International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1This was Job's response:

1Then Job answered,

2"Indeed, I'm fully aware that this is so, but how can a person become right with God?

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

3If one were to seek to argue with him, he won't be able to answer him even once in a thousand times.

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

4He is wise in heart and strong in will— who can be stubborn against him and succeed?

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

5"He removes mountains without their knowledge, overthrowing 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 orbit, so that its foundations shudder.

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

7He commands the sun so that it doesn't shine and seals up the stars.

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

8He alone spreads out the heavens, he walks on the waves of the sea.

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

9He created Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the southern constellations.

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

10He does great things that cannot be explained, and awesome deeds that cannot be counted.

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

11"If he were to pass near me, I wouldn't notice; if he moves by, I wouldn't perceive him.

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

12Indeed, if he snatches someone away, who could restrain him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'

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

13"God doesn't restrain his anger. Rahab's assistants are humiliated under him.

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

14So how am I to answer him, choosing what I am to say to him?

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

15Even if I'm in the right, I cannot answer him. I can only appeal for mercy.

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

16"Were I to be summoned, and he were to answer me, I wouldn't even believe that he was listening to what I have to say.

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

17For he crushes me with a storm, and keeps on wounding me for no reason.

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

18He won't let me catch my breath; instead, he fills me with bitterness.

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

19"Is this a contest of strength? He is obviously stronger! Is this a matter of justice? Who can sue 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?

20Though I'm in the right, my own mouth will condemn me; though I'm blameless, he'll pronounce me as guilty.

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

21"I'm blameless; I don't know myself; I despise my life.

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

22I say it's all the same— he destroys both the blameless and the guilty.

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

23If a calamity causes sudden death, he'll mock at the despair of the innocent.

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

24A land is given into the hands of a wicked person; he covers the faces of its judges. If it is not God, 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?

25"My days pass faster than a runner; but they pass quickly without seeing anything good.

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

26They pass by like a ship made of reeds, 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 were to say, 'Let me forget my complaint,' change the expression on my face, and look cheerful,

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

28then I still dread all of my suffering; I know you still won't acquit me.

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

29I will be condemned, so why should I wear myself out with this futility?

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

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

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

31you'll still drop me into the Pit, and my own clothes will despise me.

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

32He's not a man like me, so that I can answer him, or that we can enter into litigation with one another.

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

33There is not yet a mediator between us, who would set his hand on the two of us,

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

34removing his rod from me, and not letting terror of him overwhelm me.

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

35Otherwise, I would speak without being terrified of him, because I'm not like that inside myself."

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

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

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