| New International Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1"But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say. | 1But now, Job, pay attention to my speech, and listen to all my words. |
| 2I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue. | 2I am going to open my mouth; my tongue will form words on my palate. |
| 3My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. | 3My words come from my upright heart, and my lips speak with sincerity what they know. |
| 4The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. | 4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. |
| 5Answer me then, if you can; stand up and argue your case before me. | 5Refute me if you can. Prepare your case against me; take your stand. |
| 6I am the same as you in God's sight; I too am a piece of clay. | 6I am just like you before God; I was also pinched off from a piece of clay. |
| 7No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy on you. | 7Fear of me should not terrify you; the pressure I exert against you will be light. |
| 8"But you have said in my hearing-- I heard the very words-- | 8Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: |
| 9I am pure, I have done no wrong; I am clean and free from sin. | 9"I am pure, without transgression; I am clean and have no guilt. |
| 10Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy. | 10But He finds reasons to oppose me; He regards me as His enemy. |
| 11He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.' | 11He puts my feet in the stocks; He stands watch over all my paths." |
| 12"But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than any mortal. | 12But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter, since God is greater than man. |
| 13Why do you complain to him that he responds to no one's words? | 13Why do you take Him to court for not answering anything a person asks? |
| 14For God does speak--now one way, now another-- though no one perceives 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 on people as they slumber in their beds, | 15In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber on their beds, |
| 16he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, | 16He uncovers their ears at that time and terrifies them with warnings, |
| 17to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride, | 17in order to turn a person from his actions and suppress his pride. |
| 18to preserve them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword. | 18God spares his soul from the Pit, his life from crossing the river of death. |
| 19"Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in their bones, | 19A person may be disciplined on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones, |
| 20so that their body finds food repulsive and their soul loathes the choicest meal. | 20so that he detests bread, and his soul despises his favorite food. |
| 21Their flesh wastes away to nothing, and their bones, once hidden, now stick out. | 21His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his unseen bones stick out. |
| 22They draw near to the pit, and their life to the messengers of death. | 22He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the executioners. |
| 23Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright, | 23If there is an angel on his side, one mediator out of a thousand, to tell a person what is right for him |
| 24and he is gracious to that person and says to God, 'Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them-- | 24and to be gracious to him and say, "Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom," |
| 25let their flesh be renewed like a child's; let them be restored as in the days of their youth'-- | 25then his flesh will be healthier than in his youth, and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor. |
| 26then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God's face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being. | 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. |
| 27And they will go to others and say, 'I have sinned, I have perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved. | 27He will look at men and say, "I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved. |
| 28God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.' | 28He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will continue to see the light." |
| 29"God does all these things to a person-- twice, even three times-- | 29God certainly does all these things two or three times to a man |
| 30to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them. | 30in order to turn him back from the Pit, so he may shine with the light of life. |
| 31"Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, 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 up, for I want to vindicate you. | 32But if you have something to say, answer me; speak, for I would like to justify you. |
| 33But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom." | 33If not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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