Job 21: Job speaks of wicked people who live at ease
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What happens?
Job asks his hearers to listen, and then to mock if they will. He asks why the wicked live, grow old and become strong, with their children, houses and animals safe, and he describes one man who dies at ease and another who dies in bitterness, both lying in the dust. He says he knows his hearers' thoughts, and he ends by asking how they can comfort him with nonsense.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. Job speaks the whole chapter (verses 2 to 34); verse 1 is the narrator. In verses 14 and 15 Job tells what the wicked say to God, and in verses 19 and 28 he gives words to the people he is speaking to ("You say"). God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Then Job answered,
In plain English: Then Job answered.
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2“Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.
In plain English: "Listen carefully to my speech. Let this be your comfort.
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3Allow me, and I also will speak. After I have spoken, mock on.
In plain English: Bear with me, and I also will speak. After I have spoken, you may mock.
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4As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn’t I be impatient?
In plain English: As for me, is my complaint to man? Why should I not be impatient (the Hebrew says: why should my spirit not be short)?
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5Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.
In plain English: Look at me, and be astonished. Put your hand over your mouth.
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6When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh.
In plain English: When I remember this, I am troubled. Shuddering takes hold of my flesh.
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7“Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?
In plain English: Why do the wicked live, grow old, and even become strong in power?
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8Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes.
In plain English: Their offspring are established with them in their sight, and their descendants before their eyes.
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9Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
In plain English: Their houses are safe from fear, and the rod of God is not on them.
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10Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry.
In plain English: Their bulls breed and do not fail. Their cows calve and do not miscarry.
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11They send out their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.
In plain English: They send out their little boys like a flock, and their children dance (or: leap about).
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12They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
In plain English: They sing (the Hebrew says: lift up) to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
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13They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol.
In plain English: They finish their days in prosperity (the Hebrew says: in the good). In a moment they go down to Sheol.
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14They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways.
In plain English: They say to God, 'Depart from us, for we do not want to know your ways.
Good to know: In verses 14 and 15 Job tells what the wicked say to God. These are the words Job gives the wicked, not Job's own words about himself.
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15What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’
In plain English: What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What will we gain if we pray to him?'
The Hebrew word: "Almighty" is Shaddai, which the dictionary gives as "the Almighty". It is in 48 verses of the Bible, 31 of them in Job, and the WEB says "Almighty" in all 48.
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16Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
In plain English: Look, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
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17“How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger?
In plain English: How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? How often does their calamity come on them? How often does God (the Hebrew says: he) share out pains in his anger?
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18How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away?
In plain English: How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff that a storm carries away?
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19You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.
In plain English: You say, 'God stores up his wickedness for his children.' Let him pay it back to himself, so that he knows it.
Good to know: "You say" begins words that Job gives to the people he is speaking to: "God stores up his wickedness for his children." He does the same in ("Where is the house of the prince?"). These are the words Job gives them, not his own.
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20Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
In plain English: Let his own eyes see his destruction, and let him drink from the anger of the Almighty.
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21For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?
In plain English: For what pleasure does he have in his household after him, when the number of his months is cut off?
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22“Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?
In plain English: Will anyone teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?
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23One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
In plain English: One dies in his full strength, completely at ease and quiet.
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24His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.
In plain English: His pails are full of milk, and the marrow of his bones is watered.
The Hebrew word: "Pails" is atin, which the dictionary gives as "a receptacle (for milk, i.e. pail; figuratively, breast)". This word is found in 1 verse of the Bible, this one.
What changes: With "breast" the line reads that his breasts are full of milk instead of his pails. The text does not rule between the readings.
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25Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.
In plain English: Another dies with a bitter soul, and has never eaten of the good.
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26They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.
In plain English: Together they lie down in the dust, and the worm (the Hebrew says: maggot) covers them.
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27“Behold, I know your thoughts, the plans with which you would wrong me.
In plain English: Look, I know your thoughts and the plans with which you do violence to me.
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28For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’
In plain English: For you say, 'Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?'
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29Haven’t you asked wayfaring men? Don’t you know their evidences,
In plain English: Have you not asked those who travel the road? Do you not recognize their signs,
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30that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, that they are led out to the day of wrath?
In plain English: that the evil man is held back for the day of calamity, that they are brought out to the day of wrath?
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31Who will declare his way to his face? Who will repay him what he has done?
In plain English: Who will tell him his way to his face? Who will pay him back for what he has done?
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32Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men will keep watch over the tomb.
In plain English: Yet he is carried to the grave, and someone keeps watch over the tomb.
The Hebrew word: "Tomb" is gadish, which the dictionary gives as "a stack of sheaves; by analogy, a tomb". It is in 4 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "shock" (a stack of grain) in 3 of them and "tomb" here.
What changes: With "stack of sheaves" the second half reads that someone keeps watch over a stack of grain. The text does not rule between the readings.
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33The clods of the valley will be sweet to him. All men will draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.
In plain English: The clods of the valley are sweet to him. Every person follows after him, and before him there is no number.
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34So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”
In plain English: So how can you comfort me with vanity (or: nonsense), when what remains of your answers is falsehood (or: unfaithfulness)?"
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