Job 9
1 Et respondens Iob, ait:
And Job made answer and said,
2 Vere scio quod ita sit, et quod non iustificetur homo compositus Deo.
Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?
3 Si voluerit contendere cum eo, non poterit ei respondere unum pro mille.
If a man was desiring to go to law with him, he would not be able to give him an answer to one out of a thousand questions.
4 Sapiens corde est, et fortis robore: quis restitit ei, et pacem habuit?
He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?
5 Qui transtulit montes, et nescierunt hi quos subvertit in furore suo.
It is he who takes away the mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his wrath:
6 Qui commovet terram de loco suo, et columnae eius concutiuntur.
Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking:
7 Qui praecipit Soli, et non oritur: et stellas claudit quasi sub signaculo:
Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.
8 Qui extendit caelos solus, et graditur super fluctus maris.
By whose hand the heavens were stretched out, and who is walking on the waves of the sea:
9 Qui facit Arcturum, et Oriona, et Hyadas, et interiora austri.
Who made the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades, and the store-houses of the south:
10 Qui facit magna, et incomprehensibilia, et mirabilia, quorum non est numerus.
Who does great things not to be searched out; yes, wonders without number.
11 Si venerit ad me, non videbo eum: si abierit, non intelligam.
See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.
12 Si repente interroget, quis respondebit ei? vel quis dicere potest: Cur ita facis?
If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?
13 Deus, cuius irae nemo resistere potest, et sub quo curvantur qui portant orbem.
God's wrath may not be turned back; the helpers of Rahab were bent down under him.
14 Quantus ergo sum ego, ut respondeam ei, et loquar verbis meis cum eo?
How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him?
15 Qui etiam si habuero quippiam iustum, non respondebo, sed meum iudicem deprecabor.
Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.
16 Et cum invocantem exaudierit me, non credo quod audierit vocem meam.
If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.
17 In turbine enim conteret me, et multiplicabit vulnera mea etiam sine causa.
For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.
18 Non concedit requiescere spiritum meum, et implet me amaritudinibus.
He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.
19 Si fortitudo quaeritur, robustissimus est: si aequitas iudicii, nemo audet pro me testimonium dicere.
If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day?
20 Si iustificare me voluero, os meum condemnabit me: si innocentem ostendero, pravum me comprobabit.
Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.
21 Etiam si simplex fuero, hoc ipsum ignorabit anima mea, et taedebit me vitae meae.
I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.
22 Unum est quod locutus sum, et innocentem et impium ipse consumit.
It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together.
23 Si flagellat, occidat semel, et non de poenis innocentum rideat.
If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.
24 Terra data est in manus impii, vultum iudicum eius operit: quod si non ille est, quis ergo est?
The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?
25 Dies mei velociores fuerunt cursore: fugerunt, et non viderunt bonum.
My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good.
26 Pertransierunt quasi naves poma portantes, sicut aquila volans ad escam.
They go rushing on like reed-boats, like an eagle dropping suddenly on its food.
27 Cum dixero: Nequaquam ita loquar: commuto faciem meam, et dolore torqueor.
If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright;
28 Verebar omnia opera mea, sciens quod non parceres delinquenti.
I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.
29 Si autem et sic impius sum, quare frustra laboravi?
You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing?
30 Si lotus fuero quasi aquis nivis, et fulserint velut mundissimae manus meae:
If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap;
31 Tamen sordibus intinges me, et abominabuntur me vestimenta mea.
Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.
32 Neque enim viro qui similis mei est, respondebo: nec qui mecum in iudicio ex aequo possit audiri.
For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.
33 Non est qui utrumque valeat arguere, et ponere manum suam in ambobus.
There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.
34 Auferat a me virgam suam, et pavor eius non me terreat.
Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me:
35 Loquar, et non timebo eum: neque enim possum metuens respondere.
Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.
