Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said,
Then responded Job, and said—
2 I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?
Of a truth, I know that so it is, But how can a mortal be just with GOD?
3 For if he would enter into judgment with him, [God] would not hearken to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.
If he choose to contend with him, he cannot answer him, one of a thousand:
4 For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?
Wise in heart, and alert in vigour, What man hath hardened himself against him, and prospered!
5 Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.
Who removeth mountains, unawares, Who overturneth them in his anger;
6 Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.
Who shaketh the earth, out of its place, and, the pillars thereof, shudder;
7 Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.
Who commandeth the sun, and it breaketh not forth, and, about the stars, he putteth a seal;
8 Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.
Who spreadeth out fire heavens, by himself alone! and marcheth along, on the heights of the sea;
9 Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.
Who made the Bear, the Giant and the Cluster, and the chambers of the south;
10 Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.
Who doeth great things, past finding out, and marvels, beyond number.
11 If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither thus have I known [it].
Lo! he cometh upon me, yet can I not see him, Yea he passeth on, yet can I not discern him.
12 If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What hast thou done?
Lo! he snatcheth away, who can bring it back? Who shall say unto him, What wouldst thou do?
13 For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.
As for GOD, if he withdraw not his anger, under him, will have submitted themselves—the proud helpers.
14 Oh then that he would hearken to me, or judge my cause.
How much less that, I, should answer him, should choose my words with him?
15 For though I be righteous, he will not hearken to me: I will intreat his judgment.
Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, to be absolved, I would make supplication.
16 And if I should call and he should not hearken, I cannot believe that he has listened to my voice.
Though I had called, and he had answered me, I could not believe, that he would lend an ear to my voice.
17 Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.
For, with a tempest, would he fall upon me, and would multiply my wounds without need;
18 For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.
He would not suffer me to recover my breath, for he would surfeit me with bitter things.
19 For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgment?
If it regardeth vigour, bold is he! If justice, who could summon him?
20 For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.
If I should justify myself, mine own mouth, would condemn me, —I blameless? then had it shewn me perverse.
21 For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.
I blameless? I should not know my own soul, I should despise my own life!
22 Wherefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.
One thing, there is, for which cause, I have said it, The blameless and the lawless, he bringeth to an end.
23 For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.
If, a scourge, slay suddenly, at the despair of innocent ones, he mocketh.
24 For they are delivered into the hands of the unrighteous [man]: he covers the faces of the judges [of the earth]: but if it be not he, who is it?
The earth, hath been given into the hand of a lawless one, The faces of her judges, he covereth, If not, then who is it?
25 But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.
My days, therefore, are swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have seen no good.
26 Or again, is there a trace of [their] path [left] by ships? or is there one of the flying eagle as it seeks [its] prey?
They have passed away with boats of paper-reed, like a vulture [which] rusheth upon food.
27 And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will lay aside my sad countenance, and brighten up,
28 I quake in all my limbs, for I know that thou wilt not leave me alone [as] innocent.
I am afraid of all my pains, I know, that thou wilt not pronounce me innocent.
29 But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?
I, shall be held guilty, —Wherefore then, in vain, should I toil?
30 For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,
Though I bathe myself in snow water, and cleanse, in cleanness itself, my hands,
31 thou hadst thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.
Then, in a ditch, wouldst thou plunge me, and mine own clothes should abhor me:
32 For thou art not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgment.
For he is not a man like myself, whom I might answer, nor could we come together into judgment:
33 Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.
There is not, between us, a mediator, who might lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
Let him take from off me his rod, and, his terror, let it not startle me:
35 so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].
I could speak, and not be afraid of him, although, not so, am, I, in myself!
