Job 9

1 Then Job answered and said,

Then Job answered and said,

2 Of a truth I know that it is so. But how can man be just with God?

I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?

3 If he is pleased to contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

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.

4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him, and prospered?

For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?

5 He who removes the mountains, and they do not know it when he overturns them in his anger,

Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.

6 who shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars of it tremble,

Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.

7 who commands the sun, and it does not rise, and seals up the stars,

Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.

8 who alone stretches out the heavens, and treads upon the waves of the sea,

Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.

9 who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south,

Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.

10 who does great things past finding out, yea, marvelous things without number.

Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.

11 Lo, he goes by me, and I do not see him. He also passes on, but I do not perceive him.

If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither thus have I known [it].

12 Behold, he seizes; who can hinder him? Who will say to him, What are thou doing?

If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have you done?

13 God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.

For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.

14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

Oh then that he would listen to me, or judge my cause.

15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet I would not answer. I would make supplication to my judge.

For though I be righteous, he will not listen to me: I will entreat his judgement.

16 If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice.

And if I should call and he should not listen, I can’t believe that he has listened to my voice.

17 For he breaks me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause.

Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.

18 He will not allow me to take my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.

19 If of strength, lo, he is mighty! And if of justice, who will summon me?

For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgement?

20 Though I be righteous, my own mouth shall condemn me. Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.

For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.

21 Though I were perfect, I do not regard myself. I despise my life.

For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.

22 It is all one thing. Therefore I say, He destroys the perfect and the wicked.

Therefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.

23 If the scourge kills suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.

24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of the judges of it. If not he, who then is it?

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?

25 Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away. They see no good,

But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.

26 They are passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.

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?

27 If I say, I will forget my complaint. I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer,

And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;

28 I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that thou will not hold me innocent.

I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone [as] innocent.

29 I shall be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?

But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?

30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands ever so clean,

For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,

31 yet thou will plunge me in the ditch, and my own clothes shall abhor me.

you had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.

32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.

For you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgement.

33 There is no umpire between us who might lay his hand upon us both.

Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.

34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his terror make me afraid.

Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

35 Then I would speak, and not be afraid of him, for I am not so in myself.

so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].