Job 9
New King James Version
Job: There Is No Mediator
9 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Truly I know it is so,
But how can a (A)man be (B)righteous before God?
3 If one wished to [a]contend with Him,
He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4 (C)God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 He (D)shakes the earth out of its place,
And its (E)pillars tremble;
7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the stars;
8 (F)He alone spreads out the heavens,
And [b]treads on the [c]waves of the sea;
9 (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.
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.
约伯记 9
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
约伯承认 神的智慧与能力
9 约伯回答说：
2 “我实在知道是这样，
但是，人在 神面前怎能算为公义呢？
3 人若愿意与他辩论，
连千分之一也答不出来。
4 他心里有智慧，而且有极大的能力，
有谁对他刚硬而平安无事呢？
5 他在怒中移山翻冈；
山冈却不知道；
6 他使大地震动离开本处，
大地的柱子就摇撼；
7 他吩咐太阳，太阳就不上升，
又封闭众星；
8 他独自铺开苍天，
步行在海浪之上；
9 他造北斗与参星，
昴星和南方的星座；
10 他所行的大事无法测度，
所行的奇事不可胜数。
11 他行过我身边，我却看不见；
他掠过去，我竟不觉察。
12 他夺取，谁能拦阻他？
谁敢问他：‘你干甚么？’
人受苦难不一定因为罪
13 神必不抑制他的怒气，
海怪拉哈伯的助手都俯伏在他以下。
14 何况我呢？我怎敢回答他，
措辞与他辩论呢？
15 即使我有理，也不敢回答，
只向那审判我的求怜悯；
16 即使我呼求，他也回答我，
我还是不信他会垂听我的声音。
17 他用暴风伤害我，
无缘无故加添我的创伤。
18 他不让我喘一口气，
却使我饱尝苦楚。
19 若论力量，他多么强大，
若论诉讼，他说：‘谁能把我传来？’
20 即使我有理，我的口还是定我有罪；
即使我完全，我的口还是判我乖谬。
21 我虽然完全，却不顾我自己，
倒厌恶我的生命。
22 所以我说，善恶都是一样，
完全人和恶人，他都灭尽。
23 灾祸忽然把人杀害的时候，
他就必嘲笑无辜人的遭遇。
24 全世界交在恶人的手中，
他蒙蔽世上审判官的脸，
如果不是他，那么是谁呢？
25 我的日子过得比信差还快，
飞快逝去，不见福乐。
26 我的日子消逝有如快船，
好象俯冲猛扑食物的鹰。
27 我若说：‘我要忘记我的苦情，
要除去愁容，面露喜乐。’
28 我就惧怕我的一切痛苦，
因为我知道你必不以我为无辜。
29 我既然被定为有罪，
又何必徒然劳苦呢？
30 我若用雪水洗净我的身，
又用碱水洁净我的手，
31 你还是把我扔入坑中，
连我的衣服也憎恶我。
32 他不像我是个人，
使我可以答他，让我们一起对簿公堂。
33 我俩之间并没有仲裁者，
能够按手在我们双方身上。
34 愿他使他的刑杖离开我，
愿他可畏的威严不惊吓我，
35 我就说话，也不怕他，
因为我本身并不是这种人。”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.