Job 9:21
New International Version
“Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.

New Living Translation
“I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me— I despise my life.

English Standard Version
I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe my life.

Berean Standard Bible
Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.

King James Bible
Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

New King James Version
“I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.

New American Standard Bible
“I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I reject my life.

NASB 1995
“I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life.

NASB 1977
“I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life.

Legacy Standard Bible
I am blameless; I do not know my soul; I reject my life.

Amplified Bible
“[Though] I am blameless, I do not care about myself; I despise my life.

Christian Standard Bible
Though I am blameless, I no longer care about myself; I renounce my life.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Though I am blameless, I no longer care about myself; I renounce my life.

American Standard Version
I am perfect; I regard not myself; I despise my life.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I am perfect and I do not know my soul. I have despised my life.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For even if I have sinned, I know it not in my soul: but my life is taken away.

Contemporary English Version
I am not guilty, but I no longer care what happens to me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Although I should be simple, even this my soul shall be ignorant of, and I shall be weary of my life.

English Revised Version
I am perfect; I regard not myself; I despise my life.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If I am a man of integrity, I have no way of knowing it. I hate my life!

International Standard Version
"I'm blameless; I don't know myself; I despise my life.

JPS Tanakh 1917
I am innocent--I regard not myself, I despise my life.

Literal Standard Version
I am perfect; I do not know my soul, I despise my life.

Majority Standard Bible
Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.

New American Bible
I am innocent, but I cannot know it; I despise my life.

NET Bible
I am blameless. I do not know myself. I despise my life.

New Revised Standard Version
I am blameless; I do not know myself; I loathe my life.

New Heart English Bible
I am blameless. I do not regard myself. I despise my life.

Webster's Bible Translation
Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

World English Bible
I am blameless. I don’t respect myself. I despise my life.

Young's Literal Translation
Perfect I am! -- I know not my soul, I despise my life.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: How Can I Argue with God?
20Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty. 21Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life. 22It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’…

Cross References
Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil.

Job 6:9
that God would be willing to crush me, to unleash His hand and cut me off!

Job 7:16
I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

Job 9:15
For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

Job 10:7
though You know that I am not guilty, and there is no deliverance from Your hand?

Job 12:4
I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.

Job 13:18
Behold, now that I have prepared my case, I know that I will be vindicated.


Treasury of Scripture

Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

yet would

Psalm 139:23,24
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: …

Proverbs 28:26
He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Jeremiah 17:9,10
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? …

I would

Job 7:15,16,21
So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life…

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Job 9
1. Job acknowledges God's justice
22. Man's innocence is not to be condemned by afflictions














Verse 21. - Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. The original is very elliptical and very obscure. The words run, I perfect - I know not myself - I abhor my life which some explain as meaning, "Were I perfect, I should not know it myself; I despise my life under such conditions" (Stanley Loathes); others, "I am perfect" (i.e. guiltless of any plain offence), "but do not understand myself, and care not what becomes of me" (Canon Cook); others again, "Were I perfect, should I not know myself, and, knowing myself, despise my own life?" (Professor Lee). The Septuagint gives us no help, as it plainly follows a different reading. Probably our present text is a corrupt one.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Though I
אָ֭נִי (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am blameless,
תָּֽם־ (tām-)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 8535: Complete, pious, gentle, dear

I have no
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

concern
אֵדַ֥ע (’ê·ḏa‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know

for myself;
נַפְשִׁ֗י (nap̄·šî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

I despise
אֶמְאַ֥ס (’em·’as)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3988: To spurn, to disappear

my life.
חַיָּֽי׃ (ḥay·yāy)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life


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OT Poetry: Job 9:21 I am blameless (Jb)
Job 9:20
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