Job 9
1 Job replied,
Then responded Job, and said—
2 “Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God?
Of a truth, I know that so it is, But how can a mortal 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 choose 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.
Wise in heart, and alert in vigour, What man hath hardened himself against him, and prospered!
5 God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.
Who removeth mountains, unawares, Who overturneth them in his anger;
6 He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake.
Who shaketh the earth, out of its place, and, the pillars thereof, shudder;
7 He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
Who commandeth the sun, and it breaketh not forth, and, about the stars, he putteth a seal;
8 He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea.
Who spreadeth out fire heavens, by himself alone! and marcheth along, on the heights of the sea;
9 He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
Who made the Bear, the Giant and the Cluster, 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 doeth great things, past finding out, and marvels, beyond number.
11 But when he passes by me, I don't see him; when he moves on, he is invisible to me.
Lo! he cometh upon me, yet can I not see him, Yea he passeth on, yet can I not discern him.
12 If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
Lo! he snatcheth away, who can bring it back? Who shall say unto him, What wouldst thou do?
13 God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers underfoot.
As for GOD, if he withdraw not his anger, under him, will have submitted themselves—the proud helpers.
14 So how much less could I answer God, or choose my words to argue with him!
How much less that, I, should answer him, should choose my words 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, to be absolved, I would make supplication.
16 Even if I called him to come and he responded, I don't believe he would listen to me.
Though I had called, and he had answered me, I could not believe, that he would lend an ear to my voice.
17 He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
For, with a tempest, would he fall upon me, and would multiply my wounds without need;
18 He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.
He would not suffer me to recover my breath, for he would surfeit me with bitter things.
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 regardeth vigour, bold is he! If justice, who could summon him?
20 Even though I am right, my own mouth would condemn me; even though I am innocent, he would prove me wrong.
If I should justify myself, mine own mouth, would condemn me, —I blameless? then had it shewn me perverse.
21 I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life!
I blameless? I should not know my own soul, I should despise my own life!
22 That's why I say, ‘It makes no difference to God. He destroys both the innocent and the wicked.’
One thing, there is, for which cause, I have said it, The blameless and the lawless, he bringeth to an end.
23 When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
If, a scourge, slay suddenly, at the despair of innocent ones, he mocketh.
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, hath been given into the hand of a lawless one, The faces of her judges, he covereth, If not, then who is it?
25 The days of my life race by like a runner, rushing past without me seeing any happiness.
My days, therefore, are swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have seen no good.
26 They pass by like fast sailing ships, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
They have passed away with boats of paper-reed, like a vulture [which] rusheth upon food.
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 lay aside my sad countenance, and brighten 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 pains, I know, that thou wilt not pronounce me innocent.
29 Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
I, shall be held guilty, —Wherefore then, in vain, should I toil?
30 Even if I wash myself with pure mountain water and clean my hands with soap,
Though I bathe myself in snow water, and cleanse, in cleanness itself, my hands,
31 you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
Then, in a ditch, wouldst thou plunge me, and mine own clothes should 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 like myself, whom I might answer, nor could we come together into judgment:
33 If only there was an arbitrator who could bring us both together!
There is not, between us, a mediator, 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 from off me his rod, and, his terror, let it not startle me:
35 Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”
I could speak, and not be afraid of him, although, not so, am, I, in myself!
