Job 9

¹And Job answering, said:

²Indeed I know it is so, and that man is not justified compared with God.

³If he will content with him, he cannot answer him one for a thousand.

⁴He is wise of heart, and strong of force: who hath resisted him, and hath had peace?

⁵He that transported mountains, and they whom he subverted in his fury, knew not.

⁶He that removeth the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof are shaken.

⁷He that commandeth the sun, and it riseth not: and shutteth up the stars as it were under a seal:

⁸He that alone spreadeth the heaven, & goeth upon the waves of the sea.

⁹He that maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the inner parts of the south.

¹⁰He that doth great things and incomprehensible, and marvelous, of the which there is no number.

¹¹If he come to me, I shall not see him: if he depart, I shall not understand.

¹²If suddenly he ask, who shall answer him? Or who can say: Why doest thou so?

¹³God whose wrath no man can resist, and under whom they stoop that carry the world.

¹⁴How great am I then, that I may answer him, and speak in my words with him?

¹⁵Who although I have any just thing, will not answer, but will beseech my judge.

¹⁶And when he shall hear me invocating, I do not believe that he hath heard my voice.

¹⁷For in a hurlwind shall he break me, and shall multiply my wounds yea without cause.

¹⁸He granteth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness.

¹⁹If strength be demanded, he is most strong: if equity of judgment, no man dare give testimony for me.

²⁰If I will justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I will shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked.

²¹Although I shall be simple, the self-same shall my soul be ignorant of, and I shall be weary of my life,

²²One thing there is that I have spoken, both the innocent and the impious he consumeth.

²³If he scourge, let him kill at once, and not laugh at the pains of innocents.

²⁴The earth is given into the hands of the impious, he covereth the face of the judges thereof: and if it be not he, who is it then?

²⁵My days have been swifter than a post: they have fled and have not seen good.

²⁶They have passed by as ships carrying fruits, as an eagle flying to meat.

²⁷When I shall say: I will not speak so, I change my face, & am tormented with sorrow.

²⁸I feared all my works, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender.

²⁹But if so also I am impious, why have I laboured in vain?

³⁰If I be washed as it were with snow-waters, & my hands shall shine as most clean:

³¹Yet shall thou dip me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me.

³²For neither I will answer a man that is like myself: nor that may be heard with me equally in judgment.

³³There is none that may be able to reprove both, and to put his hand between both.

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

³⁵I will speak, and will not fear him: for I cannot answer fearing.