| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1“Look, I have seen all this with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, and now I understand. | 1“Indeed, my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard and understood. |
| 2I know as much as you do. You are no better than I am. | 2What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. |
| 3As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty. I want to argue my case with God himself. | 3Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God. |
| 4As for you, you smear me with lies. As physicians, you are worthless quacks. | 4You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians. |
| 5If only you could be silent! That’s the wisest thing you could do. | 5If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom! |
| 6Listen to my charge; pay attention to my arguments. | 6Hear now my argument, and listen to the plea of my lips. |
| 7“Are you defending God with lies? Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake? | 7Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf or speak deceitfully for Him? |
| 8Will you slant your testimony in his favor? Will you argue God’s case for him? | 8Would you show Him partiality or argue in His defense? |
| 9What will happen when he finds out what you are doing? Can you fool him as easily as you fool people? | 9Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him like a man? |
| 10No, you will be in trouble with him if you secretly slant your testimony in his favor. | 10Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality. |
| 11Doesn’t his majesty terrify you? Doesn’t your fear of him overwhelm you? | 11Would His majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of Him not fall upon you? |
| 12Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes. Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot. | 12Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. |
| 13“Be silent now and leave me alone. Let me speak, and I will face the consequences. | 13Be silent, and I will speak. Then let come to me what may. |
| 14Why should I put myself in mortal danger and take my life in my own hands? | 14Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands? |
| 15God might kill me, but I have no other hope. I am going to argue my case with him. | 15Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face. |
| 16But this is what will save me—I am not godless. If I were, I could not stand before him. | 16Moreover, this will be my salvation, for no godless man can appear before Him. |
| 17“Listen closely to what I am about to say. Hear me out. | 17Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears. |
| 18I have prepared my case; I will be proved innocent. | 18Behold, now that I have prepared my case, I know that I will be vindicated. |
| 19Who can argue with me over this? And if you prove me wrong, I will remain silent and die. Job Asks How He Has Sinned | 19Can anyone indict me? If so, I will be silent and die. |
| 20“O God, grant me these two things, and then I will be able to face you. | 20Only grant these two things to me, so that I need not hide from You: |
| 21Remove your heavy hand from me, and don’t terrify me with your awesome presence. | 21Withdraw Your hand from me, and do not let Your terror frighten me. |
| 22Now summon me, and I will answer! Or let me speak to you, and you reply. | 22Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and You can reply. |
| 23Tell me, what have I done wrong? Show me my rebellion and my sin. | 23How many are my iniquities and sins? Reveal to me my transgression and sin. |
| 24Why do you turn away from me? Why do you treat me as your enemy? | 24Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy? |
| 25Would you terrify a leaf blown by the wind? Would you chase dry straw? | 25Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff? |
| 26“You write bitter accusations against me and bring up all the sins of my youth. | 26For You record bitter accusations against me and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth. |
| 27You put my feet in stocks. You examine all my paths. You trace all my footprints. | 27You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet. |
| 28I waste away like rotting wood, like a moth-eaten coat. | 28So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment. |
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