Job 9
1 And Job answereth and saith: —
Then answered Job, and said,
2 Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what — is man righteous with God?
Truly I know that it is so: and how could a mortal be righteous before God?
3 If he delight to strive with Him — He doth not answer him one of 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 Wise in heart and strong in power — Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?
He is wise of heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and escaped unscathed?
5 Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.
[He it is] who removeth mountains, and they know it not, yea, when he overturneth them in his anger;
6 Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.
Who shaketh the earth loose out of her place, that her pillars tremble;
7 Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.
Who speaketh to the sun, and he shineth not, and around the stars he placeth a seal;
8 Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,
Who spread out the heavens by himself alone, and treadeth upon the hillocks of the sea;
9 Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.
Who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers the south;
10 Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.
Who doth great things which are quite unsearchable, and wonders which are quite without number.
11 Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.
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 Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, 'What dost Thou?'
Behold, were he to snatch aught away, who could hold him back? who would say unto him, What dost thou?
13 God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.
God will not withdraw his anger: beneath him sink down the helpers of the proud.
14 How much less do I — I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?
How much less then could I answer him, and select my words [to contend] with him?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.
Whom, were I even righteous, I could not answer? to him that condemneth me I could [only] make supplication.
16 Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [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 Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.
He that bruiseth me with [his] tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without a cause.
18 He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.
He suffereth me not to recover my breath; but feedeth me overmuch with bitter things.
19 If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment — who doth convene me?
If it regard strength, lo, he is the powerful; and if justice, who will cite him for me to appear?
20 If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! — it declareth me perverse.
If I were righteous even, my own mouth would condemn me: were I innocent, it would still prove me perverse.
21 Perfect I am! — I know not my soul, I despise my life.
I am innocent; I will not have regard for myself: I will despise my life.
22 It is the same thing, therefore I said, 'The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.'
One thing is [certain], therefore have I said it, The innocent and the wicked he bringeth to their end.
23 If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.
If a scourge should slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the guiltless.
24 Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not — where, who [is] he?
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 My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,
And my days pass swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no happiness,
26 They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.
They hasten along like pirate ships: like the eagle that stoopeth down upon his food.
27 Though I say, 'I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sorrowful countenance, and recover my cheerfulness:
28 I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.
O then would I be in dread of all my pains; I know that thou wilt not declare me innocent.
29 I — I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.
I must ever be guilty: why then should I fatigue myself for nought?
30 If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,
If I were to wash myself in snow-water, to cleanse myself in the purity of my hands:
31 Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.
Even then wouldst thou plunge me in the ditch, that my own clothes would render me abhorred.
32 But if a man like myself — I answer him, We come together into judgment.
For he is not a man, like me, that I could answer him, that we should enter together into a contest.
33 If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.
There is no one who can decide between us, who could lay his hand upon us both.
34 He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,
Let him but remove from me his rod, and let not his dread terrify me:
35 I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.
Then would I speak, and not fear him; for the like I feel not within me.
