Job 18-21

New International Version

² “When will you end these speeches?^(B)
    Be sensible, and then we can talk.
³ Why are we regarded as cattle^(C)
    and considered stupid in your sight?^(D)
4 You who tear yourself^(E) to pieces in your anger,^(F)
    is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?
    Or must the rocks be moved from their place?^(G)

⁵ “The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out;^(H)
    the flame of his fire stops burning.^(I)
6 The light in his tent^(J) becomes dark;^(K)
    the lamp beside him goes out.^(L)
7 The vigor^(M) of his step is weakened;^(N)
    his own schemes^(O) throw him down.^(P)
8 His feet thrust him into a net;^(Q)
    he wanders into its mesh.
⁹ A trap seizes him by the heel;
    a snare^(R) holds him fast.^(S)
10 A noose^(T) is hidden for him on the ground;
    a trap^(U) lies in his path.^(V)
11 Terrors^(W) startle him on every side^(X)
    and dog^(Y) his every step.
¹² Calamity^(Z) is hungry^(AA) for him;
    disaster^(AB) is ready for him when he falls.^(AC)
13 It eats away parts of his skin;^(AD)
    death’s firstborn devours his limbs.^(AE)
14 He is torn from the security of his tent^(AF)
    and marched off to the king^(AG) of terrors.^(AH)
15 Fire resides^[a] in his tent;^(AI)
    burning sulfur^(AJ) is scattered over his dwelling.
¹⁶ His roots dry up below^(AK)
    and his branches wither above.^(AL)
17 The memory of him perishes from the earth;^(AM)
    he has no name^(AN) in the land.^(AO)
18 He is driven from light into the realm of darkness^(AP)
    and is banished^(AQ) from the world.^(AR)
19 He has no offspring^(AS) or descendants^(AT) among his people,
    no survivor^(AU) where once he lived.^(AV)
20 People of the west are appalled^(AW) at his fate;^(AX)
    those of the east are seized with horror.
²¹ Surely such is the dwelling^(AY) of an evil man;^(AZ)
    such is the place^(BA) of one who does not know God.”^(BB)

² “How long will you torment^(BC) me
    and crush^(BD) me with words?
³ Ten times^(BE) now you have reproached^(BF) me;
    shamelessly you attack me.
⁴ If it is true that I have gone astray,
    my error^(BG) remains my concern alone.
⁵ If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me^(BH)
    and use my humiliation against me,
⁶ then know that God has wronged me^(BI)
    and drawn his net^(BJ) around me.^(BK)

⁷ “Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response;^(BL)
    though I call for help,^(BM) there is no justice.^(BN)
8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;^(BO)
    he has shrouded my paths in darkness.^(BP)
9 He has stripped^(BQ) me of my honor^(BR)
    and removed the crown from my head.^(BS)
10 He tears me down^(BT) on every side till I am gone;
    he uproots my hope^(BU) like a tree.^(BV)
11 His anger^(BW) burns against me;
    he counts me among his enemies.^(BX)
12 His troops advance in force;^(BY)
    they build a siege ramp^(BZ) against me
    and encamp around my tent.^(CA)

¹³ “He has alienated my family^(CB) from me;
    my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.^(CC)
14 My relatives have gone away;
    my closest friends^(CD) have forgotten me.
¹⁵ My guests^(CE) and my female servants^(CF) count me a foreigner;
    they look on me as on a stranger.
¹⁶ I summon my servant, but he does not answer,
    though I beg him with my own mouth.
¹⁷ My breath is offensive to my wife;
    I am loathsome^(CG) to my own family.
¹⁸ Even the little boys^(CH) scorn me;
    when I appear, they ridicule me.^(CI)
19 All my intimate friends^(CJ) detest me;^(CK)
    those I love have turned against me.^(CL)
20 I am nothing but skin and bones;^(CM)
    I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.^[b]

²¹ “Have pity on me, my friends,^(CN) have pity,
    for the hand of God has struck^(CO) me.
²² Why do you pursue^(CP) me as God does?^(CQ)
    Will you never get enough of my flesh?^(CR)

²³ “Oh, that my words were recorded,
    that they were written on a scroll,^(CS)
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool^(CT) on^[c] lead,
    or engraved in rock forever!^(CU)
25 I know that my redeemer^[d](CV) lives,^(CW)
    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.^[e]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
    yet^[f] in^[g] my flesh I will see God;^(CX)
27 I myself will see him
    with my own eyes^(CY)—I, and not another.
    How my heart yearns^(CZ) within me!

²⁸ “If you say, ‘How we will hound^(DA) him,
    since the root of the trouble lies in him,^[h]’
²⁹ you should fear the sword yourselves;
    for wrath will bring punishment by the sword,^(DB)
    and then you will know that there is judgment.^[i]”^(DC)

² “My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
    because I am greatly disturbed.^(DE)
3 I hear a rebuke^(DF) that dishonors me,
    and my understanding inspires me to reply.

