Job 9
1 Job replied,
Then Job answered and said,
2 “Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God?
Of a truth I know that it is so. But how can man be just with God?
3 If you wanted to argue with God, God could ask a thousand questions that no-one could answer.
If he is pleased to contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
4 God is so wise and so powerful that no-one could challenge him and win.
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him, and prospered?
5 God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.
He who removes the mountains, and they do not know it when he overturns them in his anger,
6 He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake.
who shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars of it tremble,
7 He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
who commands the sun, and it does not rise, and seals up the stars,
8 He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea.
who alone stretches out the heavens, and treads upon the waves of the sea,
9 He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south,
10 He is the one who does incredible things that are beyond our understanding, marvelous things that are uncountable.
who does great things past finding out, yea, marvelous things without number.
11 But when he passes by me, I don't see him; when he moves on, he is invisible to me.
Lo, he goes by me, and I do not see him. He also passes on, but I do not perceive him.
12 If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
Behold, he seizes; who can hinder him? Who will say to him, What are thou doing?
13 God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers underfoot.
God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.
14 So how much less could I answer God, or choose my words to argue with him!
How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?
15 Even though I'm right, I can't answer him. I must plead for mercy from my judge.
Whom, though I were righteous, yet I would not answer. I would make supplication to my judge.
16 Even if I called him to come and he responded, I don't believe he would listen to me.
If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice.
17 He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
For he breaks me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.
He will not allow me to take my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
19 If it's a question of strength, then God is the strongest. If it's a question of justice, then who will set a time for my case?
If of strength, lo, he is mighty! And if of justice, who will summon me?
20 Even though I am right, my own mouth would condemn me; even though I am innocent, he would prove me wrong.
Though I be righteous, my own mouth shall condemn me. Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.
21 I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life!
Though I were perfect, I do not regard myself. I despise my life.
22 That's why I say, ‘It makes no difference to God. He destroys both the innocent and the wicked.’
It is all one thing. Therefore I say, He destroys the perfect and the wicked.
23 When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
If the scourge kills suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
24 The earth has been handed over to the wicked; he blinds the eyes of the judges—if it's not him who does this, then who is it?
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of the judges of it. If not he, who then is it?
25 The days of my life race by like a runner, rushing past without me seeing any happiness.
Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away. They see no good,
26 They pass by like fast sailing ships, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
They are passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.
27 If I said to myself, ‘I will forget my complaints; I will stop crying and be happy,’
If I say, I will forget my complaint. I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer,
28 I would still be terrified at all my suffering because you, God, will not say I'm innocent.
I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that thou will not hold me innocent.
29 Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
I shall be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?
30 Even if I wash myself with pure mountain water and clean my hands with soap,
If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands ever so clean,
31 you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
yet thou will plunge me in the ditch, and my own clothes shall abhor me.
32 For God is not a mortal being like me, I can't defend myself or take him to court.
For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.
33 If only there was an arbitrator who could bring us both together!
There is no umpire between us who might lay his hand upon us both.
34 I wish God would stop beating me with his rod and terrifying me!
Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his terror make me afraid.
35 Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”
Then I would speak, and not be afraid of him, for I am not so in myself.
