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?
Of a truth I know that it is so; and how can man be just with God?
3 If he delight to strive with Him — He doth not answer him one of a thousand.
If one should desire to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one of a thousand.
4 Wise in heart and strong in power — Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered?
5 Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.
Who removeth the mountains, and they know it not, when He overturneth them in His anger.
6 Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.
Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.
Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
8 Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,
Who alone stretcheth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9 Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.
Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
10 Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.
Who doeth great things past finding out; yea, marvellous things without number.
11 Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.
Lo, He goeth by me, and I see Him not. He passeth on also, but I perceive Him not.
12 Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, 'What dost Thou?'
Behold, He snatcheth away, who can hinder Him? Who will say unto Him: 'What doest Thou?'
13 God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.
God will not withdraw His anger; the helpers of Rahab did stoop under Him.
14 How much less do I — I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?
How much less shall I answer Him, and choose out my arguments with Him?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.
Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to Him that contendeth with me.
16 Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [to] my voice.
If I had called, and He had answered me; yet would I not believe that He would hearken unto my voice —
17 Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.
He that would break me with a tempest, and multiply my wounds without cause;
18 He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.
That would not suffer me to take my breath, but fill me with bitterness.
19 If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment — who doth convene me?
If it be a matter of strength, lo, He is mighty! and if of justice, who will appoint me a time?
20 If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! — it declareth me perverse.
Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me; though I be innocent, He shall prove me perverse.
21 Perfect I am! — I know not my soul, I despise my life.
I am innocent — I regard not myself, I despise my life.
22 It is the same thing, therefore I said, 'The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.'
It is all one — therefore I say: He destroyeth the innocent and the wicked.
23 If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.
If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the calamity of the guiltless.
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?
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if it be not He, who then is it?
25 My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,
Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.
26 They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.
They are passed away as the swift ships; as the vulture that swoopeth on the prey.
27 Though I say, 'I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'
If I say: 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer',
28 I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.
I am afraid of all my pains, I know that Thou wilt not hold me guiltless.
29 I — I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.
I shall be condemned; why then do I labour in vain?
30 If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,
If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
31 Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.
Yet wilt Thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
32 But if a man like myself — I answer him, We come together into judgment.
For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in judgment.
33 If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.
There is no arbiter betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
34 He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,
Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His terror make me afraid;
35 I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.
Then would I speak, and not fear Him; for I am not so with myself.
