Job 9

Chapter 9

¹And Job answered and said, ²Of a truth I know it is so; but how can man be just with •God? 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:

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.