Job 21:15
New International Version
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?’

New Living Translation
Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?’

English Standard Version
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’

Berean Standard Bible
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’

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

New King James Version
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’

New American Standard Bible
‘Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we gain if we plead with Him?’

NASB 1995
‘Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we gain if we entreat Him?’

NASB 1977
‘Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we gain if we entreat Him?’

Legacy Standard Bible
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we profit if we entreat Him?’

Amplified Bible
‘Who [and what] is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what would we gain if we plead with Him?’

Christian Standard Bible
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him, and what will we gain by pleading with him? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what will we gain by pleading with Him?”

American Standard Version
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

Contemporary English Version
What do we gain from praying and worshiping you?

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? What do we gain if we pray to him?'

Good News Translation
They think there is no need to serve God nor any advantage in praying to him.

International Standard Version
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? Where's the profit in talking to him?'

Majority Standard Bible
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him??

NET Bible
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain if we were to pray to him?'

New Heart English Bible
What is Shaddai, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?'

Webster's Bible Translation
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray to him?

World English Bible
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
What [is] the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?

Young's Literal Translation
What is the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?'

Smith's Literal Translation
What the Almighty that we shall serve him? and what shall we be profited if we shall supplicate to him?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what doth it profit us if we pray to him?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? And how is it helpful to us if we pray to him?”

New American Bible
What is the Almighty that we should serve him? And what do we gain by praying to him?”

New Revised Standard Version
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Moreover, they say, Who is God, that we should serve him? And what would we gain, that we should pray to him?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they were saying: ‘Who is God that we would serve him, or what do we gain that we should seek him?’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?'--

Brenton Septuagint Translation
What is the Mighty One, that we should serve him? and what profit is there that we should approach him?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: God will Punish the Wicked
14Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways. 15Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’ 16Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.…

Cross References
Psalm 73:11
The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?”

Malachi 3:14
You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?

Exodus 5:2
But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”

Jeremiah 9:6
You dwell in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to know Me,” declares the LORD.

Psalm 10:4
In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God.

Psalm 14:1
For the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good.

Psalm 53:1
For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their ways are vile. There is no one who does good.

Proverbs 30:9
Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.

Isaiah 5:19
to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”

Isaiah 45:9
Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?

Ezekiel 8:12
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”

2 Peter 3:4
“Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”

Romans 1:28
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

Romans 3:11
There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

1 Corinthians 15:32
If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”


Treasury of Scripture

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

What is

Exodus 5:2
And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

Psalm 12:4
Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

Proverbs 30:9
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

and what

Job 34:9
For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

Job 35:3
For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

Isaiah 30:11
Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

if we

Isaiah 45:19
I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

John 16:24
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

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Job 21
1. Job shows that even in the judgment of man he has reason to be grieved
7. Sometimes the wicked prosper, though they despise God
16. Sometimes their destruction is manifest
21. The happy and unhappy are alike in death
27. The judgment of the wicked is in another world














Who is the Almighty
This phrase reflects a challenge to the authority and identity of God. In the context of Job, the term "Almighty" (Hebrew: Shaddai) emphasizes God's power and sovereignty. The question mirrors the skepticism of those who do not recognize God's authority, similar to Pharaoh's question in Exodus 5:2, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?" It highlights a common biblical theme of human pride and ignorance in the face of divine majesty.

that we should serve Him
This phrase questions the value of serving God, reflecting a utilitarian view of religion. In the ancient Near Eastern context, service to deities was often transactional, expecting blessings in return for worship. Job's friends argue that suffering is a result of failing to serve God properly, but Job challenges this simplistic view. This echoes the broader biblical narrative that true service to God is based on love and reverence, not merely for personal gain, as seen in Deuteronomy 10:12-13.

and what would we gain if we pray to Him?
This phrase questions the efficacy of prayer, suggesting skepticism about its benefits. In the historical context, prayer was a central aspect of worship and communication with God. The rhetorical question implies doubt about God's responsiveness or willingness to bless those who seek Him. This reflects a broader biblical tension between faith and doubt, as seen in Psalm 73, where the psalmist struggles with the prosperity of the wicked. The ultimate biblical teaching is that prayer is an act of faith and trust in God's wisdom and timing, as exemplified by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man of great faith and integrity, who undergoes severe trials and questions the justice of God.

2. The Almighty (El Shaddai)
A title for God emphasizing His ultimate power and sovereignty.

3. Job's Friends
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who argue that suffering is a result of sin.

4. Uz
The land where Job lived, often associated with the region east of Israel.

5. Job's Suffering
The series of calamities that befall Job, including loss of wealth, family, and health.
Teaching Points
Understanding God's Sovereignty
Recognize that God's ways are higher than ours, and His plans are beyond our understanding.

The Nature of True Worship
Worship should not be based on what we gain but on who God is.

Faith Amidst Doubt
It's natural to question during trials, but faith requires trusting God's character and promises.

The Illusion of Prosperity
Earthly success does not equate to divine favor; true prosperity is spiritual and eternal.

The Role of Suffering
Suffering can refine our faith and deepen our reliance on God, even when His purposes are not immediately clear.Verse 15. - What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? "Who is Jehovah," said Pharaoh to Moses, "that I should obey his voice? I know not Jehovah" (Exodus 5:2). So the ungodly in Job's time. They pretend to have no knowledge of God, no sense of his claims upon them, no internal consciousness that they are bound to worship and obey him. They are agnostics of a pronounced type, or at least they profess to be such. What profit, they ask, should we have, if we pray to him? Expediency is everything with them. Will serving God do them any good? Will it advance their worldly interests? Persuade them of that, and they will be willing to pay him, at any rate, a lip-service. But, having prospered so long and so greatly without making any religious profession, they see no reason to believe that they would prosper more if they made one.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Who
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

is the Almighty,
שַׁדַּ֥י (šad·day)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7706: The Almighty

that
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

we should serve Him,
נַֽעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ (na·‘aḇ·ḏen·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

and what
וּמַה־ (ū·mah-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

would we gain
נּ֝וֹעִ֗יל (nō·w·‘îl)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 3276: To confer or gain profit or benefit

if
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

we pray
נִפְגַּע־ (nip̄·ga‘-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 6293: To impinge, by accident, violence, by importunity

to Him?’
בּֽוֹ׃ (bōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Poetry: Job 21:15 What is the Almighty that we should (Jb)
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