Job 9:20
New International Version
Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.

New Living Translation
Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked.

English Standard Version
Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

Berean Standard Bible
Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.

King James Bible
If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

New King James Version
Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

New American Standard Bible
“Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

NASB 1995
“Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

NASB 1977
“Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

Legacy Standard Bible
Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am blameless, He will declare me perverse.

Amplified Bible
“Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty; Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty.

Christian Standard Bible
Even if I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, my mouth would declare me guilty.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Even if I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, my mouth would declare me guilty.

American Standard Version
Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
If I shall claim innocence, my mouth will condemn me. I am perfect and I am perverted

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.

Contemporary English Version
Even if I were innocent, God would prove me wrong.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I would shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked.

English Revised Version
Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If I am righteous, my own mouth would condemn me. It would declare that I am corrupt even if I am a man of integrity.

Good News Translation
I am innocent and faithful, but my words sound guilty, and everything I say seems to condemn me.

International Standard Version
Though I'm in the right, my own mouth will condemn me; though I'm blameless, he'll pronounce me as guilty.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me; Though I be innocent, He shall prove me perverse.

Literal Standard Version
If I am righteous, my mouth declares me wicked; [If] I am perfect, it declares me perverse.

Majority Standard Bible
Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.

New American Bible
Though I were right, my own mouth might condemn me; were I innocent, it might put me in the wrong.

NET Bible
Although I am innocent, my mouth would condemn me; although I am blameless, it would declare me perverse.

New Revised Standard Version
Though I am innocent, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

New Heart English Bible
Though I am righteous, my own mouth shall condemn me. Though I am blameless, it shall prove me perverse.

Webster's Bible Translation
If I justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, that also will prove me perverse.

World English Bible
Though I am righteous, my own mouth will condemn me. Though I am blameless, it will prove me perverse.

Young's Literal Translation
If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! -- it declareth me perverse.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: How Can I Argue with God?
19If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him? 20Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty. 21Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.…

Cross References
Job 9:15
For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

Job 9:29
Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?

Job 15:6
Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.


Treasury of Scripture

If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

justify

Job 9:2
I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

Job 4:17
Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

Job 32:1,2
So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes…

mine

Job 15:5,6
For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty…

Job 34:35
Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.

Job 35:16
Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

I am perfect

Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Philippians 3:12-15
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus…

it shall

Job 33:8-13
Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying, …

Proverbs 17:20
He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

1 Timothy 6:5
Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

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Job 9
1. Job acknowledges God's justice
22. Man's innocence is not to be condemned by afflictions














Verse 20. - If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me. Since he could not wholly justify himself. "All men have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Job has already admitted the utterance of "rash words" (Job 6:3), and, at least hypothetically, that he "has sinned" (Job 7:20), and needs "pardon" for his "transgression" (Job 7:24). Job, if he tried to "justify himself," would have to acknowledge such shortcomings, such imperfections, such sins - at any rate, of infirmity - as would make his attempted justification a real self-condemnation. If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse; rather, even were I perfect it (i.e. my mouth) would prove me perverse; i.e. supposing I were actually perfect, and tried to prove it, my speech would be so hesitating and confused, that I should only seem to be perverse.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Even if
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I were righteous,
אֶ֭צְדָּק (’eṣ·dāq)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6663: To be just or righteous

my mouth
פִּ֣י (pî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

would condemn me;
יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי (yar·šî·‘ê·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7561: To be, wrong, to disturb, violate

if I
אָ֝֗נִי (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

were blameless,
תָּֽם־ (tām-)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 8535: Complete, pious, gentle, dear

it would declare me guilty.
וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃ (way·ya‘·qə·šê·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 6140: To knot, distort, to pervert


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OT Poetry: Job 9:20 Though I am righteous my own mouth (Jb)
Job 9:19
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