Job 9
1 And Job answers and says:
Then Job answered and said,
2 “Truly I have known that [it is] so, But how is man righteous with God?
I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?
3 If he delights to strive with Him—He does not answer him one of a thousand.
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.
4 Wise in heart and strong in power—Who has hardened toward Him and is at peace?
For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?
5 Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who has overturned them in His anger.
Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.
6 Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.
Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.
7 Who is commanding to the sun, and it does not rise, And the stars He seals up.
Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.
8 Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,
Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.
9 Making the Great Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the inner chambers of the south.
Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.
10 Doing great things until there is no searching, And wonderful, until there is no numbering.
Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.
11 Behold, He goes over by me, and I do not see, And He passes on, and I do not attend to it.
If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither thus have I known [it].
12 Behold, He snatches away, who brings it back? Who says to Him, What [are] You doing?
If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have you done?
13 God does not turn back His anger, Proud helpers have bowed under Him.
For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.
14 How much less do I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?
Oh then that he would listen to me, or judge my cause.
15 Whom, though I were righteous, I do not answer, For my judgment I make supplication.
For though I be righteous, he will not listen to me: I will entreat his judgment.
16 Though I had called and He answers me, I do not believe that He gives ear [to] my voice.
And if I should call and he should not listen, I can’t believe that he has listened to my voice.
17 Because He bruises me with a storm, And has multiplied my wounds for nothing.
Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.
18 He does not permit me to refresh my spirit, But fills me with bitter things.
For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.
19 If of power, behold, the Strong One; And if of judgment—who convenes me?
For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgment?
20 If I am righteous, my mouth declares me wicked; [If] I am perfect, it declares me perverse.
For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.
21 I am perfect; I do not know my soul, I despise my life.
For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.
22 It is the same thing, therefore I said, He is consuming the perfect and the wicked.
Therefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.
23 If a scourge puts to death suddenly, He laughs at the trial of the innocent.
For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.
24 Earth has been given Into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of her judges, If not—where, who [is] he?
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?
25 My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,
But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.
26 They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darts on food.
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?
27 Though I say, I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!
And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;
28 I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that You do not acquit me.
I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone [as] innocent.
29 I become wicked; why [is] this? I labor [in] vain.
But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?
30 If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified my hands with soap,
For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,
31 Then You dip me in corruption, And my garments have detested me.
you had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.
32 But if a man like myself—I answer Him, We come together into judgment.
For you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgment.
33 If there were a mediator between us, He places his hand on us both.
Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.
34 He turns aside His rod from off me, And His terror does not make me afraid,
Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
35 I speak, and do not fear Him, but I am not right with myself.”
so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].
