Job: How Can I Contend with God? 1 ULT And Job answered and said, BSB BSB: Then Job answered:
2 ULT “I know truly that{ this is} so. But how will a man be righteous with God? BSB BSB: “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
3 ULT If he desires to contend with him, he will not answer him one from a thousand. BSB BSB: If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4 ULT { He is} wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and been whole?— BSB BSB: God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
5 ULT the one removing mountains and they do not know, who in his nose overturns them; BSB BSB: He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
6 ULT the one shaking the earth from its place and causing its pillars to tremble; BSB BSB: He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
7 ULT the one speaking to the sun and it does not rise, and upon the stars he seals; BSB BSB: He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
8 ULT stretching out the heavens by himself and treading on the waves of the sea; BSB BSB: He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
9 ULT making the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; BSB BSB: He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
10 ULT doing great{ things} until there is no searching and distinguished{ things} until there is no number. BSB BSB: He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
11 ULT Behold, he goes by me, but I do not see, and he passes, but I do not perceive him. BSB BSB: Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
12 ULT If he takes away, who will turn him back? Who will say to him,‘What are you doing?’ BSB BSB: If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 ULT God will not turn aside his nose; the helpers of Rahab bow beneath him. BSB BSB: God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
14 ULT Indeed that I will answer him, choose words with him!— BSB BSB: How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
15 ULT whom, if I were righteous, I would not answer; I would plead to my judge for mercy. BSB BSB: For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
16 ULT If I called and he answered me, I would not believe that he was giving ear to my voice, BSB BSB: If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
17 ULT who would break me with a tempest and multiply my wounds for nothing. BSB BSB: For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
18 ULT He does not allow me to cause my breath to return, for he fills me with bitterness. BSB BSB: He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
19 ULT If to strength, behold,{ he is} mighty! And if to justice, who will summon him? BSB BSB: If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
20 ULT If I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me;{ if} I{ were} blameless, yet it would convict me. BSB BSB: Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
21 ULT I{ am} blameless. I do not know my soul; I loathe my life. BSB BSB: Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
22 ULT It{ is} one; therefore I have said,‘The blameless and the wicked, he is destroying.’ BSB BSB: It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 ULT When a scourge suddenly kills, he mocks the despair of the innocent{ ones}. BSB BSB: When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 ULT The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If not, then who{ is} it? BSB BSB: The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
25 ULT And my days are swifter than a runner, they flee. They do not see good. BSB BSB: My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
26 ULT They glide with boats of papyrus, as an eagle pounces on food. BSB BSB: They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 ULT If I said,‘Let me forget my complaint, let me change my face, let me be cheerful,’ BSB BSB: If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
28 ULT I would fear all my sorrows; I know that you would not acquit me. BSB BSB: I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
29 ULT I am wicked; why, then, would I toil in vain? BSB BSB: Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
30 ULT If I washed myself with water of snow and cleansed my hands with lye, BSB BSB: If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 ULT then you would plunge me into a ditch, and my clothes would abhor me. BSB BSB: then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
32 ULT For I would not be answering a man like me, we would{ not} be coming together into judgment. BSB BSB: For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
33 ULT There would be no judge between us who would lay his hand upon the two of us, BSB BSB: Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
34 ULT who would turn from upon me his rod, and his terror, may it not frighten me. BSB BSB: Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
35 ULT I would speak and I would not fear him. But I{ am} not thus with me. BSB BSB: Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.