New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures — With References (Rbi8, en_US, 1984)
Job
Job, 21
1 And Job proceeded to answer and say:
2 “Listen, YOU men, attentively to my word, And let this become YOUR consolation.
3 Put up with me, and I myself shall speak; And after my speaking you may [each] deride.
4 As for me, is my concern [expressed] to man? Or why is it that my spirit does not get impatient?
5 Turn YOUR faces to me and stare in amazement, And put [YOUR] hand upon [YOUR] mouth.
6 And if I have remembered, I have also become disturbed, And shuddering has taken hold of my flesh.
7 Why is it that the wicked themselves keep living, Have grown old, also have become superior in wealth?
8 Their offspring are firmly established with them in their sight, And their descendants before their eyes.
9 Their houses are peace itself, free from dread, And the rod of God*1 is not upon them.
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10 His own bull actually impregnates, and it does not waste semen; His cow brings forth and suffers no abortion.
11 They keep sending out their young boys just like a flock, And their own male children go skipping about.
12 They continue raising [their voice] with the tambourine and harp, And keep rejoicing at the sound of the pipe.
13 They spend their days in good times, And in a moment down to Sheʹol they descend.
14 And they say to the [true] God, ‘Turn away from us! And in the knowledge of your ways we have found no delight.
15 What does the Almighty amount to, that we should serve him,*1 And how do we benefit ourselves in that we have come in touch with him?’
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16 Look! Their well-being is not in their own power.*1 The very counsel of wicked ones has kept far from me.
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17 How many times is the lamp of the wicked ones extinguished, And [how many times] does their disaster come upon them? [How many times] in his anger does he apportion destruction?
18 Do they become like straw before a wind,*1 And like chaff that a storm wind has stolen away?
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19 God*1 himself will store up one’s hurtfulness for one’s own sons; He will reward him that he may know [it].
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20 His eyes will see his decay, And from the rage of the Almighty he will drink.
21 For what will his delight be in his house after him, When the number of his months will really be cut in two?
22 Will he teach knowledge even to God,*1 When that One himself judges high ones?
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23 This very one will die during his full self-sufficiency, When he is altogether carefree and at ease;
24 [When] his own thighs have become full of fat And the very marrow of his bones is being kept moist.
25 And this other one will die with a bitter soul When he has not eaten of good things.
26 Together in the dust they will lie down And maggots themselves will form a cover over them.
27 Look! I well know the thoughts of YOU men And the schemes with which YOU would act violently against me.
28 For YOU say, ‘Where is the house of the noble one, And where is the tent, the tabernacles of wicked ones?’
29 Have YOU not asked those traveling over the roads? And do YOU not carefully inspect their very signs,
30 That at the day of disaster an evil one is spared, At the day of fury he is delivered?*1
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31 Who will tell him of his way to his very face? And for what he himself has done who will reward him?
32 As for him, to the graveyard he will be brought, And over a tomb*1 a vigil will be kept.
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33 To him the clods of earth of a torrent valley will certainly become sweet, And after him he will drag all mankind,*1 And those before him were without number.
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34 So how vainly YOU men try to comfort me, And YOUR very replies do remain as unfaithfulness!”