English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 And Job again took up his discourse, and said:
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Having waited for Zophar, Job now resumed his defense:
2 "As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
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"God-Alive! He's denied me justice! God Almighty! He's ruined my life!
3 as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
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But for as long as I draw breath, and for as long as God breathes life into me,
4 my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit.
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I refuse to say one word that isn't true. I refuse to confess to any charge that's false.
5 Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
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There is no way I'll ever agree to your accusations. I'll not deny my integrity even if it costs me my life.
6 I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.
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I'm holding fast to my integrity and not loosening my grip - and, believe me, I'll never regret it.
7 "Let my enemy be as the wicked, and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
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"Let my enemy be exposed as wicked! Let my adversary be proven guilty!
8 For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?
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What hope do people without God have when life is cut short? when God puts an end to life?
9 Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?
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Do you think God will listen to their cry for help when disaster hits?
10 Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?
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What interest have they ever shown in the Almighty? Have they ever been known to pray before?
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
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"I've given you a clear account of God in action, suppressed nothing regarding God Almighty.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain?
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The evidence is right before you. You can all see it for yourselves, so why do you keep talking nonsense?
13 "This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:
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"I'll quote your own words back to you: "'This is how God treats the wicked, this is what evil people can expect from God Almighty:
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword, and his descendants have not enough bread.
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Their children - all of them - will die violent deaths; they'll never have enough bread to put on the table.
15 Those who survive him the pestilence buries, and his widows do not weep.
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They'll be wiped out by the plague, and none of the widows will shed a tear when they're gone.
16 Though he heap up silver like dust, and pile up clothing like clay,
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Even if they make a lot of money and are resplendent in the latest fashions,
17 he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver.
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It's the good who will end up wearing the clothes and the decent who will divide up the money.
18 He builds his house like a moth's, like a booth that a watchman makes.
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They build elaborate houses that won't survive a single winter.
19 He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more; he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.
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They go to bed wealthy and wake up poor.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off.
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Terrors pour in on them like flash floods - a tornado snatches them away in the middle of the night,
21 The east wind lifts him up and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.
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A cyclone sweeps them up - gone! Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint.
22 It hurls at him without pity; he flees from its power in headlong flight.
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Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them; they run this way and that, but there's no place to hide -
23 It claps its hands at him and hisses at him from its place.
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Pummeled by the weather, blown to kingdom come by the storm.'
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.