Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said,
Then Iob answered, and sayd,
2 I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?
I knowe verily that it is so: for howe should man compared vnto God, be iustified?
3 For if he would enter into judgment with him, [God] would not listen to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.
If I would dispute with him, hee could not answere him one thing of a thousand.
4 For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath bene fierce against him and hath prospered?
5 Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.
He remoueth the mountaines, and they feele not when he ouerthroweth them in his wrath.
6 Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.
Hee remooueth the earth out of her place, that the pillars thereof doe shake.
7 Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.
He commandeth the sunne, and it riseth not: hee closeth vp the starres, as vnder a signet.
8 Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.
Hee himselfe alone spreadeth out the heauens, and walketh vpon the height of the sea.
9 Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.
He maketh the starres Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the climates of the South.
10 Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.
He doeth great things, and vnsearcheable: yea, marueilous things without nomber.
11 If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither thus have I known [it].
Lo, when he goeth by me, I see him not: and when he passeth by, I perceiue him not.
12 If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have you done?
Behold, when he taketh a pray, who can make him to restore it? who shall say vnto him, What doest thou?
13 For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.
God will not withdrawe his anger, and the most mightie helpes doe stoupe vnder him.
14 Oh then that he would listen to me, or judge my cause.
Howe much lesse shall I answere him? or howe should I finde out my words with him?
15 For though I be righteous, he will not listen to me: I will entreat his judgment.
For though I were iust, yet could I not answere, but I would make supplication to my Iudge.
16 And if I should call and he should not listen, I can’t believe that he has listened to my voice.
If I cry, and he answere me, yet woulde I not beleeue, that he heard my voyce.
17 Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.
For he destroyeth mee with a tempest, and woundeth me without cause.
18 For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.
He wil not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitternesse.
19 For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgment?
If we speake of strength, behold, he is strog: if we speake of iudgement, who shall bring me in to pleade?
20 For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.
If I woulde iustifie my selfe, mine owne mouth shall condemne mee: if I would be perfite, he shall iudge me wicked.
21 For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.
Though I were perfite, yet I knowe not my soule: therefore abhorre I my life.
22 Therefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.
This is one point: therefore I said, Hee destroyeth the perfite and the wicked.
23 For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.
If the scourge should suddenly slay, should God laugh at the punishment of the innocent?
24 For they are delivered into the hands of the unrighteous [man]: he covers the faces of the judges [of the earth]: but if it be not he, 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 But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.
My dayes haue bene more swift then a post: they haue fled, and haue seene no good thing.
26 Or again, is there a trace of [their] path [left] by ships? or is there one of the flying eagle as it seeks [its] prey?
They are passed as with the most swift ships, and as the eagle that flyeth to the pray.
27 And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;
If I say, I wil forget my complaynt, I will cease from my wrath, and comfort mee,
28 I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone [as] innocent.
Then I am afrayd of all my sorowes, knowing that thou wilt not iudge me innocent.
29 But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?
If I be wicked, why labour I thus in vaine?
30 For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,
If I wash my selfe with snowe water, and purge mine hands most cleane,
31 you had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.
Yet shalt thou plunge mee in the pit, and mine owne clothes shall make me filthie.
32 For you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgment.
For he is not a man as I am, that I shoulde answere him, if we come together to iudgement.
33 Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.
Neyther is there any vmpire that might lay his hand vpon vs both.
34 Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his feare astonish me:
35 so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].
Then will I speake, and feare him not: but because I am not so, I holde me still.
