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

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