| New American Standard (NAS) |
New International Version (NIV) |
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1 "However now, Job, please hear my speech, And listen to all my words.
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1 "But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say.
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2 "Behold now, I open my mouth, My tongue in my mouth speaks.
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2 I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue.
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3 "My words are from the uprightness of my heart, And my lips speak knowledge sincerely.
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3 My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know.
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4 "The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
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4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
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5 "Refute me if you can ; Array yourselves before me, take your stand.
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5 Answer me then, if you can; prepare yourself and confront me.
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6 "Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay.
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6 I am just like you before God; I too have been taken from clay.
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7 "Behold, no fear of me should terrify you, Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.
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7 No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you.
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8 "Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your words :
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8 "But you have said in my hearing-- I heard the very words--
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9 'I am pure, without transgression ; I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.
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9 'I am pure and without sin; I am clean and free from guilt.
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10 'Behold, He invents pretexts against me; He counts me as His enemy.
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10 Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy.
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11 'He puts my feet in the stocks ; He watches all my paths.'
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11 He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.'
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12 "Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this, For God is greater than man.
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12 "But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man.
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13 "Why do you complain against Him That He does not give an account of all His doings ?
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13 Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man's words ?
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14 "Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it.
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14 For God does speak--now one way, now another-- though man may not perceive it.
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15 "In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds,
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15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds,
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16 Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction,
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16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings,
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17 That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride ;
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17 to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,
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18 He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol.
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18 to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.
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19 "Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with unceasing complaint in his bones ;
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19 Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in his bones,
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20 So that his life loathes bread, And his soul favorite food.
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20 so that his very being finds food repulsive and his soul loathes the choicest meal.
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21 "His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones which were not seen stick out.
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21 His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden, now stick out.
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22 "Then his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those who bring death.
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22 His soul draws near to the pit, and his life to the messengers of death.
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23 "If there is an angel as mediator for him, One out of a thousand, To remind a man what is right for him,
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23 "Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,
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24 Then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom ';
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24 to be gracious to him and say, 'Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him'--
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25 Let his flesh become fresher than in youth, Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor ;
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25 then his flesh is renewed like a child's; it is restored as in the days of his youth.
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26 Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, That he may see His face with joy, And He may restore His righteousness to man.
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26 He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God's face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state.
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27 "He will sing to men and say, 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, And it is not proper for me.
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27 Then he comes to men and says, 'I sinned, and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved.
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28 'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.'
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28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.'
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29 "Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men,
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29 "God does all these things to a man-- twice, even three times--
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30 To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
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30 to turn back his soul from the pit, that the light of life may shine on him.
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31 "Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; Keep silent, and let me speak.
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31 "Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
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32 "Then if you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you.
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32 If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, for I want you to be cleared.
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33 "If not, listen to me; Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom."
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33 But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."
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| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. All rights reserved. (New American Standard Version - Holy Bible) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
