Job 9

1 Then Job answered:

1 Then Job answered and said,

2 “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?

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

3 If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

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

4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?

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

5 He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.

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

6 He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.

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

7 He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.

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

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

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

9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

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

10 He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.

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

11 Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.

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

12 If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’

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

13 God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.

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

14 How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?

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

15 For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

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

16 If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.

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

17 For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.

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

18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.

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

19 If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

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

20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.

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

21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.

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

22 It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

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

23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

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

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

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

25 My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.

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

26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

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

27 If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’

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

28 I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.

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

29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?

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

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

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

31 then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.

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

32 For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.

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

33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.

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

34 Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.

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

35 Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.

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