Job 9

1 And Job answered and said,

Then Job answered and said,

2 Of a truth I know it is so; but how can man be just 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 shall choose to strive with him, he cannot answer him one thing of a thousand.

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 wise in heart and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and had peace?

For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?

5 Who removeth mountains, and they know it not, when he overturneth them in his anger;

Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.

6 Who shaketh the earth out of its place, and the pillars thereof tremble;

Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.

7 Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and he sealeth up the stars;

Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.

8 Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the high waves of the sea;

Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.

9 Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;

Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.

10 Who doeth great things past finding out, and wonders without number.

Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.

11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see [him] not; and he passeth along, and I perceive him not.

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 Behold, he taketh away: who will hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?

If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have you done?

13 God withdraweth not his anger; the proud helpers stoop under him:

For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.

14 How much less shall I answer him, choose out my words [to strive] with him?

Oh then that he would listen to me, or judge my cause.

15 Whom, though I were righteous, [yet] would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge.

For though I be righteous, he will not listen to me: I will entreat his judgment.

16 If I had called, and he had answered me, I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice, —

And if I should call and he should not listen, I can’t believe that he has listened to my voice.

17 He, who crusheth me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.

18 He suffereth me not to take my breath, for he filleth me with bitternesses.

For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.

19 Be it a question of strength, lo, [he is] strong; and be it of judgment, who will set me a time?

For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgment?

20 If I justified myself, mine own mouth would condemn me; were I perfect, he would prove me perverse.

For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.

21 Were I perfect, [yet] would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.

22 It is all one; therefore I said, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

Therefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.

23 If the scourge kill suddenly, he mocketh at the trial of the innocent.

For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.

24 The earth is given over into the hand of the wicked [man]; he covereth the faces of its judges. If not, who then 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 And my days are swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no good.

But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.

26 They pass by like skiffs of reed; as an eagle that swoops upon the prey.

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, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my [sad] countenance, and brighten up,

And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;

28 I am afraid of all my sorrows; I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone [as] innocent.

29 Be it that I am wicked, why then do I labour in vain?

But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?

30 If I washed myself with snow-water, and cleansed my hands in purity,

For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,

31 Then wouldest thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes would abhor me.

you had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.

32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him; that we should come together in judgment.

For you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgment.

33 There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.

Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.

34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his terror make me afraid,

Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

35 [Then] I will speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].