9:1 Then Job answered and said,
9:2 I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just
before the Lord?
9:3 For if he would enter into judgment with him, [God] would not hearken to
him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.
9:4 For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself
against him and endured?
9:5 Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them
in anger.
9:6 Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its
pillars totter.
9:7 Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.
9:8 Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm
ground.
9:9 Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the
south.
9:10 Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent
things, innumerable.
9:11 If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass
by me, neither thus have I known [it].
9:12 If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to
him, What hast thou done?
9:13 For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have
stooped under him.
9:14 Oh then that he would hearken to me, or judge my cause.
9:15 For though I be righteous, he will not hearken to me: I will intreat
his judgment.
9:16 And if I should call and he should not hearken, I cannot believe that
he has listened to my voice.
9:17 Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many
without cause.
9:18 For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with
bitterness.
9:19 For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgment?
9:20 For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and
though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.
9:21 For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is
taken away.
9:22 Wherefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.
9:23 For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.
9:24 For they are delivered into the hands of the unrighteous [man]: he
covers the faces of the judges [of the earth]: but if it be not he, who is
it?
9:25 But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they
knew it not.
9:26 Or again, is there a trace of [their] path [left] by ships? or is there
one of the flying eagle as it seeks [its] prey?
9:27 And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face
and groan;
9:28 I quake in all my limbs, for I know that thou wilt not leave me alone
[as] innocent.
9:29 But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?
9:30 For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure
hands,
9:31 thou hadst thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred
me.
9:32 For thou art not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might
come together to judgment.
9:33 Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one
who should hear [the cause] between both.
9:34 Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
9:35 so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious
[of guilt]. |
9:1 Then Job answered and said,
9:2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?
9:3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
9:4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself
against him, and hath prospered?
9:5 Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them
in his anger.
9:6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof
tremble.
9:7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
9:8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of
the sea.
9:9 Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the
south.
9:10 Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without
number.
9:11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I
perceive him not.
9:12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What
doest thou?
9:13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under
him.
9:14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason
with him?
9:15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make
supplication to my judge.
9:16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that
he had hearkened unto my voice.
9:17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without
cause.
9:18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with
bitterness.
9:19 If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall
set me a time to plead?
9:20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am
perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
9:21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my
life.
9:22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and
the wicked.
9:23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the
innocent.
9:24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces
of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
9:25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
9:26 They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to
the prey.
9:27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness,
and comfort myself:
9:28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me
innocent.
9:29 If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?
9:30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
9:31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor
me.
9:32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should
come together in judgment.
9:33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon
us both.
9:34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
9:35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me. |