Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Mankind

Then Job responded,

“In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a (A)person be in the right with God?
If one wished to (B)dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
(C)Wise in heart and (D)mighty in strength,
Who has [a](E)defied Him [b]without harm?
(F)It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know how,
When He overturns them in His anger.
It is He who (G)shakes the earth from its place,
And its (H)pillars tremble;
Who commands the (I)sun [c]not to shine,
And puts a seal on the stars;
Who alone (J)stretches out the heavens,
And [d](K)tramples down the waves of the sea;
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.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 9:4 Lit stiffened his neck against
  2. Job 9:4 Lit and remained safe
  3. Job 9:7 Lit and it does not shine
  4. Job 9:8 Lit treads upon the heights of
  5. Job 9:9 Lit chambers
  6. Job 9:10 Lit until there is no searching out
  7. Job 9:13 I.e., a sea monster, not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2

Job’s Third Speech: A Response to Bildad

Then Job spoke again:

“Yes, I know all this is true in principle.
    But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?
If someone wanted to take God to court,[a]
    would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?
For God is so wise and so mighty.
    Who has ever challenged him successfully?

“Without warning, he moves the mountains,
    overturning them in his anger.
He shakes the earth from its place,
    and its foundations tremble.
If he commands it, the sun won’t rise
    and the stars won’t shine.
He alone has spread out the heavens
    and marches on the waves of the sea.
He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.
10 He does great things too marvelous to understand.
    He performs countless miracles.

11 “Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him.
    When he moves by, I do not see him go.
12 If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him?
    Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’
13 And God does not restrain his anger.
    Even the monsters of the sea[b] are crushed beneath his feet.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:3 Or If God wanted to take someone to court.
  2. 9:13 Hebrew the helpers of Rahab, the name of a mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature.