| New Century Version (NCV) |
New International Version (NIV) |
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1 Then Elihu said:
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1 Then Elihu said:
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2 "Do you think this is fair? You say, 'God will show that I am right,'
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2 "Do you think this is just? You say, 'I will be cleared by God. '
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3 but you also ask, 'What's the use? I don't gain anything by not sinning.'
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3 Yet you ask him, 'What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning?'
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4 "I will answer you and your friends who are with you.
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4 "I would like to reply to you and to your friends with you.
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5 Look up at the sky and see the clouds so high above you.
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5 Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you.
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6 If you sin, it does nothing to God; even if your sins are many, they do nothing to him.
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6 If you sin, how does that affect him? If your sins are many, what does that do to him?
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7 If you are good, you give nothing to God; he receives nothing from your hand.
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7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him, or what does he receive from your hand?
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8 Your evil ways only hurt a man like yourself, and the good you do only helps other human beings.
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8 Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself, and your righteousness only the sons of men.
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9 "People cry out when they are in trouble; they beg for relief from powerful people.
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9 "Men cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.
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10 But no one asks, 'Where is God, my Maker, who gives us songs in the night,
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10 But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,
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11 who makes us smarter than the animals of the earth and wiser than the birds of the air?'
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11 who teaches more to us than to the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?'
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12 God does not answer evil people when they cry out, because the wicked are proud.
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12 He does not answer when men cry out because of the arrogance of the wicked.
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13 God does not listen to their useless begging; the Almighty pays no attention to them.
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13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea; the Almighty pays no attention to it.
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14 He will listen to you even less when you say that you do not see him, that your case is before him, that you must wait for him,
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14 How much less, then, will he listen when you say that you do not see him, that your case is before him and you must wait for him,
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15 that his anger never punishes, and that he doesn't notice evil.
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15 and further, that his anger never punishes and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.
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16 So Job is only speaking nonsense, saying many words without knowing what is true."
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16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk; without knowledge he multiplies words."
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| Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (New Century Version Online 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) |
