Job 9
1 Then Job answered,
And Job answers and says:
2 “Truly I know that it is so, but how can man be just with God?
“Truly I have known that [it is] so, But how is man righteous with God?
3 If he is pleased to contend with him, he cannot answer him one time in a thousand.
If he delights to strive with Him—He does not answer him one of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and prospered?
Wise in heart and strong in power—Who has hardened toward Him and is at peace?
5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know it, when he overturns them in his anger.
Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who has overturned them in His anger.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.
Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.
7 He commands the sun and it does not rise, and seals up the stars.
Who is commanding to the sun, and it does not rise, And the stars He seals up.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.
Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,
9 He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the rooms of the south.
Making the Great Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the inner chambers of the south.
10 He does great things past finding out; yes, marvelous things without number.
Doing great things until there is no searching, And wonderful, until there is no numbering.
11 Behold, he goes by me, and I do not see him. He passes on also, but I do not perceive him.
Behold, He goes over by me, and I do not see, And He passes on, and I do not attend to it.
12 Behold, he snatches away. Who can hinder him? Who will ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
Behold, He snatches away, who brings it back? Who says to Him, What [are] You doing?
13 “God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.
God does not turn back His anger, Proud helpers have bowed under Him.
14 How much less will I answer him, and choose my words to argue with him?
How much less do I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?
15 Though I were righteous, yet I would not answer him. I would make supplication to my judge.
Whom, though I were righteous, I do not answer, For my judgment I make supplication.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I would not believe that he listened to my voice.
Though I had called and He answers me, I do not believe that He gives ear [to] my voice.
17 For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
Because He bruises me with a storm, And has multiplied my wounds for nothing.
18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
He does not permit me to refresh my spirit, But fills me 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 of power, behold, the Strong One; And if of judgment—who convenes me?
20 Though I am righteous, my own mouth will condemn me. Though I am blameless, it will prove me perverse.
If I am righteous, my mouth declares me wicked; [If] I am perfect, it declares me perverse.
21 I am blameless. I do not respect myself. I despise my life.
I am perfect; I do not know my soul, I despise my life.
22 “It is all the same. Therefore I say he destroys the blameless and the wicked.
It is the same thing, therefore I said, He is consuming the perfect and the wicked.
23 If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.
If a scourge puts to death suddenly, He laughs at the trial of the innocent.
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?
Earth has been given Into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of her judges, If not—where, who [is] he?
25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away. They see no good.
My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,
26 They have passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.
They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darts on food.
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and cheer up,’
Though I say, I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that you will not hold me innocent.
I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that You do not acquit me.
29 I will be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?
I become wicked; why [is] this? I labor [in] vain.
30 If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,
If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified my hands with soap,
31 yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes will abhor me.
Then You dip me in corruption, And my garments have detested me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.
But if a man like myself—I answer Him, We come together into judgment.
33 There is no umpire between us, that might lay his hand on us both.
If there were a mediator between us, He places his hand on us both.
34 Let him take his rod away from me. Let his terror not make me afraid;
He turns aside His rod from off me, And His terror does not make me afraid,
35 then I would speak, and not fear him, for I am not so in myself.
I speak, and do not fear Him, but I am not right with myself.”
