Job 9

1. And Job answered and said,

2. “Truly I know it is so, but how can man be just with God?

3. If he desired to argue with Him, he cannot answer Him one time out of a thousand times.

4. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and has prospered;

5. He Who removes the mountains, and they know it not when He overturns them in His anger;

6. He Who shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars of it tremble;

7. He commands the sun, and it does not rise; and seals up the stars;

8. He alone stretches out the heavens, and walks on the waves of the sea;

9. Who made the Bear, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;

10. Who is doing great things past finding out; yea, marvelous things without number?

11. Behold! He goes by me, and I do not see Him; He passes on also, but I do not perceive Him.

12. Behold, He takes away; who can turn Him back? Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

13. God will not withdraw His anger; the helpers of the proud are bowed beneath Him.

14. How much less shall I answer Him, and choose my words to reason with Him?

15. Whom, though I were righteous, yet I could not answer; I would make supplication to My Judge.

16. If I had called and He had answered me, yet I would not believe that He had listened to my voice;

17. For He breaks me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause;

18. He will not allow me to take my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

19. If I speak of strength, lo, He is mighty! And if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

20. If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me; though I am blameless, He shall declare me perverse.

21. Though I were blameless, yet I would not know myself. I would despise my life.

22. It is all one; therefore I said, ‘He is consuming the blameless and the wicked.’

23. If the scourge kills suddenly, He will mock at the calamity 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 have passed away like the swift ships; like the eagle who swoops on the prey.

27. If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will depart from my heaviness and be of good cheer,’

28. I am afraid of all my sorrows; I know that You will not hold me innocent.

29. I am guilty; why then should I labor in vain?

30. If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands ever so clean,

31. Yet You will plunge me into the ditch and my own clothes shall despise me.

32. For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in court;

33. There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand upon us both.

34. Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His fear make me afraid;

35. Then would I speak and not fear Him; but it is not so with me.”