Job 9

Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Man

1 Then Job answered,

2 "In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?

3 "If one wished to dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

4 "Wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has defied Him without harm?

5 " It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;

6 Who shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;

7 Who commands the sun not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;

8 Who alone stretches out the heavens
And tramples down the waves of the sea;

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

10 Who does great things, unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.

11 "Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

12 "Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?'

13 "God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.

14 "How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?

15 "For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

16 "If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

17 "For He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.

18 "He will not allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with bitterness.

19 "If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

20 "Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

21 "I am guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I despise my life.

22 "It is all one; therefore I say,
'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.'

23 "If the scourge kills suddenly,
He mocks the despair of the innocent.

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

25 "Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.

26 "They slip by like reed boats,
Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.

27 "Though I say, 'I will forget my complaint,
I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,'

28 I am afraid of all my pains,
I know that You will not acquit me.

29 "I am accounted wicked,
Why then should I toil in vain?

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

31 Yet You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would abhor me.

32 "For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court together.

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

34 "Let Him remove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.

35 " Then I would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.

Job 9

1 Then Job answered and said,

2 Of a truth I know that it is so: But how can man be just with God?

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

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

5  Him that removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When he overturneth them in his anger;

6 That shaketh the earth out of its place, And the pillars thereof tremble;

7 That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And sealeth up the stars;

8 That alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;

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

10 That doeth great things past finding out, Yea, marvellous things without number.

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

12 Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?

13 God will not withdraw his anger; The helpers of Rahab do stoop under him.

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

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

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

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

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

19 If we speak of strength, lo, he is mighty! And if of justice, Who, saith he, will summon me?

20 Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.

21 I am perfect; I regard not myself; I despise my life.

22 It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

23 If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the trial of the innocent.

24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof: If it be not he, who then is it?

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

26 They are passed away as the swift ships; As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.

27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer;

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

29 I shall be condemned; Why then do I labor in vain?

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

31 Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me.

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

33 There is no umpire betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both.

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

35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; For I am not so in myself.