| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1But now, Job, pay attention to my speech, and listen to all my words. | 1"But now, O Job, listen to my words, and hear everything I have to say! |
| 2I am going to open my mouth; my tongue will form words on my palate. | 2See now, I have opened my mouth; my tongue in my mouth has spoken. |
| 3My words come from my upright heart, and my lips speak with sincerity what they know. | 3My words come from the uprightness of my heart, and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely. |
| 4The 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. |
| 5Refute me if you can. Prepare your case against me; take your stand. | 5Reply to me, if you can; set your arguments in order before me and take your stand! |
| 6I am just like you before God; I was also pinched off from a piece of clay. | 6Look, I am just like you in relation to God; I too have been molded from clay. |
| 7Fear of me should not terrify you; the pressure I exert against you will be light. | 7Therefore no fear of me should terrify you, nor should my pressure be heavy on you. |
| 8Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: | 8"Indeed, you have said in my hearing (I heard the sound of the words!): |
| 9"I am pure, without transgression; I am clean and have no guilt. | 9I am pure, without transgression; I am clean and have no iniquity. |
| 10But He finds reasons to oppose me; He regards me as His enemy. | 10Yet God finds occasions with me; he regards me as his enemy! |
| 11He puts my feet in the stocks; He stands watch over all my paths." | 11He puts my feet in shackles; he watches closely all my paths.' |
| 12But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter, since God is greater than man. | 12Now in this, you are not right--I answer you, for God is greater than a human being. |
| 13Why do you take Him to court for not answering anything a person asks? | 13Why do you contend against him, that he does not answer all a person's words? |
| 14For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it. | 14"For God speaks, the first time in one way, the second time in another, though a person does not perceive it. |
| 15In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber on their beds, | 15In a dream, a night vision, when deep sleep falls on people as they sleep in their beds. |
| 16He uncovers their ears at that time and terrifies them with warnings, | 16Then he gives a revelation to people, and terrifies them with warnings, |
| 17in order to turn a person from his actions and suppress his pride. | 17to turn a person from his sin, and to cover a person's pride. |
| 18God spares his soul from the Pit, his life from crossing the river of death. | 18He spares a person's life from corruption, his very life from crossing over the river. |
| 19A person may be disciplined on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones, | 19Or a person is chastened by pain on his bed, and with the continual strife of his bones, |
| 20so that he detests bread, and his soul despises his favorite food. | 20so that his life loathes food, and his soul rejects appetizing fare. |
| 21His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his unseen bones stick out. | 21His flesh wastes away from sight, and his bones, which were not seen, are easily visible. |
| 22He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the executioners. | 22He draws near to the place of corruption, and his life to the messengers of death. |
| 23If there is an angel on his side, one mediator out of a thousand, to tell a person what is right for him | 23If there is an angel beside him, one mediator out of a thousand, to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness; |
| 24and to be gracious to him and say, "Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom," | 24and if God is gracious to him and says, 'Spare him from going down to the place of corruption, I have found a ransom for him,' |
| 25then his flesh will be healthier than in his youth, and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor. | 25then his flesh is restored like a youth's; he returns to the days of his youthful vigor. |
| 26He will pray to God, and God will delight in him. That man will see His face with a shout of joy, and God will restore his righteousness to him. | 26He entreats God, and God delights in him, he sees God's face with rejoicing, and God restores to him his righteousness. |
| 27He will look at men and say, "I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved. | 27That person sings to others, saying: 'I have sinned and falsified what is right, but I was not punished according to what I deserved. |
| 28He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will continue to see the light." | 28He redeemed my life from going down to the place of corruption, and my life sees the light!' |
| 29God certainly does all these things two or three times to a man | 29"Indeed, God does all these things, twice, three times, in his dealings with a person, |
| 30in order to turn him back from the Pit, so he may shine with the light of life. | 30to turn back his life from the place of corruption, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. |
| 31Pay attention, Job, and listen to me. Be quiet, and I will speak. | 31Pay attention, Job--listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. |
| 32But if you have something to say, answer me; speak, for I would like to justify you. | 32If you have any words, reply to me; speak, for I want to justify you. |
| 33If not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom. | 33If not, you listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom." |
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