Job 21:7–18

Why do the wicked live,

reach old age, and grow mighty in power?

Their offspring are established in their presence,

and their descendants before their eyes.

Their houses are safe from fear,

and no rod of God is upon them.

Their bull breeds without fail;

their cow calves and does not miscarry.

They send out their little boys like a flock,

and their children dance.

They sing to the tambourine and the lyre

and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.

They spend their days in prosperity,

and in peace they go down to Sheol.

They say to God, ‘Depart from us!

We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?

And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’

Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?

The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

“How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out?

That their calamity comes upon them?

That God distributes pains in his anger?

That they are like straw before the wind,

and like chaff that the storm carries away?

Why do the wicked live on,

growing old and increasing in power?

They see their children established around them,

their offspring before their eyes.

Their homes are safe and free from fear;

the rod of God is not on them.

Their bulls never fail to breed;

their cows calve and do not miscarry.

They send forth their children as a flock;

their little ones dance about.

They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;

they make merry to the sound of the pipe.

They spend their years in prosperity

and go down to the grave in peace.

Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!

We have no desire to know your ways.

Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?

What would we gain by praying to him?’

But their prosperity is not in their own hands,

so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.

“Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?

How often does calamity come upon them,

the fate God allots in his anger?

How often are they like straw before the wind,

like chaff swept away by a gale?

Why do the wicked continue to live,

growing old and becoming powerful?

Their children are established while they are still alive,

and their descendants, before their eyes.

Their homes are secure and free of fear;

no rod from God strikes them.

Their bulls breed without fail;

their cows calve and do not miscarry.

They let their little ones run around like lambs;

their children skip about,

singing to the tambourine and lyre

and rejoicing at the sound of the flute.

They spend their days in prosperity

and go down to Sheol in peace.

Yet they say to God, “Leave us alone!

We don’t want to know your ways.

Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him,

and what will we gain by pleading with him?”

But their prosperity is not of their own doing.

The counsel of the wicked is far from me!

How often is the lamp of the wicked put out?

Does disaster come on them?

Does he apportion destruction in his anger?

Are they like straw before the wind,

like chaff a storm sweeps away?

“Why do the wicked prosper,

growing old and powerful?

They live to see their children grow up and settle down,

and they enjoy their grandchildren.

Their homes are safe from every fear,

and God does not punish them.

Their bulls never fail to breed.

Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.

They let their children frisk about like lambs.

Their little ones skip and dance.

They sing with tambourine and harp.

They celebrate to the sound of the flute.

They spend their days in prosperity,

then go down to the grave in peace.

And yet they say to God, ‘Go away.

We want no part of you and your ways.

Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him?

What good will it do us to pray?’

(They think their prosperity is of their own doing,

but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)

“Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished.

Do they ever have trouble?

Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger?

Are they driven before the wind like straw?

Are they carried away by the storm like chaff?

Not at all!

“Why do the wicked live,

grow old, even grow mighty in power?

With them their offspring are established before them,

and their descendants before their eyes.

Their houses are safe without fear,

and the rod of God is not upon them.

His bull breeds and does not fail;

his cow calves and does not miscarry.

They send out their little ones like the flock,

and their children dance around.

They sing to the tambourine and lyre,

and they rejoice to the sound of the long flute.

They spend their days in prosperity,

and in peace they go down to Sheol.

And they say to God, ‘Turn away from us,

for we do not desire to know your ways.

Who is Shaddai that we should serve him,

or what would we benefit when we plead with him?’

Look, their prosperity is not in their hands;

the schemes of the wicked are repugnant to me.

“How often is the lamp of the wicked put out,

and their disaster comes upon them?

He distributes pains in his anger.

How often are they like straw before the wind,

and like chaff that the storm carries away?

Wherefore do the wicked live,

Become old, yea, are mighty in power?

Their seed is established in their sight with them,

And their offspring before their eyes.

Their houses are safe from fear,

Neither is the rod of God upon them.

Their bull gendereth, and faileth not;

Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

They send forth their little ones like a flock,

And their children dance.

They take the timbrel and harp,

And rejoice at the sound of the organ.

They spend their days in wealth,

And in a moment go down to the grave.

Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us;

For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?

And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

Lo, their good is not in their hand:

The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

How oft is the candle of the wicked put out!

And how oft cometh their destruction upon them!

God distributeth sorrows in his anger.

They are as stubble before the wind,

And as chaff that the storm carrieth away.