Job 9:14
New International Version
“How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him?

New Living Translation
“So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him?

English Standard Version
How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him?

Berean Standard Bible
How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?

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

New King James Version
“How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him?

New American Standard Bible
“How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?

NASB 1995
“How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?

NASB 1977
“How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?

Legacy Standard Bible
How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?

Amplified Bible
“How can I answer Him [and plead my case], Choosing my words [to reason] with Him?

Christian Standard Bible
How then can I answer him or choose my arguments against him?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?

American Standard Version
How much less shall I answer him, And choose out my words to reason with him?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Also I shall answer him and I shall set my words in order before him

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Oh then that he would hearken to me, or judge my cause.

Contemporary English Version
How, then, could I possibly argue my case with God?

Douay-Rheims Bible
What am I then, that I should answer him, and have words with him?

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"How can I possibly answer God? How can I find the right words [to speak] with him?

Good News Translation
So how can I find words to answer God?

International Standard Version
So how am I to answer him, choosing what I am to say to him?

JPS Tanakh 1917
How much less shall I answer Him, And choose out my arguments with Him?

Literal Standard Version
How much less do I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?

Majority Standard Bible
How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?

New American Bible
How then could I give him any answer, or choose out arguments against him!

NET Bible
"How much less, then, can I answer him and choose my words to argue with him!

New Revised Standard Version
How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him?

New Heart English Bible
How much less shall I answer him, And choose my words to argue with him?

Webster's Bible Translation
How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

World English Bible
How much less will I answer him, and choose my words to argue with him?

Young's Literal Translation
How much less do I -- I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: How Can I Argue with God?
13God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him. 14How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him? 15For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.…

Cross References
Job 9:3
If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

Job 9:32
For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.

Job 37:19
Teach us what we should say to Him; we cannot draw up our case when our faces are in darkness.


Treasury of Scripture

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

How much

Job 4:19
How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

Job 25:6
How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

shall I

Job 11:4,5
For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes…

choose

Job 23:4,7
I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments…

Job 33:5
If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up.

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Argue Argument Arguments Choose Choosing Dispute Find Less Reason Right Strive Using Words
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Argue Argument Arguments Choose Choosing Dispute Find Less Reason Right Strive Using Words
Job 9
1. Job acknowledges God's justice
22. Man's innocence is not to be condemned by afflictions














Verse 14. - How much less shall I answer him? If he be the Lord of earth and heaven, if he rule the sun and the stars, if he tread down the sea, if he be impalpable and irresistible, if he hold the evil power and his helpers under restraint, how should I dare to answer him? How should any mere man do so? And choose out my words to reason with him? Job feels that he would be too much overwhelmed to choose his terms carefully, and yet a careless word might be an unpardonable offence.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
How
אַ֭ף (’ap̄)
Conjunction
Strong's 637: Meaning accession, yea, adversatively though

then
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

can I
אָנֹכִ֣י (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

answer Him
אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ (’e·‘ĕ·nen·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

or choose
אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה (’eḇ·ḥă·rāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 977: To try, select

my arguments
דְבָרַ֣י (ḏə·ḇā·ray)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

against Him?
עִמּֽוֹ׃ (‘im·mōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with


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OT Poetry: Job 9:14 How much less shall I answer him (Jb)
Job 9:13
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