Job 9:20

In 11 translations

BSB

Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.Or He would declare me guilty

KJV

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

WEB

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

ASV

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

LSV

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

YLT

If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! — it declareth me perverse.

DBY

If I justified myself, mine own mouth would condemn me; were I perfect, he would prove me perverse.

DRC

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

GNV

If I woulde iustifie my selfe, mine owne mouth shall condemne mee: if I would be perfite, he shall iudge me wicked.

JPS

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

LXXE

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

Word by word Hebrew · tap a word

Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Hebrew has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Original-language editions

WLC

אִם־אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם־אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃

LXX-Br

Ἐὰν γὰρ ὦ δίκαιος, τὸ στόμα μου ἀσεβήσει· ἐάν τε ᾧ ἄμεμπτος, σκολιὸς ἀποβήσομαι.

Who and where

People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

• Psalms 130:3If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand?
• Job 34:35‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
• Job 32:1–2So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying…
• Job 4:17‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker?
• Philippians 3:12–15Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.…
• Job 9:2“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
• Psalms 143:2Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You.
• Job 15:5–6For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty. Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.
• Proverbs 10:19When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
• Job 1:1There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil.
• Matthew 12:36–37But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
• James 3:2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.
• Isaiah 6:5Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”
• Job 33:8–13Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me. Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy. He puts my…
• Proverbs 17:20The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
• Luke 16:15So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).