Job 21:1 - 21:34 | ASV

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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? That `God' distributeth sorrows in his anger?

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

¹⁹`Ye 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?

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