New King James Version | New Living Translation |
1“But please, Job, hear my speech, And listen to all my words. | 1“Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say. |
2Now, I open my mouth; My tongue speaks in my mouth. | 2Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue. |
3My words come from my upright heart; My lips utter pure knowledge. | 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. |
5If you can answer me, Set your words in order before me; Take your stand. | 5Answer me, if you can; make your case and take your stand. |
6Truly I am as your spokesman before God; I also have been formed out of clay. | 6Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay. |
7Surely no fear of me will terrify you, Nor will my hand be heavy on you. | 7So you don’t need to be afraid of me. I won’t come down hard on you. |
8“Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your words, saying, | 8“You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words. |
9‘I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me. | 9You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt. |
10Yet He finds occasions against me, He counts me as His enemy; | 10God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy. |
11He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.’ | 11He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.’ |
12“Look, in this you are not righteous. I will answer you, For God is greater than man. | 12“But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being. |
13Why do you contend with Him? For He does not give an accounting of any of His words. | 13So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints? |
14For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. | 14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. |
15In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on 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 opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. | 16He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. |
17In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, | 17He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. |
18He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword. | 18He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death. |
19“Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with strong pain in many of his bones, | 19“Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones. |
20So that his life abhors bread, And his soul succulent food. | 20They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food. |
21His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones stick out which once were not seen. | 21Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out. |
22Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, And his life to the executioners. | 22They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them. |
23“If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness, | 23“But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright— |
24Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’; | 24he will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’ |
25His flesh shall be young like a child’s, He shall return to the days of his youth. | 25Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again. |
26He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness. | 26When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing. |
27Then he looks at men and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right, And it did not profit me.’ | 27He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it. |
28He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit, And his life shall see the light. | 28God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.’ |
29“Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man, | 29“Yes, God does these things again and again for people. |
30To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life. | 30He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life. |
31“Give ear, Job, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will speak. | 31Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say. |
32If you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you. | 32But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified. |
33If not, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.” | 33But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!” |
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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