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The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 Then Job replied:
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Then Iyov responded:
2 “Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?
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"Indeed, I know that this is so; but how can a human win a case against God?
3 Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.
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Whoever might want to argue with him could not answer him one [question] in a thousand.
4 His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
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His heart is so wise, his strength so great -who can resist him and succeed?
5 He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger.
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"He moves the mountains, although they don't know it, when he overturns them in his anger.
6 He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble.
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He shakes the earth from its place; its supporting pillars tremble.
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars.
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He commands the sun, and it fails to rise; he shuts up the stars under his seal.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
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He alone spreads out the sky and walks on the waves in the sea.
9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
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He made the Great Bear, Orion, the Pleiades and the hidden constellations of the south.
10 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
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He does great, unsearchable things, wonders beyond counting.
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.
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He can go right by me, and I don't see him; he moves past without my being aware of him.
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
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If he kills [people], who will ask why? Who will say to him, 'What are you doing?'
13 God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.
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God will not withdraw his anger -even Rahav's supporters submit to him.
14 “How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him?
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"How much less can I answer him and select my arguments against him!
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.
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Even if I were right, I wouldn't answer; I could only ask for mercy from my judge.
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing.
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If I summoned him, and he answered me, I still can't believe he would listen to my plea.
17 He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason.
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He could break me with a storm; he could multiply my wounds for no reason,
18 He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.
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to the point where I couldn't even breathe -with such bitterness he could fill me!
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him ?
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If it's a matter of force, look how mighty he is; if justice, who can summon him to court?
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.
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Even if I'm right, my own mouth will condemn me; if I'm innocent, it would pronounce me guilty.
21 “Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
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"I am innocent. Don't I know myself? But I've had enough of this life of mine!
22 It is all the same; that is why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
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So I say it's all the same -he destroys innocent and wicked alike.
23 When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.
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When disaster brings sudden death, he laughs at the plight of the innocent.
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it?
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The earth has been given to the power of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges -if it isn't he, then who is it?
25 “My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.
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My days pass on more swiftly than a runner; they flee without seeing anything good.
26 They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey.
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They skim by like skiffs built of reeds, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,’
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"If I say, 'I'll forget my complaining, I'll put off my sad face and be cheerful,'
28 I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent.
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then I'm still afraid of all my pain, and I know you will not hold me innocent.
29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain?
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I will be condemned, so why waste my efforts?
30 Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder,
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Even if I washed myself in melted snow and cleansed my hands with lye,
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.
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you would plunge me into the muddy pit, till my own clothes would detest me.
32 “He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court.
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"For he is not merely human like me; there is no answer that I could give him if we were to come together in court.
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together,
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There is no arbitrator between us who could lay his hand on us both.
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.
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If he would remove his rod from me and not let his terrors frighten me,
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.
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then I would speak without fear of him; for when I'm alone, I'm not afraid.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.