Job 9

1 And Job answereth and saith: —

Then Job answered and said,

2 Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what — is man righteous 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 delight to strive with Him — He doth not answer him one of a thousand.

For if he would enter into judgment with him, [God] would not hearken to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.

4 Wise in heart and strong in power — Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?

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

5 Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.

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

6 Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.

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

7 Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.

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

8 Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

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

9 Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.

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

10 Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.

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

11 Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.

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 snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, 'What dost Thou?'

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

13 God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.

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

14 How much less do I — I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?

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

15 Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.

For though I be righteous, he will not hearken to me: I will intreat his judgment.

16 Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [to] my voice.

And if I should call and he should not hearken, I cannot believe that he has listened to my voice.

17 Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.

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

18 He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.

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

19 If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment — who doth convene me?

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

20 If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! — it declareth 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 Perfect I am! — I know not my soul, I despise my life.

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

22 It is the same thing, therefore I said, 'The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.'

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

23 If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.

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

24 Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not — where, who [is] he?

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 have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,

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

26 They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on 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 Though I say, 'I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'

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

28 I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.

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

29 I — I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.

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

30 If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,

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

31 Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.

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

32 But if a man like myself — I answer him, We come together into judgment.

For thou art not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgment.

33 If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.

Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.

34 He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,

Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

35 I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.

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