Job 9
1 And Job, responding, said:
Then Job answered and said,
2 Truly, I know that it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with God.
I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?
3 If he chooses to contend with him, he is not able to respond to him once out of a thousand times.
For if he would enter into judgment with him, [God] would not listen to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.
4 He is understanding in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and yet had peace?
For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?
5 He has moved mountains, and those whom he overthrew in his fury did not know it.
Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble.
Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.
7 He commands the sun and it does not rise, and he closes the stars as if under a seal.
Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.
8 He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of the sea.
Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.
9 He fashions Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the interior of the south.
Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.
10 He accomplishes great and incomprehensible and miraculous things, which cannot be numbered.
Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.
11 If he approaches me, I will not see him; if he departs, I will not understand.
If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither thus have I known [it].
12 If he suddenly should question, who will answer him? Or who can say, “Why did you do so?”
If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have you done?
13 God, whose wrath no one is able to resist, and under whom they bend who carry the world,
For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.
14 what am I then, that I should answer him and exchange words with him?
Oh then that he would listen to me, or judge my cause.
15 And if I now have any justice, I will not respond, but will beseech my judge.
For though I be righteous, he will not listen to me: I will entreat his judgment.
16 And if he should listen to me when I call, I would not believe that he had heard my voice.
And if I should call and he should not listen, I can’t believe that he has listened to my voice.
17 For he will crush me in a whirlwind and multiply my wounds, even without cause.
Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.
18 He does not permit my spirit to rest, and he fills me with bitterness.
For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.
19 If strength is sought, he is most strong; if equity in judgment, no one would dare to give testimony for me.
For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgment?
20 If I wanted to justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I would reveal my innocence, he would prove me depraved.
For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.
21 And if I now became simple, my soul would be ignorant even of this, and my life would weary me.
For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.
22 There is one thing that I have said: both the innocent and the impious he consumes.
Therefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.
23 If he scourges, let him kill all at once, and not laugh at the punishment of the innocent.
For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.
24 Since the earth has been given into the hand of the impious, he covers the face of its judges; for if it is not him, then who is it?
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?
25 My days have been swifter than a messenger; they have fled and have not seen goodness.
But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.
26 They have passed by like ships carrying fruits, just like an eagle flying to food.
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?
27 If I say: “By no means will I speak this way.” I change my face and I am tortured with sorrow.
And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;
28 I have dreaded all my works, knowing that you did not spare the offender.
I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone [as] innocent.
29 Yet, if I am also just as impious, why have I labored in vain?
But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?
30 If I had been washed with snow-like waters, and my hands were shining like the cleanest thing,
For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,
31 yet you would plunge me in filth, and my own garments would abhor me.
you had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.
32 For even I would not answer a man who were like myself, nor one who could be heard with me equally in judgment.
For you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgment.
33 There is no one who could both prevail in argument and in placing his hand between the two.
Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.
34 Let him take his staff away from me, and let not the fear of him terrify me.
Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
35 I will speak and I will not fear him, for in fearfulness I am not able to respond.
so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].
