Job 21-22

Job 21

¹Then Job answered and said,

²Hear diligently my speech; and let this be your consolations.

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

⁴As for me, is my complaint to man? and why should I not be impatient?

⁵Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.

⁶Even when I remember I am troubled, and horror taketh hold on my flesh.

⁷Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, wax mighty in power?

⁸Their seed is established with them in their sight, and their offspring before their eyes.

⁹Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

¹⁰Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.

¹²They sing to the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

¹³They spend their days in prosperity, and in a moment they go down to Sheol.

¹⁴Yet they said unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

¹⁵What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

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

¹⁷How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? that their calamity cometh upon them? that God distributeth sorrows in his anger?

¹⁸That they are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away?

¹⁹Ye say, God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it.

²⁰Let his own eyes see his destruction, and let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?

²²Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

²³One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet:

²⁴His breasts are full of milk, and the marrow of his bones is moistened.

²⁵And another dieth in bitterness of soul, and never tasteth of good.

²⁶They lie down alike in the dust, and the worm covereth them.

²⁷Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

²⁸For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?

²⁹Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens?

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

³¹Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?

³²Yet shall he be borne to the grave, and shall keep watch over the tomb.

³³The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and all men shall draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.

³⁴How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth only falsehood?

Job 22

¹Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

²Can a man be profitable unto God? surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.

³Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

⁴Is it for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee, that he entereth with thee into judgment?

⁵Is not thy wickedness great? neither is there any end to thine iniquities.

⁶For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

⁷Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

⁸But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man, he dwelt in it.

⁹Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

¹⁰Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee,

¹¹Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.

¹²Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

¹³And thou sayest, What doth God know? can he judge through the thick darkness?

¹⁴Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

¹⁵Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?

¹⁶Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream:

¹⁷Who said unto God, Depart from us; and, What can the Almighty do for us?

¹⁸Yet he fired their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁹The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:

²⁰Saying, Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.

²¹Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

²²Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

²³If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.

²⁴And lay thou thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

²⁵And the Almighty shall be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee.

²⁶For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

²⁷Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee; and thou shalt pay thy vows.

²⁸Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.

²⁹When they cast thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and the humble person he shall save.

³⁰He shall deliver even him that is not innocent: yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thine hands.