Job, 9

1. Job spoke next. He said:

1. Then Job answered:

2. Indeed, I know it is as you say: how could anyone claim to be upright before God?

2. "Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be just before God?

3. Anyone trying to argue matters with him, could not give him one answer in a thousand.

3. If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.

4. Among the wisest and the hardiest, who then can successfully defy him?

4. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength -- who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded? --

5. He moves the mountains, though they do not know it; he throws them down when he is angry.

5. he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger;

6. He shakes the earth, and moves it from its place, making all its pillars tremble.

6. who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble;

7. The sun, at his command, forbears to rise, and on the stars he sets a seal.

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

8. He and no other has stretched out the heavens and trampled on the back of the Sea.

8. who alone stretched out the heavens, and trampled the waves of the sea;

9. He has made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the Mansions of the South.

9. who made the Bear and Orion, the Plei'ades and the chambers of the south;

10. The works he does are great and unfathomable, and his marvels cannot be counted.

10. who does great things beyond understanding, and marvelous things without number.

11. If he passes me, I do not see him; he slips by, imperceptible to me.

11. Lo, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.

12. If he snatches his prey, who is going to stop him or dare to ask, 'What are you doing?'

12. Behold, he snatches away; who can hinder him? Who will say to him, `What doest thou'?

13. God does not renounce his anger: beneath him, Rahab's minions still lie prostrate.

13. "God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab.

14. And here am I, proposing to defend myself and select my arguments against him!

14. How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him?

15. Even if I am upright, what point is there in answering him? I can only plead for mercy with my judge!

15. Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.

16. And if he deigned to answer my citation, I cannot believe he would listen to what I said,

16. If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.

17. he who crushes me for one hair, who, for no reason, wounds and wounds again,

17. For he crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause;

18. not even letting me regain my breath, with so much bitterness he fills me!

18. he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

19. Shall I try force? Look how strong he is! Or go to court? But who will summon him?

19. If it is a contest of strength, behold him! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?

20. If I prove myself upright, his mouth may condemn me, even if I am innocent, he may pronounce me perverse.

20. Though I am innocent, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

21. But am I innocent? I am no longer sure, and life itself I despise!

21. I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe my life.

22. It is all one, and hence I boldly say: he destroys innocent and guilty alike.

22. It is all one; therefore I say, he destroys both the blameless and the wicked.

23. When a sudden deadly scourge descends, he laughs at the plight of the innocent.

23. When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent.

24. When a country falls into the power of the wicked, he veils the faces of its judges. Or if not he, who else?

24. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges -- if it is not he, who then is it?

25. My days pass: more swiftly than a runner they flee away with never a glimpse of happiness,

25. "My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.

26. they skim past like a reed canoe, like an eagle swooping on its prey.

26. They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey.

27. If I decide to stifle my complaining, change countenance, and wear a smiling face,

27. If I say, `I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer,'

28. fear seizes me at the thought of all my woes, for I know you do not regard me as innocent.

28. I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know thou wilt not hold me innocent.

29. And if I have done wrong, why should I put myself to useless trouble?

29. I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain?

30. If I wash myself in melted snow, clean my hands with soda,

30. If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,

31. you will only plunge me into the dung, till my clothes themselves recoil from me!

31. yet thou wilt plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor me.

32. For he is not human like me: impossible for me to answer him or appear alongside him in court.

32. For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together.

33. There is no arbiter between us, to lay his hand on both,

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

34. to stay his rod from me, or keep away his daunting terrors.

34. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me.

35. Nonetheless, unafraid of him, I shall speak: since I do not see myself like that at all!

35. Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself.