Job 9
1 Job replied,
Then Iob answered, and sayd,
2 “Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God?
I knowe verily that it is so: for howe should man compared vnto God, be iustified?
3 If you wanted to argue with God, God could ask a thousand questions that no-one could answer.
If I would dispute with him, hee could not answere him one thing 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 hath bene fierce against him and hath prospered?
5 God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.
He remoueth the mountaines, and they feele not when he ouerthroweth them in his wrath.
6 He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake.
Hee remooueth the earth out of her place, that the pillars thereof doe shake.
7 He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
He commandeth the sunne, and it riseth not: hee closeth vp the starres, as vnder a signet.
8 He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea.
Hee himselfe alone spreadeth out the heauens, and walketh vpon the height of the sea.
9 He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
He maketh the starres Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the climates of the South.
10 He is the one who does incredible things that are beyond our understanding, marvelous things that are uncountable.
He doeth great things, and vnsearcheable: yea, marueilous things without nomber.
11 But when he passes by me, I don't see him; when he moves on, he is invisible to me.
Lo, when he goeth by me, I see him not: and when he passeth by, I perceiue him not.
12 If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
Behold, when he taketh a pray, who can make him to restore it? who shall say vnto him, What doest thou?
13 God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers underfoot.
God will not withdrawe his anger, and the most mightie helpes doe stoupe vnder him.
14 So how much less could I answer God, or choose my words to argue with him!
Howe much lesse shall I answere him? or howe should I finde out my words with him?
15 Even though I'm right, I can't answer him. I must plead for mercy from my judge.
For though I were iust, yet could I not answere, but I would make supplication to my Iudge.
16 Even if I called him to come and he responded, I don't believe he would listen to me.
If I cry, and he answere me, yet woulde I not beleeue, that he heard my voyce.
17 He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
For he destroyeth mee with a tempest, and woundeth me without cause.
18 He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.
He wil not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitternesse.
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 we speake of strength, behold, he is strog: if we speake of iudgement, who shall bring me in to pleade?
20 Even though I am right, my own mouth would condemn me; even though I am innocent, he would prove me wrong.
If I woulde iustifie my selfe, mine owne mouth shall condemne mee: if I would be perfite, he shall iudge me wicked.
21 I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life!
Though I were perfite, yet I knowe not my soule: therefore abhorre I my life.
22 That's why I say, ‘It makes no difference to God. He destroys both the innocent and the wicked.’
This is one point: therefore I said, Hee destroyeth the perfite and the wicked.
23 When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
If the scourge should suddenly slay, should God laugh at the punishment 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 giuen into the hand of ye wicked: he couereth the faces of the iudges therof: if not, where is he? or who is he?
25 The days of my life race by like a runner, rushing past without me seeing any happiness.
My dayes haue bene more swift then a post: they haue fled, and haue seene no good thing.
26 They pass by like fast sailing ships, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
They are passed as with the most swift ships, and as the eagle that flyeth to the pray.
27 If I said to myself, ‘I will forget my complaints; I will stop crying and be happy,’
If I say, I wil forget my complaynt, I will cease from my wrath, and comfort mee,
28 I would still be terrified at all my suffering because you, God, will not say I'm innocent.
Then I am afrayd of all my sorowes, knowing that thou wilt not iudge me innocent.
29 Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
If I be wicked, why labour I thus in vaine?
30 Even if I wash myself with pure mountain water and clean my hands with soap,
If I wash my selfe with snowe water, and purge mine hands most cleane,
31 you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
Yet shalt thou plunge mee in the pit, and mine owne clothes shall make me filthie.
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 shoulde answere him, if we come together to iudgement.
33 If only there was an arbitrator who could bring us both together!
Neyther is there any vmpire that might lay his hand vpon vs 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 feare astonish me:
35 Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”
Then will I speake, and feare him not: but because I am not so, I holde me still.
