Job 9

Job’s Reply to Bildad

9Then Job answered:

²Yes, I know what you’ve said is true,

but how can a person be justified before God? ^g

³If one wanted to take ^hHim to court,

he could not answer God ⁱonce in a thousand times. ^j

⁴God is wise ^kand all-powerful.

Who has opposed Him and come out unharmed?

⁵He removes mountains without their knowledge,

overturning them in His anger. ^l

⁶He shakes the earth from its place

so that its pillars tremble.

⁷He commands the sun not to shine

and seals off the stars. ^m

⁸He alone stretches out the heavens ⁿ

and treads on the waves of the sea. ^o

⁹He makes the stars: the Bear, ^pOrion,

the Pleiades, ^qand the constellations ^rof the southern sky.

¹⁰He does great and unsearchable things,

wonders without number. ^s

¹¹If He passes by me, I wouldn’t see Him; ^t

if He goes right by, I wouldn’t recognize Him.

¹²If He snatches something, who can stop ^uHim?

Who can ask Him, “What are You doing?” ^v

¹³God does not hold back His anger;

Rahab’s ^wassistants cringe in fear beneath Him!

¹⁴How then can I answer Him

or choose my arguments against Him?

¹⁵Even if I were in the right, I could not answer.

I could only beg my Judge for mercy. ^x

¹⁶If I summoned Him and He answered me,

I do not believe He would pay attention to what I said.

¹⁷He batters me with a whirlwind ^y

and multiplies my wounds without cause.

¹⁸He doesn’t let me catch my breath

but soaks me with bitter experiences.

¹⁹If it is a matter of strength, look, He is the Mighty One! ^z

If it is a matter of justice, who can summon ^aHim? ^b

²⁰Even if I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; ^c

if I were blameless, my mouth would declare me guilty.

²¹Though I am blameless,

I no longer care about myself;

I renounce my life. ^d

²²It is all the same. Therefore I say,

“He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.” ^e

²³When disaster brings sudden death,

He mocks the despair of the innocent.

²⁴The earth ^fis handed over to the wicked;

He blindfolds ^gits judges. ^h

If it isn’t He, then who is it?

²⁵My days fly by faster than a runner; ^ij

they flee without seeing any good. ^k

²⁶They sweep by like boats made of papyrus,

like an eagle swooping down on its prey. ^l

²⁷If I said, “I will forget my complaint,

change my expression, and smile,”

²⁸I would still live in terror of all my pains. ^m

I know You will not acquit me. ⁿ

²⁹Since I will be found guilty, ^o

why should I labor in vain?

³⁰If I wash myself with snow,

and cleanse my hands with lye,

³¹then You dip me in a pit of mud,

and my own clothes despise me!

³²For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, ^p

that we can take each other to court.

³³There is no one to judge between us,

to lay his hand on both of us.

³⁴Let Him take His rod away from me

so His terror will no longer frighten me. ^q

³⁵Then I would speak and not fear Him.

But that is not the case; I am on my own.