New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
1"However now, Job, please hear my speech, And listen to all my words. | 1"But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say. |
2"Behold now, I open my mouth, My tongue in my mouth speaks. | 2I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue. |
3"My words are from the uprightness of my heart, And my lips speak knowledge sincerely. | 3My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I 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; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. |
5"Refute me if you can; Array yourselves before me, take your stand. | 5Answer me then, if you can; stand up and argue your case before me. |
6"Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay. | 6I am the same as you in God's sight; I too am a piece of clay. |
7"Behold, no fear of me should terrify you, Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you. | 7No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy on you. |
8"Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your words: | 8"But you have said in my hearing-- I heard the very words-- |
9'I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent and there is no guilt in me. | 9I am pure, I have done no wrong; I am clean and free from sin. |
10'Behold, He invents pretexts against me; He counts me as His enemy. | 10Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy. |
11'He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches all my paths.' | 11He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.' |
12"Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this, For God is greater than man. | 12"But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than any mortal. |
13"Why do you complain against Him That He does not give an account of all His doings? | 13Why do you complain to him that he responds to no one's words? |
14"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it. | 14For God does speak--now one way, now another-- though no one perceives 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, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, |
16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction, | 16he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, |
17That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride; | 17to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride, |
18He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol. | 18to preserve them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword. |
19"Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with unceasing complaint in his bones; | 19"Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in their bones, |
20So that his life loathes bread, And his soul favorite food. | 20so that their body finds food repulsive and their soul loathes the choicest meal. |
21"His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones which were not seen stick out. | 21Their flesh wastes away to nothing, and their bones, once hidden, now stick out. |
22"Then his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those who bring death. | 22They draw near to the pit, and their life to the messengers of death. |
23"If there is an angel as mediator for him, One out of a thousand, To remind a man what is right for him, | 23Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright, |
24Then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom'; | 24and he is gracious to that person and says to God, 'Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them-- |
25Let his flesh become fresher than in youth, Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor; | 25let their flesh be renewed like a child's; let them be restored as in the days of their youth'-- |
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. | 26then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God's face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being. |
27"He will sing to men and say, 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, And it is not proper for me. | 27And they will go to others and say, 'I have sinned, I have perverted what is right, but 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.' | 28God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.' |
29"Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, | 29"God does all these things to a person-- twice, even three times-- |
30To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life. | 30to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them. |
31"Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; Keep silent, and let me speak. | 31"Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. |
32"Then if you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you. | 32If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, for I want to vindicate you. |
33"If not, listen to me; Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom." | 33But if not, then listen to me; be silent, 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 | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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