Job 9
1 Then Job answered,
And Job answereth and saith: —
2 “Truly I know that it is so, but how can man be just with God?
Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what — is man righteous with God?
3 If he is pleased to contend with him, he cannot answer him one time in a thousand.
If he delight to strive with Him — He doth not answer him one of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and prospered?
Wise in heart and strong in power — Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?
5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know it, when he overturns them in his anger.
Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.
Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.
7 He commands the sun and it does not rise, and seals up the stars.
Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.
Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,
9 He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the rooms of the south.
Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.
10 He does great things past finding out; yes, marvelous things without number.
Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.
11 Behold, he goes by me, and I do not see him. He passes on also, but I do not perceive him.
Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.
12 Behold, he snatches away. Who can hinder him? Who will ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, 'What dost Thou?'
13 “God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.
God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.
14 How much less will I answer him, and choose my words to argue with him?
How much less do I — I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?
15 Though I were righteous, yet I would not answer him. I would make supplication to my judge.
Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I would not believe that he listened to my voice.
Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [to] my voice.
17 For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.
18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.
19 If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, ‘Who,’ says he, ‘will summon me?’
If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment — who doth convene me?
20 Though I am righteous, my own mouth will condemn me. Though I am blameless, it will prove me perverse.
If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! — it declareth me perverse.
21 I am blameless. I do not respect myself. I despise my life.
Perfect I am! — I know not my soul, I despise my life.
22 “It is all the same. Therefore I say he destroys the blameless and the wicked.
It is the same thing, therefore I said, 'The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.'
23 If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.
If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.
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?
Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not — where, who [is] he?
25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away. They see no good.
My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,
26 They have passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.
They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and cheer up,’
Though I say, 'I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that you will not hold me innocent.
I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.
29 I will be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?
I — I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.
30 If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,
If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,
31 yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes will abhor me.
Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.
But if a man like myself — I answer him, We come together into judgment.
33 There is no umpire between us, that might lay his hand on us both.
If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.
34 Let him take his rod away from me. Let his terror not make me afraid;
He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,
35 then I would speak, and not fear him, for I am not so in myself.
I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.
