Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Living Translation NLT
1 And Job answered, and said:
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Then Job spoke again:
2 Indeed I know it is so, and that man cannot be justified, compared with God.
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“Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?
3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one for a thousand.
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If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?
4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath resisted him, and hath had peace?
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For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully?
5 Who hath removed mountains, and they whom he overthrew in his wrath, knew it not.
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“Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger.
6 Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
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He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble.
7 Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not: and shutteth up the stars, as it were, under a seal:
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If he commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine.
8 Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and walketh upon the waves of the sea
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He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea.
9 Who maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the inner parts of the south.
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He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.
10 Who doth things great and incomprehensible, and wonderful, of which there is no number.
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He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.
11 If he come to me, I shall not see him: if he depart, I shall not understand.
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“Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go.
12 If he examine on a sudden, who shall answer him? or who can say: Why dost thou so?
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If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God, whose wrath no man can resist, and under whom they stoop that bear up the world.
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And God does not restrain his anger. Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet.
14 What am I then, that I should answer him, and have words with him?
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“So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him?
15 I, who although I should have any just thing, would not answer, but would make supplication to my judge.
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Even if I were right, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy.
16 And if he should hear me when I call, I should not believe that he had heard my voice.
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And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure he would listen to me.
17 For he shall crush me in a whirlwind, and multiply my wounds even without cause.
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For he attacks me with a storm and repeatedly wounds me without cause.
18 He alloweth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness.
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He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
19 If strength be demanded, he is most strong: if equity of judgment, no man dare bear witness for me.
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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 If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I would shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked.
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Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked.
21 Although I should be simple, even this my soul shall be ignorant of, and I shall be weary of my life.
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“I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me— I despise my life.
22 One thing there is that I have spoken, both the innocent and the wicked he consumeth.
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Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If he scourge, let him kill at once, and not laugh at the pains of the innocent.
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When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked, he covereth the face of the judges thereof: and if it be not he, who is it then?
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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 days have been swifter than a post: they have fled away and have not seen good.
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“My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.
26 They have passed by as ships carrying fruits, as an eagle flying to the prey.
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It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 If I say: I will not speak so: I change my face, and am tormented with sorrow.
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If I decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be cheerful,
28 I feared all my works, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender.
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I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God.
29 But if so also I am wicked, why have I laboured in vain?
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Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what’s the use of trying?
30 If I be washed, as it were, with snow waters, and my hands shall shine ever clean:
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Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye,
31 Yet thou shalt plunge me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me.
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you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate me.
32 For I shall not answer a man that is like myself: nor one that may be heard with me equally in judgment.
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“God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.
33 There is none that may be able to reprove both, and to put his hand between both.
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If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together.
34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me.
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The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
35 I will speak, and will not fear him: for I cannot answer while I am in fear.
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Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.