New Living Translation

English Standard Version

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

1“But now, hear my speech, O Job, and listen to all my words.

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

2Behold, I open my mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks.

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

3My words declare the uprightness of my heart, and what my lips know they speak sincerely.

4For the Spirit of God has made me, and 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, if you can; make your case and take your stand.

5Answer me, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand.

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

6Behold, I am toward God as you are; I too was pinched off from a piece of clay.

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

7Behold, no fear of me need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy upon you.

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

8“Surely you have spoken in my ears, and I have heard the sound of your words.

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

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

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

10Behold, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy,

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

11he puts my feet in the stocks and watches all my paths.’

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

12“Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.

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

13Why do you contend against him, saying, ‘He will answer none of man’s words’?

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

14For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.

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

15In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds,

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

16then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,

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

17that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man;

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

18he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.

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

19“Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones,

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

20so that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food.

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

21His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.

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

22His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death.

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

23If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him,

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

24and he is merciful to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom;

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

25let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;

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

26then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness.

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

27He sings before men and says: ‘I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me.

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

28He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.’

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

29“Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man,

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

30to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.

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

31Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.

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

32If you have any words, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you.

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

33If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

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.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.