The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 Having waited for Zophar, Job now resumed his defense:
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Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 "God-Alive! He's denied me justice! God Almighty! He's ruined my life!
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As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
3 But for as long as I draw breath, and for as long as God breathes life into me,
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All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
4 I refuse to say one word that isn't true. I refuse to confess to any charge that's false.
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My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 There is no way I'll ever agree to your accusations. I'll not deny my integrity even if it costs me my life.
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God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 I'm holding fast to my integrity and not loosening my grip - and, believe me, I'll never regret it.
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My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
7 "Let my enemy be exposed as wicked! Let my adversary be proven guilty!
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Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
8 What hope do people without God have when life is cut short? when God puts an end to life?
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For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
9 Do you think God will listen to their cry for help when disaster hits?
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Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?
10 What interest have they ever shown in the Almighty? Have they ever been known to pray before?
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Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
11 "I've given you a clear account of God in action, suppressed nothing regarding God Almighty.
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I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
12 The evidence is right before you. You can all see it for yourselves, so why do you keep talking nonsense?
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Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?
13 "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:
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This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
14 Their children - all of them - will die violent deaths; they'll never have enough bread to put on the table.
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If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 They'll be wiped out by the plague, and none of the widows will shed a tear when they're gone.
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Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
16 Even if they make a lot of money and are resplendent in the latest fashions,
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Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;
17 It's the good who will end up wearing the clothes and the decent who will divide up the money.
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He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
18 They build elaborate houses that won't survive a single winter.
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He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.
19 They go to bed wealthy and wake up poor.
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The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.
20 Terrors pour in on them like flash floods - a tornado snatches them away in the middle of the night,
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Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.
21 A cyclone sweeps them up - gone! Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint.
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The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
22 Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them; they run this way and that, but there's no place to hide -
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For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.
23 Pummeled by the weather, blown to kingdom come by the storm.'
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Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.
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.
The King James Version is in the public domain.