| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1“But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words. | 1“Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say. |
| 2Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue. | 2Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue. |
| 3My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know. | 3I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth. |
| 4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. | 4For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. |
| 5Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me. | 5Answer me, if you can; make your case and take your stand. |
| 6I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay. | 6Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay. |
| 7Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you. | 7So you don’t need to be afraid of me. I won’t come down hard on you. |
| 8Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: | 8“You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words. |
| 9‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me. | 9You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt. |
| 10Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy. | 10God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy. |
| 11He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’ | 11He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.’ |
| 12Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man. | 12“But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being. |
| 13Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks? | 13So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints? |
| 14For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices. | 14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. |
| 15In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, | 15He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. |
| 16He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings | 16He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. |
| 17to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, | 17He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. |
| 18to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword. | 18He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death. |
| 19A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones, | 19“Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones. |
| 20so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food. | 20They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food. |
| 21His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude. | 21Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out. |
| 22He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death. | 22They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them. |
| 23Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, | 23“But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright— |
| 24to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’ | 24he will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’ |
| 25then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth. | 25Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again. |
| 26He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man. | 26When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing. |
| 27Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved. | 27He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it. |
| 28He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’ | 28God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.’ |
| 29Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times, | 29“Yes, God does these things again and again for people. |
| 30to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. | 30He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life. |
| 31Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. | 31Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say. |
| 32But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you. | 32But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified. |
| 33But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.” | 33But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!” |
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