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And Job answereth and saith: --

Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what -- is man righteous with God?

If he delight to strive with Him -- He doth not answer him one of a thousand.

Wise in heart and strong in power -- Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?

Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.

Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.

Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.

Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.

10 Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.

11 Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.

12 Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, `What dost Thou?'

13 God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.

14 How much less do I -- I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?

15 Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.

16 Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [to] my voice.

17 Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.

18 He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.

19 If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment -- who doth convene me?

20 If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! -- it declareth me perverse.

21 Perfect I am! -- I know not my soul, I despise my life.

22 It is the same thing, therefore I said, `The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.'

23 If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.

24 Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not -- where, who [is] he?

25 My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,

26 They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.

27 Though I say, `I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'

28 I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.

29 I -- I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.

30 If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,

31 Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.

32 But if a man like myself -- I answer him, We come together into judgment.

33 If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.

34 He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,

35 I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.

Job

Then Job replied:

“Indeed, I know that this is true.
    But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(A)
Though they wished to dispute with him,(B)
    they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(C)
His wisdom(D) is profound, his power is vast.(E)
    Who has resisted(F) him and come out unscathed?(G)
He moves mountains(H) without their knowing it
    and overturns them in his anger.(I)
He shakes the earth(J) from its place
    and makes its pillars tremble.(K)
He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(L)
    he seals off the light of the stars.(M)
He alone stretches out the heavens(N)
    and treads on the waves of the sea.(O)
He is the Maker(P) of the Bear[a] and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(Q)
10 He performs wonders(R) that cannot be fathomed,
    miracles that cannot be counted.(S)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
    when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(T)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(U)
    Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’(V)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(W)
    even the cohorts of Rahab(X) cowered at his feet.

14 “How then can I dispute with him?
    How can I find words to argue with him?(Y)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(Z)
    I could only plead(AA) with my Judge(AB) for mercy.(AC)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
    I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(AD)
17 He would crush me(AE) with a storm(AF)
    and multiply(AG) my wounds for no reason.(AH)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
    but would overwhelm me with misery.(AI)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(AJ)
    And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[b]?(AK)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
    if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(AL)

21 “Although I am blameless,(AM)
    I have no concern for myself;(AN)
    I despise my own life.(AO)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
    ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(AP)
23 When a scourge(AQ) brings sudden death,
    he mocks the despair of the innocent.(AR)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(AS)
    he blindfolds its judges.(AT)
    If it is not he, then who is it?(AU)

25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(AV)
    they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(AW)
26 They skim past(AX) like boats of papyrus,(AY)
    like eagles swooping down on their prey.(AZ)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(BA)
    I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(BB) all my sufferings,
    for I know you will not hold me innocent.(BC)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
    why should I struggle in vain?(BD)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(BE)
    and my hands(BF) with cleansing powder,(BG)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(BH)
    so that even my clothes would detest me.(BI)

32 “He is not a mere mortal(BJ) like me that I might answer him,(BK)
    that we might confront each other in court.(BL)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(BM)
    someone to bring us together,(BN)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(BO)
    so that his terror would frighten me no more.(BP)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(BQ)
    but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(BR)

Footnotes

  1. Job 9:9 Or of Leo
  2. Job 9:19 See Septuagint; Hebrew me.