Job 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 9 ▼
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NLT
New Living Translation
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English Standard Version
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1 Then Job spoke again: Then Job answered and said: Then Job replied:
2 “Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight? “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 someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible 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 For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully? 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 “Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning 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 foundations 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 If he commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine. 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 has spread out the heavens and marches 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 made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky. 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 too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. 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 “Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go. 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 snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘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 And God does not restrain his anger. Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet. “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 who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason 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 Even if I were right, I would have no defense. I could only 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 And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure 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 For he attacks me with a storm and repeatedly wounds me 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 will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows. 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’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one. If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court? 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 am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked. 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 it makes no difference to me— 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 Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless 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 When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death 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 whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges. If he’s not the one who does it, who is? 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 life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of 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 It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, 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 decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be 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 I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God. 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 Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what’s the use of trying? I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain? Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain?
30 Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean 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 would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate 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 “God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. 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 only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. 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 The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. 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 Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength. 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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