Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said,
Then Job answered and said,
2 I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?
I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?
3 For if he would enter into judgment with him, [God] would not hearken to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.
If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
4 For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
5 Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.
Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.
6 Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.
Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.
Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
8 Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.
Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9 Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.
Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
10 Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.
Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
11 If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither thus have I known [it].
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
12 If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What hast thou done?
Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
13 For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.
If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.
14 Oh then that he would hearken to me, or judge my cause.
How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?
15 For though I be righteous, he will not hearken to me: I will intreat his judgment.
Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.
16 And if I should call and he should not hearken, I cannot believe that he has listened to my voice.
If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.
17 Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.
For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
18 For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.
He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
19 For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgment?
If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
20 For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.
If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
21 For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.
Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
22 Wherefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.
This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23 For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.
If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
24 For they are delivered into the hands of the unrighteous [man]: he covers the faces of the judges [of the earth]: but if it be not he, who is it?
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
25 But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.
Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
26 Or again, is there a trace of [their] path [left] by ships? or is there one of the flying eagle as it seeks [its] prey?
They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.
27 And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:
28 I quake in all my limbs, for I know that thou wilt not leave me alone [as] innocent.
I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
29 But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?
If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?
30 For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,
If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
31 thou hadst thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.
Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
32 For thou art not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgment.
For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
33 Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.
Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
35 so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].
Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
