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Job 9:21-35
English Standard Version
Job 9:21-35
English Standard Version
21 I am (A)blameless; I regard not myself;
I (B)loathe my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He (C)destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 When (D)disaster brings sudden death,
he mocks at the calamity[a] of the innocent.
24 (E)The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
he (F)covers the faces of its judges—
(G)if it is not he, who then is it?
25 “My (H)days are swifter than (I)a runner;
they flee away; they see no good.
26 They go by like (J)skiffs of reed,
like (K)an eagle swooping on the prey.
27 If I say, (L)‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face, and (M)be of good cheer,’
28 I become (N)afraid of all my suffering,
for I know you will not (O)hold me innocent.
29 I shall be (P)condemned;
why then do I labor in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow
and (Q)cleanse my hands with lye,
31 yet you will plunge me into a pit,
and my own clothes will (R)abhor me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
that we should (S)come to trial together.
33 (T)There is no[b] arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both.
34 (U)Let him take his (V)rod away from me,
and let (W)not dread of him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak without fear of him,
for I am not so in myself.
Job 9:21-35
New International Version
Job 9:21-35
New International Version
21 “Although I am blameless,(A)
I have no concern for myself;(B)
I despise my own life.(C)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(D)
23 When a scourge(E) brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.(F)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(G)
he blindfolds its judges.(H)
If it is not he, then who is it?(I)
25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(J)
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(K)
26 They skim past(L) like boats of papyrus,(M)
like eagles swooping down on their prey.(N)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(O)
I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(P) all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.(Q)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?(R)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(S)
and my hands(T) with cleansing powder,(U)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(V)
so that even my clothes would detest me.(W)
32 “He is not a mere mortal(X) like me that I might answer him,(Y)
that we might confront each other in court.(Z)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(AA)
someone to bring us together,(AB)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(AC)
so that his terror would frighten me no more.(AD)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(AE)
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(AF)
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.