Job 9
1 And Job answers and says:
And Job answered, and said:
2 “Truly I have known that [it is] so, But how is man righteous with God?
Indeed I know it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with God.
3 If he delights to strive with Him—He does not answer him one of a thousand.
If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one for a thousand.
4 Wise in heart and strong in power—Who has hardened toward Him and is at peace?
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath resisted him, and hath had peace?
5 Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who has overturned them in His anger.
Who hath removed mountains, and they whom he overthrew in his wrath, knew it not.
6 Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.
Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 Who is commanding to the sun, and it does not rise, And the stars He seals up.
Who commandeth tile sun and it riseth not: and shutteth up the stars as it were under a seal:
8 Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,
Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and walketh upon the waves of the sea.
9 Making the Great Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the inner chambers of the south.
Who maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the inner parts of the south.
10 Doing great things until there is no searching, And wonderful, until there is no numbering.
Who doth things great and incomprehensible, and wonderful, of which there is no number.
11 Behold, He goes over by me, and I do not see, And He passes on, and I do not attend to it.
If he come to me, I shall not see him: if he depart I shall not understand.
12 Behold, He snatches away, who brings it back? Who says to Him, What [are] You doing?
If he examine on a sudden, who shall answer him? or who can say: Why dost thou so?
13 God does not turn back His anger, Proud helpers have bowed under Him.
God, whose wrath no mall can resist, and under whom they stoop that bear up the world.
14 How much less do I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?
What am I then, that I should answer him, and have words with him?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, I do not answer, For my judgment I make supplication.
I, who although I should have any just thing, would not answer, but would make supplication to my judge.
16 Though I had called and He answers me, I do not believe that He gives ear [to] my voice.
And if he should hear me when I call, I should not believe that he had heard my voice.
17 Because He bruises me with a storm, And has multiplied my wounds for nothing.
For he shall crush me in a whirlwind, and multiply my wounds even without cause.
18 He does not permit me to refresh my spirit, But fills me with bitter things.
He alloweth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness.
19 If of power, behold, the Strong One; And if of judgment—who convenes me?
If strength be demanded, he is most strong: if equity of judgment, no man dare bear witness for me.
20 If I am righteous, my mouth declares me wicked; [If] I am perfect, it declares me perverse.
If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I would shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked.
21 I am perfect; I do not know my soul, I despise my life.
Although I should be simple, even this my soul shall be ignorant of, and I shall be weary of my life.
22 It is the same thing, therefore I said, He is consuming the perfect and the wicked.
One thing there is that I have spoken, both the innocent and the wicked he consumeth.
23 If a scourge puts to death suddenly, He laughs at the trial of the innocent.
If he scourge, let him kill at once, and not laugh at the pains of the innocent.
24 Earth has been given Into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of her judges, If not—where, who [is] he?
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked, he covereth the face of the judges thereof: and if it be not he, who is it then?
25 My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,
My days have been swifter than a post: they have fled away and have not seen good.
26 They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darts on food.
They have passed by as ships carrying fruits, as an eagle flying to the prey.
27 Though I say, I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!
If I say: I will not speak so: I change my face, and am tormented with sorrow.
28 I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that You do not acquit me.
I feared all my works, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender.
29 I become wicked; why [is] this? I labor [in] vain.
But if so also I am wicked, why have I laboured in vain?
30 If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified my hands with soap,
If I be washed as it were with snow waters, and my hands shall shine ever so clean:
31 Then You dip me in corruption, And my garments have detested me.
Yet thou shalt plunge me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me,
32 But if a man like myself—I answer Him, We come together into judgment.
For I shall not answer a man that is like myself: nor one that may be heard with me equally in judgment.
33 If there were a mediator between us, He places his hand on us both.
There is none that may be able to reprove both, and to put his hand between both.
34 He turns aside His rod from off me, And His terror does not make me afraid,
Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me.
35 I speak, and do not fear Him, but I am not right with myself.”
I will speak, and will not fear him: for I cannot answer while I am in fear.
