New Living Translation | Christian Standard Bible |
1“Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say. | 1But now, Job, pay attention to my speech, and listen to all my words. |
2Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue. | 2I am going to open my mouth; my tongue will form words on my palate. |
3I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth. | 3My words come from my upright heart, and my lips speak with sincerity what they know. |
4For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. | 4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. |
5Answer me, if you can; make your case and take your stand. | 5Refute me if you can. Prepare your case against me; take your stand. |
6Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay. | 6I am just like you before God; I was also pinched off from a piece of clay. |
7So you don’t need to be afraid of me. I won’t come down hard on you. | 7Fear of me should not terrify you; no pressure from me should weigh you down. |
8“You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words. | 8Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: |
9You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt. | 9"I am pure, without transgression; I am clean and have no iniquity. |
10God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy. | 10But he finds reasons to oppose me; he regards me as his enemy. |
11He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.’ | 11He puts my feet in the stocks; he stands watch over all my paths." |
12“But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being. | 12But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter, since God is greater than man. |
13So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints? | 13Why do you take him to court for not answering anything a person asks? |
14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. | 14For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it. |
15He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. | 15In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep comes over people as they slumber on their beds, |
16He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. | 16he uncovers their ears and terrifies them with warnings, |
17He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. | 17in order to turn a person from his actions and suppress the pride of a person. |
18He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death. | 18God spares his soul from the Pit, his life from crossing the river of death. |
19“Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones. | 19A person may be disciplined on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones, |
20They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food. | 20so that he detests bread, and his soul despises his favorite food. |
21Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out. | 21His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his unseen bones stick out. |
22They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them. | 22He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the executioners. |
23“But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright— | 23If there is an angel on his side, one mediator out of a thousand, to tell a person what is right for him |
24he will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’ | 24and to be gracious to him and say, "Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom," |
25Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again. | 25then his flesh will be healthier than in his youth, and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor. |
26When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing. | 26He will pray to God, and God will delight in him. That person will see his face with a shout of joy, and God will restore his righteousness to him. |
27He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it. | 27He will look at men and say, "I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved. |
28God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.’ | 28He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will continue to see the light." |
29“Yes, God does these things again and again for people. | 29God certainly does all these things two or three times to a person |
30He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life. | 30in order to turn him back from the Pit, so he may shine with the light of life. |
31Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say. | 31Pay attention, Job, and listen to me. Be quiet, and I will speak. |
32But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified. | 32But if you have something to say, answer me; speak, for I would like to justify you. |
33But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!” | 33If not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom. |
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. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
|