New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Then Job answered and said:

1Then Job answered:

2“Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God?

2Yes, I know what you've said is true, but how can a person be justified before God?

3If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

3If one wanted to take him to court, he could not answer God once in a thousand times.

4God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

4God is wise and all-powerful. Who has opposed him and come out unharmed?

5He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger;

5He removes mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his anger.

6He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

6He shakes the earth from its place so that its pillars tremble.

7He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars;

7He commands the sun not to shine and seals off the stars.

8He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea;

8He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

9He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

9He makes the stars: the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky.

10He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.

10He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.

11If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;

11If he passed by me, I wouldn't see him; if he went by, I wouldn't recognize him.

12If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

12If he snatches something, who can stop him? Who can ask him, "What are you doing?"

13God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

13God does not hold back his anger; Rahab's assistants cringe in fear beneath him!

14“How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him?

14How then can I answer him or choose my arguments against him?

15For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge.

15Even if I were in the right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

16If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.

16If I summoned him and he answered me, I do not believe he would pay attention to what I said.

17For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause.

17He batters me with a whirlwind and multiplies my wounds without cause.

18He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.

18He doesn't let me catch my breath but fills me with bitter experiences.

19If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?

19If it is a matter of strength, look, he is the powerful one! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?

20Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

20Even if I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, my mouth would declare me guilty.

21“I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.

21Though I am blameless, I no longer care about myself; I renounce my life.

22It is all one thing; Therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’

22It is all the same. Therefore I say, "He destroys both the blameless and the wicked."

23If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent.

23When catastrophe brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.

24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be?

24The earth is handed over to the wicked; he blindfolds its judges. If it isn't he, then who is it?

25“Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

25My days fly by faster than a runner; they flee without seeing any good.

26They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey.

26They sweep by like boats made of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

27If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’

27If I said, "I will forget my complaint, change my expression, and smile,"

28I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent.

28I would still live in terror of all my pains. I know you will not acquit me.

29If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain?

29Since I will be found guilty, why should I struggle in vain?

30If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap,

30If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,

31Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.

31then you dip me in a pit of mud, and my own clothes despise me!

32“For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.

32For he is not a man like me, that I can answer him, that we can take each other to court.

33Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.

33There is no mediator between us, to lay his hand on both of us.

34Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me.

34Let him take his rod away from me so his terror will no longer frighten me.

35Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.

35Then I would speak and not fear him. But that is not the case; I am on my own.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.