Job 9
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Then Job answered and said,
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I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?
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For if he would enter into judgement with him, Or, he God would not hearken to him, so that he should answer to one of his
charges of a
thousand.
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For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him
and endured?
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Who wears out the mountains, and men know it not: who overturns them in anger.
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Who shakes the earth under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.
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Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.
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Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.
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Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.
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Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.
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If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither
thus have I known it.
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If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have
you done?
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For if he has turned away his anger, the Or, probably any large fish, or marine animals, whether cetaceous or not; See note,
Ge 1:21 whales under heaven have stooped under him.
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Gr. If then he will Oh then that he would hearken to me, or judge my cause.
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For though I be righteous, he will not hearken to me: I will intreat his judgement.
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And if I should call and he should Heb. and Alex. omit «not.’ not hearken, I cannot believe that he has listened to my voice.
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Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.
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For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.
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For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgement?
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For though I should Gr. be seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall
be proved perverse.
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For even if I have sinned, I know it not in my soul: but my life is taken away.
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Wherefore I said, Anger slays the great and mighty man.
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For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.
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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?
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But my life is swifter than a post: my days i. e., insensibly have fled away, and they knew it not.
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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?
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And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;
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I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone as innocent.
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But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?
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For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,
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you Gr. have had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.
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For you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together
to judgement.
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Would that he our mediator were present, and a reprover, and one who should hear the
cause between both.
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Let him remove his rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
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so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious of guilt.