New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Then Job spoke again:

1Then Job answered,

2“Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?

2"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God?

3If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?

3"If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

4For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully?

4"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?

5“Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger.

5"It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger;

6He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble.

6Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

7If he commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine.

7Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars;

8He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea.

8Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

9He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.

9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

10He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.

10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number.

11“Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go.

11"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

12If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’

12"Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?'

13And God does not restrain his anger. Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet.

13"God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.

14“So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him?

14"How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?

15Even if I were right, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy.

15"For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

16And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure he would listen to me.

16"If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

17For he attacks me with a storm and repeatedly wounds me without cause.

17"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause.

18He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.

18"He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness.

19If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one. If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court?

19"If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

20Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked.

20"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

21“I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me— I despise my life.

21"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life.

22Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

22"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.'

23When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death of the innocent.

23"If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

24The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges. If he’s not the one who does it, who is?

24"The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

25“My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.

25"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

26It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

26"They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.

27If I decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be cheerful,

27"Though I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,'

28I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God.

28I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me.

29Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what’s the use of trying?

29"I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain?

30Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye,

30"If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye,

31you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate me.

31Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me.

32“God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.

32"For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together.

33If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together.

33"There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.

34The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.

34"Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me.

35Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.

35"Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

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