¹ Then Job answered,

^{2 Ref} "Truly I know that it is so, But how can man be just with God?

^{3 Ref} If he is pleased to contend with him, He can't answer him one time in a thousand.

^{4 Ref} God who is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who has hardened himself against him, and prospered?

^{5 Ref} Who removes the mountains, and they don't know it, When he overturns them in his anger

^{6 Ref} Who shakes the earth out of its place; The pillars of it tremble;

^{7 Ref} Who commands the sun, and it doesn't rise, And seals up the stars;

^{8 Ref} Who alone stretches out the heavens, Treads on the waves of the sea;

^{9 Ref} Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

^{10 Ref} Who does great things past finding out, Yes, marvelous things without number.

^{11 Ref} Behold, he goes by me, and I don't see him. He passes on also, but I don't perceive him.

^{12 Ref} Behold, he snatches away; who can hinder him? Who will ask him, 'What are you doing?'

^{13 Ref} "God will not withdraw his anger; The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.

^{14 Ref} How much less shall I answer him, Choose my words to argue with him?

^{15 Ref} Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer. I would make supplication to my judge.

^{16 Ref} If I had called, and he had answered me, Yet would I not believe that he listened to my voice.

^{17 Ref} For he breaks me with a tempest, Multiplies my wounds without cause.

^{18 Ref} He will not allow me to take my breath, But fills me with bitterness.

^{19 Ref} If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, 'Who,' says he, 'will summon me?'

^{20 Ref} Though I am righteous, my own mouth shall condemn me. Though I am blameless, it shall prove me perverse.

^{21 Ref} I am blameless. I don't regard myself. I despise my life.

^{22 Ref} "It is all the same. Therefore I say, He destroys the blameless and the wicked.

^{23 Ref} If the scourge kills suddenly, He will mock at the trial of the innocent.

^{24 Ref} The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of the judges of it. If not he, then who is it?

^{25 Ref} "Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away, they see no good,

^{26 Ref} They have passed away as the swift ships, As the eagle that swoops on the prey.

^{27 Ref} If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and cheer up;'

^{28 Ref} I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that you will not hold me innocent.

^{29 Ref} I shall be condemned; Why then do I labor in vain?

^{30 Ref} If I wash myself with snow, And cleanse my hands with lye,

^{31 Ref} Yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes shall abhor me.

^{32 Ref} For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, That we should come together in judgment.

^{33 Ref} There is no umpire between us, That might lay his hand on us both.

^{34 Ref} Let him take his rod away from me, Let his terror not make me afraid:

³⁵ Then I would speak, and not fear him, For I am not so in myself.

¹ And Job made answer and said,

^{2 Ref} Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?

^{3 Ref} If a man was desiring to go to law with him, he would not be able to give him an answer to one out of a thousand questions.

^{4 Ref} He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?

^{5 Ref} It is he who takes away the mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his wrath:

^{6 Ref} Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking:

^{7 Ref} Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.

^{8 Ref} By whose hand the heavens were stretched out, and who is walking on the waves of the sea:

^{9 Ref} Who made the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades, and the store-houses of the south:

^{10 Ref} Who does great things not to be searched out; yes, wonders without number.

^{11 Ref} See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.

^{12 Ref} If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?

^{13 Ref} God's wrath may not be turned back; the helpers of Rahab were bent down under him.

^{14 Ref} How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him?

^{15 Ref} Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.

^{16 Ref} If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.

^{17 Ref} For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.

^{18 Ref} He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.

^{19 Ref} If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day?

^{20 Ref} Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.

^{21 Ref} I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.

^{22 Ref} It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together.

^{23 Ref} If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.

^{24 Ref} The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?

^{25 Ref} My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good.

^{26 Ref} They go rushing on like reed-boats, like an eagle dropping suddenly on its food.

^{27 Ref} If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright;

^{28 Ref} I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.

^{29 Ref} You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing?

^{30 Ref} If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap;

^{31 Ref} Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.

^{32 Ref} For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.

^{33 Ref} There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.

^{34 Ref} Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me:

³⁵ Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.

¹ And Job answereth and saith: --

^{2 Ref} Truly I have known that `it is' so, And what -- is man righteous with God?

^{3 Ref} If he delight to strive with Him -- He doth not answer him one of a thousand.

^{4 Ref} Wise in heart and strong in power -- Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?

^{5 Ref} Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.

^{6 Ref} Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.

^{7 Ref} Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.

^{8 Ref} Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

^{9 Ref} Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.

^{10 Ref} Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.

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

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

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

^{14 Ref} How much less do I -- I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?

^{15 Ref} Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.

^{16 Ref} Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear `to' my voice.

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

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

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

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

^{21 Ref} Perfect I am! -- I know not my soul, I despise my life.

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

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

^{24 Ref} 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 Ref} My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,

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

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

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

^{29 Ref} I -- I am become wicked; why `is' this? `In' vain I labour.

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

^{31 Ref} Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.

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

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

^{34 Ref} 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.