Job 21

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¹Then Job answered, and said:

²Hear, I beseech you, my words, and do penance.

³Suffer me, and I will speak, and after, if you please, laugh at my words.

⁴Is my debate against man, that I should not have just reason to be troubled?

⁵Hearken to me and be astonished, and lay your finger on your mouth.

⁶As for me, when I remember, I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

⁷Why then do the wicked live, are they advanced, and strengthened with riches?

⁸Their seed continueth before them, a multitude of kinsmen, and of children's children in their sight.

⁹Their houses are secure and peaceable, and the rod of God is not upon them.

¹⁰Their cattle have conceived, and failed not: their cow has calved, and is not deprived of her fruit.

¹¹Their little ones go out like a flock, and their children dance and play.

¹²They take the timbrel, and the harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

¹³They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment they go down to hell.

¹⁴Who have said to God: Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

¹⁵Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what doth it profit us if we pray to him?

¹⁶Yet because their good things are not in their hand, may the counsel of the wicked be far from me.

¹⁷How often shall the lamp of the wicked be put out, and a deluge come upon them, and he shall distribute the sorrows of his wrath?

¹⁸They shall be as chaff before the face of the wind, and as ashes which the whirlwind scattereth.

¹⁹God shall lay up the sorrow of the father for his children: and when he shall repay, then shall he know.

²⁰His eyes shall see his own destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹For what is it to him what befalleth his house after him: and if the number of his months be diminished by one half?

²²Shall any one teach God knowledge, who judgeth those that are high?

²³One man dieth strong, and hale, rich and happy.

²⁴His bowels are full of fat, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

²⁵But another dieth in bitterness of soul without any riches:

²⁶And yet they shall sleep together in the dust, and worms shall cover them.

²⁷Surely I know your thoughts, and your unjust judgments against me.

²⁸For you say: Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?

²⁹Ask any one of them that go by the way, and you shall perceive that he knoweth these same things.

³⁰Because the wicked man is reserved to the day of destruction, and he shall be brought to the day of wrath.

³¹Who shall reprove his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?

³²He shall be brought to the graves, and shall watch in the heap of the dead.

³³He hath been acceptable to the gravel of Cocytus, and he shall draw every man after him, and there are innumerable before him.

³⁴How then do ye comfort me in vain, whereas your answer is shewn to be repugnant to truth?

Job 21

¹But Job answered and said,

²Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.

³Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.

⁴As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?

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

⁶Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

⁷Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

⁸Their seed is established in their sight with them, 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 take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

¹³They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

¹⁴Therefore 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 good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.

¹⁸They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

¹⁹God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.

²⁰His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?

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 breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

²⁵And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.

²⁶They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.

²⁷Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

²⁸For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?

²⁹Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

³⁰That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought 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 brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.

³³The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

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