Job 9-10
New American Standard Bible
Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Mankind
9 Then Job responded,
2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a (A)person be in the right with God?
3 If one wished to (B)dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 (C)Wise in heart and (D)mighty in strength,
Who has [a](E)defied Him [b]without harm?
5 (F)It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know how,
When He overturns them in His anger.
6 It is He who (G)shakes the earth from its place,
And its (H)pillars tremble;
7 Who commands the (I)sun [c]not to shine,
And puts a seal on the stars;
8 Who alone (J)stretches out the heavens,
And [d](K)tramples down the waves of the sea;
9 Who makes the (L)Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the [e](M)constellations of the south.
10 It is He who (N)does great things, [f]the unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.
11 If He were to pass by me, (O)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 (P)restrain Him?
Who could say to Him, ‘(Q)What are You doing?’
13 “God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him the helpers of [g](R)Rahab cower.
14 How then can (S)I [h]answer Him,
And choose my words [i]before Him?
15 For (T)though I were right, I could not [j]answer;
I would have to (U)implore the mercy of my Judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17 For He (V)bruises me with a storm
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will (W)not allow me to get my breath,
But He saturates me with (X)bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of power, (Y)behold, He is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon [k]Him?
20 (Z)Though I am righteous, my mouth will (AA)condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
21 I am (AB)guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I (AC)reject my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He (AD)destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’
23 If the whip kills suddenly,
He (AE)mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth (AF)is handed over to the wicked;
He (AG)covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 “Now (AH)my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, (AI)they see no good.
26 They slip by like (AJ)reed boats,
Like an (AK)eagle that swoops on [l]its prey.
27 Though I say, ‘I will forget (AL)my complaint,
I will [m]put my face in order and be cheerful,’
28 I am (AM)afraid of all my pains,
I know that (AN)You will not acquit me.
29 I am (AO)guilty,
Why then should I struggle in vain?
30 If I (AP)washed myself with snow,
And cleansed (AQ)my hands with lye,
31 Then You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would loathe me.
32 For (AR)He is not a man, as I am, that (AS)I may answer Him—
That we may go to [n]court together!
33 There is no (AT)arbitrator between us,
Who can place his hand upon us both.
34 Let Him (AU)remove His rod from me,
And let not the dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I (AV)would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
Job Despairs of God’s Dealings
10 “[o](AW)I am disgusted with my own life;
I will express (AX)my complaint freely;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, ‘(AY)Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.
3 Is it [p]right for You indeed to (AZ)oppress,
To reject (BA)the work of Your hands,
And [q]to look favorably on (BB)the plan of the wicked?
4 Do You have eyes of flesh?
Or do You (BC)see as mankind sees?
5 Are Your days like the days of a mortal,
Or (BD)Your years like a man’s year,
6 That (BE)You should search for my guilt
And carefully seek my sin?
7 According to Your knowledge (BF)I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is (BG)no one to save me from Your hand.
8 ‘(BH)Your hands fashioned and made me [r]altogether,
(BI)Yet would You destroy me?
9 Remember that You have made me as (BJ)clay;
Yet would You (BK)turn me into dust again?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk,
And curdle me like cheese,
11 Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And intertwine me with bones and tendons?
12 You have (BL)granted me life and [s]goodness;
And Your care has guarded my spirit.
13 Yet You have concealed (BM)these things in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
14 If I have sinned, You will (BN)take note of me,
And (BO)will not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If (BP)I am wicked, woe to me!
But if (BQ)I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am full of shame, and [t]conscious of my misery.
16 And should my head be high, (BR)You would hunt me like a lion;
And You would show Your (BS)power against me again.
17 You renew (BT)Your witnesses against me
And increase Your anger toward me;
[u](BU)Hardship after hardship is with me.
18 ‘(BV)Why then did You bring me out of the womb?
If only I had died and no eye had seen me!
19 I should have been as though I had not been,
Brought from womb to tomb.’
20 Would He not leave (BW)my few days alone?
[v](BX)Withdraw from me so that I may have a little cheerfulness
21 Before I go—(BY)and I shall not return—
(BZ)To the land of darkness and (CA)deep shadow,
22 The land of utter gloom like darkness itself,
Of deep shadow without order,
And it shines like darkness.”
Footnotes
- Job 9:4 Lit stiffened his neck against
- Job 9:4 Lit and remained safe
- Job 9:7 Lit and it does not shine
- Job 9:8 Lit treads upon the heights of
- Job 9:9 Lit chambers
- Job 9:10 Lit until there is no searching out
- Job 9:13 I.e., a sea monster, not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2
- Job 9:14 Or plead my case
- Job 9:14 Lit with
- Job 9:15 Or plead my case
- Job 9:19 As in LXX; Heb me
- Job 9:26 Lit food
- Job 9:27 I.e., improve the look
- Job 9:32 Lit judgment
- Job 10:1 Lit My soul loathes
- Job 10:3 Lit good
- Job 10:3 Lit You shine forth
- Job 10:8 Lit together round about
- Job 10:12 See Job 1:1-2
- Job 10:15 Lit see
- Job 10:17 Lit Changes and warfare are with me
- Job 10:20 Lit Put
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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