Job 21:27–34

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Futile Words, Deceptive Answers

^21:27“Yes, I know what you are thinking,⁶⁶

the schemes⁶⁷ by which you would wrong me.⁶⁸

^21:28For you say,

‘Where now is the nobleman’s house,⁶⁹

and where are the tents in which the wicked lived?’⁷⁰

^21:29Have you never questioned those who travel the roads?

Do you not recognize their accounts⁷¹—

^21:30that the evil man is spared

from the day of his misfortune,

that he is delivered⁷²

from the day of God’s wrath?

^21:31No one denounces his conduct to his face;

no one repays him for what⁷³ he has done.⁷⁴

^21:32And when he is carried to the tombs,

and watch is kept⁷⁵ over the funeral mound,⁷⁶

^21:33The clods of the torrent valley⁷⁷ are sweet to him;

behind him everybody follows in procession,

and before him goes a countless throng.

^21:34So how can you console me with your futile words?

Nothing is left of your answers but deception!”⁷⁸

Read in Logos

Footnotes

66 The word is “your thoughts.” The word for “thoughts” (from חָצַב [khatsav, “to think; to reckon; to plan”]) has more to do with their intent than their general thoughts. He knows that when they talked about the fate of the wicked they really were talking about him.
67 For the meaning of this word, and its root זָמַם (zamam), see Job 17:11. It usually means the “plans” or “schemes” that are concocted against someone.
68 E. Dhorme (Job, 321) distinguishes the verb חָמַס (khamas) from the noun for “violence.” He proposes a meaning of “think, imagine”: “and the ideas you imagined about me.”
69 The question implies the answer will be “vanished” or “gone.”
70 Heb “And where is the tent, the dwellings of the wicked.” The word “dwellings of the wicked” is in apposition to “tent.” A relative pronoun must be supplied in the translation.
71 The reads, “Ask those who go by the way, and do not disown their signs.” The idea is that the merchants who travel widely will talk about what they have seen and heard. These travelers give a different account of the wicked; they tell how he is spared. E. Dhorme (Job, 322) interprets “signs” concretely: “Their custom was to write their names and their thoughts somewhere at the main cross-roads. The main roads of Sinai are dotted with these scribblings made by such passers of a day.”
72 The verb means “to be led forth.” To be “led forth in the day of trouble” means to be delivered.
73 The expression “and he has done” is taken here to mean “what he has done.”
74 Heb “Who declares his way to his face? // Who repays him for what he has done?” These rhetorical questions, which expect a negative answer (“No one!”) have been translated as indicative statements to bring out their force clearly.
75 The verb says “he will watch.” The subject is unspecified, so the translation is passive.
76 The Hebrew word refers to the tumulus, the burial mound that is erected on the spot where the person is buried.
77 The clods are those that are used to make a mound over the body. And, for a burial in the valley, see Deut 34:6. The verse here sees him as participating in his funeral and enjoying it. Nothing seems to go wrong with the wicked.
78 The word מָעַל (ma’al) is used for “treachery; deception; fraud.” Here Job is saying that their way of interpreting reality is dangerously unfaithful.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Behold, I know your thoughts

and your schemes to wrong me.

For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince?

Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’

Have you not asked those who travel the roads,

and do you not accept their testimony

that the evil man is spared in the day of calamity,

that he is rescued in the day of wrath?

Who declares his way to his face,

and who repays him for what he has done?

When he is carried to the grave,

watch is kept over his tomb.

The clods of the valley are sweet to him;

all mankind follows after him,

and those who go before him are innumerable.

How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?

There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“I know full well what you are thinking,

the schemes by which you would wrong me.

You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,

the tents where the wicked lived?’

Have you never questioned those who travel?

Have you paid no regard to their accounts—

that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,

that they are delivered from the day of wrath?

Who denounces their conduct to their face?

Who repays them for what they have done?

They are carried to the grave,

and watch is kept over their tombs.

The soil in the valley is sweet to them;

everyone follows after them,

and a countless throng goes before them.

“So how can you console me with your nonsense?

Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I know your thoughts very well,

the schemes by which you would wrong me.

For you say, “Where now is the nobleman’s house?”

and “Where are the tents the wicked lived in?”

Have you never consulted those who travel the roads?

Don’t you accept their reports?

Indeed, the evil person is spared from the day of disaster,

rescued from the day of wrath.

Who would denounce his behavior to his face?

Who would repay him for what he has done?

He is carried to the grave,

and someone keeps watch over his tomb.

The dirt on his grave is sweet to him.

Everyone follows behind him,

and those who go before him are without number.

So how can you offer me such futile comfort?

Your answers are deceptive.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Look, I know what you’re thinking.

I know the schemes you plot against me.

You will tell me of rich and wicked people

whose houses have vanished because of their sins.

But ask those who have been around,

and they will tell you the truth.

Evil people are spared in times of calamity

and are allowed to escape disaster.

No one criticizes them openly

or pays them back for what they have done.

When they are carried to the grave,

an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb.

A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery.

Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest,

and the earth gives sweet repose.

“How can your empty clichés comfort me?

All your explanations are lies!”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“Look, I know your thoughts

and the schemes you devise against me.

For you say, ‘Where is the nobleman’s house,

and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’

Do you not ask those traveling the roads,

and do you not take notice of their accounts?

Indeed, the wicked is spared from the day of disaster;

he is delivered from the day of wrath.

Who denounces his way to his face?

And who repays him for what he has done?

When he is brought to the grave,

then someone stands guard over the tomb.

The clods of the valley are sweet to him;

everyone will follow after him,

and before him they are innumerable.

So how will you comfort me with emptiness,

when fraud is left in your answers?”

KJV 1900King James Version

Behold, I know your thoughts,

And the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

For ye say, Where is the house of the prince?

And where are the dwelling places of the wicked?

Have ye not asked them that go by the way?

And do ye not know their tokens,

That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction?

They shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

Who shall declare his way to his face?

And who shall repay him what he hath done?

Yet shall he be brought to the grave,

And shall remain in the tomb.

The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him,

And every man shall draw after him,

As there are innumerable before him.

How then comfort ye me in vain,

Seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?

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