Job 9
1 Then Job answered:
Then Iob answered, and sayd,
2 “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
I knowe verily that it is so: for howe should man compared vnto God, be iustified?
3 If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
If I would dispute with him, hee could not answere him one thing of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath bene fierce against him and hath prospered?
5 He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
He remoueth the mountaines, and they feele not when he ouerthroweth them in his wrath.
6 He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
Hee remooueth the earth out of her place, that the pillars thereof doe shake.
7 He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
He commandeth the sunne, and it riseth not: hee closeth vp the starres, as vnder a signet.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
Hee himselfe alone spreadeth out the heauens, and walketh vpon the height of the sea.
9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
He maketh the starres Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the climates of the South.
10 He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
He doeth great things, and vnsearcheable: yea, marueilous things without nomber.
11 Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
Lo, when he goeth by me, I see him not: and when he passeth by, I perceiue him not.
12 If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
Behold, when he taketh a pray, who can make him to restore it? who shall say vnto him, What doest thou?
13 God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
God will not withdrawe his anger, and the most mightie helpes doe stoupe vnder him.
14 How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
Howe much lesse shall I answere him? or howe should I finde out my words with him?
15 For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
For though I were iust, yet could I not answere, but I would make supplication to my Iudge.
16 If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
If I cry, and he answere me, yet woulde I not beleeue, that he heard my voyce.
17 For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
For he destroyeth mee with a tempest, and woundeth me without cause.
18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
He wil not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitternesse.
19 If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
If we speake of strength, behold, he is strog: if we speake of iudgement, who shall bring me in to pleade?
20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
If I woulde iustifie my selfe, mine owne mouth shall condemne mee: if I would be perfite, he shall iudge me wicked.
21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
Though I were perfite, yet I knowe not my soule: therefore abhorre I my life.
22 It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
This is one point: therefore I said, Hee destroyeth the perfite and the wicked.
23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
If the scourge should suddenly slay, should God laugh at the punishment of the innocent?
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
The earth is giuen into the hand of ye wicked: he couereth the faces of the iudges therof: if not, where is he? or who is he?
25 My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
My dayes haue bene more swift then a post: they haue fled, and haue seene no good thing.
26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
They are passed as with the most swift ships, and as the eagle that flyeth to the pray.
27 If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
If I say, I wil forget my complaynt, I will cease from my wrath, and comfort mee,
28 I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
Then I am afrayd of all my sorowes, knowing that thou wilt not iudge me innocent.
29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
If I be wicked, why labour I thus in vaine?
30 If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
If I wash my selfe with snowe water, and purge mine hands most cleane,
31 then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
Yet shalt thou plunge mee in the pit, and mine owne clothes shall make me filthie.
32 For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
For he is not a man as I am, that I shoulde answere him, if we come together to iudgement.
33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
Neyther is there any vmpire that might lay his hand vpon vs both.
34 Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his feare astonish me:
35 Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
Then will I speake, and feare him not: but because I am not so, I holde me still.
