Job 9
Job Continues
1-13 How Can Mere Mortals Get Right with God? Job continued by saying: "So what's new? I know all this. The question is, 'How can mere mortals get right with God?' If we wanted to bring our case before him, what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand! God's wisdom is so deep, God's power so immense, who could take him on and come out in one piece? He moves mountains before they know what's happened, flips them on their heads on a whim. He gives the earth a good shaking up, rocks it down to its very foundations. He tells the sun, 'Don't shine,' and it doesn't; he pulls the blinds on the stars. All by himself he stretches out the heavens and strides on the waves of the sea. He designed the Big Dipper and Orion, the Pleiades and Alpha Centauri. We'll never comprehend all the great things he does; his miracle-surprises can't be counted. Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don't see him; quietly but surely he's active, and I miss it. If he steals you blind, who can stop him? Who's going to say, 'Hey, what are you doing?' God doesn't hold back on his anger; even dragon-bred monsters cringe before him.
14-20 "So how could I ever argue with him, construct a defense that would influence God? Even though I'm innocent I could never prove it; I can only throw myself on the Judge's mercy. If I called on God and he himself answered me, then, and only then, would I believe that he'd heard me. As it is, he knocks me about from pillar to post, beating me up, black-and-blue, for no good reason. He won't even let me catch my breath, piles bitterness upon bitterness. If it's a question of who's stronger, he wins, hands down! If it's a question of justice, who'll serve him the subpoena? Even though innocent, anything I say incriminates me; blameless as I am, my defense just makes me sound worse.
If God's Not Responsible, Who Is?
21-24 "Believe me, I'm blameless. I don't understand what's going on. I hate my life! Since either way it ends up the same, I can only conclude that God destroys the good right along with the bad. When calamity hits and brings sudden death, he folds his arms, aloof from the despair of the innocent. He lets the wicked take over running the world, he installs judges who can't tell right from wrong. If he's not responsible, who is?
25-31 "My time is short—what's left of my life races off too fast for me to even glimpse the good. My life is going fast, like a ship under full sail, like an eagle plummeting to its prey. Even if I say, 'I'll put all this behind me, I'll look on the bright side and force a smile,' All these troubles would still be like grit in my gut since it's clear you're not going to let up. The verdict has already been handed down—'Guilty!'— so what's the use of protests or appeals? Even if I scrub myself all over and wash myself with the strongest soap I can find, It wouldn't last—you'd push me into a pigpen, or worse, so nobody could stand me for the stink.
32-35 "God and I are not equals; I can't bring a case against him. We'll never enter a courtroom as peers. How I wish we had an arbitrator to step in and let me get on with life— To break God's death grip on me, to free me from this terror so I could breathe again. Then I'd speak up and state my case boldly. As things stand, there is no way I can do it."
Job 9
Job’s Reply to Bildad
1 Then Job answered:
2 “Truly,t I know that this is so.
But hows can a humant be just beforet God?s
3 If someone wishest to contendt with him,
he cannot answert him one time in a thousand.
4 He is wise in heartts and mightys in strengtht –
who has resistedt him and remained safe?t
5 He who removes mountains suddenly,t
who overturns them in his anger;s
6 he who shakes the earth out of its places
so that its pillars tremble;t
7 he who commands the sun andt it does not shinets
and seals upt the stars;
8 he alone spreads out the heavens,
and treadst on the waves of the sea;t
9 he makes the Bear,s Orion,s and the Pleiades,s
and the constellations of the southern sky;t
10 he does great and unsearchable things,ts
and wonderful things without number.
11 Ift he passes by me, I cannot seet him,t
if he goes by, I cannot perceive him.s
12 If he snatches away,t who can turn him back?t
Who dares to say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God does not restrain his anger;s
under him the helpers of Rahabs lie crushed.t
The Impossibility of Facing God in Court
14 “How much less,t then, can I answer himt
and choose my wordss to arguet witht him!t
15 Althought I am innocent,t
I could not answer him;t
I could only pleadt with my judget for mercy.
16 If I summoned him, and he answered me,s
I would not believet
that he would be listening to my voice –
17 he whot crushest me with a tempest,
and multiplies my wounds for no reason.t
18 He does not allowt me to recovert my breath,
for he fillss me with bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of strength,t
most certainlyt he is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice,
he will say, ‘Who will summon me?’ts
20 Although I am innocent,t
my moutht would condemn me;t
although I am blameless,
it would declare me perverse.t
21 I am blameless.t I do not know myself.ts
I despise my life.
Accusation of God’s Justice
22 “It is all one!ss That is why I say,t
‘He destroys the blameless and the guilty.’
23 If a scourge brings sudden death,ss
he mockss at the despairt of the innocent.s
24 If a landt has been given
into the hand of a wicked man,s
he coverst the faces of its judges;s
if it is not he, then who is it?t
Renewed Complaint
25 “My dayst are swifter than a runner,s
they speed by without seeing happiness.
26 They glide byt like reedt boats,
like an eagle that swoopst down on its prey.t
27 If I say,t ‘I willt forget my complaint,
I will change my expressiont and be cheerful,’t
28 I dreadt all my sufferings,s
fort I know that you do not hold me blameless.s
29 If I am guilty,t
why thent weary myselft in vain?t
30 If I wash myself with snow water,t
and make my hands clean with lye,t
31 then you plunge me into a slimy pitt
and my own clothes abhor me.
32 For het is not a human being like I am,
thatt I might answer him,
that we might comet together in judgment.
33 Nor is there an arbiterts between us,
whot might layt his hand on us both,s
34 whot would take hist rods away from me
so that his terrort would not make me afraid.
35 Thent would I speak and not fear him,
but it is not so with me.t