Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Then Job answered:

1Then Job answered,

2“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?

2"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God?

3If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

3"If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

4God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?

4"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?

5He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.

5"It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger;

6He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.

6Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

7He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.

7Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars;

8He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

8Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

9He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

10He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.

10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number.

11Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.

11"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

12If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’

12"Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?'

13God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.

13"God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.

14How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?

14"How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?

15For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

15"For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

16If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.

16"If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

17For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.

17"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause.

18He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.

18"He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness.

19If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

19"If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

20Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.

20"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

21Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.

21"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life.

22It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

22"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.'

23When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

23"If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

24"The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

25My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.

25"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

26They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

26"They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.

27If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’

27"Though I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,'

28I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.

28I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me.

29Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?

29"I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain?

30If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,

30"If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye,

31then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.

31Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me.

32For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.

32"For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together.

33Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.

33"There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.

34Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.

34"Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me.

35Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.

35"Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

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New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org