Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Revised Standard NRS
1 And Job answered, and said:
1
Then Job answered:
2 Indeed I know it is so, and that man cannot be justified, compared with God.
2
"Indeed I know that this is so; but how can a mortal be just before God?
3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one for a thousand.
3
If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand.
4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath resisted him, and hath had peace?
4
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength —who has resisted him, and succeeded?—
5 Who hath removed mountains, and they whom he overthrew in his wrath, knew it not.
5
he who removes mountains, and they do not know it, when he overturns them in his anger;
6 Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
6
who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble;
7 Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not: and shutteth up the stars, as it were, under a seal:
7
who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;
8 Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and walketh upon the waves of the sea
8
who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the Sea;
9 Who maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the inner parts of the south.
9
who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;
10 Who doth things great and incomprehensible, and wonderful, of which there is no number.
10
who does great things beyond understanding, and marvelous things without number.
11 If he come to me, I shall not see him: if he depart, I shall not understand.
11
Look, he passes by me, and I do not see him; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
12 If he examine on a sudden, who shall answer him? or who can say: Why dost thou so?
12
He snatches away; who can stop him? Who will say to him, "What are you doing?'
13 God, whose wrath no man can resist, and under whom they stoop that bear up the world.
13
"God will not turn back his anger; the helpers of Rahab bowed beneath him.
14 What am I then, that I should answer him, and have words with him?
14
How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him?
15 I, who although I should have any just thing, would not answer, but would make supplication to my judge.
15
Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.
16 And if he should hear me when I call, I should not believe that he had heard my voice.
16
If I summoned him and he answered me, I do not believe that he would listen to my voice.
17 For he shall crush me in a whirlwind, and multiply my wounds even without cause.
17
For he crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause;
18 He alloweth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness.
18
he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
19 If strength be demanded, he is most strong: if equity of judgment, no man dare bear witness for me.
19
If it is a contest of strength, he is the strong one! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?
20 If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I would shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked.
20
Though I am innocent, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
21 Although I should be simple, even this my soul shall be ignorant of, and I shall be weary of my life.
21
I am blameless; I do not know myself; I loathe my life.
22 One thing there is that I have spoken, both the innocent and the wicked he consumeth.
22
It is all one; therefore 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.
23
When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity 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?
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?
25 My days have been swifter than a post: they have fled away and have not seen good.
25
"My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.
26 They have passed by as ships carrying fruits, as an eagle flying to the prey.
26
They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey.
27 If I say: I will not speak so: I change my face, and am tormented with sorrow.
27
If I say, "I will forget my complaint; I will put off my sad countenance and be of good cheer,'
28 I feared all my works, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender.
28
I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent.
29 But if so also I am wicked, why have I laboured in vain?
29
I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain?
30 If I be washed, as it were, with snow waters, and my hands shall shine ever clean:
30
If I wash myself with soap and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 Yet thou shalt plunge me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me.
31
yet you will plunge me into filth, and my own clothes will abhor me.
32 For I shall not answer a man that is like myself: nor one that may be heard with me equally in judgment.
32
For he is not a mortal, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together.
33 There is none that may be able to reprove both, and to put his hand between both.
33
There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand on us both.
34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me.
34
If he would take his rod away from me, and not let dread of him terrify me,
35 I will speak, and will not fear him: for I cannot answer while I am in fear.
35
then I would speak without fear of him, for I know I am not what I am thought to be.
The Douay-Rheims Bible is in the public domain.
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.