Job 21

King James Version

Full text for Job Chapter 21

1¶ But Job answered and said,

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

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

4As for me, [is] my complaint to man? and if [it were so], why should not my spirit be troubled?

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

6Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

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

8Their seed is established in their sight with them, 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 take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

13They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

14Therefore they say 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 good [is] not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

17¶ How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and [how oft] cometh their destruction upon them! [God] distributeth sorrows in his anger.

18They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

19God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know [it].

20His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall 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 his bones are moistened with marrow.

25And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.

26They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.

27¶ Behold, 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 [are] the dwelling places of the wicked?

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

30That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought 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 brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.

33The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as [there are] innumerable before him.

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

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Job demands his friends listen, challenging their assertion that the wicked always suffer in this life. He observes that many wicked individuals prosper, live long, and die peacefully, even while rejecting God. Job questions why his friends offer false comfort based on a simplistic view of divine justice, when reality often shows otherwise.

Medium Summary

Job begins by urging his friends to hear his speech, acknowledging his deep distress. He then directly confronts their foundational premise that the wicked invariably suffer and are cut off in this life. Job points out that, contrary to their claims, many wicked people live long, prosper, see their children established, and die in peace, often having openly defied God. He questions the immediate and visible punishment of the wicked, noting that some die in ease while others suffer greatly, yet all return to dust. Job asserts that his friends' thoughts are accusatory, believing him wicked due to his suffering. He challenges their notion that the wicked are always immediately destroyed, suggesting they are often reserved for a future day of wrath. Job concludes by dismissing their comfort as vain and their answers as false, as they fail to account for the complexities of divine providence and human experience.

Long Summary

Job opens by imploring his friends to listen diligently to his words, seeking their understanding rather than their continued condemnation. He expresses his profound fear and trembling when contemplating his situation, emphasizing that his complaint is not merely to man. Job then directly challenges the conventional theological framework his friends employ, which posits that the wicked are consistently and visibly punished in this earthly life. He presents a counter-argument, observing that many wicked individuals not only live long and grow old but also become mighty in power. Their families are established, their homes are secure, and they experience material prosperity, often dying swiftly and peacefully without prolonged suffering. These same wicked persons, Job notes, openly reject God, questioning His authority and the profit of serving Him. Job then rhetorically asks how often the wicked's "candle is put out," implying that immediate destruction is not as common as his friends suggest, and that God's judgment is not always discernible to humans. He highlights the apparent disparity in death, where some die in full strength and ease, while others perish in bitterness, yet all ultimately share the same fate in the dust. Job perceives his friends' accusatory thoughts, knowing they wrongly imagine him to be wicked based on his suffering. He challenges them to inquire of others, asserting that the wicked are often "reserved to the day of destruction" rather than facing immediate retribution. He further questions who dares to confront the wicked directly or repay them for their deeds in this life. Job concludes by asserting that his friends' attempts at comfort are futile and their answers are filled with falsehood, as their simplistic theology fails to align with the observable realities of life and the complexities of divine justice.

Core Concepts

  • Prosperity of the WickedJob challenges his friends' premise by observing that many wicked individuals live long, prosper, and die peacefully, often with their families established.
  • Rejection of GodThe chapter notes that these prosperous wicked individuals often openly defy God, questioning His authority and the profit of prayer or service.
  • Disparity in DeathJob highlights that some die in full strength and ease, while others perish in bitterness, yet all ultimately share the same fate in the grave, challenging simplistic views of divine justice.
  • Reserved for DestructionJob suggests that the wicked are not always immediately punished but are often "reserved to the day of destruction" or future wrath, implying a delayed judgment.
  • Vain ComfortJob concludes that his friends' attempts at comfort are futile and their answers contain falsehood, as their theological explanations fail to align with his observations of reality.
  • Job's Plea for ListeningJob earnestly asks his friends to listen diligently to his speech, emphasizing his deep distress and the need for understanding rather than continued mockery and false accusations.