Job 9

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¹Then Job answered and said:

²Of a truth, I know that it is so: For how can man be just before God?

³If he choose to contend with him, He cannot answer him to one charge of a thousand.

⁴He is excellent in wisdom, mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?

⁵He removeth the mountains, and they know it not; He overturneth them in his anger.

⁶He shaketh the earth out of her place, And the pillars thereof tremble.

⁷He commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And he sealeth up the stars.

⁸He alone spreadeth out the heavens, And walketh upon the high waves of the sea.

⁹He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the secret chambers of the South.

¹⁰He doeth great things past finding out, Yea, wonderful things without number.

¹¹Lo! he goeth by me, but I see him not; He passeth along, but I do not perceive him.

¹²Lo! he seizeth, and who can hinder him? Who will say to him, What doest thou?

¹³God will not turn away his anger; The proud helpers are brought low before him.

¹⁴How much less shall I answer him, And choose out words to contend with him?

¹⁵Though I were innocent, I would not answer him; I would cast myself on the mercy of my judge.

¹⁶Should I call, and he make answer to me, I could not believe that he listened to my voice,—

¹⁷He who falleth upon me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause!

¹⁸Who will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness!

¹⁹If I look to strength, "Lo! here am I!" [saith he,] If to justice, "Who shall summon me to trial?"

²⁰Though I were upright, yet must my own mouth condemn me; Though I were innocent, He would prove me perverse.

²¹Though I were innocent, I would not care for myself; I would despise my life.

²²It is all one; therefore I will affirm, He destroyeth the righteous and the wicked alike.

²³When the scourge bringeth sudden destruction, He laugheth at the sufferings of the innocent.

²⁴The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; He covereth the face of the judges thereof; If it be not He, who is it?

²⁵My days have been swifter than a courier; They have fled away; they have seen no good.

²⁶They have gone by like the reed-skiffs; Like the eagle, darting upon his prey.

²⁷If I say, I will forget my lamentation, I will change my countenance, and take courage,

²⁸Still am I in dread of the multitude of my sorrows; For I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

²⁹I shall be found guilty; Why then should I labor in vain?

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

³¹Still wilt thou plunge me into the pit, So that my own clothes will abhor me.

³²For He is not a man, as I am, that I may contend with him, And that we may go together into judgment;

³³There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.

³⁴Let him take from me his rod, And not dismay me with his terrors,

³⁵Then I will speak, and not be afraid of him: For I am not so at heart.

Job 9

¹Then Job answered and said,

²I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

³If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

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

⁵Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

⁶Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

⁷Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

⁸Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

⁹Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

¹⁰Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

¹¹Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

¹²Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

¹³If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

¹⁴How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

¹⁵Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

¹⁶If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

¹⁷For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

¹⁸He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

¹⁹If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

²⁰If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

²¹Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

²²This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

²³If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

²⁴The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

²⁵Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

²⁶They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

²⁷If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

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

²⁹If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

³⁰If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

³¹Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

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

³³Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

³⁴Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

³⁵Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.