Parallel Bible results for "job 9"

Job 9

New Living Translation NLT

1 Then Job spoke again:

2 “Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?

3 If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?

4 For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully?

5 “Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger.

6 He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble.

7 If he commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine.

8 He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea.

9 He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.

10 He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.

11 “Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go.

12 If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’

13 And God does not restrain his anger. Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet.

14 “So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him?

15 Even if I were right, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy.

16 And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure he would listen to me.

17 For he attacks me with a storm and repeatedly wounds me without cause.

18 He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.

19 If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one. If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court?

20 Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked.

21 “I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me— I despise my life.

22 Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

23 When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death of the innocent.

24 The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges. If he’s not the one who does it, who is?

25 “My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.

26 It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

27 If I decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be cheerful,

28 I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God.

29 Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what’s the use of trying?

30 Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye,

31 you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate me.

32 “God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.

33 If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together.

34 The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.

35 Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.

The Message Bible MSG

1 Job continued by saying:

2 "So what's new? I know all this. The question is, 'How can mere mortals get right with God?'

3 If we wanted to bring our case before him, what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand!

4 God's wisdom is so deep, God's power so immense, who could take him on and come out in one piece?

5 He moves mountains before they know what's happened, flips them on their heads on a whim.

6 He gives the earth a good shaking up, rocks it down to its very foundations.

7 He tells the sun, 'Don't shine,' and it doesn't; he pulls the blinds on the stars.

8 All by himself he stretches out the heavens and strides on the waves of the sea.

9 He designed the Big Dipper and Orion, the Pleiades and Alpha Centauri.

10 We'll never comprehend all the great things he does; his miracle-surprises can't be counted.

11 Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don't see him; quietly but surely he's active, and I miss it.

12 If he steals you blind, who can stop him? Who's going to say, 'Hey, what are you doing?'

13 God doesn't hold back on his anger; even dragon-bred monsters cringe before him.

14 "So how could I ever argue with him, construct a defense that would influence God?

15 Even though I'm innocent I could never prove it; I can only throw myself on the Judge's mercy.

16 If I called on God and he himself answered me, then, and only then, would I believe that he'd heard me.

17 As it is, he knocks me about from pillar to post, beating me up, black and blue, for no good reason.

18 He won't even let me catch my breath, piles bitterness upon bitterness.

19 If it's a question of who's stronger, he wins, hands down! If it's a question of justice, who'll serve him the subpoena?

20 Even though innocent, anything I say incriminates me; blameless as I am, my defense just makes me sound worse. If God's Not Responsible, Who Is?

21 "Believe me, I'm blameless. I don't understand what's going on. I hate my life!

22 Since either way it ends up the same, I can only conclude that God destroys the good right along with the bad.

23 When calamity hits and brings sudden death, he folds his arms, aloof from the despair of the innocent.

24 He lets the wicked take over running the world, he installs judges who can't tell right from wrong. If he's not responsible, who is?

25 "My time is short - what's left of my life races off too fast for me to even glimpse the good.

26 My life is going fast, like a ship under full sail, like an eagle plummeting to its prey.

27 Even if I say, 'I'll put all this behind me, I'll look on the bright side and force a smile,'

28 All these troubles would still be like grit in my gut since it's clear you're not going to let up.

29 The verdict has already been handed down - 'Guilty!' - so what's the use of protests or appeals?

30 Even if I scrub myself all over and wash myself with the strongest soap I can find,

31 It wouldn't last - you'd push me into a pigpen, or worse, so nobody could stand me for the stink.

32 "God and I are not equals; I can't bring a case against him. We'll never enter a courtroom as peers.

33 How I wish we had an arbitrator to step in and let me get on with life -

34 To break God's death grip on me, to free me from this terror so I could breathe again.

35 Then I'd speak up and state my case boldly. As things stand, there is no way I can do it.