Job 9
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New King James VersionNew Living Translation
1Then Job answered and said:1Then Job spoke again:
2“Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God?2“Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?
3If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.3If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?
4God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?4For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully?
5He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger;5“Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger.
6He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;6He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble.
7He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars;7If he commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine.
8He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea;8He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea.
9He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;9He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.
10He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.10He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.
11If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;11“Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go.
12If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’12If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’
13God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.13And God does not restrain his anger. Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet.
14“How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him?14“So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him?
15For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge.15Even if I were right, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy.
16If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.16And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure he would listen to me.
17For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause.17For he attacks me with a storm and repeatedly wounds me without cause.
18He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.18He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
19If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?19If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one. If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court?
20Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.20Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked.
21“I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.21“I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me— I despise my life.
22It is all one thing; Therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’22Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent.23When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death 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 whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges. If he’s not the one who does it, who is?
25“Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.25“My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.
26They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey.26It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’27If I decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be cheerful,
28I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent.28I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God.
29If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain?29Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what’s the use of trying?
30If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap,30Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye,
31Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.31you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate me.
32“For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.32“God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.
33Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.33If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together.
34Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me.34The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
35Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.35Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.
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.
Job 8
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