Job 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 9 ▼
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1 This was Job's response: Then Job answered and said: Then Job replied:
2 |Indeed, I'm fully aware that this is so, but how can a person become right 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 were to seek to argue with him, he won't be able to answer him even once in 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 wise in heart and strong in will— who can be stubborn against him and succeed? 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 removes mountains without their knowledge, overthrowing 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 orbit, so that its foundations 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 commands the sun so that it doesn't shine and 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 He alone spreads out the heavens, he walks on 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 created Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the southern constellations. 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 does great things that cannot be explained, and awesome deeds that cannot be counted. 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 were to pass near me, I wouldn't notice; if he moves by, I wouldn't 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 Indeed, if he snatches someone away, who could restrain him? Who can 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 doesn't restrain his anger. Rahab's assistants are humiliated under him. “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 So how am I to answer him, choosing what I am to say to 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 Even if I'm in the right, I cannot answer him. I can only appeal 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 |Were I to be summoned, and he were to answer me, I wouldn't even believe that he was listening to what I have to say. 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 crushes me with a storm, and keeps on wounding me for no reason. 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 won't let me catch my breath; instead, 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 |Is this a contest of strength? He is obviously stronger! Is this a matter of justice? Who can sue 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 Though I'm in the right, my own mouth will condemn me; though I'm blameless, he'll pronounce me as guilty. 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'm blameless; I don't know myself; 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 I say it's all the same— he destroys both the blameless and the guilty. 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 a calamity causes sudden death, he'll mock at 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 A land is given into the hands of a wicked person; he covers the faces of its judges. If it is not God, 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 pass faster than a runner; but they pass quickly without seeing anything 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 like a ship made of reeds, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. 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, 'Let me forget my complaint,' change the expression on my face, and look cheerful, 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 then I still dread all of my suffering; I know you still won't acquit 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 will be condemned, so why should I wear myself out with this futility? 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 from 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 you'll still drop me into the Pit, and my own clothes will despise 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 He's not a man like me, so that I can answer him, or that we can enter into litigation with one another. 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 yet a mediator between us, who would set his hand on 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 removing his rod from me, and not letting terror of him overwhelm 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 Otherwise, I would speak without being terrified of him, because I'm not like that inside myself.| 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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