Job 9
1 To naah Job mah,
Job replied,
2 to lok loe amsoem, tiah ka panoek; toe kami loe kawbangmaw Sithaw hmaa ah toeng thai tih?
“Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God?
3 Kami mah anih hoi lok angaek han koeh cadoeh, vai sangto thungah vaito mataeng doeh pathim thai mak ai.
If you wanted to argue with God, God could ask a thousand questions that no-one could answer.
4 Sithaw loe palunghahaih, thacakhaih hoiah koi; palung thah, anih ih lok aek kami loe khosak hoihaih hnuk vai maw?
God is so wise and so powerful that no-one could challenge him and win.
5 Sithaw palungphui naah, nihcae panoek ai ah maenawk to angthuisak moe, amletsak thaih,
God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.
6 long to angthuisak hanah ahuenh moe, tungnawk to anghuensak.
He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake.
7 Ni tacawt han ai ah lok a thuih pae; cakaehnawk aanghaih to vingh pae khoep.
He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
8 Anih mah khue ni vannawk to payuengh moe, tuipui tuiphunawk to cawh thaih.
He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea.
9 Anih loe Arcturus, Orian, Pleiades cakaehnawk hoi aloih bang ih cakaehnawk Sahkung ah oh.
He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
10 Anih loe panoek thai ai kalen hmuennawk to sak; ue, kroek laek ai dawnraihaih doeh a sak.
He is the one who does incredible things that are beyond our understanding, marvelous things that are uncountable.
11 Khenah, anih ka taengah caeh naah, ka hnu thai ai; a caeh poe naah, anih to ka panoek thai ai.
But when he passes by me, I don't see him; when he moves on, he is invisible to me.
12 Khenah, anih mah la ving nahaeloe, mi mah maw pakaa thai tih? Mi mah maw anih khaeah, Timaw na sak? tiah thui thai tih?
If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 Sithaw palungphuihaih dip ai nahaeloe, amoek kami thapaek kaminawk loe anih hmaa ah ni akuep o sut tih.
God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers underfoot.
14 Kawbangmaw anih ih lok to ka pathim thai tih? Anih hoi lok angaek hanah kawbaktih lok maw ka qoih han?
So how much less could I answer God, or choose my words to argue with him!
15 Zaehaih ka tawn ai langlacadoeh, anih to ka aek thai mak ai; lokcaekkung khaeah loe tahmenhaih khue ni ka hnik thaih.
Even though I'm right, I can't answer him. I must plead for mercy from my judge.
16 Anih to ka kawk moe, ka kawkhaih lok na pathim pae aep to mah, anih mah ka lok na tahngai pae tih, tiah ka poek ai.
Even if I called him to come and he responded, I don't believe he would listen to me.
17 Anih mah takhi sae hoiah ang boh moe, takung om ai ah nganbawh kana ang pungsak.
He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
18 Kai han anghahhaih takhi na paek ai, kakhaa patangkhanghaih hoiah ni ang koisak.
He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.
19 Thacakhaih kawng thuih nahaeloe, khenah, anih loe thacak koek ah oh! Toenghaih hoi lokcaek naah doeh, mi mah maw lokcaekhaih im ah kai han lok pathim pae tih?
If it's a question of strength, then God is the strongest. If it's a question of justice, then who will set a time for my case?
20 Zaehaih tawn ai ah ka oh langlacadoeh, ka pakha mah zaehaih na net tih; coek koi om ai ah ka oh, tiah ka thuih cadoeh, ka poek angkawnhaih to amtuengsak tih.
Even though I am right, my own mouth would condemn me; even though I am innocent, he would prove me wrong.
21 Coek koi om ai ah ka oh cadoeh, ka poekhaih ka panoek thai ai; ka hinghaih hae tiah doeh ka poek ai.
I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life!
22 Maeto kaom kanghmong hmuen loe, Coek koi om ai kami doeh, kasae kami doeh, amro hmaek tih, tiah ka thuih.
That's why I say, ‘It makes no difference to God. He destroys both the innocent and the wicked.’
23 Poek ai pui hoi kami to boh maat naah, anih mah zaehaih tawn ai kami nuiah lokcaekhaih to pahnui thuih.
When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 Long loe kasae kami ban ah paek moe, lokcaekkungnawk to mikmaengsak; to hmuen to Sithaw mah sah ai nahaeloe, mi mah maw sah tih?
The earth has been handed over to the wicked; he blinds the eyes of the judges—if it's not him who does this, then who is it?
25 Ka hinghaih aninawk loe ca phawkung pongah doeh rang o kue; nihcae loe hoihhaih hnu ai ah, cawnh o.
The days of my life race by like a runner, rushing past without me seeing any happiness.
26 To aninawk loe cawnh karang palongpui baktiah laemh o moe, moi cop hanah karangah kazawk tahmu baktiah oh o.
They pass by like fast sailing ships, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 Laisaephaih ka pahnet han boeh, poekraihaih ka toengh moe, ka pahnui han boeh, tiah ka thuih cadoeh,
If I said to myself, ‘I will forget my complaints; I will stop crying and be happy,’
28 ka tongh ih patangkhanghaih to ka zit, kai hae zaehaih tawn ai kami ni, tiah Na poek mak ai, tito ka panoek.
I would still be terrified at all my suffering because you, God, will not say I'm innocent.
29 Kahoih ai kami ah ka oh nahaeloe, tih hanah azom pui ah tok ka sak khing vop loe?
Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
30 Ka takpum hae dantui hoi kam saeh moe, ka ban hae kaciim ah kam saeh cadoeh,
Even if I wash myself with pure mountain water and clean my hands with soap,
31 Sithaw mah tangnong thungah na va ueloe, ka khukbuen mah ka takpum hae panuet tih.
you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
32 Lokcaekhaih ahmuen ah nawnto a caeh o moe, a lok pathim hanah, Sithaw loe kai baktiah om ai.
For God is not a mortal being like me, I can't defend myself or take him to court.
33 Aihnik lokcaek hmaek hanah, aicae salakah kaom kami mi doeh om ai.
If only there was an arbitrator who could bring us both together!
34 Lokcaekhaih angmah ih cung to kai khae hoiah la ving nasoe loe, zitthok a sak ih hmuen mah na pazih hmah nasoe.
I wish God would stop beating me with his rod and terrifying me!
35 To tiah nahaeloe anih zithaih tawn ai ah lok to ka thuih han; toe vaihi loe lok ka thui thai ai.
Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”
