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 truly know that this is so. But how can a person be in the right with God?
3 If he delights to strive with Him—He does not answer him one of a thousand.
If he wants to argue with God, he cannot answer him once in a thousand times.
4 Wise in heart and strong in power—Who has hardened toward Him and is at peace?
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has ever hardened himself against him and succeeded?—
5 Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who has overturned them in His anger.
he who removes the mountains without warning anyone when he overturns them in his anger—
6 Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.
he who shakes the earth out of its place and sets its supports trembling.
7 Who is commanding to the sun, and it does not rise, And the stars He seals up.
It is the same God who tells the sun not to rise, and it does not, and who covers up the stars,
8 Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,
who by himself stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea,
9 Making the Great Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the inner chambers of the south.
who makes the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the south.
10 Doing great things until there is no searching, And wonderful, until there is no numbering.
He does great and unsearchable things, and wonderful things that cannot be counted.
11 Behold, He goes over by me, and I do not see, And He passes on, and I do not attend to it.
See, he goes by me, and I do not see him; he passes on also, but I do not perceive him.
12 Behold, He snatches away, who brings it back? Who says to Him, What [are] You doing?
If he takes something away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'
13 God does not turn back His anger, Proud helpers have bowed under Him.
God will not withdraw his anger; the helpers of Rahab bow beneath him.
14 How much less do I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?
How much less could I answer him, could I choose words to reason with him?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, I do not answer, For my judgment I make supplication.
Even if I were righteous, I could not answer him; I could only plead for mercy with my judge.
16 Though I had called and He answers me, I do not believe that He gives ear [to] my voice.
Even if I called and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
17 Because He bruises me with a storm, And has multiplied my wounds for nothing.
For he breaks me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He does not permit me to refresh my spirit, But fills me with bitter things.
He does not allow me to regain my breath; but he fills me with bitterness.
19 If of power, behold, the Strong One; And if of judgment—who convenes me?
If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?
20 If I am righteous, my mouth declares me wicked; [If] I am perfect, it declares me perverse.
Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; and though I am blameless, my words would prove me to be guilty.
21 I am perfect; I do not know my soul, I despise my life.
I am blameless, but I do not care any more about myself; I despise my own life.
22 It is the same thing, therefore I said, He is consuming the perfect and the wicked.
It makes no difference, which is why I say that he destroys blameless people and wicked people together.
23 If a scourge puts to death suddenly, He laughs at the trial of the innocent.
When a whip suddenly kills, he mocks the despair 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 wicked people; God covers the faces of its judges. If it is not he who does it, then who is it?
25 My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,
My days are swifter than a running messenger; my days flee away; they see no good anywhere.
26 They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darts on food.
They are as fast as papyrus reed boats, and as fast as the eagle that swoops down on its victim.
27 Though I say, I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!
If I said that I would forget about my complaints, that I would take off my sad face and be happy,
28 I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that You do not acquit me.
I would be afraid of all my sorrows because I know that you will not consider me innocent.
29 I become wicked; why [is] this? I labor [in] vain.
I will be condemned; why, then, should I try in vain?
30 If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified my hands with soap,
If I washed myself with snow water and made my hands ever so clean,
31 Then You dip me in corruption, And my garments have detested me.
God would plunge me in a ditch, and my own clothes would be disgusted with me.
32 But if a man like myself—I answer Him, We come together into judgment.
For God is not a man, as I am, that I could answer him, that we could come together in court.
33 If there were a mediator between us, He places his hand on us both.
There is no judge between us who might lay his hand upon us both.
34 He turns aside His rod from off me, And His terror does not make me afraid,
There is no other judge who could take God's rod off me, who could keep his terror from frightening me.
35 I speak, and do not fear Him, but I am not right with myself.”
Then would I speak up and not fear him. But as things are now, I cannot do that.
