Job 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 9 ▼
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NABRE
New American Bible Revised
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English Standard Version
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1 Then Job answered and said: Then Job answered and said: Then Job replied:
2 I know well that it is so; but how can anyone be in the right before 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 Should one wish to contend with him, he could not answer him 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 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has withstood him and remained 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 removes the mountains before they know it; 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 out of its place, and the pillars beneath it 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; 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 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the back 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 made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations 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 does things great and unsearchable, things marvelous and innumerable. 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 Should he come near me, I do not see him; should he pass by, I am not aware of 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 Should he seize me forcibly, who can resist? 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 He is God and he does not relent; the helpers of Rahab bow beneath 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 then could I give him any answer, or choose out arguments against 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 though I were right, I could not answer, but should rather beg for what was due me. 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 appealed to him and he answered me, I could not believe that he would listen to me; 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 With a storm he might overwhelm me, and multiply 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 would not allow me to draw breath, but might fill me with bitter griefs. 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 be a question of strength, he is mighty; or of judgment, who will call him to account? 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 were right, my own mouth might condemn me; were I innocent, it might put me in the wrong. 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 innocent, but I cannot know it; 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 all one! therefore I say: Both the innocent and the wicked he destroys. 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 When the scourge slays suddenly, he scoffs 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 The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges. If it is not he, who then 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 are swifter than a runner, they flee away; they see no happiness; “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 shoot by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping upon 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 say: I will forget my complaining, I will lay aside my sadness and be of good cheer, 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 am in dread of all my pains; I know that you will not hold me innocent. 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 It is I who will be accounted guilty; why then should I strive 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 should wash myself with soap 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 you would plunge me in the ditch, so that my 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 he is not a man like myself, that I should answer him, that we should come together 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 Would that there were an arbiter between us, who could lay his hand upon 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 and withdraw his rod from me, So that his terrors did not 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 that I might speak without being afraid of him. Since this is not the case 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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