Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Then Job answered:

1Then Job answered,

2Yes, I know what you've said is true, but how can a person be justified before God?

2"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God?

3If one wanted to take him to court, he could not answer God once in a thousand times.

3"If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

4God is wise and all-powerful. Who has opposed him and come out unharmed?

4"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?

5He removes mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his anger.

5"It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger;

6He shakes the earth from its place so that its pillars tremble.

6Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

7He commands the sun not to shine and seals off the stars.

7Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars;

8He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

8Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

9He makes the stars: the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky.

9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

10He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.

10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number.

11If he passed by me, I wouldn't see him; if he went by, I wouldn't recognize him.

11"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

12If he snatches something, who can stop him? Who can ask him, "What are you doing?"

12"Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?'

13God does not hold back his anger; Rahab's assistants cringe in fear beneath him!

13"God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.

14How then can I answer him or choose my arguments against him?

14"How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?

15Even if I were in the right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

15"For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

16If I summoned him and he answered me, I do not believe he would pay attention to what I said.

16"If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

17He batters me with a whirlwind and multiplies my wounds without cause.

17"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause.

18He doesn't let me catch my breath but fills me with bitter experiences.

18"He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness.

19If it is a matter of strength, look, he is the powerful one! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?

19"If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

20Even if I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, my mouth would declare me guilty.

20"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

21Though I am blameless, I no longer care about myself; I renounce my life.

21"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life.

22It is all the same. Therefore I say, "He destroys both the blameless and the wicked."

22"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.'

23When catastrophe brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.

23"If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

24The earth is handed over to the wicked; he blindfolds its judges. If it isn't he, then who is it?

24"The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

25My days fly by faster than a runner; they flee without seeing any good.

25"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

26They sweep by like boats made of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

26"They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.

27If I said, "I will forget my complaint, change my expression, and smile,"

27"Though I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,'

28I would still live in terror of all my pains. I know you will not acquit me.

28I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me.

29Since I will be found guilty, why should I struggle in vain?

29"I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain?

30If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,

30"If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye,

31then you dip me in a pit of mud, and my own clothes despise me!

31Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me.

32For he is not a man like me, that I can answer him, that we can take each other to court.

32"For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together.

33There is no mediator between us, to lay his hand on both of us.

33"There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.

34Let him take his rod away from me so his terror will no longer frighten me.

34"Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me.

35Then I would speak and not fear him. But that is not the case; I am on my own.

35"Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

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