| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1“Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it. | 1“Look, I have seen all this with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, and now I understand. |
| 2What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. | 2I know as much as you do. You are no better than I am. |
| 3But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. | 3As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty. I want to argue my case with God himself. |
| 4But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians. | 4As for you, you smear me with lies. As physicians, you are worthless quacks. |
| 5Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom! | 5If only you could be silent! That’s the wisest thing you could do. |
| 6Now hear my reasoning, And heed the pleadings of my lips. | 6Listen to my charge; pay attention to my arguments. |
| 7Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him? | 7“Are you defending God with lies? Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake? |
| 8Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God? | 8Will you slant your testimony in his favor? Will you argue God’s case for him? |
| 9Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man? | 9What will happen when he finds out what you are doing? Can you fool him as easily as you fool people? |
| 10He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality. | 10No, you will be in trouble with him if you secretly slant your testimony in his favor. |
| 11Will not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you? | 11Doesn’t his majesty terrify you? Doesn’t your fear of him overwhelm you? |
| 12Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay. | 12Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes. Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot. |
| 13“Hold your peace with me, and let me speak, Then let come on me what may! | 13“Be silent now and leave me alone. Let me speak, and I will face the consequences. |
| 14Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hands? | 14Why should I put myself in mortal danger and take my life in my own hands? |
| 15Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. | 15God might kill me, but I have no other hope. I am going to argue my case with him. |
| 16He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him. | 16But this is what will save me—I am not godless. If I were, I could not stand before him. |
| 17Listen carefully to my speech, And to my declaration with your ears. | 17“Listen closely to what I am about to say. Hear me out. |
| 18See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated. | 18I have prepared my case; I will be proved innocent. |
| 19Who is he who will contend with me? If now I hold my tongue, I perish. | 19Who can argue with me over this? And if you prove me wrong, I will remain silent and die. Job Asks How He Has Sinned |
| 20“Only two things do not do to me, Then I will not hide myself from You: | 20“O God, grant me these two things, and then I will be able to face you. |
| 21Withdraw Your hand far from me, And let not the dread of You make me afraid. | 21Remove your heavy hand from me, and don’t terrify me with your awesome presence. |
| 22Then call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, then You respond to me. | 22Now summon me, and I will answer! Or let me speak to you, and you reply. |
| 23How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. | 23Tell me, what have I done wrong? Show me my rebellion and my sin. |
| 24Why do You hide Your face, And regard me as Your enemy? | 24Why do you turn away from me? Why do you treat me as your enemy? |
| 25Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry stubble? | 25Would you terrify a leaf blown by the wind? Would you chase dry straw? |
| 26For You write bitter things against me, And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. | 26“You write bitter accusations against me and bring up all the sins of my youth. |
| 27You put my feet in the stocks, And watch closely all my paths. You set a limit for the soles of my feet. | 27You put my feet in stocks. You examine all my paths. You trace all my footprints. |
| 28“Man decays like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten. | 28I waste away like rotting wood, like a moth-eaten coat. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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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