New American Standard Bible 1995 | International Standard Version |
1Then Job answered, | 1This was Job's response: |
2"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God? | 2"Indeed, I'm fully aware that this is so, but how can a person become right with God? |
3"If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. | 3If one were to seek to argue with him, he won't be able to answer him even once in a thousand times. |
4"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? | 4He is wise in heart and strong in will— who can be stubborn against him and succeed? |
5"It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger; | 5"He removes mountains without their knowledge, overthrowing them in his anger. |
6Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; | 6He shakes the earth from its orbit, so that its foundations shudder. |
7Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; | 7He commands the sun so that it doesn't shine and seals up the stars. |
8Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; | 8He alone spreads out the heavens, he walks on the waves of the sea. |
9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; | 9He created Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the southern constellations. |
10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. | 10He does great things that cannot be explained, and awesome deeds that cannot be counted. |
11"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. | 11"If he were to pass near me, I wouldn't notice; if he moves by, I wouldn't perceive him. |
12"Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?' | 12Indeed, if he snatches someone away, who could restrain him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?' |
13"God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab. | 13"God doesn't restrain his anger. Rahab's assistants are humiliated under him. |
14"How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him? | 14So how am I to answer him, choosing what I am to say to him? |
15"For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge. | 15Even if I'm in the right, I cannot answer him. I can only appeal for mercy. |
16"If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. | 16"Were I to be summoned, and he were to answer me, I wouldn't even believe that he was listening to what I have to say. |
17"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause. | 17For he crushes me with a storm, and keeps on wounding me for no reason. |
18"He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness. | 18He won't let me catch my breath; instead, he fills me with bitterness. |
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? | 19"Is this a contest of strength? He is obviously stronger! Is this a matter of justice? Who can sue him? |
20"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty. | 20Though I'm in the right, my own mouth will condemn me; though I'm blameless, he'll pronounce me as guilty. |
21"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life. | 21"I'm blameless; I don't know myself; I despise my life. |
22"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.' | 22I say it's all the same— he destroys both the blameless and the guilty. |
23"If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent. | 23If a calamity causes sudden death, he'll mock at the despair of the innocent. |
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? | 24A land is given into the hands of a wicked person; he covers the faces of its judges. If it is not God, then who is it?" |
25"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. | 25"My days pass faster than a runner; but they pass quickly without seeing anything good. |
26"They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey. | 26They pass by like a ship made of reeds, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. |
27"Though I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,' | 27If I were to say, 'Let me forget my complaint,' change the expression on my face, and look cheerful, |
28I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me. | 28then I still dread all of my suffering; I know you still won't acquit me. |
29"I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain? | 29I will be condemned, so why should I wear myself out with this futility? |
30"If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, | 30"If I wash myself with water from snow, and cleanse my hands with lye, |
31Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me. | 31you'll still drop me into the Pit, and my own clothes will despise me. |
32"For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. | 32He's not a man like me, so that I can answer him, or that we can enter into litigation with one another. |
33"There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both. | 33There is not yet a mediator between us, who would set his hand on the two of us, |
34"Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me. | 34removing his rod from me, and not letting terror of him overwhelm me. |
35"Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself. | 35Otherwise, I would speak without being terrified of him, because I'm not like that inside myself." |
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 | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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