New American Standard Bible 1995 | NET Bible |
1Then Job answered, | 1Then Job answered: |
2"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God? | 2"Truly, I know that this is so. But how can a human be just before God? |
3"If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. | 3If someone wishes to contend with him, he cannot answer him one time in a thousand. |
4"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? | 4He is wise in heart and mighty in strength--who has resisted him and remained safe? |
5"It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger; | 5He who removes mountains suddenly, who overturns them in his anger; |
6Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; | 6he who shakes the earth out of its place so that its pillars tremble; |
7Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; | 7he who commands the sun and it does not 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, and treads on the waves of the sea; |
9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; | 9he makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky; |
10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. | 10he does great and unsearchable things, and wonderful things without number. |
11"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. | 11If he passes by me, I cannot see him, if he goes by, I cannot perceive him. |
12"Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?' | 12If he snatches away, who can turn him back? Who dares to say to him, 'What are you doing?' |
13"God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab. | 13God does not restrain his anger; under him the helpers of Rahab lie crushed. |
14"How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him? | 14"How much less, then, can I answer him and choose my words to argue with him! |
15"For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge. | 15Although I am innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my judge for mercy. |
16"If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. | 16If I summoned him, and he answered me, I would not believe that he would be listening to my voice-- |
17"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause. | 17he who crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds for no reason. |
18"He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness. | 18He does not allow me to recover my breath, for 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? | 19If it is a matter of strength, most certainly he is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, he will say, 'Who will summon me?' |
20"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty. | 20Although I am innocent, my mouth would condemn me; although I am blameless, it would declare me perverse. |
21"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life. | 21I am blameless. I do not know myself. I despise my life. |
22"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.' | 22"It is all one! That is why I say, 'He destroys the blameless and the guilty.' |
23"If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent. | 23If a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks 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? | 24If a land has been given into the hand of a wicked man, he covers the faces of its judges; if it is not he, then who is it? |
25"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. | 25"My days are swifter than a runner, they speed by without seeing happiness. |
26"They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey. | 26They glide by like reed boats, like an eagle that swoops 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 say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression and be cheerful,' |
28I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me. | 28I dread all my sufferings, for I know that you do not hold me blameless. |
29"I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain? | 29If I am guilty, why then weary myself in vain? |
30"If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, | 30If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands clean with lye, |
31Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me. | 31then you plunge me into a slimy pit and my own clothes abhor me. |
32"For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. | 32For he is not a human being like I am, that I might answer him, that we might come together in judgment. |
33"There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both. | 33Nor is there an arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both, |
34"Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me. | 34who would take his rod away from me so that his terror would not make me afraid. |
35"Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself. | 35Then would I speak and not fear him, but it is not so with me. |
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 | NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. |
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