Job 21

21But Job answered and said,

^2aHear diligently my speech,

And let this be your consolations.

³Suffer me that I may speak;

And after that I have spoken, ^bmock on.

⁴As for me, is my ^ccomplaint to man?

And if it were so, why should not my ^dspirit be ^†troubled?

^5†Mark me, and be astonished,

And ^elay your hand upon your mouth.

⁶Even when I remember I am afraid,

And trembling ^ftaketh hold on my flesh.

^7gWherefore do the wicked live,

Become old, yea, ^hare mighty in power?

⁸Their seed ⁱis established in their sight with them,

And their ^koffspring before their eyes.

⁹Their houses ^†are safe from fear,

Neither is ^lthe rod of God upon them.

¹⁰Their bull gendereth, and faileth not;

Their cow calveth, and ^mcasteth not her calf.

¹¹They ⁿsend forth their little ones like a flock,

And their children dance.

¹²They ^otake the ^ptimbrel and ^qharp,

And rejoice at the sound of the ^rorgan.

¹³They ^sspend their days ^||in wealth,

And ^tin a moment go down to the grave.

¹⁴Therefore ^uthey say unto God, Depart from us;

For ^xwe desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

^15yWhat is the Almighty, that we should serve him?

And ^zwhat profit should we have, if we ^apray unto him?

¹⁶Lo, their good is not in their hand:

^bThe counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷How oft ^cis the ^||candle of the wicked put out!

And how oft cometh their destruction upon them!

God ^ddistributeth sorrows in his anger.

¹⁸They are as stubble before the wind,

And as ^echaff that the storm ^†carrieth away.

¹⁹God ^eelayeth up ^||his iniquity ^ffor his children:

He rewardeth him, and he shall ^gknow it.

²⁰His eyes shall see his destruction,

And ^hhe shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹For what ⁱpleasure hath he in his house after him,

When ^kthe number of his months is cut off in the midst?

^22lShall any teach God knowledge?

Seeing he judgeth ^mthose that are high.

²³One dieth ^†in his full strength,

Being wholly at ease and quiet.

²⁴His ^||breasts are full of milk,

And ⁿhis bones are moistened with marrow.

²⁵And another dieth ^oin the bitterness of his soul,

And never eateth with ^ppleasure.

²⁶They ^qshall lie down ^ralike 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, ^sWhere is the ^thouse of the prince?

And where are ^†tuthe 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 ^xreserved to the day of destruction?

They shall be brought forth to ^†the day of wrath.

³¹Who shall declare his way ^yto his face?

And who shall ^yrepay him what he hath done?

³²Yet shall he be ^zbrought to the ^†grave,

And shall ^†remain in the tomb.

³³The ^aclods of the valley shall be sweet unto him,

And ^bevery 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?