English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
1Then Job answered and said: | 1Then Job spoke again: |
2“Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God? | 2“Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight? |
3If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times. | 3If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times? |
4He is wise in heart and mighty in strength—who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?— | 4For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully? |
5he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger, | 5“Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger. |
6who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; | 6He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble. |
7who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; | 7If he commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine. |
8who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; | 8He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea. |
9who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south; | 9He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky. |
10who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number. | 10He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. |
11Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him. | 11“Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go. |
12Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ | 12If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’ |
13“God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab. | 13And God does not restrain his anger. Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet. |
14How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him? | 14“So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him? |
15Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. | 15Even if I were right, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy. |
16If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. | 16And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure he would listen to me. |
17For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause; | 17For he attacks me with a storm and repeatedly wounds me without cause. |
18he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness. | 18He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows. |
19If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him? | 19If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one. If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court? |
20Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse. | 20Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked. |
21I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe my life. | 21“I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me— I despise my life. |
22It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ | 22Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ |
23When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent. | 23When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death of the innocent. |
24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges— if it is not he, who then is it? | 24The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges. If he’s not the one who does it, who is? |
25“My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good. | 25“My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness. |
26They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey. | 26It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. |
27If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,’ | 27If I decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be cheerful, |
28I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent. | 28I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God. |
29I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain? | 29Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what’s the use of trying? |
30If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, | 30Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye, |
31yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor me. | 31you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate me. |
32For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. | 32“God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. |
33There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both. | 33If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. |
34Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me. | 34The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. |
35Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself. | 35Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength. |
ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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