Job 9

¹And Job answered and said,

²Of a truth I know it is so; but how can man be just with ·God[#Hebrew: El]

³If he shall choose to strive with him, he cannot answer him one thing of a thousand.

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

⁵Who removeth mountains, and they know it not, when he overturneth them in his anger;

⁶Who shaketh the earth out of its place, and the pillars thereof tremble;

⁷Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and he sealeth up the stars;

⁸Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the high waves of the sea;

⁹Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;

¹⁰Who doeth great things past finding out, and wonders without number.

¹¹Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not; and he passeth along, and I perceive him not.

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

¹³+God withdraweth not his anger; the proud helpers stoop under him:[#Hebrew: Eloah]

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

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

¹⁶If I had called, and he had answered me, I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice, —

¹⁷He, who crusheth me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

¹⁸He suffereth me not to take my breath, for he filleth me with bitternesses.

¹⁹Be it a question of strength, lo, he is strong; and be it of judgment, who will set me a time?

²⁰If I justified myself, mine own mouth would condemn me; were I perfect, he would prove me perverse.

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

²²It is all one; therefore I said, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

²³If the scourge kill suddenly, he mocketh at the trial of the innocent.

²⁴The earth is given over into the hand of the wicked man ; he covereth the faces of its judges. If not, who then is it?

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

²⁶They pass by like skiffs of reed; as an eagle that swoops upon the prey.

²⁷If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance, and brighten up,

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

²⁹Be it that I am wicked, why then do I labour in vain?

³⁰If I washed myself with snow-water, and cleansed my hands in purity,

³¹Then wouldest thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes would 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 not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.

³⁴Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his terror make me afraid,

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