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

< Job 9 >