Job 9
1 Then Job answered:
And Job, responding, said:
2 “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
Truly, I know that it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with God.
3 If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
If he chooses to contend with him, he is not able to respond to him once out of a thousand times.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
He is understanding in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and yet had peace?
5 He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
He has moved mountains, and those whom he overthrew in his fury did not know it.
6 He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
He shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble.
7 He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
He commands the sun and it does not rise, and he closes the stars as if under a seal.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of the sea.
9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
He fashions Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the interior of the south.
10 He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
He accomplishes great and incomprehensible and miraculous things, which cannot be numbered.
11 Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
If he approaches me, I will not see him; if he departs, I will not understand.
12 If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
If he suddenly should question, who will answer him? Or who can say, “Why did you do so?”
13 God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
God, whose wrath no one is able to resist, and under whom they bend who carry the world,
14 How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
what am I then, that I should answer him and exchange words with him?
15 For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
And if I now have any justice, I will not respond, but will beseech my judge.
16 If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
And if he should listen to me when I call, I would not believe that he had heard my voice.
17 For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
For he will crush me in a whirlwind and multiply my wounds, even without cause.
18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
He does not permit my spirit to rest, and he fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
If strength is sought, he is most strong; if equity in judgment, no one would dare to give testimony for me.
20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
If I wanted to justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I would reveal my innocence, he would prove me depraved.
21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
And if I now became simple, my soul would be ignorant even of this, and my life would weary me.
22 It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
There is one thing that I have said: both the innocent and the impious he consumes.
23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
If he scourges, let him kill all at once, and not laugh at the punishment of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
Since the earth has been given into the hand of the impious, he covers the face of its judges; for if it is not him, then who is it?
25 My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
My days have been swifter than a messenger; they have fled and have not seen goodness.
26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
They have passed by like ships carrying fruits, just like an eagle flying to food.
27 If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
If I say: “By no means will I speak this way.” I change my face and I am tortured with sorrow.
28 I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
I have dreaded all my works, knowing that you did not spare the offender.
29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
Yet, if I am also just as impious, why have I labored in vain?
30 If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
If I had been washed with snow-like waters, and my hands were shining like the cleanest thing,
31 then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
yet you would plunge me in filth, and my own garments would abhor me.
32 For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
For even I would not answer a man who were like myself, nor one who could be heard with me equally in judgment.
33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
There is no one who could both prevail in argument and in placing his hand between the two.
34 Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
Let him take his staff away from me, and let not the fear of him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
I will speak and I will not fear him, for in fearfulness I am not able to respond.
