NET Bible | New Living Translation |
1"But now, O Job, listen to my words, and hear everything I have to say! | 1“Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say. |
2See now, I have opened my mouth; my tongue in my mouth has spoken. | 2Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue. |
3My words come from the uprightness of my heart, and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely. | 3I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth. |
4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. | 4For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. |
5Reply to me, if you can; set your arguments in order before me and take your stand! | 5Answer me, if you can; make your case and take your stand. |
6Look, I am just like you in relation to God; I too have been molded from clay. | 6Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay. |
7Therefore no fear of me should terrify you, nor should my pressure be heavy on you. | 7So you don’t need to be afraid of me. I won’t come down hard on you. |
8"Indeed, you have said in my hearing (I heard the sound of the words!): | 8“You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words. |
9I am pure, without transgression; I am clean and have no iniquity. | 9You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt. |
10Yet God finds occasions with me; he regards me as his enemy! | 10God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy. |
11He puts my feet in shackles; he watches closely all my paths.' | 11He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.’ |
12Now in this, you are not right--I answer you, for God is greater than a human being. | 12“But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being. |
13Why do you contend against him, that he does not answer all a person's words? | 13So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints? |
14"For God speaks, the first time in one way, the second time in another, though a person does not perceive it. | 14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. |
15In a dream, a night vision, when deep sleep falls on people as they sleep in their beds. | 15He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. |
16Then he gives a revelation to people, and terrifies them with warnings, | 16He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. |
17to turn a person from his sin, and to cover a person's pride. | 17He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. |
18He spares a person's life from corruption, his very life from crossing over the river. | 18He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death. |
19Or a person is chastened by pain on his bed, and with the continual strife of his bones, | 19“Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones. |
20so that his life loathes food, and his soul rejects appetizing fare. | 20They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food. |
21His flesh wastes away from sight, and his bones, which were not seen, are easily visible. | 21Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out. |
22He draws near to the place of corruption, and his life to the messengers of death. | 22They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them. |
23If there is an angel beside him, one mediator out of a thousand, to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness; | 23“But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright— |
24and if God is gracious to him and says, 'Spare him from going down to the place of corruption, I have found a ransom for him,' | 24he will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’ |
25then his flesh is restored like a youth's; he returns to the days of his youthful vigor. | 25Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again. |
26He entreats God, and God delights in him, he sees God's face with rejoicing, and God restores to him his righteousness. | 26When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing. |
27That person sings to others, saying: 'I have sinned and falsified what is right, but I was not punished according to what I deserved. | 27He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it. |
28He redeemed my life from going down to the place of corruption, and my life sees the light!' | 28God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.’ |
29"Indeed, God does all these things, twice, three times, in his dealings with a person, | 29“Yes, God does these things again and again for people. |
30to turn back his life from the place of corruption, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. | 30He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life. |
31Pay attention, Job--listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. | 31Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say. |
32If you have any words, reply to me; speak, for I want to justify you. | 32But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified. |
33If not, you listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom." | 33But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!” |
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