Job 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 9 ▼
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CPDV
Catholic Public Domain Version
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English Standard Version
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1 And Job, responding, said: Then Job answered and said: Then Job replied:
2 Truly, I know that it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared 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 he chooses to contend with him, he is not able to respond to him once out of a thousand times. 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 understanding in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and yet had peace? 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 has moved mountains, and those whom he overthrew in his fury did not know it. 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 out of its place and its pillars tremble. 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 commands the sun and it does not rise, and he closes the stars as if under a seal. 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 He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves 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 He fashions Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the interior 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 He accomplishes great and incomprehensible and miraculous things, which cannot be numbered. 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 If he approaches me, I will not see him; if he departs, I will not understand. 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 If he suddenly should question, who will answer him? Or who can say, “Why did you do so?” 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, whose wrath no one is able to resist, and under whom they bend who carry the world, “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 what am I then, that I should answer him and exchange 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 And if I now have any justice, I will not respond, but will beseech my judge. 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 And if he should listen to me when I call, I would not believe that he had heard 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 For he will crush me in a whirlwind and multiply my wounds, even 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 permit my spirit to rest, and 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 strength is sought, he is most strong; if equity in judgment, no one would dare to give testimony for me. 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 wanted to justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I would reveal my innocence, he would prove me depraved. 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 And if I now became simple, my soul would be ignorant even of this, and my life would weary me. 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 There is one thing that I have said: both the innocent and the impious he consumes. 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 he scourges, let him kill all at once, and not laugh at the punishment 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 Since the earth has been given into the hand of the impious, he covers the face of its judges; for if it is not him, 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 My days have been swifter than a messenger; they have fled and have not seen goodness. “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 have passed by like ships carrying fruits, just like an eagle flying to 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 say: “By no means will I speak this way.” I change my face and I am tortured with sorrow. 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 have dreaded all my works, knowing that you did not spare the offender. 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 Yet, if I am also just as impious, why have I labored 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 had been washed with snow-like waters, and my hands were shining like the cleanest thing, 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 you would plunge me in filth, and my own garments would 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 even I would not answer a man who were like myself, nor one who could be heard with me equally in 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 no one who could both prevail in argument and in placing his hand between the two. 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 Let him take his staff away from me, and let not the fear of him terrify 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 will speak and I will not fear him, for in fearfulness I am not able to respond. 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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