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 be 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 hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?
5 God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.
Which removeth the mountains, and they know it not, when he overturneth them in his anger.
6 He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake.
Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
8 He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea.
Which alone stretcheth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9 He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
Which maketh 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.
Which doeth 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 goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
12 If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
Behold, he seizeth [the prey], who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
13 God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers underfoot.
God will not withdraw his anger; the helpers of Rahab do 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 would I not answer; I would make supplication to mine adversary.
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 would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice.
17 He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth 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 suffer me to take my breath, but filleth 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 [we speak] of the strength of the mighty, lo, [he is there]! and if of judgment, who will appoint me a time?
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, mine 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!
I am perfect; I regard not 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; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23 When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
If the scourge slay 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 covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if [it be] 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 post: 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 swoopeth 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 wilt not hold me innocent.
29 Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
I shall be condemned; why then do I labour 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 never so clean;
31 you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine 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 daysman betwixt us, that 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 would I speak, and not fear him; for I am not so in myself.
