Job 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 9 ▼
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1 And Job answered and said, Then Job answered and said: Then Job replied:
2 “Truly I know that it is so. But how can a man be righteous with God? “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God? “Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?
3 If one was delighted to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times. Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.
4 He is wise of heart and firm of strength; who has hardened himself against Him and been whole? He is wise in heart and mighty in strength—who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?— His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
5 He moves the mountains, and they do not know when He overturns them in His anger. he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger, He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger.
6 He shakes the earth from its place, and its pillars shudder. who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble.
7 He speaks to the sun, and it does not rise, and He seals up the stars, who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars.
8 stretching out the heavens by himself, and treading upon the heights of the sea. who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
9 Making the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades and the chambers of the south, who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south; He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
10 doing great things until there is no searching out, and wonders until there is no numbering. who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
11 Behold, He passes by over me, and I do not see Him; and He moves past, and I do not perceive Him. Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him. When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.
12 Behold, He snatches away, and who will turn Him back? Who shall say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God will not turn aside His nose—beneath Him bowed the helpers of Rahab! “God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab. God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.
14 How then can I answer Him and choose my words with Him, How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him? “How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him?
15 whom, if I were righteous, I could not answer; to my Judge I would plead for mercy. Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.
16 If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He gives ear to my voice— If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing.
17 He who crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause. For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause; He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason.
18 He does not allow me to return my breath, but He fills me with bitterness. he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness. He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.
19 If it is of power, behold, He is mighty; and if of justice, who can summon Him? If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him? If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him?
20 If I were righteous, my own mouth would declare me wicked; if I were blameless, then it would declare me perverse. Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse. Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.
21 I am blameless; I do not know my soul; I despise my life. I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe my life. “Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
22 It is one thing! And upon thus I say, ‘The blameless and the wicked He brings to an end.’ It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ It is all the same; that is why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the whip kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent. When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent. When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges—If not, then who is it? The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges— if it is not he, who then is it? When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it?
25 So my days are swifter than a runner; they flee, not seeing good. “My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good. “My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.
26 They pass by with ships of papyrus, like an eagle rushing upon its food. They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey. They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey.
27 If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint, let me change my face and smile,’ If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,’ If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I would fear all my sorrows, and I know that You will not clear me. I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent. I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent.
29 I am wicked; why then should I labor in vain? I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain? Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain?
30 If I wash myself with water of snow, and cleanse my hands with lye, If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder,
31 yet into the pit You will plunge me, and my own garments will abhor me. yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor me. you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.
32 For He is not a man like I am, that I may answer Him, that we would come together into judgment. For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. “He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court.
33 There is not a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon the two of us, There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together,
34 tu turn away from me His rod, and not let His terror frighten me. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me. someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.
35 I would speak and not be afraid of Him; but I am not thus with me. Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.
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