| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1"But now, O Job, listen to my words, and hear everything I have to say! | 1"Now please listen to what I have to say, Job. Listen to every word! |
| 2See now, I have opened my mouth; my tongue in my mouth has spoken. | 2Look! I've begun to speak, and I'm fashioning my words. |
| 3My words come from the uprightness of my heart, and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely. | 3I speak from the innocence of my heart; and my lips will utter what I sincerely know. |
| 4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. | 4"The spirit of God fashioned me; and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. |
| 5Reply to me, if you can; set your arguments in order before me and take your stand! | 5Answer me, if you can! Present your case! Take your stand in my presence! |
| 6Look, I am just like you in relation to God; I too have been molded from clay. | 6Look! As far as God is concerned, I'm just like you are— I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay. |
| 7Therefore no fear of me should terrify you, nor should my pressure be heavy on you. | 7Don't be afraid of me; I'll go easy on you." |
| 8"Indeed, you have said in my hearing (I heard the sound of the words!): | 8"You spoke clearly so I could hear; I've heard what you've said: |
| 9I am pure, without transgression; I am clean and have no iniquity. | 9I'm pure. I'm without sin; I'm innocent. I'm harboring no iniquity inside of me. |
| 10Yet God finds occasions with me; he regards me as his enemy! | 10Nevertheless, God has found a pretext to attack me; he considers me his enemy. |
| 11He puts my feet in shackles; he watches closely all my paths.' | 11He has bound my feet in shackles, and keeps watching everything I do.'" |
| 12Now in this, you are not right--I answer you, for God is greater than a human being. | 12"You aren't right about this; My response is that God is greater than human beings. |
| 13Why do you contend against him, that he does not answer all a person's words? | 13Why are you arguing with him? He doesn't have to give explanations for what he does to you! |
| 14"For God speaks, the first time in one way, the second time in another, though a person does not perceive it. | 14"God speaks time and time again — but nobody notices— |
| 15In a dream, a night vision, when deep sleep falls on people as they sleep in their beds. | 15in a dream or night vision, when a deep sleep falls on mankind while they sleep on their beds. |
| 16Then he gives a revelation to people, and terrifies them with warnings, | 16That's when he opens the ear of mankind, authenticating his messages to them, |
| 17to turn a person from his sin, and to cover a person's pride. | 17turning a person from his actions, keeping him from pride, |
| 18He spares a person's life from corruption, his very life from crossing over the river. | 18sparing his soul from the Pit and his life from violent death. |
| 19Or a person is chastened by pain on his bed, and with the continual strife of his bones, | 19"He is being reproved by painful bed rest, with continual aching in his bones. |
| 20so that his life loathes food, and his soul rejects appetizing fare. | 20He cannot stand his food, and he has no desire for appetizing food. |
| 21His flesh wastes away from sight, and his bones, which were not seen, are easily visible. | 21His flesh wastes away; his bones, which once couldn't be seen, are visible. |
| 22He draws near to the place of corruption, and his life to the messengers of death. | 22His soul is getting close to the Pit; his life is approaching its executioner." |
| 23If there is an angel beside him, one mediator out of a thousand, to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness; | 23"If there's a messenger appointed to mediate for Job —one out of a thousand— to represent the man's integrity on his behalf, |
| 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,' | 24to show favor to him and to plead, 'Deliver him from having to go down to the Pit — I know where his ransom is!' |
| 25then his flesh is restored like a youth's; he returns to the days of his youthful vigor. | 25Let his flesh be rejuvenated as he was in his youth! Let him recover the strength of his youth. |
| 26He entreats God, and God delights in him, he sees God's face with rejoicing, and God restores to him his righteousness. | 26Let him pray to God and he will accept him; he will appear before him with joyful shouts!" |
| 27That person sings to others, saying: 'I have sinned and falsified what is right, but I was not punished according to what I deserved. | 27"He'll sing to mankind with these words: 'I've sinned. I have twisted what is right. Yet he has not repaid me like I deserve. |
| 28He redeemed my life from going down to the place of corruption, and my life sees the light!' | 28He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit; my life will see the light.' |
| 29"Indeed, God does all these things, twice, three times, in his dealings with a person, | 29Indeed God does all these things again and again with a person |
| 30to turn back his life from the place of corruption, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. | 30to bring back his soul from the Pit; to light him with the light of life." |
| 31Pay attention, Job--listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. | 31"Job, pay attention! Listen to me! Be silent and let me speak. |
| 32If you have any words, reply to me; speak, for I want to justify you. | 32If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, because I'd be happy to vindicate you. |
| 33If not, you listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom." | 33But if you have nothing to say, then at least listen to me! Be quiet and learn some wisdom from me." |
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