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Resposta de Jó (Caps. 9—10)

Quem se atreve a discutir com Deus?

Então em resposta Jó disse:

“Eu sei muito bem que as coisas são assim.
Mas como é que uma pessoa pode provar a Deus
que ela está com a razão?
Quem se atreve a discutir com Deus?
Ele pode fazer mil perguntas
a que ninguém é capaz de responder.
A sua sabedoria é profunda,
e o seu poder é grande;
quem pode desafiá-lo e vencer?
Sem aviso ele muda de lugar os montes
e na sua ira os destrói.
Deus manda terremotos, e o chão treme;
ele abala as colunas que sustentam a terra.
Deus dá ordem, e o sol não nasce;
ele apaga a luz das estrelas.
Deus sozinho estendeu o céu;
ele pisou sobre as costas do Mar.
Deus criou as estrelas em grupos:
a Ursa Maior, as Três-Marias e as Sete-Cabrinhas,
e fez também as estrelas do Sul.
10 Deus faz coisas grandes e maravilhosas,
e os seus milagres não têm fim.
11 Deus passa perto de mim, e eu não vejo;
ele vai andando, e eu não percebo.
12 Se Deus quer ficar com alguma coisa,
quem pode impedi-lo?
Quem se atreve a perguntar: ‘O que estás fazendo?’
13 Deus não volta atrás na sua ira;
a seus pés caem derrotados os aliados do monstro Raabe.

Sou inocente e sincero

14 “Quem sou eu, então, para responder a Deus?
Onde vou achar palavras para discutir com ele?
15 Ainda que eu tivesse razão, eu não responderia.
Ele é o meu juiz; só posso pedir misericórdia.
16 Ainda que eu o chamasse ao tribunal, e ele se apresentasse,
não acredito que ouviria o meu caso.
17 Deus me esmaga com uma tempestade
e sem motivo aumenta as minhas feridas.
18 Ele não me deixa nem respirar
e enche de amargura a minha vida.
19 Farei uso da força? Ele é o forte.
Chamarei Deus ao tribunal? E quem o obrigaria a comparecer?
20 Sou inocente e sincero,
mas as minhas palavras me condenariam
e me declarariam culpado.
21 Sou inocente, mas não me importo com isso;
estou cansado de viver.
22 Para mim, é tudo a mesma coisa;
por isso, digo que Deus destrói tanto os bons como os maus.
23 Se, de repente, uma desgraça mata pessoas inocentes,
Deus ri.
24 Deus entregou o mundo nas mãos dos maus
e cobriu os olhos dos juízes com uma venda.
E, se não foi Deus quem fez isso, então quem foi?

Deus não acredita que eu seja inocente

25 “Os meus dias correm mais depressa do que um atleta;
eles fogem sem ter visto a felicidade.
26 A minha vida passa como um barco ligeiro,
como uma águia quando se lança sobre um coelho.
27 Posso tentar esquecer as minhas queixas,
posso deixar o meu ar triste e voltar a ser alegre,
28 mas logo os meus sofrimentos me deixam apavorado,
pois sei que Deus não acredita que eu seja inocente.
29 E, se ele acha que sou culpado,
não adianta nada lutar.
30 O sabão não pode lavar os meus pecados;
o sabão mais forte não pode limpar o mal que cometi.
31 Deus me joga na lama,
e até a minha roupa tem nojo de mim.
32 Deus não é um ser humano, como eu,
e por isso não posso responder-lhe,
nem podemos resolver a nossa questão no tribunal.
33 Para nós dois não há um juiz
que possa julgar a mim e a Deus.
34 Ó Deus, para de me castigar!
Não me enchas de medo com os teus terrores!
35 Então eu falarei e não terei medo,
pois a minha consciência não me acusa.

Job: There Is No Mediator

Then Job answered and said:

“Truly I know it is so,
But how can a (A)man be (B)righteous before God?
If one wished to [a]contend with Him,
He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
(C)God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
He removes the mountains, and they do not know
When He overturns them in His anger;
He (D)shakes the earth out of its place,
And its (E)pillars tremble;
He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the stars;
(F)He alone spreads out the heavens,
And [b]treads on the [c]waves of the sea;
(G)He made [d]the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south;
10 (H)He does great things past finding out,
Yes, wonders without number.
11 (I)If He goes by me, I do not see Him;
If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;
12 (J)If He takes away, [e]who can hinder Him?
Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 God will not withdraw His anger,
(K)The allies of [f]the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

14 “How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words to reason with Him?
15 (L)For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;
I would beg mercy of my Judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17 For He crushes me with a tempest,
And multiplies my wounds (M)without cause.
18 He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong;
And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?
20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;
Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

21 “I am blameless, yet I do not know myself;
I despise my life.
22 It is all one thing;
Therefore I say, (N)‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge slays suddenly,
He laughs at the plight of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, who else could it be?

25 “Now (O)my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.
26 They pass by like [g]swift ships,
(P)Like an eagle swooping on its prey.
27 (Q)If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’
28 (R)I am afraid of all my sufferings;
I know that You (S)will not hold me innocent.
29 If I am condemned,
Why then do I labor in vain?
30 (T)If I wash myself with snow water,
And cleanse my hands with [h]soap,
31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes will [i]abhor me.

32 “For (U)He is not a man, as I am,
That I may answer Him,
And that we should go to court together.
33 (V)Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand on us both.
34 (W)Let Him take His rod away from me,
And do not let dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him,
But it is not so with me.

Footnotes

  1. Job 9:3 argue
  2. Job 9:8 walks
  3. Job 9:8 Lit. heights
  4. Job 9:9 Heb. Ash, Kesil, and Kimah
  5. Job 9:12 Lit. who can turn Him back?
  6. Job 9:13 Heb. rahab
  7. Job 9:26 Lit. ships of reeds
  8. Job 9:30 lye
  9. Job 9:31 loathe

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.