Holman Christian Standard Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
1Then Job answered: | 1Then Job answered, |
2Yes, I know what you've said is true, but how can a person be justified before God? | 2"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God? |
3If one wanted to take Him to court, he could not answer God once in a thousand times. | 3"If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. |
4God is wise and all-powerful. Who has opposed Him and come out unharmed? | 4"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? |
5He removes mountains without their knowledge, overturning 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 pillars tremble. | 6Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; |
7He commands the sun not to shine and 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 makes the stars: the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky. | 9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; |
10He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number. | 10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. |
11If He passes by me, I wouldn't see Him; if He goes right by, I wouldn't 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 snatches something, who can stop Him? Who can 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 hold back His anger; Rahab's assistants cringe in fear 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? |
15Even if I were in the 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 pay attention to what I said. | 16"If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. |
17He batters me with a whirlwind and multiplies my wounds without cause. | 17"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause. |
18He doesn't let me catch my breath but soaks me with bitter experiences. | 18"He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness. |
19If it is a matter of strength, look, He is the Mighty One! 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 in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, my mouth 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 no longer care about myself; I renounce my life. | 21"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life. |
22It is all the same. Therefore 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 disaster 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 handed over to the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it isn't 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 fly by faster than a runner; they flee without seeing any good. | 25"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. |
26They sweep by like boats made 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 said, "I will forget my complaint, 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 live in terror of all my pains. I know You will not acquit me. | 28I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me. |
29Since I will be found guilty, why should I labor in vain? | 29"I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain? |
30If I 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 dip me in a pit of mud, and my own clothes 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. |
33There is no one to judge between us, to lay his hand on both of us. | 33"There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both. |
34Let Him take His rod away from me so 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 and not fear Him. But that is not the case; I am on my own. | 35"Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself. |
Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | 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 |
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