⁴ “Surely you know how it has been from of old,^(DG)
    ever since mankind^[j] was placed on the earth,
⁵ that the mirth of the wicked^(DH) is brief,
    the joy of the godless^(DI) lasts but a moment.^(DJ)
6 Though the pride^(DK) of the godless person reaches to the heavens^(DL)
    and his head touches the clouds,^(DM)
7 he will perish forever,^(DN) like his own dung;
    those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’^(DO)
8 Like a dream^(DP) he flies away,^(DQ) no more to be found,
    banished^(DR) like a vision of the night.^(DS)
9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;
    his place will look on him no more.^(DT)
10 His children^(DU) must make amends to the poor;
    his own hands must give back his wealth.^(DV)
11 The youthful vigor^(DW) that fills his bones^(DX)
    will lie with him in the dust.^(DY)

¹² “Though evil^(DZ) is sweet in his mouth
    and he hides it under his tongue,^(EA)
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
    and lets it linger in his mouth,^(EB)
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;^(EC)
    it will become the venom of serpents^(ED) within him.
¹⁵ He will spit out the riches^(EE) he swallowed;
    God will make his stomach vomit^(EF) them up.
¹⁶ He will suck the poison^(EG) of serpents;
    the fangs of an adder will kill him.^(EH)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
    the rivers^(EI) flowing with honey^(EJ) and cream.^(EK)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;^(EL)
    he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.^(EM)
19 For he has oppressed the poor^(EN) and left them destitute;^(EO)
    he has seized houses^(EP) he did not build.

²⁰ “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;^(EQ)
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.^(ER)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.^(ES)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;^(ET)
    the full force of misery will come upon him.^(EU)
23 When he has filled his belly,^(EV)
    God will vent his burning anger^(EW) against him
    and rain down his blows on him.^(EX)
24 Though he flees^(EY) from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.^(EZ)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors^(FA) will come over him;^(FB)
26     total darkness^(FC) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire^(FD) unfanned will consume him^(FE)
    and devour what is left in his tent.^(FF)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.^(FG)
28 A flood will carry off his house,^(FH)
    rushing waters^[k] on the day of God’s wrath.^(FI)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”^(FJ)

² “Listen carefully to my words;^(FK)
    let this be the consolation you give me.^(FL)
3 Bear with me while I speak,
    and after I have spoken, mock on.^(FM)

⁴ “Is my complaint^(FN) directed to a human being?
    Why should I not be impatient?^(FO)
5 Look at me and be appalled;
    clap your hand over your mouth.^(FP)
6 When I think about this, I am terrified;^(FQ)
    trembling seizes my body.^(FR)
7 Why do the wicked live on,
    growing old and increasing in power?^(FS)
8 They see their children established around them,
    their offspring before their eyes.^(FT)
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;^(FU)
    the rod of God is not on them.^(FV)
10 Their bulls never fail to breed;
    their cows calve and do not miscarry.^(FW)
11 They send forth their children as a flock;^(FX)
    their little ones dance about.
¹² They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;^(FY)
    they make merry to the sound of the pipe.^(FZ)
13 They spend their years in prosperity^(GA)
    and go down to the grave^(GB) in peace.^[l](GC)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!^(GD)
    We have no desire to know your ways.^(GE)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
    What would we gain by praying to him?’^(GF)
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.^(GG)

¹⁷ “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?^(GH)
    How often does calamity^(GI) come upon them,
    the fate God allots in his anger?^(GJ)
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
    like chaff^(GK) swept away^(GL) by a gale?^(GM)
19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’^(GN)
    Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!^(GO)
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;^(GP)
    let them drink^(GQ) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.^(GR)
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind^(GS)
    when their allotted months^(GT) come to an end?^(GU)

²² “Can anyone teach knowledge to God,^(GV)
    since he judges even the highest?^(GW)
23 One person dies in full vigor,^(GX)
    completely secure and at ease,^(GY)
24 well nourished^(GZ) in body,^[m]
    bones^(HA) rich with marrow.^(HB)
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,^(HC)
    never having enjoyed anything good.
²⁶ Side by side they lie in the dust,^(HD)
    and worms^(HE) cover them both.^(HF)

²⁷ “I know full well what you are thinking,
    the schemes by which you would wrong me.
²⁸ You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,^(HG)
    the tents where the wicked lived?’^(HH)
29 Have you never questioned those who travel?
    Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
³⁰ that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,^(HI)
    that they are delivered from^[n] the day of wrath?^(HJ)
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?
    Who repays them for what they have done?^(HK)
32 They are carried to the grave,
    and watch is kept over their tombs.^(HL)
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;^(HM)
    everyone follows after them,
    and a countless throng goes^[o] before them.^(HN)

³⁴ “So how can you console me^(HO) with your nonsense?
    Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”^(HP)