Job 9
1 Then responded Job, and said—
Then Job answered:
2 Of a truth, I know that so it is, But how can a mortal be just with GOD?
“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
3 If he choose to contend with him, he cannot answer him, one of a thousand:
If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4 Wise in heart, and alert in vigour, What man hath hardened himself against him, and prospered!
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
5 Who removeth mountains, unawares, Who overturneth them in his anger;
He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
6 Who shaketh the earth, out of its place, and, the pillars thereof, shudder;
He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
7 Who commandeth the sun, and it breaketh not forth, and, about the stars, he putteth a seal;
He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
8 Who spreadeth out fire heavens, by himself alone! and marcheth along, on the heights of the sea;
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
9 Who made the Bear, the Giant and the Cluster, and the chambers of the south;
He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
10 Who doeth great things, past finding out, and marvels, beyond number.
He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
11 Lo! he cometh upon me, yet can I not see him, Yea he passeth on, yet can I not discern him.
Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
12 Lo! he snatcheth away, who can bring it back? Who shall say unto him, What wouldst thou do?
If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 As for GOD, if he withdraw not his anger, under him, will have submitted themselves—the proud helpers.
God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
14 How much less that, I, should answer him, should choose my words with him?
How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, to be absolved, I would make supplication.
For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
16 Though I had called, and he had answered me, I could not believe, that he would lend an ear to my voice.
If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
17 For, with a tempest, would he fall upon me, and would multiply my wounds without need;
For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
18 He would not suffer me to recover my breath, for he would surfeit me with bitter things.
He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
19 If it regardeth vigour, bold is he! If justice, who could summon him?
If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
20 If I should justify myself, mine own mouth, would condemn me, —I blameless? then had it shewn me perverse.
Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
21 I blameless? I should not know my own soul, I should despise my own life!
Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
22 One thing, there is, for which cause, I have said it, The blameless and the lawless, he bringeth to an end.
It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If, a scourge, slay suddenly, at the despair of innocent ones, he mocketh.
When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth, hath been given into the hand of a lawless one, The faces of her judges, he covereth, If not, then who is it?
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
25 My days, therefore, are swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have seen no good.
My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
26 They have passed away with boats of paper-reed, like a vulture [which] rusheth upon food.
They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will lay aside my sad countenance, and brighten up,
If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
28 I am afraid of all my pains, I know, that thou wilt not pronounce me innocent.
I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
29 I, shall be held guilty, —Wherefore then, in vain, should I toil?
Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
30 Though I bathe myself in snow water, and cleanse, in cleanness itself, my hands,
If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 Then, in a ditch, wouldst thou plunge me, and mine own clothes should abhor me:
then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
32 For he is not a man like myself, whom I might answer, nor could we come together into judgment:
For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
33 There is not, between us, a mediator, who might lay his hand upon us both.
Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him take from off me his rod, and, his terror, let it not startle me:
Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
35 I could speak, and not be afraid of him, although, not so, am, I, in myself!
Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
