Job 9

Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Man

1 Then Job ^{▼▼ Lit answered and said}answered, 2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a ^bman be in the right ^{▼▼ Lit with}before God?
3 “If one wished to ^ddispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 ^e“Wise in heart and ^fmighty in strength,
Who has ^{▼▼ Lit stiffened his neck against
,} ^hdefied Him ^{▼▼ Lit and remained safe}without harm?
5 ^j“It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 Who ^kshakes the earth out of its place,
And its ^lpillars tremble;
7 Who commands the ^msun ^{▼▼ Lit and it does not shine}not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;
8 Who alone ^ostretches out the heavens
And ^{▼▼ Lit treads upon the heights of
,} ^qtramples down the waves of the sea;
9 Who makes the ^rBear, Orion and the Pleiades,
And the ^schambers of the south;
10 Who ^tdoes great things, ^{▼▼ Lit until there is no searching out}unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.
11 “Were He to pass by me, ^vI would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
12 “Were He to snatch away, who could ^wrestrain Him?
Who could say to Him, ‘ ^xWhat are You doing?’

13 “God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of ^yRahab.
14 “How then can ^zI ^{▼▼ Or plead my case}answer Him,
And choose my words ^{▼▼ Lit with}before Him?
15 “For ^acthough I were right, I could not ^{▼▼ Or plead my case}answer;
I would have to ^aeimplore the mercy of my judge.
16 “If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17 “For He ^afbruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 “He will ^agnot allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with ^ahbitterness.
19 “If it is a matter of power, ^aibehold, He is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon ^{▼▼ So with Gr; Heb me}Him?
20 ^ak“Though I am righteous, my mouth will ^alcondemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
21 “I am ^amguiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I ^andespise my life.
22 “It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He ^aodestroys the guiltless and the wicked.’
23 “If the scourge kills suddenly,
He ^apmocks the despair of the innocent.
24 “The earth ^aqis given into the hand of the wicked;
He ^arcovers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?

25 “Now ^asmy days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, ^atthey see no good.
26 “They slip by like ^aureed boats,
Like an ^aveagle that swoops on ^{▼▼ Lit food}its prey.
27 “Though I say, ‘I will forget ^axmy complaint,
I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,’
28 I am ^ayafraid of all my pains,
I know that ^azYou will not acquit me.
29 “I am accounted ^bawicked,
Why then should I toil in vain?
30 “If I should ^bbwash myself with snow
And cleanse ^bcmy hands with lye,
31 Yet You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would abhor me.
32 “For ^bd He is not a man as I am that ^beI may answer Him,
That we may go to ^{▼▼ Lit judgment}court together.
33 “There is no ^bgumpire between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
34 “Let Him ^bhremove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.
35 “Then I ^biwould speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.