Job 9

Tree of Life Version

² “Truly I know it is so,
    but how can one be righteous before God?^[a]
3 If anyone wished to contend with Him,
    he could not answer Him once in a thousand.
⁴ He is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has resisted Him and come out whole?

⁵ “He who moves mountains,
    yet they do not know it,
    who overthrows them in His anger;
⁶ who shakes the earth from its place
    until its pillars tremble;
⁷ who speaks to the sun so it does not rise,
    and seals up the stars;
⁸ He alone spreads out the heavens,
    and treads on the waves of the sea;
⁹ He makes the Bear, Orion and Pleiades,
    and the constellations of the south;
¹⁰ He does great and unfathomable things,
    wonders beyond number.
¹¹ If He were to pass by me,
    I would not see Him!
Were He to move past me,
    I would not perceive Him.
¹² If He were to snatch away,
    who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him,
    ‘What are You doing?’

¹³ “God does not restrain His anger;
    under Him the helpers of Rahab cower.
¹⁴ How then can I answer Him
    or choose my words with Him?
¹⁵ Even if I were right, I would not answer;
    I would implore the mercy of my Judge.
¹⁶ Even if I called and He answered me,
    I would not believe that He would listen to my voice.
¹⁷ He who crushes me with a storm
    and multiplies my wounds for no reason.
¹⁸ He does not allow me to catch my breath,
    but fills me with bitterness.
¹⁹ If it is a question of strength—
    certainly, He is the mighty One!
If it is a matter of justice—
    who will summon me?
²⁰ Even if I were innocent,
    my mouth would condemn me.
If I were guiltless,
    it will declare me perverse.

²¹ “I am guiltless.
I have no concern for myself.
I despise my life.
²² It is all the same, therefore I say,
    ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
²³ If a scourge smites suddenly,
    He mocks the despair of the innocent.
²⁴ If the land falls into the hand of the wicked
    He blindfolds the faces of its judges.
    If it is not He, then who is it?

²⁵ “My days are swifter than a runner;
    they flee away without seeing goodness.
²⁶ They slip by like reed boats,
    like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
²⁷ If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
    I will put off my sad face and be cheerful,’
²⁸ I still dread all my pains,
    for I know You will not find me innocent.
²⁹ If I am condemned—
    why should I struggle in vain?
³⁰ If I wash myself with melted snow
    and cleanse my hands with lye,
³¹ then You would plunge me into a pit
    and my own clothes would detest me.
³² For He is not a human being, like I am,
    that I could answer Him,
    that we could go to court together.
³³ There is no arbitrator between us,
    who could lay his hand on us both;
³⁴ who could remove His rod from me,
    so that His terror would not frighten me.
³⁵ Then I would speak and not fear Him
    —except it is not so with me.”