Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said,
And Job answereth and saith: —
2 “I truly know that this is so. But how can a person be in the right with God?
Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what — is man righteous with God?
3 If he wants to argue with God, he cannot answer him once in a thousand times.
If he delight to strive with Him — He doth not answer him one of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has ever hardened himself against him and succeeded?—
Wise in heart and strong in power — Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?
5 he who removes the mountains without warning anyone when he overturns them in his anger—
Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.
6 he who shakes the earth out of its place and sets its supports trembling.
Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.
7 It is the same God who tells the sun not to rise, and it does not, and who covers up the stars,
Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.
8 who by himself stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea,
Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,
9 who makes the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the south.
Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.
10 He does great and unsearchable things, and wonderful things that cannot be counted.
Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.
11 See, he goes by me, and I do not see him; he passes on also, but I do not perceive him.
Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.
12 If he takes something away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'
Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, 'What dost Thou?'
13 God will not withdraw his anger; the helpers of Rahab bow beneath him.
God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.
14 How much less could I answer him, could I choose words to reason with him?
How much less do I — I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?
15 Even if I were righteous, I could not answer him; I could only plead for mercy with my judge.
Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.
16 Even if I called and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [to] my voice.
17 For he breaks me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause.
Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.
18 He does not allow me to regain my breath; but he fills me with bitterness.
He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.
19 If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?
If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment — who doth convene me?
20 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.
If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! — it declareth me perverse.
21 I am blameless, but I do not care any more about myself; I despise my own life.
Perfect I am! — I know not my soul, I despise my life.
22 It makes no difference, which is why I say that he destroys blameless people and wicked people together.
It is the same thing, therefore I said, 'The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.'
23 When a whip suddenly kills, he mocks the despair of the innocent.
If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.
24 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?
Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not — where, who [is] he?
25 My days are swifter than a running messenger; my days flee away; they see no good anywhere.
My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,
26 They are as fast as papyrus reed boats, and as fast as the eagle that swoops down on its victim.
They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.
27 If I said that I would forget about my complaints, that I would take off my sad face and be happy,
Though I say, 'I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'
28 I would be afraid of all my sorrows because I know that you will not consider me innocent.
I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.
29 I will be condemned; why, then, should I try in vain?
I — I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.
30 If I washed myself with snow water and made my hands ever so clean,
If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,
31 God would plunge me in a ditch, and my own clothes would be disgusted with me.
Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.
32 For God is not a man, as I am, that I could answer him, that we could come together in court.
But if a man like myself — I answer him, We come together into judgment.
33 There is no judge between us who might lay his hand upon us both.
If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.
34 There is no other judge who could take God's rod off me, who could keep his terror from frightening me.
He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,
35 Then would I speak up and not fear him. But as things are now, I cannot do that.
I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.
