1Then Job answered:
1And Job answered and said,
2“Yes, I know that it is so,
but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
2“Truly I know that it is so. But how can a man be righteous with God?
3If one wished to contend with God,a
he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
3If one was delighted to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has resisted Him and prospered?
4He is wise of heart and firm of strength; who has hardened himself against Him and been whole?
5He moves mountains without their knowledge
and overturns them in His anger.
5He moves the mountains, and they do not know when He overturns them in His anger.
6He shakes the earth from its place,
so that its foundations tremble.
6He shakes the earth from its place, and its pillars shudder.
7He commands the sun not to shine;a
He seals off the stars.
7He speaks to the sun, and it does not rise, and He seals up the stars,
8He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads on the waves of the sea.
8stretching out the heavens by himself, and treading upon the heights of the sea.
9He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion,
of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
9Making the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades and the chambers of the south,
10He does great things beyond searching out,
and wonders without number.
10doing great things until there is no searching out, and wonders until there is no numbering.
11Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him;
were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
11Behold, He passes by over me, and I do not see Him; and He moves past, and I do not perceive Him.
12If He takes away,a who can stop Him?
Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
12Behold, He snatches away, and who will turn Him back? Who shall say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13God does not restrain His anger;
the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
13God will not turn aside His nose—beneath Him bowed the helpers of Rahab!
14How then can I answer Him
or choose my arguments against Him?
14How then can I answer Him and choose my words with Him,
15For even if I were right, I could not answer.
I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
15whom, if I were righteous, I could not answer; to my Judge I would plead for mercy.
16If I summoned Him and He answered me,
I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
16If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He gives ear to my voice—
17For He would crush me with a tempest
and multiply my wounds without cause.
17He who crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18He does not let me catch my breath,
but overwhelms me with bitterness.
18He does not allow me to return my breath, but He fills me with bitterness.
19If it is a matter of strength,
He is indeed mighty!
If it is a matter of justice,
who can summon Him?a
19If it is of power, behold, He is mighty; and if of justice, who can summon Him?
20Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.a
20If I were righteous, my own mouth would declare me wicked; if I were blameless, then it would declare me perverse.
21Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself;
I despise my own life.
21I am blameless; I do not know my soul; I despise my life.
22It is all the same, and so I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
22It is one thing! And upon thus I say, ‘The blameless and the wicked He brings to an end.’
23When the scourge brings sudden death,
He mocks the despair of the innocent.
23If the whip kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
He blindfolds its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges—If not, then who is it?
25My days are swifter than a runner;
they flee without seeing good.
25So my days are swifter than a runner; they flee, not seeing good.
26They sweep by like boats of papyrus,
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
26They pass by with ships of papyrus, like an eagle rushing upon its food.
27If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint
and change my expression and smile,’
27If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint, let me change my face and smile,’
28I would still dread all my sufferings;
I know that You will not acquit me.
28I would fear all my sorrows, and I know that You will not clear me.
29Since I am already found guilty,
why should I labor in vain?
29I am wicked; why then should I labor in vain?
30If I should wash myself with snowa
and cleanse my hands with lye,
30If I wash myself with water of snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,
31then You would plunge me into the pit,
and even my own clothes would despise me.
31yet into the pit You will plunge me, and my own garments will abhor me.
32For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him,
that we can take each other to court.
32For He is not a man like I am, that I may answer Him, that we would come together into judgment.
33Nor is there a mediator between us,
to lay his hand upon us both.
33There is not a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon the two of us,
34Let Him remove His rod from me,
so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
34tu turn away from me His rod, and not let His terror frighten me.
35Then I would speak without fear of Him.
But as it is, I am on my own.
35I would speak and not be afraid of Him; but I am not thus with me.