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Job 9-10
New American Standard Bible
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
Job 9-10
New International Version
Job 9-10
New International Version
Job
9 Then Job replied:
2 “Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(A)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,(B)
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(C)
4 His wisdom(D) is profound, his power is vast.(E)
Who has resisted(F) him and come out unscathed?(G)
5 He moves mountains(H) without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.(I)
6 He shakes the earth(J) from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.(K)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(L)
he seals off the light of the stars.(M)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(N)
and treads on the waves of the sea.(O)
9 He is the Maker(P) of the Bear[a] and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(Q)
10 He performs wonders(R) that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.(S)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(T)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(U)
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’(V)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(W)
even the cohorts of Rahab(X) cowered at his feet.
14 “How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?(Y)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(Z)
I could only plead(AA) with my Judge(AB) for mercy.(AC)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(AD)
17 He would crush me(AE) with a storm(AF)
and multiply(AG) my wounds for no reason.(AH)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.(AI)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(AJ)
And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[b]?(AK)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(AL)
21 “Although I am blameless,(AM)
I have no concern for myself;(AN)
I despise my own life.(AO)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(AP)
23 When a scourge(AQ) brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.(AR)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(AS)
he blindfolds its judges.(AT)
If it is not he, then who is it?(AU)
25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(AV)
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(AW)
26 They skim past(AX) like boats of papyrus,(AY)
like eagles swooping down on their prey.(AZ)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(BA)
I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(BB) all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.(BC)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?(BD)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(BE)
and my hands(BF) with cleansing powder,(BG)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(BH)
so that even my clothes would detest me.(BI)
32 “He is not a mere mortal(BJ) like me that I might answer him,(BK)
that we might confront each other in court.(BL)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(BM)
someone to bring us together,(BN)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(BO)
so that his terror would frighten me no more.(BP)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(BQ)
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(BR)
10 “I loathe my very life;(BS)
therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(BT)
2 I say to God:(BU) Do not declare me guilty,
but tell me what charges(BV) you have against me.(BW)
3 Does it please you to oppress me,(BX)
to spurn the work of your hands,(BY)
while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(BZ)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
Do you see as a mortal sees?(CA)
5 Are your days like those of a mortal
or your years like those of a strong man,(CB)
6 that you must search out my faults
and probe after my sin(CC)—
7 though you know that I am not guilty(CD)
and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(CE)
8 “Your hands shaped(CF) me and made me.
Will you now turn and destroy me?(CG)
9 Remember that you molded me like clay.(CH)
Will you now turn me to dust again?(CI)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
and knit me together(CJ) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(CK) and showed me kindness,(CL)
and in your providence(CM) watched over(CN) my spirit.
13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
and I know that this was in your mind:(CO)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(CP)
and would not let my offense go unpunished.(CQ)
15 If I am guilty(CR)—woe to me!(CS)
Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(CT)
for I am full of shame
and drowned in[c] my affliction.(CU)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(CV)
and again display your awesome power against me.(CW)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(CX)
and increase your anger toward me;(CY)
your forces come against me wave upon wave.(CZ)
18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(DA)
I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(DB)
19 If only I had never come into being,
or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(DC)
20 Are not my few days(DD) almost over?(DE)
Turn away from me(DF) so I can have a moment’s joy(DG)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(DH)
to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(DI)
22 to the land of deepest night,
of utter darkness(DJ) and disorder,
where even the light is like darkness.”(DK)
Job 9-10
King James Version
Job 9-10
King James Version
9 Then Job answered and said,
2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?
3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
5 Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.
6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9 Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
10 Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.
14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.
17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
19 If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
26 They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.
27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
29 If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
10 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
5 Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,
6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.
14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;
16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.
17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!
19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
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