New American Standard Bible 1995

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1"However now, Job, please hear my speech, And listen to all my words.

1But now, Job, pay attention to my speech, and listen to all my words.

2"Behold now, I open my mouth, My tongue in my mouth speaks.

2I am going to open my mouth; my tongue will form words on my palate.

3"My words are from the uprightness of my heart, And my lips speak knowledge sincerely.

3My words come from my upright heart, and my lips speak with sincerity what they know.

4"The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5"Refute me if you can; Array yourselves before me, take your stand.

5Refute me if you can. Prepare your case against me; take your stand.

6"Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay.

6I am just like you before God; I was also pinched off from a piece of clay.

7"Behold, no fear of me should terrify you, Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.

7Fear of me should not terrify you; the pressure I exert against you will be light.

8"Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your words:

8Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words:

9'I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.

9"I am pure, without transgression; I am clean and have no guilt.

10'Behold, He invents pretexts against me; He counts me as His enemy.

10But He finds reasons to oppose me; He regards me as His enemy.

11'He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches all my paths.'

11He puts my feet in the stocks; He stands watch over all my paths."

12"Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this, For God is greater than man.

12But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter, since God is greater than man.

13"Why do you complain against Him That He does not give an account of all His doings?

13Why do you take Him to court for not answering anything a person asks?

14"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it.

14For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it.

15"In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds,

15In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber on their beds,

16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction,

16He uncovers their ears at that time and terrifies them with warnings,

17That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride;

17in order to turn a person from his actions and suppress his pride.

18He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol.

18God spares his soul from the Pit, his life from crossing the river of death.

19"Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with unceasing complaint in his bones;

19A person may be disciplined on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,

20So that his life loathes bread, And his soul favorite food.

20so that he detests bread, and his soul despises his favorite food.

21"His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones which were not seen stick out.

21His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his unseen bones stick out.

22"Then his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those who bring death.

22He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the executioners.

23"If there is an angel as mediator for him, One out of a thousand, To remind a man what is right for him,

23If there is an angel on his side, one mediator out of a thousand, to tell a person what is right for him

24Then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom';

24and to be gracious to him and say, "Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom,"

25Let his flesh become fresher than in youth, Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;

25then his flesh will be healthier than in his youth, and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor.

26Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, That he may see His face with joy, And He may restore His righteousness to man.

26He will pray to God, and God will delight in him. That man will see His face with a shout of joy, and God will restore his righteousness to him.

27"He will sing to men and say, 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, And it is not proper for me.

27He will look at men and say, "I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.

28'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.'

28He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will continue to see the light."

29"Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men,

29God certainly does all these things two or three times to a man

30To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

30in order to turn him back from the Pit, so he may shine with the light of life.

31"Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; Keep silent, and let me speak.

31Pay attention, Job, and listen to me. Be quiet, and I will speak.

32"Then if you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you.

32But if you have something to say, answer me; speak, for I would like to justify you.

33"If not, listen to me; Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

33If not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.