Job 9
1 Then Job answered,
Then Job answered:
2 “Truly I know that it is so, but how can man be just with God?
“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
3 If he is pleased to contend with him, he can’t answer him one time in a thousand.
If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and prospered?
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
5 He removes the mountains, and they don’t know it, when he overturns them in his anger.
He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.
He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
7 He commands the sun and it doesn’t rise, and seals up the stars.
He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
9 He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the rooms of the south.
He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
10 He does great things past finding out; yes, marvelous things without number.
He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
11 Behold, he goes by me, and I don’t see him. He passes on also, but I don’t perceive him.
Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
12 Behold, he snatches away. Who can hinder him? Who will ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 “God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.
God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
14 How much less will I answer him, and choose my words to argue with him?
How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
15 Though I were righteous, yet I wouldn’t answer him. I would make supplication to my judge.
For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I wouldn’t believe that he listened to my voice.
If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
17 For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, ‘Who,’ says he, ‘will summon me?’
If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
20 Though I am righteous, my own mouth will condemn me. Though I am blameless, it will prove me perverse.
Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
21 I am blameless. I don’t respect myself. I despise my life.
Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
22 “It is all the same. Therefore I say he destroys the blameless and the wicked.
It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.
When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If not he, then who is it?
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away. They see no good.
My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
26 They have passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.
They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and cheer up,’
If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that you will not hold me innocent.
I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
29 I will be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?
Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,
If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes will abhor me.
then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.
For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
33 There is no umpire between us, that might lay his hand on us both.
Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him take his rod away from me. Let his terror not make me afraid;
Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
35 then I would speak, and not fear him, for I am not so in myself.
Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
