New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1“Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say.

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

2Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue.

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

3I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth.

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

4For the 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.

5Answer me, if you can; make your case and take your stand.

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

6Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay.

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

7So you don’t need to be afraid of me. I won’t come down hard on you.

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

8“You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words.

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

9You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt.

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

10God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy.

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

11He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.’

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

12“But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being.

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

13So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints?

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

14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.

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

15He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie 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 whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings.

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

17He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride.

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

18He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death.

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

19“Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones.

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

20They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food.

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

21Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out.

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

22They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them.

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

23“But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is 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,

24he will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’

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

25Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again.

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

26When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing.

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.

27He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it.

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

28God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.’

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

29“Yes, God does these things again and again for people.

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

30He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life.

30To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

31Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say.

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

32But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified.

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

33But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!”

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

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.

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