Job 9
Expanded Bible
Job Answers Bildad
9 Then Job answered:
2 “·Yes [Truly], I know that this [C Zophar’s point that God punishes the wicked] is ·true [correct],
but how can anyone be ·right [righteous; vindicated] in the presence of God?
3 Someone might want to ·argue with God [take God to court],
but no one could answer God,
not one time out of a thousand.
4 ·God’s wisdom is deep [L He is wise of heart], and his power is great;
no one can ·fight [L press] him ·without getting hurt [and come out whole/unscathed].
5 He moves mountains [C an earthquake] without anyone knowing it
and turns them over when he is angry.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place
and makes its ·foundations [pillars] ·tremble [shudder].
7 He ·commands the sun not to [L speaks to the sun and it does not] shine
and ·shuts off the light of [L seals up] the stars.
8 He alone stretches out the ·skies [heavens]
and ·walks [treads] on the ·waves [L high places] of the sea.
9 It is God who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades [C well-known constellations]
and the ·groups of stars in the southern sky [L chambers of the south].
10 He does ·wonders [great things] that cannot be understood;
he does so many ·miracles [or marvelous things] they cannot be counted.
11 ·When [or If] he passes me, I cannot see him;
·when [or if] he goes by me, I do not ·recognize [perceive] him.
12 If he snatches ·something [or someone] away, no one can ·stop him [or bring them back]
or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God will not ·hold back [relent from] his anger.
Even the ·helpers [allies] of the monster Rahab [C a sea monster; Ps. 89:10] ·lie at his feet in fear [L cower under him].
14 So how can I ·argue with [L answer] God,
or even ·find words to argue [L choose words] with him?
15 Even if I were ·right [righteous], I could not answer him;
I could only ·beg God [plead], my Judge, for mercy.
16 If I ·called to [summoned] him and he answered,
I still don’t believe he would ·listen to me [L hear my voice].
17 He would crush me with a ·storm [whirlwind; 38:1]
and multiply my ·wounds [bruises] ·for no reason [without cause].
18 He would not let me ·catch [regain] my breath
but would ·overwhelm [satiate] me with ·misery [bitterness].
19 ·When [or If] it comes to ·strength [power], God is stronger than I;
·when [or if] it comes to ·justice [or judgment], no one can ·accuse [testify against] him.
20 ·Even if I were [or Though I am] ·right [righteous], my own mouth would ·say I was wrong [condemn me];
·if I were [or I am] innocent, ·my mouth would say I was [or he declares me] guilty.
21 “I am innocent,
but I don’t ·care about myself [or know for sure].
I ·hate [loathe] my own life.
22 It is all the same. That is why I say,
‘God destroys both the innocent and the ·guilty [wicked].’
23 If ·the whip [or disaster] brings sudden death,
God will ·laugh [ridicule] ·at the suffering [or the despair] of the innocent.
24 When the ·land [earth] ·falls [L is given] into the ·hands [power] of evil people,
he covers the judges’ faces so they can’t see it.
If it is not God who does this, then who is it?
25 “My days go by faster than a runner;
they ·fly away without my seeing any joy [L are swift but not good].
26 They ·glide past [pass by] like ·paper [L reed] boats.
They ·attack [or go fast] like eagles swooping down to feed.
27 ·Even though [or If] I say, ‘I will forget my ·complaint [sighs];
I will ·change the look on my face [L abandon my countenance] and ·smile [be cheerful],’
28 I still dread all my ·suffering [distress].
I know you will ·hold me guilty [L not find me innocent].
29 I have already been ·found guilty [declared wicked],
so why should I ·struggle [L exhaust myself] for no reason?
30 [L Even if] I might wash myself with ·soap [or snow]
and ·scrub [cleanse] my hands with ·strong soap [lye],
31 but you would ·push [plunge] me into a dirty pit,
and even my clothes would ·hate [abhor] me.
32 [“L For] God is not human like me, ·so I cannot [L that I could] answer him.
·We cannot meet each other in court [L …that we could go together into judgment].
33 ·I wish there were someone to make peace [L There is no umpire] between us,
·someone to decide our case [L who would set his hand on both of us].
34 Maybe he could remove ·God’s punishment [L his rod from me]
so his terror would no longer frighten me.
35 Then I could speak without being afraid [L of him],
but I am not able to do that.
约伯记 9
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
约伯的回应
9 约伯回答说：
2 “不错，我知道你所言不虚，
但人怎能在上帝面前算为义人？
3 人若想与祂辩驳，
千次也不能胜一次。
4 祂充满智慧，能力无比，
谁能抗拒祂还可平安无恙？
5 祂可猝然挪动群山，
在怒气中把山翻倒。
6 祂震动大地，使其挪位，
以致地的支柱摇撼。
7 祂一声令下，
太阳便不再升起，
众星也不再发光。
8 祂独自铺展穹苍，
步行在海浪之上。
9 祂创造了北斗星、参星、昴星及南天的星座。
10 祂行的奇事不可测度，
奇迹不可胜数。
11 祂经过我身旁，我却看不见；
祂从旁边掠过，我也无法察觉。
12 祂若夺取，谁能阻挡？
谁敢问祂，‘你做什么？’
13 上帝不会忍怒不发，
海怪[a]的帮手必屈膝在祂脚前。
14 “因此，我怎敢与祂辩驳？
怎敢措辞与祂理论？
15 我纵然无辜，也无法申诉，
只能乞求我的审判者施恩。
16 即使我呼唤祂的时候，祂回应我，
我仍不相信祂会垂听我的声音。
17 祂用暴风摧毁我，
无故地使我饱受创伤。
18 祂不肯让我喘息，
祂使我尝尽苦头。
19 若论力量，祂甚强大；
若上公堂，谁敢传祂？
20 即使我清白无辜，我的口也会认罪；
即使我纯全无过，祂也会判我有罪。
21 我虽纯全无过，也已毫不在乎，
我厌恶我的生命。
22 因为，我认为都是一样，
纯全无过的人和恶人都会被祂毁灭。
23 灾祸突然夺走人命时，
祂嘲笑无辜者的遭遇。
24 大地落入恶人手中，
蒙敝审判官眼睛的不是祂是谁？
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Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.