Job 21 Comparison: American Standard Version vs Berean Study Bible

Job 21

¹Then Job answered and said,

²Hear diligently my speech; And let this be your consolations.

³Suffer me, and I also will speak; And after that I have spoken, mock on.

⁴As for me, is my complaint to man? And why should I not be impatient?

⁵Mark me, and be astonished, And lay your hand upon your mouth.

⁶Even when I remember I am troubled, And horror taketh hold on my flesh.

⁷Wherefore do the wicked live, Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?

⁸Their seed is established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes.

⁹Their houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them.

¹⁰Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance.

¹²They sing to the timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

¹³They spend their days in prosperity, And in a moment they go down to Sheol.

¹⁴And they say unto God, Depart from us; For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

¹⁵What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

¹⁶Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand: The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity cometh upon them? ThatGod distributeth sorrows in his anger?

¹⁸That they are as stubble before the wind, And as chaff that the storm carrieth away?

¹⁹Ye say, God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it:

²⁰Let his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹For what careth he for his house after him, When the number of his months is cut off?

²²Shall any teach God knowledge, Seeing he judgeth those that are high?

²³One dieth in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and quiet:

²⁴His pails are full of milk, And the marrow of his bones is moistened.

²⁵And another dieth in bitterness of soul, And never tasteth of good.

²⁶They lie down alike in the dust, And the worm covereth them.

²⁷Behold, I know your thoughts, And the devices wherewith ye would wrong me.

²⁸For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?

²⁹Have ye not asked wayfaring men? And do ye not know their evidences,

³⁰That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity? That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

³¹Who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done?

³²Yet shall he be borne to the grave, And men shall keep watch over the tomb.

³³The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, And all men shall draw after him, As there were innumerable before him.

³⁴How then comfort ye me in vain, Seeing in your answers there remaineth only falsehood?

Job 21

¹Then Job answered:

²“Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me.

³Bear with me while I speak; then, after I have spoken, you may go on mocking.

⁴Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient?

⁵Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth.

⁶When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror.

⁷Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?

⁸Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes.

⁹Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them.

¹⁰Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.

¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,

¹²singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.

¹³They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.

¹⁴Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.

¹⁵Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’

¹⁶Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.

¹⁷How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction?

¹⁸Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?

¹⁹It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it.

²⁰Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?

²²Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?

²³One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease.

²⁴His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.

²⁵Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity.

²⁶But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both.

²⁷Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me.

²⁸For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’

²⁹Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports?

³⁰Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath.

³¹Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?

³²He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.

³³The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number.

³⁴So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”