Job 9
English Standard Version
Job Replies: There Is No Arbiter
9 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Truly I know that it is so:
But how can a man be (A)in the right before God?
3 If one wished to (B)contend with him,
one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
4 He is (C)wise in heart and mighty in strength
—who has (D)hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—
5 he who removes mountains, and they know it not,
when he overturns them in his anger,
6 who (E)shakes the earth out of its place,
and (F)its pillars tremble;
7 who commands the sun, and it does not rise;
who seals up the stars;
8 who alone (G)stretched out the heavens
and trampled the waves of the sea;
9 who (H)made (I)the Bear and (J)Orion,
the Pleiades (K)and the chambers of the south;
10 who does (L)great things beyond searching out,
and marvelous things beyond number.
11 Behold, he passes by me, and I (M)see him not;
he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
12 Behold, he snatches away; (N)who can turn him back?
(O)Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 “God will not turn back his anger;
beneath him bowed the helpers of (P)Rahab.
14 (Q)How then can I (R)answer him,
choosing my words with him?
15 (S)Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him;
I must (T)appeal for mercy to my accuser.[a]
16 If I summoned him 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 (U)without cause;
18 he will not let me get my breath,
but fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a contest of (V)strength, behold, he is mighty!
If it is a matter of justice, who can (W)summon him?[b]
20 Though I am in the right, (X)my own mouth would condemn me;
though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
21 I am (Y)blameless; I regard not myself;
I (Z)loathe my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He (AA)destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 When (AB)disaster brings sudden death,
he mocks at the calamity[c] of the innocent.
24 (AC)The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
he (AD)covers the faces of its judges—
(AE)if it is not he, who then is it?
25 “My (AF)days are swifter than (AG)a runner;
they flee away; they see no good.
26 They go by like (AH)skiffs of reed,
like (AI)an eagle swooping on the prey.
27 If I say, (AJ)‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face, and (AK)be of good cheer,’
28 I become (AL)afraid of all my suffering,
for I know you will not (AM)hold me innocent.
29 I shall be (AN)condemned;
why then do I labor in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow
and (AO)cleanse my hands with lye,
31 yet you will plunge me into a pit,
and my own clothes will (AP)abhor me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
that we should (AQ)come to trial together.
33 (AR)There is no[d] arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both.
34 (AS)Let him take his (AT)rod away from me,
and let (AU)not dread of him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak without fear of him,
for I am not so in myself.
Job 9
International Standard Version
Job Cannot Argue with His Creator
9 This was Job’s response:
2 “Indeed, I’m fully aware that this is so,
but how can a person become right with God?
3 If one were to seek to argue with him,
he won’t be able to answer him even once in a thousand times.
4 He is wise in heart and strong in will—
who can be stubborn against him and succeed?
5 “He removes mountains without their knowledge,
overthrowing them in his anger.
6 He shakes the earth from its orbit,[a]
so that its foundations shudder.
7 He commands the sun so that it doesn’t shine[b]
and seals up the stars.
8 He alone spreads out the heavens,
he walks on the waves[c] of the sea.
9 He created Bear, Orion, the Pleiades,
and the southern constellations.
10 He does great things that cannot be explained,
and awesome deeds that cannot be counted.
11 “If he were to pass near me, I wouldn’t notice;
if he moves by, I wouldn’t perceive him.
12 Indeed, if he snatches someone[d] away,
who could restrain him?
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 “God doesn’t restrain his anger.
Rahab’s assistants are humiliated under him.
14 So how am I to answer him,
choosing what I am to say to him?
15 Even if I’m in the right,
I cannot answer him.
I can only appeal for mercy.
16 “Were I to be summoned, and he were to answer me,
I wouldn’t even believe
that he was listening to what I have to say.[e]
17 For he crushes me with a storm,
and keeps on wounding me for no reason.
18 He won’t let me catch my breath;
instead, he fills me with bitterness.
19 “Is this a contest of strength? He is obviously stronger!
Is this a matter of justice? Who can sue him?
20 Though I’m in the right, my own mouth will condemn me;
though I’m blameless, he’ll pronounce me as guilty.
21 “I’m blameless;
I don’t know myself;
I despise my life.
22 I say it’s all the same—
he destroys both the blameless and the guilty.[f]
23 If a calamity[g] causes sudden death,
he’ll mock at the despair of the innocent.
24 A land is given into the hands of a wicked person;[h]
he covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not God,[i] then who is it?”
Job Argues that God Won’t Acquit Him
25 “My days pass faster than a runner;
but they pass quickly without seeing anything good.
26 They pass by like a ship made of reeds,
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 If I were to say, ‘Let me forget my complaint,’
change[j] the expression on[k] my face, and look cheerful,
28 then I still dread all of my suffering;
I know you still won’t acquit me.
29 I will be condemned,
so why should I wear myself out with this futility?
30 “If I wash myself with water from snow,
and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 you’ll still drop me into the Pit,[l]
and my own clothes will despise me.
32 He’s not a man like me,
so that I can answer him,
or that we can enter into litigation[m] with one another.
33 There is not yet a mediator between us,
who would set his hand on the two of us,
34 removing his rod from me,
and not letting terror of him overwhelm me.
35 Otherwise, I would speak without being terrified of him,
because I’m not like that inside myself.”
Footnotes
- Job 9:6 Lit. place
- Job 9:7 Lit. rise
- Job 9:8 Lit. high places
- Job 9:12 The Heb. lacks someone
- Job 9:16 Lit. to my voice
- Job 9:22 Or wicked
- Job 9:23 Or scourge
- Job 9:24 Lit. man
- Job 9:24 Lit. he
- Job 9:27 Lit. forsake
- Job 9:27 The Heb. lacks the expression on
- Job 9:31 I.e. the place of punishment in the afterlife
- Job 9:32 Lit. controversy
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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