New King James Version

English Standard Version

1Then Job answered and said:

1Then Job answered and said:

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

2“Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?

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

3If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.

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

4He is wise in heart and mighty in strength—who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—

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

5he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger,

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

6who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble;

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

7who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;

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

8who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;

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

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

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

10who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number.

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

11Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.

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

12Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

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

13“God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab.

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

14How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him?

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

15Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.

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 would not believe that he was listening to my voice.

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

17For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause;

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

18he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

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 contest of strength, behold, he is mighty! 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.

20Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

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

21I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe my life.

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

22It is all one; 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 disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity 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 given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges— if it is not he, who then is it?

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

25“My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good.

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

26They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey.

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

27If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,’

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

28I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent.

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

29I shall be condemned; why then do I labor 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.

31yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor 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, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together.

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

33There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.

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, and let not dread of him terrify me.

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

35Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself.

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

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.