New King James Version

King James Bible

1Then Job answered and said:

1Then Job answered and said,

2“Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God?

2I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

3If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

3If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

4God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

5He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger;

5Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

6He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

6Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

7He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars;

7Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

8He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea;

8Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

9He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

9Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

10He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.

10Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

11If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;

11Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

12If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

12Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

13God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

13If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

14“How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him?

14How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

15For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge.

15Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

16If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.

16If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

17For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause.

17For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.

18He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

19If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?

19If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

20Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

20If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

21“I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.

21Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

22It is all one thing; Therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’

22This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

23If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent.

23If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be?

24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

25“Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

25Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

26They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey.

26They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

27If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’

27If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

28I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent.

28I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

29If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain?

29If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

30If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap,

30If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

31Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.

31Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

32“For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.

32For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

33Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.

33Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

34Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me.

34Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

35Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.

35Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.