NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1"But now, O Job, listen to my words, and hear everything I have to say!

1"However now, Job, please hear my speech, And listen to all my words.

2See now, I have opened my mouth; my tongue in my mouth has spoken.

2"Behold now, I open my mouth, My tongue in my mouth speaks.

3My words come from the uprightness of my heart, and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely.

3"My words are from the uprightness of my heart, And my lips speak knowledge sincerely.

4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

4"The Spirit of God has made 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!

5"Refute me if you can; Array yourselves before me, take your stand.

6Look, I am just like you in relation to God; I too have been molded from clay.

6"Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay.

7Therefore no fear of me should terrify you, nor should my pressure be heavy on you.

7"Behold, no fear of me should terrify you, Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.

8"Indeed, you have said in my hearing (I heard the sound of the words!):

8"Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your words:

9I am pure, without transgression; I am clean and have no iniquity.

9'I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.

10Yet God finds occasions with me; he regards me as his enemy!

10'Behold, He invents pretexts against me; He counts me as His enemy.

11He puts my feet in shackles; he watches closely all my paths.'

11'He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches all my paths.'

12Now in this, you are not right--I answer you, for God is greater than a human being.

12"Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this, For God is greater than man.

13Why do you contend against him, that he does not answer all a person's words?

13"Why do you complain against Him That He does not give an account of all His doings?

14"For God speaks, the first time in one way, the second time in another, though a person does not perceive it.

14"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it.

15In a dream, a night vision, when deep sleep falls on people as they sleep in their beds.

15"In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds,

16Then he gives a revelation to people, and terrifies them with warnings,

16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction,

17to turn a person from his sin, and to cover a person's pride.

17That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride;

18He spares a person's life from corruption, his very life from crossing over the river.

18He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol.

19Or a person is chastened by pain on his bed, and with the continual strife of his bones,

19"Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with unceasing complaint in his bones;

20so that his life loathes food, and his soul rejects appetizing fare.

20So that his life loathes bread, And his soul favorite food.

21His flesh wastes away from sight, and his bones, which were not seen, are easily visible.

21"His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones which were not seen stick out.

22He draws near to the place of corruption, and his life to the messengers of death.

22"Then his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those who bring death.

23If there is an angel beside him, one mediator out of a thousand, to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness;

23"If there is an angel as mediator for him, One out of a thousand, To remind a man what is right for him,

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,'

24Then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom';

25then his flesh is restored like a youth's; he returns to the days of his youthful vigor.

25Let his flesh become fresher than in youth, Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;

26He entreats God, and God delights in him, he sees God's face with rejoicing, and God restores to him his righteousness.

26Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, That he may see His face with joy, And He may restore His righteousness to man.

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 will sing to men and say, 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, And it is not proper for me.

28He redeemed my life from going down to the place of corruption, and my life sees the light!'

28'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.'

29"Indeed, God does all these things, twice, three times, in his dealings with a person,

29"Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men,

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, That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

31Pay attention, Job--listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.

31"Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; Keep silent, and let me speak.

32If you have any words, reply to me; speak, for I want to justify you.

32"Then if you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you.

33If not, you listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

33"If not, listen to me; Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

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