Job 9
1 Then Job answered:
And Job answered and said,
2 “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
Of a truth I know it is so; but how can man be just with God?
3 If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
If he shall choose to strive with him, he cannot answer him one thing of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and had peace?
5 He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
Who removeth mountains, and they know it not, when he overturneth them in his anger;
6 He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
Who shaketh the earth out of its place, and the pillars thereof tremble;
7 He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and he sealeth up the stars;
8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the high waves of the sea;
9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;
10 He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
Who doeth great things past finding out, and wonders without number.
11 Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see [him] not; and he passeth along, and I perceive him not.
12 If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
Behold, he taketh away: who will hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?
13 God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
God withdraweth not his anger; the proud helpers stoop under him:
14 How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
How much less shall I answer him, choose out my words [to strive] with him?
15 For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
Whom, though I were righteous, [yet] would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge.
16 If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
If I had called, and he had answered me, I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice, —
17 For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
He, who crusheth me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
He suffereth me not to take my breath, for he filleth me with bitternesses.
19 If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
Be it a question of strength, lo, [he is] strong; and be it of judgment, who will set me a time?
20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
If I justified myself, mine own mouth would condemn me; were I perfect, he would prove me perverse.
21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
Were I perfect, [yet] would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
22 It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
It is all one; therefore I said, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
If the scourge kill suddenly, he mocketh at the trial 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?
The earth is given over into the hand of the wicked [man]; he covereth the faces of its judges. If not, who then is it?
25 My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
And my days are swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no good.
26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
They pass by like skiffs of reed; as an eagle that swoops upon the prey.
27 If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my [sad] countenance, and brighten up,
28 I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
I am afraid of all my sorrows; I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
Be it that I am wicked, why then do I labour in vain?
30 If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
If I washed myself with snow-water, and cleansed my hands in purity,
31 then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
Then wouldest thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes 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 he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him; that we should come together in judgment.
33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his terror make me afraid,
35 Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
[Then] I will speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
