Job 9
1 Then Job answered,
Then answered Job, and said,
2 “Truly I know that it is so, but how can man be just with God?
Truly I know that it is so: and how could 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 he were desirous to enter into a contest with him, he could not give him one answer out of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and prospered?
He is wise of heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and escaped unscathed?
5 He removes the mountains, and they don’t know it, when he overturns them in his anger.
[He it is] who removeth mountains, and they know it not, yea, when he overturneth them in his anger;
6 He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.
Who shaketh the earth loose out of her place, that her pillars tremble;
7 He commands the sun and it doesn’t rise, and seals up the stars.
Who speaketh to the sun, and he shineth not, and around the stars he placeth a seal;
8 He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.
Who spread out the heavens by himself alone, and treadeth upon the hillocks of the sea;
9 He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the rooms of the south.
Who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers the south;
10 He does great things past finding out; yes, marvelous things without number.
Who doth great things which are quite unsearchable, and wonders which are quite without number.
11 Behold, he goes by me, and I don’t see him. He passes on also, but I don’t perceive him.
Lo, were he to go past by me, I should not see him; and were he to pass along, I should not perceive him.
12 Behold, he snatches away. Who can hinder him? Who will ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
Behold, were he to snatch aught away, who could hold him back? who would say unto him, What dost thou?
13 “God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.
God will not withdraw his anger: beneath him sink down the helpers of the proud.
14 How much less will I answer him, and choose my words to argue with him?
How much less then could I answer him, and select my words [to contend] with him?
15 Though I were righteous, yet I wouldn’t answer him. I would make supplication to my judge.
Whom, were I even righteous, I could not answer? to him that condemneth me I could [only] make supplication.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I wouldn’t believe that he listened to my voice.
Or were I to call, and he would answer me, I could yet not believe that he would give ear unto my voice—
17 For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
He that bruiseth me with [his] tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without a cause.
18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
He suffereth me not to recover my breath; but feedeth me overmuch 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 it regard strength, lo, he is the powerful; and if justice, who will cite him for me to appear?
20 Though I am righteous, my own mouth will condemn me. Though I am blameless, it will prove me perverse.
If I were righteous even, my own mouth would condemn me: were I innocent, it would still prove me perverse.
21 I am blameless. I don’t respect myself. I despise my life.
I am innocent; I will not have regard for myself: I will despise my life.
22 “It is all the same. Therefore I say he destroys the blameless and the wicked.
One thing is [certain], therefore have I said it, The innocent and the wicked he bringeth to their end.
23 If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.
If a scourge should slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the guiltless.
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?
Is a land given up into the hand of the wicked? he covereth the faces of its judges: if this be not the truth, who is it then?
25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away. They see no good.
And my days pass swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no happiness,
26 They have passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.
They hasten along like pirate ships: like the eagle that stoopeth down upon his food.
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and cheer up,’
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sorrowful countenance, and recover my cheerfulness:
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that you will not hold me innocent.
O then would I be in dread of all my pains; I know that thou wilt not declare me innocent.
29 I will be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?
I must ever be guilty: why then should I fatigue myself for nought?
30 If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,
If I were to wash myself in snow-water, to cleanse myself in the purity of my hands:
31 yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes will abhor me.
Even then wouldst thou plunge me in the ditch, that my own clothes would render me abhorred.
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 could answer him, that we should enter together into a contest.
33 There is no umpire between us, that might lay his hand on us both.
There is no one who can decide between us, who could lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him take his rod away from me. Let his terror not make me afraid;
Let him but remove from me his rod, and let not his dread terrify me:
35 then I would speak, and not fear him, for I am not so in myself.
Then would I speak, and not fear him; for the like I feel not within me.
