New American Standard Bible 1995

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1Then Job answered,

1Then Job answered:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11If He passes by me, I wouldn't see Him; if He goes right by, I wouldn't recognize Him.

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

12If He snatches something, who can stop Him? Who can ask Him, "What are You doing?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

19If it is a matter of strength, look, He is the Mighty One! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

23When disaster brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

34Let Him take His rod away from me so His terror will no longer frighten me.

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

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

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.