New Living Translation | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
1“Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say. | 1"However now, Job, please hear my speech, And listen to all my words. |
2Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue. | 2"Behold now, I open my mouth, My tongue in my mouth speaks. |
3I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth. | 3"My words are from the uprightness of my heart, And my lips speak knowledge sincerely. |
4For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. | 4"The 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. | 5"Refute me if you can; Array yourselves before me, take your stand. |
6Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay. | 6"Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay. |
7So you don’t need to be afraid of me. I won’t come down hard on you. | 7"Behold, no fear of me should terrify you, Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you. |
8“You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words. | 8"Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your 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 innocent and there is no guilt in me. |
10God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy. | 10'Behold, He invents pretexts against me; He counts me as His enemy. |
11He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.’ | 11'He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches all my paths.' |
12“But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being. | 12"Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this, For God is greater than man. |
13So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints? | 13"Why do you complain against Him That He does not give an account of all His doings? |
14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. | 14"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it. |
15He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. | 15"In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, |
16He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. | 16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction, |
17He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. | 17That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride; |
18He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death. | 18He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol. |
19“Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones. | 19"Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with unceasing complaint in his bones; |
20They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food. | 20So that his life loathes bread, And his soul favorite food. |
21Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out. | 21"His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones which were not seen stick out. |
22They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them. | 22"Then his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those who bring death. |
23“But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright— | 23"If there is an angel as mediator for him, One out of a thousand, To remind a man 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.’ | 24Then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver 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. | 25Let his flesh become fresher than in youth, Let him 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. | 26Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, That he may see His face with joy, And He may restore His righteousness to man. |
27He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it. | 27"He will sing to men and say, 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, And it is not proper for me. |
28God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.’ | 28'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.' |
29“Yes, God does these things again and again for people. | 29"Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, |
30He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life. | 30To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life. |
31Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say. | 31"Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; Keep silent, and let me speak. |
32But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified. | 32"Then if you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you. |
33But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!” | 33"If not, listen to me; Keep silent, 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. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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