| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1Then Job answered: | 1Then Job replied: |
| 2"Truly, I know that this is so. But how can a human be just before God? | 2"Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God? |
| 3If someone wishes to contend with him, he cannot answer him one time in a thousand. | 3Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand. |
| 4He is wise in heart and mighty in strength--who has resisted him and remained safe? | 4His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? |
| 5He who removes mountains suddenly, who overturns them in his anger; | 5He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. |
| 6he who shakes the earth out of its place so that its pillars tremble; | 6He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. |
| 7he who commands the sun and it does not shine and seals up the stars; | 7He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. |
| 8he alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; | 8He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. |
| 9he makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky; | 9He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. |
| 10he does great and unsearchable things, and wonderful things without number. | 10He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. |
| 11If he passes by me, I cannot see him, if he goes by, I cannot perceive him. | 11When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him. |
| 12If he snatches away, who can turn him back? Who dares to say to him, 'What are you doing?' | 12If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?' |
| 13God does not restrain his anger; under him the helpers of Rahab lie crushed. | 13God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet. |
| 14"How much less, then, can I answer him and choose my words to argue with him! | 14"How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? |
| 15Although I am innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my judge for mercy. | 15Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy. |
| 16If I summoned him, and he answered me, I would not believe that he would be listening to my voice-- | 16Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. |
| 17he who crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds for no reason. | 17He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason. |
| 18He does not allow me to recover my breath, for he fills me with bitterness. | 18He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery. |
| 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?' | 19If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him? |
| 20Although I am innocent, my mouth would condemn me; although I am blameless, it would declare me perverse. | 20Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty. |
| 21I am blameless. I do not know myself. I despise my life. | 21"Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life. |
| 22"It is all one! That is why I say, 'He destroys the blameless and the guilty.' | 22It is all the same; that is why I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.' |
| 23If a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks at the despair of the innocent. | 23When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent. |
| 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? | 24When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it? |
| 25"My days are swifter than a runner, they speed by without seeing happiness. | 25"My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. |
| 26They glide by like reed boats, like an eagle that swoops down on its prey. | 26They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey. |
| 27If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression and be cheerful,' | 27If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,' |
| 28I dread all my sufferings, for I know that you do not hold me blameless. | 28I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent. |
| 29If I am guilty, why then weary myself in vain? | 29Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? |
| 30If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands clean with lye, | 30Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder, |
| 31then you plunge me into a slimy pit and my own clothes abhor me. | 31you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me. |
| 32For he is not a human being like I am, that I might answer him, that we might come together in judgment. | 32"He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. |
| 33Nor is there an arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both, | 33If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, |
| 34who would take his rod away from me so that his terror would not make me afraid. | 34someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. |
| 35Then would I speak and not fear him, but it is not so with me. | 35Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot. |
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