Job 9
Job Answers Bildad
1 Then Job answered:
2 “Yes, I know that this is true, but how can anyone be right in the presence of God?
3 Someone might want to argue with God, but no one could answer God, not one time out of a thousand.
4 God’s wisdom is deep, and his power is great; no one can fight him without getting hurt.
5 God moves mountains without anyone knowing it and turns them over when he is angry.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place and makes its foundations tremble.
7 He commands the sun not to shine and shuts off the light of the stars.
8 He alone stretches out the skies and walks on the waves of the sea.
9 It is God who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades
10 He does wonders that cannot be understood; he does so many miracles they cannot be counted.
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by me, I do not recognize him.
12 If he snatches something away, no one can stop him or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God will not hold back his anger. Even the helpers of the monster Rahab lie at his feet in fear.
14 So how can I argue with God, or even find words to argue with him?
15 Even if I were right, I could not answer him; I could only beg God, my Judge, for mercy.
16 If I called to him and he answered, I still don’t believe he would listen to me.
17 He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason.
18 He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.
19 When it comes to strength, God is stronger than I; when it comes to justice, no one can accuse him.
20 Even if I were right, my own mouth would say I was wrong; if I were innocent, my mouth would say I was guilty.
21 “I am innocent, but I don’t care about myself. I hate my own life.
22 It is all the same. That is why I say, ‘God destroys both the innocent and the guilty.’
23 If the whip brings sudden death, God will laugh at the suffering of the innocent.
24 When the land falls into the hands of evil people, he covers the judges’ faces so they can’t see it. If it is not God who does this, then who is it?
25 “My days go by faster than a runner; they fly away without my seeing any joy.
26 They glide past like paper boats. They attack like eagles swooping down to feed.
27 Even though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint; I will change the look on my face and smile,’
28 I still dread all my suffering. I know you will hold me guilty.
29 I have already been found guilty, so why should I struggle for no reason?
30 I might wash myself with soap and scrub my hands with strong soap,
31 but you would push me into a dirty pit, and even my clothes would hate me.
32 “God is not human like me, so I cannot answer him. We cannot meet each other in court.
33 I wish there were someone to make peace between us, someone to decide our case.
34 Maybe he could remove God’s punishment so his terror would no longer frighten me.
35 Then I could speak without being afraid, but I am not able to do that.
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