| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1"But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say. | 1"However now, Job, please hear my speech, And listen to all my words. |
| 2I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue. | 2"Behold now, I open my mouth, My tongue in my mouth speaks. |
| 3My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. | 3"My words are from the uprightness of my heart, And my lips speak knowledge sincerely. |
| 4The Spirit of God has made me; 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. |
| 5Answer me then, if you can; stand up and argue your case before me. | 5"Refute me if you can; Array yourselves before me, take your stand. |
| 6I am the same as you in God's sight; I too am a piece of clay. | 6"Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay. |
| 7No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy on you. | 7"Behold, no fear of me should terrify you, Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you. |
| 8"But you have said in my hearing-- I heard the very words-- | 8"Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your words: |
| 9I am pure, I have done no wrong; I am clean and free from sin. | 9'I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent and there is no guilt in me. |
| 10Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy. | 10'Behold, He invents pretexts against me; He counts me as His enemy. |
| 11He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.' | 11'He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches all my paths.' |
| 12"But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than any mortal. | 12"Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this, For God is greater than man. |
| 13Why do you complain to him that he responds to no one's words? | 13"Why do you complain against Him That He does not give an account of all His doings? |
| 14For God does speak--now one way, now another-- though no one perceives it. | 14"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it. |
| 15In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, | 15"In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, |
| 16he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, | 16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction, |
| 17to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride, | 17That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride; |
| 18to preserve them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword. | 18He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol. |
| 19"Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in their bones, | 19"Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with unceasing complaint in his bones; |
| 20so that their body finds food repulsive and their soul loathes the choicest meal. | 20So that his life loathes bread, And his soul favorite food. |
| 21Their flesh wastes away to nothing, and their bones, once hidden, now stick out. | 21"His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones which were not seen stick out. |
| 22They draw near to the pit, and their life to the messengers of death. | 22"Then his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those who bring death. |
| 23Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright, | 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 he is gracious to that person and says to God, 'Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them-- | 24Then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom'; |
| 25let their flesh be renewed like a child's; let them be restored as in the days of their youth'-- | 25Let his flesh become fresher than in youth, Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor; |
| 26then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God's face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being. | 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. |
| 27And they will go to others and say, 'I have sinned, I have perverted what is right, but I did not get 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. |
| 28God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.' | 28'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.' |
| 29"God does all these things to a person-- twice, even three times-- | 29"Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, |
| 30to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them. | 30To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life. |
| 31"Pay attention, Job, and 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 anything to say, answer me; speak up, for I want to vindicate you. | 32"Then if you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you. |
| 33But if not, then 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." |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | 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 |
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