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Chapter 9

Job’s Second Reply. Then Job answered and said:

I know well that it is so;
    but how can anyone be in the right before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,[a]
    he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
    who has withstood him and remained whole?
He removes the mountains before they know it;
    he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,(A)
    and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
    he seals up the stars.
He alone stretches out the heavens(B)
    and treads upon the back of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
10 He does things great and unsearchable,
    things marvelous and innumerable.
11 Should he come near me, I do not see him;
    should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
12 Should he seize me forcibly, who can resist?
    Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
13 He is God and he does not relent;
    the helpers of Rahab[b] bow beneath him.
14 How then could I give him any answer,
    or choose out arguments against him!
15 Even though I were right, I could not answer,(C)
    but should rather beg for what was due me.
16 If I appealed to him and he answered me,
    I could not believe that he would listen to me;
17 With a storm he might overwhelm me,
    and multiply my wounds for nothing;
18 He would not allow me to draw breath,
    but might fill me with bitter griefs.
19 If it be a question of strength, he is mighty;
    or of judgment, who will call him to account?
20 Though I were right, my own mouth might condemn me;(D)
    were I innocent, it might put me in the wrong.
21 I am innocent, but I cannot know it;
    I despise my life.
22 It is all one! therefore I say:
    Both the innocent and the wicked he destroys.(E)
23 When the scourge slays suddenly,
    he scoffs at the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hands of the wicked;
    he covers the faces of its judges.
    If it is not he, who then is it?
25 My days are swifter than a runner,
    they flee away; they see no happiness;(F)
26 They shoot by like skiffs of reed,
    like an eagle swooping upon its prey.
27 If I say: I will forget my complaining,
    I will lay aside my sadness and be of good cheer,
28 Then I am in dread of all my pains;
    I know that you[c] will not hold me innocent.
29 It is I who will be accounted guilty;
    why then should I strive in vain?
30 If I should wash myself with soap
    and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 Yet you would plunge me in the ditch,
    so that my garments would abhor me.
32 For he is not a man like myself, that I should answer him,
    that we should come together in judgment.
33 Would that there were an arbiter between us,
    who could lay his hand upon us both
34     and withdraw his rod from me,
So that his terrors did not frighten me;
35     that I might speak without being afraid of him.
Since this is not the case with me,
    [d]I loathe my life.(G)

Footnotes

  1. 9:3 Job begins to explore the possibility of challenging God in a lawsuit, a theme that will recur (10:2), but he knows the odds are against him (vv. 12–20).
  2. 9:13 Rahab: another name for the primeval sea-monster; see notes on 3:8 and Ps 89:11; cf. Jb 7:12; 26:12.
  3. 9:28–31 You: refers to God.
  4. 10:1 I loathe my life: these words complete the thought of 9:35.

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)

Footnotes

  1. Job 9:9 Or of Leo
  2. Job 9:19 See Septuagint; Hebrew me.