| Berean Standard Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then Job answered: | 1Then Job answered: |
| 2“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal 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 God, 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 resisted Him and prospered? | 4God is wise and all-powerful. Who has opposed him and come out unharmed? |
| 5He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger. | 5He removes mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his anger. |
| 6He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble. | 6He shakes the earth from its place so that its pillars tremble. |
| 7He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars. | 7He commands the sun not to shine and seals off the stars. |
| 8He alone stretches 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 is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. | 9He makes the stars: the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky. |
| 10He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number. | 10He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number. |
| 11Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize 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 stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’ | 12If he snatches something, who can stop him? Who can ask him, "What are you doing?" |
| 13God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him. | 13God does not hold back his anger; Rahab's assistants cringe in fear beneath him! |
| 14How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him? | 14How then can I answer him or choose my arguments against him? |
| 15For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy. | 15Even if I were in the right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy. |
| 16If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen 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 would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause. | 17He batters me with a whirlwind and multiplies my wounds without cause. |
| 18He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness. | 18He doesn't let me catch my breath but fills me with bitter experiences. |
| 19If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him? | 19If it is a matter of strength, look, he is the powerful one! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him? |
| 20Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty. | 20Even if I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, my mouth would declare me guilty. |
| 21Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life. | 21Though I am blameless, I no longer care about myself; I renounce my life. |
| 22It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ | 22It is all the same. Therefore I say, "He destroys both the blameless and the wicked." |
| 23When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair 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 blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it? | 24The earth is handed over to the wicked; he blindfolds its judges. If it isn't he, then who is it? |
| 25My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good. | 25My days fly by faster than a runner; they flee without seeing any good. |
| 26They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. | 26They sweep by like boats made of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. |
| 27If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’ | 27If I said, "I will forget my complaint, change my expression, and smile," |
| 28I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me. | 28I would still live in terror of all my pains. I know you will not acquit me. |
| 29Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain? | 29Since I will be found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? |
| 30If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, | 30If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye, |
| 31then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me. | 31then you dip me in a pit of mud, and my own clothes despise me! |
| 32For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court. | 32For he is not a man like me, that I can answer him, that we can take each other to court. |
| 33Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both. | 33There is no mediator between us, to lay his hand on both of us. |
| 34Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me. | 34Let him take his rod away from me so his terror will no longer frighten me. |
| 35Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own. | 35Then I would speak and not fear him. But that is not the case; I am on my own. |
| This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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