Job 9:24-11:15

English Standard Version

²⁴^(A)The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
he ^(B)covers the faces of its judges—
^(C)if it is not he, who then is it?

²⁵“My ^(D)days are swifter than ^(E)a runner;
    they flee away; they see no good.
²⁶They go by like ^(F)skiffs of reed,
    like ^(G)an eagle swooping on the prey.
²⁷If I say, ^(H)‘I will forget my complaint,
    I will put off my sad face, and ^(I)be of good cheer,’
²⁸I become ^(J)afraid of all my suffering,
    for I know you will not ^(K)hold me innocent.
²⁹I shall be ^(L)condemned;
    why then do I labor in vain?
³⁰If I wash myself with snow
    and ^(M)cleanse my hands with lye,
³¹yet you will plunge me into a pit,
    and my own clothes will ^(N)abhor me.
³²For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
    that we should ^(O)come to trial together.
³³^(P)There is no^[a] arbiter between us,
    who might lay his hand on us both.
³⁴^(Q)Let him take his ^(R)rod away from me,
    and let ^(S)not dread of him terrify me.
³⁵Then I would speak without fear of him,
    for I am not so in myself.

Job Continues: A Plea to God

10 “I ^(T)loathe my life;
I will give free utterance to my ^(U)complaint;
    I will speak in ^(V)the bitterness of my soul.
²I will say to God, Do not ^(W)condemn me;
    let me know why you ^(X)contend against me.
³^(Y)Does it seem good to you to oppress,
    to despise ^(Z)the work of your hands
    ^(AA)and favor the designs of the wicked?
⁴Have you ^(AB)eyes of flesh?
    ^(AC)Do you see as man sees?
⁵Are your days as the days of man,
    or your ^(AD)years as a man's years,
⁶that you ^(AE)seek out my iniquity
    and search for my sin,
⁷although you ^(AF)know that I am not guilty,
    and there is ^(AG)none to deliver out of your hand?
⁸^(AH)Your hands fashioned and made me,
    and now you have destroyed me altogether.
⁹Remember that you have made me like ^(AI)clay;
    and will you return me to the ^(AJ)dust?
¹⁰Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese?
¹¹You clothed me with skin and flesh,
    and knit me together with bones and sinews.
¹²You have granted me life and steadfast love,
    and your care has preserved my spirit.
¹³Yet these things you hid in your heart;
    I know that ^(AK)this was your purpose.
¹⁴If I sin, you ^(AL)watch me
    and do not ^(AM)acquit me of my iniquity.
¹⁵^(AN)If I am guilty, woe to me!
    If I am ^(AO)in the right, I cannot lift up my head,
for I am filled with disgrace
    and ^(AP)look on my affliction.
¹⁶And were my head lifted up,^[b] you would hunt me like ^(AQ)a lion
    and again work ^(AR)wonders against me.
¹⁷You renew your ^(AS)witnesses against me
    and increase your vexation toward me;
    you ^(AT)bring fresh troops against me.

¹⁸^(AU)“Why did you bring me out from the womb?
    Would that I had died before any eye had seen me
¹⁹^(AV)and were as though I had not been,
    carried from the womb to the grave.
²⁰^(AW)Are not my days few?
    ^(AX)Then cease, and leave me alone, ^(AY)that I may find a little cheer
²¹before I go—and ^(AZ)I shall not return—
    to the land of ^(BA)darkness and ^(BB)deep shadow,
²²the land of gloom like thick darkness,
    like deep shadow without any order,
    where light is as thick darkness.”

Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse

11 Then ^(BC)Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

²“Should ^(BD)a multitude of words go unanswered,
    and a man full of talk be judged right?
³Should your babble silence men,
    and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
⁴For ^(BE)you say, ‘My ^(BF)doctrine is pure,
    and I am clean in God's^[c] eyes.’
⁵But oh, that God would speak
    and open his lips to you,
⁶and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
    For he is manifold in ^(BG)understanding.^[d]
Know then that God ^(BH)exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

⁷^(BI)“Can you find out the deep things of God?
    Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
⁸It is ^(BJ)higher than heaven^[e]—what can you do?
    Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
⁹Its measure is longer than the earth
    and broader than the sea.
¹⁰If he ^(BK)passes through and ^(BL)imprisons
    and summons the court, who can ^(BM)turn him back?
¹¹For he knows ^(BN)worthless men;
    when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
¹²But a stupid man will get understanding
    when ^(BO)a wild donkey's colt is ^(BP)born a man!

¹³“If you ^(BQ)prepare your heart,
    you will ^(BR)stretch out your hands toward him.
¹⁴If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
    and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
¹⁵Surely then you will ^(BS)lift up your face without ^(BT)blemish;
    you will be secure and will not fear.