New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Then Job answered:
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And Job made answer and said,
2 "Indeed I know that this is so; but how can a mortal be just before God?
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Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?
3 If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand.
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If a man was desiring to go to law with him, he would not be able to give him an answer to one out of a thousand questions.
4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength —who has resisted him, and succeeded?—
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He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?
5 he who removes mountains, and they do not know it, when he overturns them in his anger;
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It is he who takes away the mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his wrath:
6 who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble;
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Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking:
7 who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;
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Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.
8 who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the Sea;
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By whose hand the heavens were stretched out, and who is walking on the waves of the sea:
9 who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;
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Who made the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades, and the store-houses of the south:
10 who does great things beyond understanding, and marvelous things without number.
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Who does great things not to be searched out; yes, wonders without number.
11 Look, he passes by me, and I do not see him; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
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See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.
12 He snatches away; who can stop him? Who will say to him, "What are you doing?'
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If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?
13 "God will not turn back his anger; the helpers of Rahab bowed beneath him.
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God's wrath may not be turned back; the helpers of Rahab were bent down under him.
14 How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him?
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How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him?
15 Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.
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Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.
16 If I summoned him and he answered me, I do not believe that he would listen to my voice.
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If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.
17 For he crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause;
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For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.
18 he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
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He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.
19 If it is a contest of strength, he is the strong one! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?
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If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day?
20 Though I am innocent, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
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Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.
21 I am blameless; I do not know myself; I loathe my life.
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I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say, he destroys both the blameless and the wicked.
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It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together.
23 When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent.
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If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the eyes of its judges— if it is not he, who then is it?
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The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?
25 "My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.
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My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good.
26 They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey.
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They go rushing on like reed-boats, like an eagle dropping suddenly on its food.
27 If I say, "I will forget my complaint; I will put off my sad countenance and be of good cheer,'
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If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright;
28 I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent.
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I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.
29 I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain?
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You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing?
30 If I wash myself with soap and cleanse my hands with lye,
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If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap;
31 yet you will plunge me into filth, and my own clothes will abhor me.
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Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.
32 For he is not a mortal, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together.
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For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.
33 There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand on us both.
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There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.
34 If he would take his rod away from me, and not let dread of him terrify me,
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Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me:
35 then I would speak without fear of him, for I know I am not what I am thought to be.
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Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.