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Chapter 9 |
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1 | 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? |
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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. |
