Job 9
1 Job replied,
Then Job answered,
2 “Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God?
“Truly 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 time in a thousand.
4 God is so wise and so powerful that no-one could challenge him and win.
God 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 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.
He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.
7 He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
He 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.
He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.
9 He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the rooms of the south.
10 He is the one who does incredible things that are beyond our understanding, marvelous things that are uncountable.
He does great things past finding out; yes, 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.
Behold, he goes by me, and I do not see him. He passes on also, 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 snatches away. Who can hinder him? Who will ask him, ‘What are you 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 will I answer him, and choose my words to argue with him?
15 Even though I'm right, I can't answer him. I must plead for mercy from my judge.
Though I were righteous, yet I would not answer him. 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 listened 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 storm, 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 catch 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 it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, ‘Who,’ says he, ‘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 am righteous, my own mouth will condemn me. Though I am blameless, it will prove me perverse.
21 I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life!
I am blameless. I do not respect 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 the same. Therefore I say he destroys the blameless and the wicked.
23 When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock 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 its judges. If not he, then who 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 have 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 face, and cheer up,’
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 you will not hold me innocent.
29 Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
I will 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, and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes will 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, that might lay his hand on us both.
34 I wish God would stop beating me with his rod and terrifying me!
Let him take his rod away from me. Let his terror not 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 fear him, for I am not so in myself.
