CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Job 21 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/job/21.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/job/21-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Job 21</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../job/20.htm" title="Job 20">◄</a> Job 21 <a href="../job/22.htm" title="Job 22">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h5 class="sp">Job's Reply to Zophar</h5><h3 class="s1">If You Want To Offer Comfort</h3><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_1"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.1" class="v18_21_1">1</span>Job said:</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_2"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.2" class="v18_21_2">2</span>If you want to offer comfort,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_2">then listen to me.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_3"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.3" class="v18_21_3">3</span>And when I have finished,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_3">you can start your insults</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_3">all over again.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_4"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.4" class="v18_21_4">4</span>My complaint is against God;</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_4">that's why I am impatient.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_5"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.5" class="v18_21_5">5</span>Just looking at me is enough</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_5">to make you sick,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_6"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.6" class="v18_21_6">6</span>and the very thought of myself</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_6">fills me with disgust.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_7"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.7" class="v18_21_7">7</span>Why do evil people live so long</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_7">and gain such power?</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_8"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.8" class="v18_21_8">8</span>Why are they allowed to see</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_8">their children grow up?<a href="#fn" id="link_Job.21.8!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_9"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.9" class="v18_21_9">9</span>They have no worries at home,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_9">and God never punishes them.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_10"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.10" class="v18_21_10">10</span>Their cattle have lots of calves</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_10">without ever losing one;</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_11"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.11" class="v18_21_11">11</span>their children play and dance</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_11">safely by themselves.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_12"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.12" class="v18_21_12">12</span>These people sing and celebrate</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_12">to the sound of tambourines,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_12">small harps, and flutes,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_13"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.13" class="v18_21_13">13</span>and they are successful,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_13">without a worry,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_13">until the day they die.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Leave Us Alone!</h3><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_14"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.14" class="v18_21_14">14</span>Those who are evil say</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_14">to God All-Powerful,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_14">“Leave us alone! Don't bother us</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_14">with your teachings.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_15"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.15" class="v18_21_15">15</span>What do we gain from praying</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_15">and worshiping you?</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_16"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.16" class="v18_21_16">16</span>We succeeded all on our own.”</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_16">And so, I keep away from them</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_16">and their evil schemes.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_17"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.17" class="v18_21_17">17</span>How often does God become angry</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_17">and send disaster and darkness</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_17">to punish sinners?</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_18"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.18" class="v18_21_18">18</span>How often does he strike them</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_18">like a windstorm</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_18">that scatters straw?</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_19"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.19" class="v18_21_19">19</span>You say, “God will punish</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_19">those sinners' children</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_19">in place of those sinners.”</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_19">But I say, “Let him punish</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_19">those sinners themselves</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_19">until they really feel it.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_20"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.20" class="v18_21_20">20</span>Let God All-Powerful force them</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_20">to drink their own destruction</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_20">from the cup of his anger.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_21"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.21" class="v18_21_21">21</span>Because after they are dead,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_21">they won't care what happens</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_21">to their children.”</span></p><h3 class="s1">Who Can Tell God What To Do?</h3><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_22"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.22" class="v18_21_22">22</span>Who can tell God what to do?</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_22">He judges powerful rulers.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_22">* </span><span class="v18_21_23"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.23" class="v18_21_23">23</span>Some of us die prosperous,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_24"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.24" class="v18_21_24">24</span>enjoying good health,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_25"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.25" class="v18_21_25">25</span>while others die in poverty,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_25">having known only pain.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_26"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.26" class="v18_21_26">26</span>But we all end up dead,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_26">beneath a blanket of worms.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_27"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.27" class="v18_21_27">27</span>My friends, I know that you</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_27">are plotting against me.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_28"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.28" class="v18_21_28">28</span>You ask, “Where is the home</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_28">of that important person</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_28">who does so much evil?”</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_29"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.29" class="v18_21_29">29</span>Everyone, near and far, agrees</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_30"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.30" class="v18_21_30">30</span>that those who do wrong</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_30">never suffer disaster,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_30">when God becomes angry.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_31"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.31" class="v18_21_31">31</span>No one points out their sin</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_31">or punishes them.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_32"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.32" class="v18_21_32">32</span>Then at their funerals,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_32">they are highly praised;</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_33"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.33" class="v18_21_33">33</span>the earth welcomes them home,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_33">while crowds mourn.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v18_21_34"><span class="reftext" id="Job.21.34" class="v18_21_34">34</span>But empty, meaningless words</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v18_21_34">are the comfort you offer me.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.8 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">up: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 8.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at <a href="http://www.get.bible/cev">www.get.bible/cev</a></span></p><br /><br /><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /><br /><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../job/20.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Job 20"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Job 20" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../job/22.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Job 22"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Job 22" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/job/21-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchapnoad.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>