New American Standard Bible 1995 | New Living Translation |
1Then Job answered, | 1Then Job spoke again: |
2"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God? | 2“Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight? |
3"If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. | 3If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times? |
4"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? | 4For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully? |
5"It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger; | 5“Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger. |
6Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; | 6He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble. |
7Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; | 7If he commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine. |
8Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; | 8He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea. |
9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; | 9He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky. |
10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. | 10He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. |
11"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. | 11“Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go. |
12"Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?' | 12If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’ |
13"God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab. | 13And God does not restrain his anger. Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet. |
14"How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him? | 14“So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with 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 right, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy. |
16"If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. | 16And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure he would listen to me. |
17"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause. | 17For he attacks me with a storm and repeatedly wounds me without cause. |
18"He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness. | 18He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows. |
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’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one. If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court? |
20"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty. | 20Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked. |
21"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life. | 21“I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me— I despise my life. |
22"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.' | 22Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ |
23"If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent. | 23When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death 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 whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges. If he’s not the one who does it, who is? |
25"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. | 25“My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness. |
26"They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey. | 26It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, 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 decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be cheerful, |
28I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me. | 28I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God. |
29"I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain? | 29Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what’s the use of trying? |
30"If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, | 30Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye, |
31Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me. | 31you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate me. |
32"For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. | 32“God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. |
33"There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both. | 33If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. |
34"Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me. | 34The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. |
35"Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself. | 35Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength. |
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 | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
|