| New International Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Then Job replied: | 1Then Job spoke again: |
| 2"If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! | 2“If my misery could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, |
| 3It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas-- no wonder my words have been impetuous. | 3they would outweigh all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke impulsively. |
| 4The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God's terrors are marshaled against me. | 4For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows. Their poison infects my spirit. God’s terrors are lined up against me. |
| 5Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass, or an ox bellow when it has fodder? | 5Don’t I have a right to complain? Don’t wild donkeys bray when they find no grass, and oxen bellow when they have no food? |
| 6Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow? | 6Don’t people complain about unsalted food? Does anyone want the tasteless white of an egg? |
| 7I refuse to touch it; such food makes me ill. | 7My appetite disappears when I look at it; I gag at the thought of eating it! |
| 8"Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, | 8“Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant my desire. |
| 9that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut off my life! | 9I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me. |
| 10Then I would still have this consolation-- my joy in unrelenting pain-- that I had not denied the words of the Holy One. | 10At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One. |
| 11"What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient? | 11But I don’t have the strength to endure. I have nothing to live for. |
| 12Do I have the strength of stone? Is my flesh bronze? | 12Do I have the strength of a stone? Is my body made of bronze? |
| 13Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me? | 13No, I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success. |
| 14"Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. | 14“One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty. |
| 15But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, as the streams that overflow | 15My brothers, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook that overflows its banks in the spring |
| 16when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow, | 16when it is swollen with ice and melting snow. |
| 17but that stop flowing in the dry season, and in the heat vanish from their channels. | 17But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears. The brook vanishes in the heat. |
| 18Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go off into the wasteland and perish. | 18The caravans turn aside to be refreshed, but there is nothing to drink, so they die. |
| 19The caravans of Tema look for water, the traveling merchants of Sheba look in hope. | 19The caravans from Tema search for this water; the travelers from Sheba hope to find it. |
| 20They are distressed, because they had been confident; they arrive there, only to be disappointed. | 20They count on it but are disappointed. When they arrive, their hopes are dashed. |
| 21Now you too have proved to be of no help; you see something dreadful and are afraid. | 21You, too, have given no help. You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid. |
| 22Have I ever said, 'Give something on my behalf, pay a ransom for me from your wealth, | 22But why? Have I ever asked you for a gift? Have I begged for anything of yours for myself? |
| 23deliver me from the hand of the enemy, rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless'? | 23Have I asked you to rescue me from my enemies, or to save me from ruthless people? |
| 24"Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong. | 24Teach me, and I will keep quiet. Show me what I have done wrong. |
| 25How painful are honest words! But what do your arguments prove? | 25Honest words can be painful, but what do your criticisms amount to? |
| 26Do you mean to correct what I say, and treat my desperate words as wind? | 26Do you think your words are convincing when you disregard my cry of desperation? |
| 27You would even cast lots for the fatherless and barter away your friend. | 27You would even send an orphan into slavery or sell a friend. |
| 28"But now be so kind as to look at me. Would I lie to your face? | 28Look at me! Would I lie to your face? |
| 29Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider, for my integrity is at stake. | 29Stop assuming my guilt, for I have done no wrong. |
| 30Is there any wickedness on my lips? Can my mouth not discern malice? | 30Do you think I am lying? Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong? |
| 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. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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