Job 9
1 Then Job answered:
Then answered Job, and 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 how could a mortal be righteous before God?
3 If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
If he were desirous to enter into a contest with him, he could not give him one answer out of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
He is wise of heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and escaped unscathed?
5 He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
[He it is] who removeth mountains, and they know it not, yea, when he overturneth them in his anger;
6 He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
Who shaketh the earth loose out of her place, that her pillars tremble;
7 He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
Who speaketh to the sun, and he shineth not, and around the stars he placeth a seal;
8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
Who spread out the heavens by himself alone, and treadeth upon the hillocks of the sea;
9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
Who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers the south;
10 He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
Who doth great things which are quite unsearchable, and wonders which are quite without number.
11 Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
Lo, were he to go past by me, I should not see him; and were he to pass along, I should not perceive him.
12 If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
Behold, were he to snatch aught away, who could hold him back? who would say unto him, What dost thou?
13 God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
God will not withdraw his anger: beneath him sink down the helpers of the proud.
14 How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
How much less then could I answer him, and select my words [to contend] with him?
15 For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
Whom, were I even righteous, I could not answer? to him that condemneth me I could [only] make supplication.
16 If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
Or were I to call, and he would answer me, I could yet not believe that he would give ear unto my voice—
17 For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
He that bruiseth me with [his] tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without a cause.
18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
He suffereth me not to recover my breath; but feedeth me overmuch with bitter things.
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 regard strength, lo, he is the powerful; and if justice, who will cite him for me to appear?
20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
If I were righteous even, my own mouth would condemn me: were I innocent, it would still prove me perverse.
21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
I am innocent; I will not have regard for myself: I will despise my life.
22 It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
One thing is [certain], therefore have I said it, The innocent and the wicked he bringeth to their end.
23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
If a scourge should slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the guiltless.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
Is a land given up into the hand of the wicked? he covereth the faces of its judges: if this be not the truth, who is it then?
25 My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
And my days pass swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no happiness,
26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
They hasten along like pirate ships: like the eagle that stoopeth down upon his food.
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 sorrowful countenance, and recover my cheerfulness:
28 I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
O then would I be in dread of all my pains; I know that thou wilt not declare me innocent.
29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
I must ever be guilty: why then should I fatigue myself for nought?
30 If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
If I were to wash myself in snow-water, to cleanse myself in the purity of my hands:
31 then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
Even then wouldst thou plunge me in the ditch, that my own clothes would render me abhorred.
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, like me, that I could answer him, that we should enter together into a contest.
33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
There is no one who can decide between us, who could 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 but remove from me his rod, and let not his dread 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; for the like I feel not within me.
