Job 9

1 Then responded Job, and said—

Then Job answered and said,

2 Of a truth, I know that so it is, But how can a mortal be just 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 choose to contend with him, he cannot answer him, one of a thousand:

For if he would enter into judgement 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 alert in vigour, What man hath hardened himself against him, and prospered!

For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?

5 Who removeth mountains, unawares, Who overturneth them in his anger;

Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.

6 Who shaketh the earth, out of its place, and, the pillars thereof, shudder;

Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.

7 Who commandeth the sun, and it breaketh not forth, and, about the stars, he putteth a seal;

Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.

8 Who spreadeth out fire heavens, by himself alone! and marcheth along, on the heights of the sea;

Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.

9 Who made the Bear, the Giant and the Cluster, and the chambers of the south;

Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.

10 Who doeth great things, past finding out, and marvels, beyond number.

Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.

11 Lo! he cometh upon me, yet can I not see him, Yea he passeth on, yet can I not discern him.

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 Lo! he snatcheth away, who can bring it back? Who shall say unto him, What wouldst thou do?

If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have you done?

13 As for GOD, if he withdraw not his anger, under him, will have submitted themselves—the proud helpers.

For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.

14 How much less that, I, should answer him, should choose my words with him?

Oh then that he would listen to me, or judge my cause.

15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, to be absolved, I would make supplication.

For though I be righteous, he will not listen to me: I will entreat his judgement.

16 Though I had called, and he had answered me, I could not believe, that he would lend an 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 For, with a tempest, would he fall upon me, and would multiply my wounds without need;

Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.

18 He would not suffer me to recover my breath, for he would surfeit me with bitter things.

For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.

19 If it regardeth vigour, bold is he! If justice, who could summon him?

For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgement?

20 If I should justify myself, mine own mouth, would condemn me, —I blameless? then had it shewn 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 blameless? I should not know my own soul, I should despise my own life!

For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.

22 One thing, there is, for which cause, I have said it, The blameless and the lawless, he bringeth to an end.

Therefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.

23 If, a scourge, slay suddenly, at the despair of innocent ones, he mocketh.

For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.

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?

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, therefore, are swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have seen no good.

But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.

26 They have passed away with boats of paper-reed, like a vulture [which] rusheth upon 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 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will lay aside my sad countenance, and brighten up,

And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;

28 I am afraid of all my pains, I know, that thou wilt not pronounce me innocent.

I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone [as] innocent.

29 I, shall be held guilty, —Wherefore then, in vain, should I toil?

But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?

30 Though I bathe myself in snow water, and cleanse, in cleanness itself, my hands,

For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,

31 Then, in a ditch, wouldst thou plunge me, and mine own clothes should abhor me:

you had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.

32 For he is not a man like myself, whom I might answer, nor could we come together into judgment:

For you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgement.

33 There is not, between us, a mediator, who might lay his hand upon us both.

Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between 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, and let not his fear terrify me:

35 I could speak, and not be afraid of him, although, not so, am, I, in myself!

so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].