King James Version

Job 21:15

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

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Hebrew

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מַהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.שַׁדַּ֥יshadayAlmightyשַׁדַּיnoun, proper name — “Almighty”H7706the AlmightyAlmighty.כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…נַֽעַבְדֶ֑נּוּnaavdenvkeep in bondageעָבַדverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “keep in bondage”, an unfinished actionH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…וּמַהumahand howמָהconjunction, particle, interrogative — “and how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.נּ֝וֹעִ֗ילnoilprofitיַעַלverb, hiphil, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural — “profit”, an unfinished actionH3276properly, to ascend; figuratively, to be valuable (objectively; useful, subjectively; benefited)[idiom] at all, set forward, can do good, (be, have) profit, (able).כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…נִפְגַּעnifgacomeפָּגַעverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural — “come”, an unfinished actionH6293to impinge, by accident or violence, or (figuratively) by importunitycome (betwixt), cause to entreat, fall (upon), make intercession, intercessor, intreat, lay, light (upon), meet (together), pray, reach, run.בּֽוֹbvoinבּֽוֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in”in

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?' —

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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

Young’s Literal Translation

What [is] the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?'

World English Bible

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

Darby Translation

What is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what are we profited if we pray unto him?

Douay-Rheims

Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what doth it profit us if we pray to him?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?' —

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τί ἱκανὸς, ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ; καὶ τίς ὠφέλεια, ὅτι ἀπαντήσομεν αὐτῷ;