30 That the (AC)wicked is reserved for the day of disaster;
They will be led forth at (AD)the day of fury.
31 Who will declare to his face about his actions,
And who will repay him for what he has done?
32 While he is led forth to the grave,
Men will keep watch over his tomb.
33 The (AE)clods of the valley will [m]gently cover him;
Moreover, (AF)all men will draw up after him,
While countless ones go before him.
34 How then will you vainly (AG)comfort me,
Indeed when your answers remain full of [n]falsehood?”
Eliphaz Says Job Must Repent
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “Can a mighty (AH)man be of use to God,
Or an insightful man be useful to himself?
3 Is there any pleasure to [o]the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or profit if you make your ways perfect?
4 Is it because of your reverent fear that He reproves you,
That He (AI)enters into judgment against you?
5 Is not (AJ)your evil great,
And your iniquities without end?
6 For you have (AK)taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And (AL)stripped the clothing of the naked.
7 To the weary you have (AM)given no water to drink,
And from the hungry you have (AN)withheld bread.
8 But the earth (AO)belongs to the (AP)mighty man,
And (AQ)the [p]highly respected man inhabits it.
9 You have sent (AR)widows away empty,
And the [q]might of the (AS)orphans has been crushed.
10 Therefore (AT)snares surround you,
And sudden (AU)dread terrifies you,
11 Or (AV)darkness, so that you cannot see,
And an (AW)abundance of water covers you.
12 “Is not God (AX)in the height of heaven?
Look also at the [r]distant stars, how high they are!
13 You say, ‘(AY)What does God know?
Can He judge through the dense gloom?
14 (AZ)Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;
And He walks on the [s]vault of heaven.’
15 Will you keep to the ancient path
Which (BA)wicked men have trod,
16 Who were snatched away (BB)before their time,
Whose (BC)foundations were [t]washed away by a river?
17 They (BD)said to God, ‘Depart from us!’
And ‘What can [u]the Almighty do to them?’
18 Yet He (BE)filled their houses with good things,
But (BF)the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The (BG)righteous see and are glad,
And the innocent mock them,
20 Saying, ‘Truly those who rise against us are wiped out,
And their [v]abundance (BH)the fire has consumed.’
21 “[w](BI)Yield now and be at peace with Him;
Thereby good will come to you.
22 Please receive [x](BJ)instruction from His mouth
And set His words in your heart.
23 If you (BK)return to [y]the Almighty, you will be [z]restored;
If you (BL)remove unrighteousness far from your tent,
24 And (BM)put your [aa]gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
25 Then [ab]the Almighty will be your [ac]gold
And choice silver to you.
26 For then you will (BN)delight in [ad]the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.
27 You will (BO)entreat Him, and (BP)He will hear you;
And you will pay your vows.
28 You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And (BQ)light will shine on your ways.
29 When [ae]some are cast down, you will speak with [af]confidence,
And the [ag](BR)humble person He will save.
30 He will provide escape for one who is not innocent,
And he will (BS)escape through the cleanness of your hands.”
Where Is God?
23 Then Job answered and said,
2 “Even today my (BT)musing is rebellion;
[ah]His hand is (BU)heavy despite my groaning.
3 Oh that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
4 I would (BV)arrange my case for justice before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words which He would [ai]answer,
And discern what He would say to me.
6 Would He contend with me by (BW)the greatness of His power?
No, surely He would pay attention to me.
7 There the upright would (BX)argue with Him;
And I [aj]would have (BY)escaped forever from my Judge.
8 “Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I (BZ)cannot discern Him;
9 When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him;
He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.
10 But He knows the [ak]way I take;
When He has (CA)tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 My foot has (CB)held fast to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the (CC)words of His mouth [al]more than my [am]portion of food.
13 But He is unique and who can turn Him?
And what His soul desires, that He does.
14 For He performs what is apportioned for me,
And many such decrees are with Him.
15 Therefore, I would be dismayed at His presence;
I carefully consider, and I am in dread of Him.
16 It is God who has made my (CD)heart faint,
And the Almighty who has dismayed me,
17 But I (CE)am not silenced by the darkness,
Nor (CF)thick darkness which covers me.
Footnotes
- Job 21:4 Or against
- Job 21:4 Lit my spirit
- Job 21:13 As in most versions; M.T. are shattered by Sheol
- Job 21:15 Lit What
- Job 21:15 Heb Shaddai
- Job 21:17 Lit He
- Job 21:19 Lit his
- Job 21:19 Lit Him
- Job 21:20 Heb Shaddai
- Job 21:21 After he dies
- Job 21:24 As in Syr; Heb uncertain; some Heb mss render as his pails are full of milk
- Job 21:29 Lit signs
- Job 21:33 Lit be sweet to him
- Job 21:34 Or faithlessness
- Job 22:3 Heb Shaddai
- Job 22:8 Lit the one whose face is lifted up
- Job 22:9 Lit arms
- Job 22:12 Lit head, top-most
- Job 22:14 Lit circle
- Job 22:16 Lit poured out
- Job 22:17 Heb Shaddai
- Job 22:20 Or excess
- Job 22:21 Or Make yourself useful, cf. Job 22:2
- Job 22:22 Or law
- Job 22:23 Heb Shaddai
- Job 22:23 Lit built up
- Job 22:24 Lit ore
- Job 22:25 Heb Shaddai
- Job 22:25 Lit ore
- Job 22:26 Heb Shaddai
- Job 22:29 Lit they cast you down
- Job 22:29 Lit pride
- Job 22:29 Lit lowly of eyes
- Job 23:2 As in Gr and Syr; M.T. My
- Job 23:5 Lit answer me
- Job 23:7 Or bring forth my justice forever
- Job 23:10 Lit way with me
- Job 23:12 Some versions in my breast
- Job 23:12 Lit statute
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