Job 9

Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Man

1Then Job answered and said,

2“Yes, I know it is true. But how can a mortal man be right before God?

3If one should want to contend or dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

4God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?

5It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it, When He overturns them in His anger;

6Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

7Who commands the sun, and it does not shine; Who seals up the stars [from view];

8Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

9Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the [vast starry] spaces of the south;

10Who does great things, [beyond understanding,] unfathomable, Yes, marvelous and wondrous things without number.

11Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him; He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him.

12Behold, He snatches away; who can restrain or turn Him back? Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

13“God will not turn back His anger; The [proud] helpers of Rahab [the arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him.

14How can I answer Him [and plead my case], Choosing my words [to reason] with Him?

15For though I were righteous, I could not answer. I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge.

16If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

17For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause.

18He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills and saturates me with bitterness.

19If it is a matter of strength and power, behold, He is mighty! And if of justice, who can summon and challenge Him?

20Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty; Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty.

21[Though] I am blameless, I do not care about myself; I despise my life.

22It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.’

23When [His] scourge kills suddenly, He mocks at the despair of the innocent.

24The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice]. If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?

25“Now my days are swifter than a runner; They vanish, they see no good.

26They pass by like the [swift] boats made of reeds, Like an eagle that swoops down on its prey.

27If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad appearance, and be cheerful and brighten up,’

28I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come]; I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.

29I am accounted wicked and held guilty; Why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]?

30If I were to wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye,

31You would still plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would hate me [and refuse to cover my foul body].

32For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him, That we may go to court and judgment together.

33There is no arbitrator between us, Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were].

34Let Him take His rod away from me, And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.

35Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.