Job 21 - American Standard Version 2015

¹ Then Job answered and said,

² Hear diligently my speech;\par\tab And let this be your consolations.

³ Suffer me, and I also will speak;\par\tab And after that I have spoken, mock on.

⁴ As for me, is my complaint to man?\par\tab And why should I not be impatient?

⁵ Mark me, and be astonished,\par\tab And lay your hand upon your mouth.

⁶ Even when I remember I am troubled,\par\tab And horror taketh hold on my flesh.

⁷ Wherefore do the wicked live,\par\tab Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?

⁸ Their seed is established with them in their sight,\par\tab And their offspring before their eyes.

⁹ Their houses are safe from fear,\par\tab Neither is the rod of God upon them.

¹⁰ Their bull gendereth, and faileth not;\par\tab Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

¹¹ They send forth their little ones like a flock,\par\tab And their children dance.

¹² They sing to the timbrel and harp,\par\tab And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

¹³ They spend their days in prosperity,\par\tab And in a moment they go down to Sheol.

¹⁴ And they say unto God, Depart from us;\par\tab For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

¹⁵ What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?\par\tab And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

¹⁶ Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand:\par\tab The counsel of the wicked is far from me.\par

¹⁷ How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out?\par\tab That their calamity cometh upon them?\par\tab That {\i God} distributeth sorrows in his anger?

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

¹⁹ {\i Ye say}, God layeth up his iniquity for his children.\par\tab Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it:

²⁰ Let his own eyes see his destruction,\par\tab And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹ For what careth he for his house after him,\par\tab When the number of his months is cut off?

²² Shall any teach God knowledge,\par\tab Seeing he judgeth those that are high?

²³ One dieth in his full strength,\par\tab Being wholly at ease and quiet:

²⁴ His pails are full of milk,\par\tab And the marrow of his bones is moistened.

²⁵ And another dieth in bitterness of soul,\par\tab And never tasteth of good.

²⁶ They lie down alike in the dust,\par\tab And the worm covereth them.\par

²⁷ Behold, I know your thoughts,\par\tab And the devices wherewith ye would wrong me.

²⁸ For ye say, Where is the house of the prince?\par\tab And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?

²⁹ Have ye not asked wayfaring men?\par\tab And do ye not know their evidences,

³⁰ That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity?\par\tab That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

³¹ Who shall declare his way to his face?\par\tab And who shall repay him what he hath done?

³² Yet shall he be borne to the grave,\par\tab And men shall keep watch over the tomb.

³³ The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him,\par\tab And all men shall draw after him,\par\tab As there were innumerable before him.

³⁴ How then comfort ye me in vain,\par\tab Seeing in your answers there remaineth {\i only} falsehood?\par