New King James Version

New Living Translation

1“But please, Job, hear my speech, And listen to all my words.

1“Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say.

2Now, I open my mouth; My tongue speaks in my mouth.

2Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue.

3My words come from my upright heart; My lips utter pure knowledge.

3I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth.

4The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

4For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5If you can answer me, Set your words in order before me; Take your stand.

5Answer me, if you can; make your case and take your stand.

6Truly I am as your spokesman before God; I also have been formed out of clay.

6Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay.

7Surely no fear of me will terrify you, Nor will my hand be heavy on you.

7So you don’t need to be afraid of me. I won’t come down hard on you.

8“Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,

8“You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words.

9‘I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.

9You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt.

10Yet He finds occasions against me, He counts me as His enemy;

10God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy.

11He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.’

11He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.’

12“Look, in this you are not righteous. I will answer you, For God is greater than man.

12“But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being.

13Why do you contend with Him? For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.

13So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints?

14For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it.

14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.

15In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds,

15He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds.

16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.

16He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings.

17In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man,

17He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride.

18He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.

18He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death.

19“Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with strong pain in many of his bones,

19“Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones.

20So that his life abhors bread, And his soul succulent food.

20They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food.

21His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones stick out which once were not seen.

21Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out.

22Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, And his life to the executioners.

22They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them.

23“If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness,

23“But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright—

24Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’;

24he will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’

25His flesh shall be young like a child’s, He shall return to the days of his youth.

25Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again.

26He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness.

26When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing.

27Then he looks at men and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right, And it did not profit me.’

27He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it.

28He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit, And his life shall see the light.

28God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.’

29“Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man,

29“Yes, God does these things again and again for people.

30To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

30He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life.

31“Give ear, Job, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will speak.

31Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say.

32If you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you.

32But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified.

33If not, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”

33But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!”

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.