| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1“But please, Job, hear my speech, And listen to all my words. | 1But now, Job, pay attention to my speech, and listen to all my words. |
| 2Now, I open my mouth; My tongue speaks in my mouth. | 2I am going to open my mouth; my tongue will form words on my palate. |
| 3My words come from my upright heart; My lips utter pure knowledge. | 3My words come from my upright heart, and my lips speak with sincerity what they know. |
| 4The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life. | 4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. |
| 5If you can answer me, Set your words in order before me; Take your stand. | 5Refute me if you can. Prepare your case against me; take your stand. |
| 6Truly I am as your spokesman before God; I also have been formed out of clay. | 6I am just like you before God; I was also pinched off from a piece of clay. |
| 7Surely no fear of me will terrify you, Nor will my hand be heavy on you. | 7Fear of me should not terrify you; the pressure I exert against you will be light. |
| 8“Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your words, saying, | 8Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: |
| 9‘I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me. | 9"I am pure, without transgression; I am clean and have no guilt. |
| 10Yet He finds occasions against me, He counts me as His enemy; | 10But He finds reasons to oppose me; He regards me as His enemy. |
| 11He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.’ | 11He puts my feet in the stocks; He stands watch over all my paths." |
| 12“Look, in this you are not righteous. I will answer you, For God is greater than man. | 12But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter, since God is greater than man. |
| 13Why do you contend with Him? For He does not give an accounting of any of His words. | 13Why do you take Him to court for not answering anything a person asks? |
| 14For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. | 14For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it. |
| 15In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, | 15In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber on their beds, |
| 16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. | 16He uncovers their ears at that time and terrifies them with warnings, |
| 17In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, | 17in order to turn a person from his actions and suppress his pride. |
| 18He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword. | 18God spares his soul from the Pit, his life from crossing the river of death. |
| 19“Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with strong pain in many of his bones, | 19A person may be disciplined on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones, |
| 20So that his life abhors bread, And his soul succulent food. | 20so that he detests bread, and his soul despises his favorite food. |
| 21His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones stick out which once were not seen. | 21His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his unseen bones stick out. |
| 22Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, And his life to the executioners. | 22He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the executioners. |
| 23“If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness, | 23If there is an angel on his side, one mediator out of a thousand, to tell a person what is right for him |
| 24Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’; | 24and to be gracious to him and say, "Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom," |
| 25His flesh shall be young like a child’s, He shall return to the days of his youth. | 25then his flesh will be healthier than in his youth, and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor. |
| 26He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness. | 26He will pray to God, and God will delight in him. That man will see His face with a shout of joy, and God will restore his righteousness to him. |
| 27Then he looks at men and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right, And it did not profit me.’ | 27He will look at men and say, "I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved. |
| 28He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit, And his life shall see the light. | 28He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will continue to see the light." |
| 29“Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man, | 29God certainly does all these things two or three times to a man |
| 30To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life. | 30in order to turn him back from the Pit, so he may shine with the light of life. |
| 31“Give ear, Job, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will speak. | 31Pay attention, Job, and listen to me. Be quiet, and I will speak. |
| 32If you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you. | 32But if you have something to say, answer me; speak, for I would like to justify you. |
| 33If not, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.” | 33If not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom. |
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