Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said,
And Job, responding, said:
2 I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?
Truly, I know that it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with God.
3 For if he would enter into judgement with him, [God] would not listen to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.
If he chooses to contend with him, he is not able to respond to him once out of a thousand times.
4 For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?
He is understanding in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and yet had peace?
5 Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.
He has moved mountains, and those whom he overthrew in his fury did not know it.
6 Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.
He shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble.
7 Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.
He commands the sun and it does not rise, and he closes the stars as if under a seal.
8 Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.
He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of the sea.
9 Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.
He fashions Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the interior of the south.
10 Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.
He accomplishes great and incomprehensible and miraculous things, which cannot be numbered.
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].
If he approaches me, I will not see him; if he departs, I will not understand.
12 If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have you done?
If he suddenly should question, who will answer him? Or who can say, “Why did you do so?”
13 For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.
God, whose wrath no one is able to resist, and under whom they bend who carry the world,
14 Oh then that he would listen to me, or judge my cause.
what am I then, that I should answer him and exchange words with him?
15 For though I be righteous, he will not listen to me: I will entreat his judgement.
And if I now have any justice, I will not respond, but will beseech my judge.
16 And if I should call and he should not listen, I can’t believe that he has listened to my voice.
And if he should listen to me when I call, I would not believe that he had heard my voice.
17 Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.
For he will crush me in a whirlwind and multiply my wounds, even without cause.
18 For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.
He does not permit my spirit to rest, and he fills me with bitterness.
19 For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgement?
If strength is sought, he is most strong; if equity in judgment, no one would dare to give testimony for me.
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 wanted to justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I would reveal my innocence, he would prove me depraved.
21 For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.
And if I now became simple, my soul would be ignorant even of this, and my life would weary me.
22 Therefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.
There is one thing that I have said: both the innocent and the impious he consumes.
23 For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.
If he scourges, let him kill all at once, and not laugh at the punishment of the innocent.
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?
Since the earth has been given into the hand of the impious, he covers the face of its judges; for if it is not him, 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 have been swifter than a messenger; they have fled and have not seen goodness.
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 by like ships carrying fruits, just like an eagle flying to food.
27 And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;
If I say: “By no means will I speak this way.” I change my face and I am tortured with sorrow.
28 I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone [as] innocent.
I have dreaded all my works, knowing that you did not spare the offender.
29 But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?
Yet, if I am also just as impious, why have I labored in vain?
30 For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,
If I had been washed with snow-like waters, and my hands were shining like the cleanest thing,
31 you had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.
yet you would plunge me in filth, and my own garments would abhor me.
32 For you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgement.
For even I would not answer a man who were like myself, nor one who could be heard with me equally in judgment.
33 Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.
There is no one who could both prevail in argument and in placing his hand between the two.
34 Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
Let him take his staff away from me, and let not the fear of him terrify me.
35 so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].
I will speak and I will not fear him, for in fearfulness I am not able to respond.
