International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
1"Now please listen to what I have to say, Job. Listen to every word! | 1“Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say. |
2Look! I've begun to speak, and I'm fashioning my words. | 2Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue. |
3I speak from the innocence of my heart; and my lips will utter what I sincerely know. | 3I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth. |
4"The spirit of God fashioned me; and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. | 4For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. |
5Answer me, if you can! Present your case! Take your stand in my presence! | 5Answer me, if you can; make your case and take your stand. |
6Look! As far as God is concerned, I'm just like you are— I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay. | 6Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay. |
7Don't be afraid of me; I'll go easy on you." | 7So you don’t need to be afraid of me. I won’t come down hard on you. |
8"You spoke clearly so I could hear; I've heard what you've said: | 8“You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words. |
9I'm pure. I'm without sin; I'm innocent. I'm harboring no iniquity inside of me. | 9You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt. |
10Nevertheless, God has found a pretext to attack me; he considers me his enemy. | 10God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy. |
11He has bound my feet in shackles, and keeps watching everything I do.'" | 11He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.’ |
12"You aren't right about this; My response is that God is greater than human beings. | 12“But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being. |
13Why are you arguing with him? He doesn't have to give explanations for what he does to you! | 13So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints? |
14"God speaks time and time again — but nobody notices— | 14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. |
15in a dream or night vision, when a deep sleep falls on mankind while they sleep on their beds. | 15He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. |
16That's when he opens the ear of mankind, authenticating his messages to them, | 16He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. |
17turning a person from his actions, keeping him from pride, | 17He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. |
18sparing his soul from the Pit and his life from violent death. | 18He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death. |
19"He is being reproved by painful bed rest, with continual aching in his bones. | 19“Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones. |
20He cannot stand his food, and he has no desire for appetizing food. | 20They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food. |
21His flesh wastes away; his bones, which once couldn't be seen, are visible. | 21Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out. |
22His soul is getting close to the Pit; his life is approaching its executioner." | 22They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them. |
23"If there's a messenger appointed to mediate for Job —one out of a thousand— to represent the man's integrity on his behalf, | 23“But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright— |
24to show favor to him and to plead, 'Deliver him from having to go down to the Pit — I know where his ransom is!' | 24he will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’ |
25Let his flesh be rejuvenated as he was in his youth! Let him recover the strength of his youth. | 25Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again. |
26Let him pray to God and he will accept him; he will appear before him with joyful shouts!" | 26When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing. |
27"He'll sing to mankind with these words: 'I've sinned. I have twisted what is right. Yet he has not repaid me like I deserve. | 27He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it. |
28He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit; my life will see the light.' | 28God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.’ |
29Indeed God does all these things again and again with a person | 29“Yes, God does these things again and again for people. |
30to bring back his soul from the Pit; to light him with the light of life." | 30He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life. |
31"Job, pay attention! Listen to me! Be silent and let me speak. | 31Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say. |
32If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, because I'd be happy to vindicate you. | 32But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified. |
33But if you have nothing to say, then at least listen to me! Be quiet and learn some wisdom from me." | 33But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!” |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | 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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