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
New American Standard Bible
Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Mankind
9 Then Job responded,
2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a (A)person be in the right with God?
3 If one wished to (B)dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 (C)Wise in heart and (D)mighty in strength,
Who has [a](E)defied Him [b]without harm?
5 (F)It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know how,
When He overturns them in His anger.
6 It is He who (G)shakes the earth from its place,
And its (H)pillars tremble;
7 Who commands the (I)sun [c]not to shine,
And puts a seal on the stars;
8 Who alone (J)stretches out the heavens,
And [d](K)tramples down the waves of the sea;
9 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.
14 How then can (S)I [h]answer Him,
And choose my words [i]before Him?
15 For (T)though I were right, I could not [j]answer;
I would have to (U)implore the mercy of my Judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17 For He (V)bruises me with a storm
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will (W)not allow me to get my breath,
But He saturates me with (X)bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of power, (Y)behold, He is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon [k]Him?
20 (Z)Though I am righteous, my mouth will (AA)condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
21 I am (AB)guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I (AC)reject my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He (AD)destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’
23 If the whip kills suddenly,
He (AE)mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth (AF)is handed over to the wicked;
He (AG)covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 “Now (AH)my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, (AI)they see no good.
26 They slip by like (AJ)reed boats,
Like an (AK)eagle that swoops on [l]its prey.
27 Though I say, ‘I will forget (AL)my complaint,
I will [m]put my face in order and be cheerful,’
28 I am (AM)afraid of all my pains,
I know that (AN)You will not acquit me.
29 I am (AO)guilty,
Why then should I struggle in vain?
30 If I (AP)washed myself with snow,
And cleansed (AQ)my hands with lye,
31 Then You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would loathe me.
32 For (AR)He is not a man, as I am, that (AS)I may answer Him—
That we may go to [n]court together!
33 There is no (AT)arbitrator between us,
Who can place his hand upon us both.
34 Let Him (AU)remove His rod from me,
And let not the dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I (AV)would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
Footnotes
- Job 9:4 Lit stiffened his neck against
- Job 9:4 Lit and remained safe
- Job 9:7 Lit and it does not shine
- Job 9:8 Lit treads upon the heights of
- Job 9:9 Lit chambers
- Job 9:10 Lit until there is no searching out
- Job 9:13 I.e., a sea monster, not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2
- Job 9:14 Or plead my case
- Job 9:14 Lit with
- Job 9:15 Or plead my case
- Job 9:19 As in LXX; Heb me
- Job 9:26 Lit food
- Job 9:27 I.e., improve the look
- Job 9:32 Lit judgment
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
