New King James Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Then Job answered and said:

1Then Job answered,

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

2"In truth I know that this 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.

3"If one wished to dispute with Him, He 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?

4"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?

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

5"It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, 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 not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars;

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

8Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

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

9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

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

10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number.

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

11"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

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

12"Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could 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 crouch the helpers of Rahab.

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

14"How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?

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

15"For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

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

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

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

17"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause.

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

18"He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates 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?

19"If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one! And 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.

20"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

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

21"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life.

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

22"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.'

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

23"If the scourge kills suddenly, 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?

24"The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

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

25"Now 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.

26"They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.

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

27"Though I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,'

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

28I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me.

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

29"I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain?

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

30"If I should 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 would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would 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.

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

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

33"There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.

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

34"Let Him remove His rod 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.

35"Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

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

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org