Job 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 9 ▼
swipe to see more →
LSV
Literal Standard Version
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 And Job answers and says: Then Job answered and said: Then Job replied:
2 “Truly I have known that [it is] so, || But how is man 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 he delights to strive with Him—He does not answer him one 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 Wise in heart and strong in power—Who has hardened toward Him and is at 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 Who is removing mountains, || And they have not known, || Who has overturned 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 Who is shaking earth from its place, || And its pillars move themselves. 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 Who is commanding to the sun, and it does not rise, || And the stars He seals up. 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 on 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 Great Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, || And the inner 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, || And wonderful, 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 goes over by me, and I do not see, || And He passes on, and I do not attend to it. 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, who brings it back? Who says 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 does not turn back His anger, || Proud helpers have bowed 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 How much less do I answer Him? Choose out 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, though I were righteous, I do not answer, || For my judgment I make supplication. 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 Though I had called and He answers me, I do 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 Because He bruises me with a storm, || And has multiplied my wounds for nothing. 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 me to refresh my spirit, || But fills me with bitter things. 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 of power, behold, the Strong One; And if of judgment—who convenes 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 am righteous, my mouth declares me wicked; [If] I am perfect, it declares 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 perfect; 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 the same thing, therefore I said, || He is consuming the perfect and the wicked. 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 scourge puts to death suddenly, He laughs at the trial 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 Earth has been given || Into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of her judges, || If not—where, who [is] he? 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 runner, || They have fled, they have not seen 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 have passed on with ships of reed, || As an eagle darts on 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 Though I say, I forget my talking, || I forsake my corner, and I brighten up! 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 been afraid of all my griefs, || I have known that You do not 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 become wicked; why [is] this? 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 have washed myself with snow-water, || And purified my hands with soap, 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 Then You dip me in corruption, || And my garments have detested 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 But if a man like myself—I answer Him, || We 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 If there were a mediator between us, || He places his hand on us both. 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 He turns aside His rod from off me, || And His terror does not make me afraid, 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 speak, and do not fear Him, but I am not right with 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.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page