Job 9

¹And Job made answer and said,

²Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?

³If 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.

⁴He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?

⁵It is he who takes away the mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his wrath:

⁶Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking:

⁷Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.

⁸By whose hand the heavens were stretched out, and who is walking on the waves of the sea:

⁹Who made the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades, and the store-houses of the south:

¹⁰Who does great things not to be searched out; yes, wonders without number.

¹¹See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.

¹²If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?

¹³God's wrath may not be turned back; the helpers of Rahab were bent down under him.

¹⁴How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him?

¹⁵Even 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.

¹⁶If 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.

¹⁷For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.

¹⁸He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.

¹⁹If 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?

²⁰Though 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.

²¹I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.

²²It 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.

²³If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.

²⁴The 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?

²⁵My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good.

²⁶They go rushing on like reed-boats, like an eagle dropping suddenly on its food.

²⁷If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright;

²⁸I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.

²⁹You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing?

³⁰If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap;

³¹Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.

³²For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.

³³There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.

³⁴Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me:

³⁵Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.

Job 9

¹Then Job answered,

²"Truly I know that it is so, but how can man be just with God?

³If he is pleased to contend with him, he can't answer him one time in a thousand.

⁴God who is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who has hardened himself against him, and prospered?

⁵He removes the mountains, and they do not know it, when he overturns them in his anger.

⁶He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.

⁷He commands the sun, and it doesn't rise, and seals up the stars.

⁸He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.

⁹He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

¹⁰He does great things past finding out; yes, marvelous things without number.

¹¹Behold, he goes by me, and I do not see him. He passes on also, but I do not perceive him.

¹²Behold, he snatches away. Who can hinder him? Who will ask him, 'What are you doing?'

¹³"God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.

¹⁴How much less shall I answer him, And choose my words to argue with him?

¹⁵Though I were righteous, yet I wouldn't answer him. I would make supplication to my judge.

¹⁶If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I wouldn't believe that he listened to my voice.

¹⁷For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause.

¹⁸He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

¹⁹If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, 'Who,' says he, 'will summon me?'

²⁰Though I am righteous, my own mouth shall condemn me. Though I am blameless, it shall prove me perverse.

²¹I am blameless. I do not regard myself. I despise my life.

²²"It is all the same. Therefore I say he destroys the blameless and the wicked.

²³If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.

²⁴The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If not he, then who is it?

²⁵"Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away, they see no good,

²⁶They have passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.

²⁷If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and cheer up;'

²⁸I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that you will not hold me innocent.

²⁹I shall be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?

³⁰If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,

³¹yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes shall abhor me.

³²For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.

³³There is no umpire between us, that might lay his hand on us both.

³⁴Let him take his rod away from me. Let his terror not make me afraid;

³⁵then I would speak, and not fear him, for I am not so in myself.