Job 9:20

Although I am innocent, ¹  my mouth ²  would condemn me; ³  although I am blameless, it would declare me perverse. ⁴ 

Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.

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

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

Even though innocent, anything I say incriminates me; blameless as I am, my defense just makes me sound worse.

Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.

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

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

Although I am innocent, ¹  my mouth ²  would condemn me; ³  although I am blameless, it would declare me perverse. ⁴ 

¹ tn The idea is the same as that expressed in v. 15, although here the imperfect verb is used and not the perfect. Once again with the concessive clause (“although I am right”) Job knows that in a legal dispute he would be confused and would end up arguing against himself.

² tn Some commentators wish to change this to “his mouth,” meaning God’s response to Job’s complaints. But the MT is far more expressive, and “my mouth” fits the context in which Job is saying that even though he is innocent, if he spoke in a court setting in the presence of God he would be overwhelmed, confused, and no doubt condemn himself.

³ tn The verb has the declarative sense in the Hiphil, “to declare guilty [or wicked]” or “to condemn.”

⁴ tn The verb עָקַשׁ (’aqash) means “to be twisted; to be tortuous.” The Piel has a meaning “to bend; to twist” (Mic 3:9) and “to pervert” (Jer 59:8). The form here is classified as a Hiphil, with the softening of the vowel i (see GKC 147 §53.n). It would then also be a declarative use of the Hiphil.