Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said:
Then Job answered and said,
2 Of a truth, I know that it is so: For how can man be just before God?
Of a truth I know that it is so. But how can man be just with God?
3 If he choose to contend with him, He cannot answer him to one charge of a thousand.
If he is pleased to contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
4 He is excellent in wisdom, mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him, and prospered?
5 He removeth the mountains, and they know it not; He overturneth them in his anger.
He who removes the mountains, and they do not know it when he overturns them in his anger,
6 He shaketh the earth out of her place, And the pillars thereof tremble.
who shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars of it tremble,
7 He commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And he sealeth up the stars.
who commands the sun, and it does not rise, and seals up the stars,
8 He alone spreadeth out the heavens, And walketh upon the high waves of the sea.
who alone stretches out the heavens, and treads upon the waves of the sea,
9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the secret chambers of the South.
who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south,
10 He doeth great things past finding out, Yea, wonderful things without number.
who does great things past finding out, yea, marvelous things without number.
11 Lo! he goeth by me, but I see him not; He passeth along, but I do not perceive him.
Lo, he goes by me, and I do not see him. He also passes on, but I do not perceive him.
12 Lo! he seizeth, and who can hinder him? Who will say to him, What doest thou?
Behold, he seizes; who can hinder him? Who will say to him, What are thou doing?
13 God will not turn away his anger; The proud helpers are brought low before him.
God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.
14 How much less shall I answer him, And choose out words to contend with him?
How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?
15 Though I were innocent, I would not answer him; I would cast myself on the mercy of my judge.
Whom, though I were righteous, yet I would not answer. I would make supplication to my judge.
16 Should I call, and he make answer to me, I could not believe that he listened to my voice, —
If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice.
17 He who falleth upon me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause!
For he breaks me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 Who will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness!
He will not allow me to take my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
19 If I look to strength, “Lo! here am I!” [[saith he, ]] If to justice, “Who shall summon me to trial?”
If of strength, lo, he is mighty! And if of justice, who will summon me?
20 Though I were upright, yet must my own mouth condemn me; Though I were innocent, He would prove me perverse.
Though I be righteous, my own mouth shall condemn me. Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.
21 Though I were innocent, I would not care for myself; I would despise my life.
Though I were perfect, I do not regard myself. I despise my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I will affirm, He destroyeth the righteous and the wicked alike.
It is all one thing. Therefore I say, He destroys the perfect and the wicked.
23 When the scourge bringeth sudden destruction, He laugheth at the sufferings of the innocent.
If the scourge kills suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; He covereth the face of the judges thereof; If it be not He, who is it?
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of the judges of it. If not he, who then is it?
25 My days have been swifter than a courier; They have fled away; they have seen no good.
Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away. They see no good,
26 They have gone by like the reed-skiffs; Like the eagle, darting upon his prey.
They are passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.
27 If I say, I will forget my lamentation, I will change my countenance, and take courage,
If I say, I will forget my complaint. I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer,
28 Still am I in dread of the multitude of my sorrows; For I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that thou will not hold me innocent.
29 I shall be found guilty; Why then should I labor in vain?
I shall be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?
30 If I wash myself in snow, And cleanse my hands with lye,
If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands ever so clean,
31 Still wilt thou plunge me into the pit, So that my own clothes will abhor me.
yet thou will plunge me in the ditch, and my own clothes shall abhor me.
32 For He is not a man, as I am, that I may contend with him, And that we may go together into judgment;
For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.
33 There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.
There is no umpire between us who might lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him take from me his rod, And not dismay me with his terrors,
Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his terror make me afraid.
35 Then I will speak, and not be afraid of him: For I am not so at heart.
Then I would speak, and not be afraid of him, for I am not so in myself.
