Job 9
1 Then Job answered:
Job replied,
2 “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
“Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God?
3 If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
If you wanted to argue with God, God could ask a thousand questions that no-one could answer.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
God is so wise and so powerful that no-one could challenge him and win.
5 He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.
6 He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake.
7 He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on 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 made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
10 He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
He is the one who does incredible things that are beyond our understanding, marvelous things that are uncountable.
11 Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
But when he passes by me, I don't see him; when he moves on, he is invisible to me.
12 If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers underfoot.
14 How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
So how much less could I answer God, or choose my words to argue with him!
15 For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
Even though I'm right, I can't answer him. I must plead for mercy from my judge.
16 If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
Even if I called him to come and he responded, I don't believe he would listen to me.
17 For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.
19 If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
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 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
Even though I am right, my own mouth would condemn me; even though I am innocent, he would prove me wrong.
21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life!
22 It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
That's why I say, ‘It makes no difference to God. He destroys both the innocent and the wicked.’
23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair 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 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 My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
The days of my life race by like a runner, rushing past without me seeing any happiness.
26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
They pass by like fast sailing ships, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
If I said to myself, ‘I will forget my complaints; I will stop crying and be happy,’
28 I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
I would still be terrified at all my suffering because you, God, will not say I'm innocent.
29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
30 If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
Even if I wash myself with pure mountain water and clean my hands with soap,
31 then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
32 For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
For God is not a mortal being like me, I can't defend myself or take him to court.
33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
If only there was an arbitrator who could bring us both together!
34 Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
I wish God would stop beating me with his rod and terrifying me!
35 Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”
