Job 9
1 Then Job answered:
Then Job answered and said,
2 “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
I know it is so of a truth: but how should 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 will contend with him, he cannot answer him one 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 has hardened himself against him, and has prospered?
5 He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
Which removes the mountains, and they know not: which overturns them in his anger.
6 He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
Which shakes the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
Which commands the sun, and it rises not; and seals up the stars.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
Which alone spreads out the heavens, and treads 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.
Which makes Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
10 He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
Which does great things past finding out; yes, 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.
See, he goes by me, and I see him not: he passes on also, but I perceive him not.
12 If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
Behold, he takes away, who can hinder him? who will say to him, What do you?
13 God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.
14 How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason 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, but 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; yet would I not believe that he had listened to my voice.
17 For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
For he breaks me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
He will not suffer me to take my breath, but 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 I speak of strength, see, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
Though I were 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.’
This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroys the perfect and the wicked.
23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
If the whip slay suddenly, he will laugh 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 into the hand of the wicked: he covers the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
25 My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hastens to 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 heaviness, and comfort myself:
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 you will not hold me innocent.
29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
If I be wicked, why then labor I in vain?
30 If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
31 then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
Yet shall you plunge me in the ditch, and my own clothes shall 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, and we should come together in judgment.
33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
Neither is there any judge between us, that might lay his hand on 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 fear terrify me:
35 Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
