Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said:
Then answered Job, and said,
2 Of a truth, I know that it is so: For how can man be just before God?
Truly I know that it is so: and how could a mortal be righteous before God?
3 If he choose to contend with him, He cannot answer him to one charge of a thousand.
If he were desirous to enter into a contest with him, he could not give him one answer out of a thousand.
4 He is excellent in wisdom, mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?
He is wise of heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and escaped unscathed?
5 He removeth the mountains, and they know it not; He overturneth them in his anger.
[He it is] who removeth mountains, and they know it not, yea, when he overturneth them in his anger;
6 He shaketh the earth out of her place, And the pillars thereof tremble.
Who shaketh the earth loose out of her place, that her pillars tremble;
7 He commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And he sealeth up the stars.
Who speaketh to the sun, and he shineth not, and around the stars he placeth a seal;
8 He alone spreadeth out the heavens, And walketh upon the high waves of the sea.
Who spread out the heavens by himself alone, and treadeth upon the hillocks of the sea;
9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the secret chambers of the South.
Who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers the south;
10 He doeth great things past finding out, Yea, wonderful things without number.
Who doth great things which are quite unsearchable, and wonders which are quite without number.
11 Lo! he goeth by me, but I see him not; He passeth along, but I do not perceive him.
Lo, were he to go past by me, I should not see him; and were he to pass along, I should not perceive him.
12 Lo! he seizeth, and who can hinder him? Who will say to him, What doest thou?
Behold, were he to snatch aught away, who could hold him back? who would say unto him, What dost thou?
13 God will not turn away his anger; The proud helpers are brought low before him.
God will not withdraw his anger: beneath him sink down the helpers of the proud.
14 How much less shall I answer him, And choose out words to contend with him?
How much less then could I answer him, and select my words [to contend] with him?
15 Though I were innocent, I would not answer him; I would cast myself on the mercy of my judge.
Whom, were I even righteous, I could not answer? to him that condemneth me I could [only] make supplication.
16 Should I call, and he make answer to me, I could not believe that he listened to my voice, —
Or were I to call, and he would answer me, I could yet not believe that he would give ear unto my voice—
17 He who falleth upon me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause!
He that bruiseth me with [his] tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without a cause.
18 Who will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness!
He suffereth me not to recover my breath; but feedeth me overmuch with bitter things.
19 If I look to strength, “Lo! here am I!” [[saith he, ]] If to justice, “Who shall summon me to trial?”
If it regard strength, lo, he is the powerful; and if justice, who will cite him for me to appear?
20 Though I were upright, yet must my own mouth condemn me; Though I were innocent, He would prove me perverse.
If I were righteous even, my own mouth would condemn me: were I innocent, it would still prove me perverse.
21 Though I were innocent, I would not care for myself; I would despise my life.
I am innocent; I will not have regard for myself: I will despise my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I will affirm, He destroyeth the righteous and the wicked alike.
One thing is [certain], therefore have I said it, The innocent and the wicked he bringeth to their end.
23 When the scourge bringeth sudden destruction, He laugheth at the sufferings of the innocent.
If a scourge should slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the guiltless.
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?
Is a land given up into the hand of the wicked? he covereth the faces of its judges: if this be not the truth, who is it then?
25 My days have been swifter than a courier; They have fled away; they have seen no good.
And my days pass swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no happiness,
26 They have gone by like the reed-skiffs; Like the eagle, darting upon his prey.
They hasten along like pirate ships: like the eagle that stoopeth down upon his food.
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 leave off my sorrowful countenance, and recover my cheerfulness:
28 Still am I in dread of the multitude of my sorrows; For I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
O then would I be in dread of all my pains; I know that thou wilt not declare me innocent.
29 I shall be found guilty; Why then should I labor in vain?
I must ever be guilty: why then should I fatigue myself for nought?
30 If I wash myself in snow, And cleanse my hands with lye,
If I were to wash myself in snow-water, to cleanse myself in the purity of my hands:
31 Still wilt thou plunge me into the pit, So that my own clothes will abhor me.
Even then wouldst thou plunge me in the ditch, that my own clothes would render me abhorred.
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, like me, that I could answer him, that we should enter together into a contest.
33 There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.
There is no one who can decide between us, who could lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him take from me his rod, And not dismay me with his terrors,
Let him but remove from me his rod, and let not his dread terrify me:
35 Then I will speak, and not be afraid of him: For I am not so at heart.
Then would I speak, and not fear him; for the like I feel not within me.
