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And Job answereth and saith: --

Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what -- is man righteous with God?

If he delight to strive with Him -- He doth not answer him one of a thousand.

Wise in heart and strong in power -- Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?

Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.

Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.

Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.

Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.

10 Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.

11 Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.

12 Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, `What dost Thou?'

13 God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.

14 How much less do I -- I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?

15 Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.

16 Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [to] my voice.

17 Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.

18 He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.

19 If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment -- who doth convene me?

20 If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! -- it declareth me perverse.

21 Perfect I am! -- I know not my soul, I despise my life.

22 It is the same thing, therefore I said, `The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.'

23 If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.

24 Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not -- where, who [is] he?

25 My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,

26 They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.

27 Though I say, `I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'

28 I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.

29 I -- I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.

30 If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,

31 Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.

32 But if a man like myself -- I answer him, We come together into judgment.

33 If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.

34 He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,

35 I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.

10 My soul hath been weary of my life, I leave off my talking to myself, I speak in the bitterness of my soul.

I say unto God, `Do not condemn me, Let me know why Thou dost strive [with] me.

Is it good for Thee that Thou dost oppress? That Thou despisest the labour of Thy hands, And on the counsel of the wicked hast shone?

Eyes of flesh hast Thou? As man seeth -- seest Thou?

As the days of man [are] Thy days? Thy years as the days of a man?

That Thou inquirest for mine iniquity, And for my sin seekest?

For Thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is no deliverer from Thy hand.

Thy hands have taken pains about me, And they make me together round about, And Thou swallowest me up!

Remember, I pray Thee, That as clay Thou hast made me, And unto dust Thou dost bring me back.

10 Dost Thou not as milk pour me out? And as cheese curdle me?

11 Skin and flesh Thou dost put on me, And with bones and sinews dost fence me.

12 Life and kindness Thou hast done with me. And Thy inspection hath preserved my spirit.

13 And these Thou hast laid up in Thy heart, I have known that this [is] with Thee.

14 If I sinned, then Thou hast observed me, And from mine iniquity dost not acquit me,

15 If I have done wickedly -- wo to me, And righteously -- I lift not up my head, Full of shame -- then see my affliction,

16 And it riseth -- as a lion Thou huntest me. And Thou turnest back -- Thou shewest Thyself wonderful in me.

17 Thou renewest Thy witnesses against me, And dost multiply Thine anger with me, Changes and warfare [are] with me.

18 And why from the womb Hast Thou brought me forth? I expire, and the eye doth not see me.

19 As I had not been, I am, From the belly to the grave I am brought,

20 Are not my days few? Cease then, and put from me, And I brighten up a little,

21 Before I go, and return not, Unto a land of darkness and death-shade,

22 A land of obscurity as thick darkness, Death-shade -- and no order, And the shining [is] as thick darkness.'

Job

Then Job replied:

“Indeed, I know that this is true.
    But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(A)
Though they wished to dispute with him,(B)
    they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(C)
His wisdom(D) is profound, his power is vast.(E)
    Who has resisted(F) him and come out unscathed?(G)
He moves mountains(H) without their knowing it
    and overturns them in his anger.(I)
He shakes the earth(J) from its place
    and makes its pillars tremble.(K)
He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(L)
    he seals off the light of the stars.(M)
He alone stretches out the heavens(N)
    and treads on the waves of the sea.(O)
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)
I say to God:(BU) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges(BV) you have against me.(BW)
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)
Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?(CA)
Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,(CB)
that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin(CC)
though you know that I am not guilty(CD)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(CE)

“Your hands shaped(CF) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?(CG)
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)

Footnotes

  1. Job 9:9 Or of Leo
  2. Job 9:19 See Septuagint; Hebrew me.
  3. Job 10:15 Or and aware of