Font Size
Job 9
The Voice
Job 9
The Voice
Much like Eliphaz, Bildad believes people suffer as a result of their own sins. But his justification of that suffering is different. Bildad reasons that God is just; as God, He is justice personified. Because He is so perfectly just, God will not punish someone who is also just. Bildad’s logical but flawed conclusion is that Job must have sinned to deserve his current pain. Surprisingly, he manages to be even less effective than Eliphaz had been, alienating Job by reasoning that Job’s children must have sinned to deserve their deaths and implying that Job’s regular sacrifices on their behalf were not enough to save them.
9 Then Job spoke to them.
2 Job: Sure, I know all of this is correct,
but tell me this: how can a person set things straight with God?
3 If one wanted to argue with Him,
even in a thousand questions he would not be able to answer Him once.
4 His wise heart is vast; His strength immeasurable.
Who has ever challenged Him and remained safe and at peace?
5 He uproots mountains,
and they are unaware when He overturns them in His rage.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place
so that its foundation pillars shudder.
7 He commands the sun to go down and not rise,
and He sequesters the stars so they do not shine.
8 He single-handedly stretched out the heavens overhead
and walks on the back of the raging sea.
9 He fashioned the stars into constellations we know by name—
Bear, Orion, the Pleiades—
and the lights of the southern sky.
10 He does wonderful things, even confounding things,
and performs an infinite number of miracles.
11 Still, if He passes right by me, I don’t see Him;
if He brushes past, I don’t notice Him.
12 Ah, but if He were to steal like a thief in the market,
who could stop Him? No one has authority over Him.
Who could dare say to Him, “What are You doing?”
13 God does not restrain Himself in His anger.
Even the minions of Rahab—that monster of the sea and purveyor of chaos—
cower at His feet in subservience.
14 So then how do I argue with Him?
How can I find the right words to state my case to Him?
15 After all, I am the innocent one here, and I still can’t find an answer.
So I must continually appeal to the mercy of my judge.
16 But even if I were to call Him and He were to answer,
I still could not believe that He would listen to my complaint.
17 For He flattens me with a tornado
and multiplies my wounds for no reason.
18 He won’t even give me time to catch my breath;
instead He force-feeds me more bitterness.
19 If it is an issue of power, there is no question
He is the mighty one;
and if it is an issue of justice, who would ever appoint me?
20 Even though I am right in all of this, my own mouth sentences me.
Though I am blameless, my own lips cheat me.
21 I am blameless, but I don’t know myself.
I hate my life.
22 Well, then this is what I say: it’s all the same.
In the end, He kills off both the innocent and the depraved.
23 If a flood of disaster rushes in and kills,
He ridicules the anguish of its innocent victims.
24 The earth has been given over
and is under the dominion of some wicked hand.
God conceals these things from its judges, covering their faces, blinding their eyes.
If not He, then who is it?
25 As for me, my days are sprinting by like a runner.
Seeing nothing good, they seek escape.
26 They glide past in swift silence like reed boats on the river.
Now a blur, they dive like an eagle toward its prey.
27 If I tell myself, “I will forget all about my grievance against God,
I will simply abandon my long face and cheer up,”
28 Then I fear the suffering to come
because I know there’s no chance that You, Lord, will find me innocent.
29 So if the verdict is already in, if I have already been found guilty,
why should I bother to clear my name?
Why struggle in vain?
30 Though I wash my body in the pure melted snow
and scrub my hands thoroughly with the strongest soap,
31 You would toss me into a putrid pit,
and when I emerged, even my own clothes would hate me.
32 The Lord . . . He is no man, like me, whom I could answer,
no human being whom I could face in court.
33 There is no judge to stand between us
who can lay his hands on us both,
34 Who can remove God’s rod from my back
and stave off the terror of Him that haunts me.
35 I long to speak and defend myself without fear of Him and His reprisals;
but as things stand now and as I am within myself, that’s not possible.
约伯记 9
Revised Chinese Union Version (Simplified Script) Shen Edition
约伯记 9
Revised Chinese Union Version (Simplified Script) Shen Edition
9 约伯回答说：
2 “我真的知道是这样，
但人在 神前怎能成为义呢？
3 人若想要与他争辩，
千次中也不能回答一次。
4 他心里有智慧，且大有能力。
谁向 神刚硬而得平安呢？
5 他把山挪移，山却不知，
他在怒气中，把山翻倒。
6 他使地震动，离其本位，
地的柱子就摇撼。
7 他吩咐太阳，太阳就不出来，
又封住众星。
8 他独自铺张诸天，
步行在海浪之上。
9 他造北斗、参星、昴星，
以及南方的星宿[a]；
10 他行大事不可测度，
行奇事不可胜数。
11 看哪，他从我旁边经过，我看不见；
他走过，我没有察觉他。
12 看哪，他夺去，谁能阻挡他？
谁敢对他说：‘你做什么呢？’
13 “ 神必不收回他的怒气，
扶助拉哈伯[b]的，屈身在 神以下。
14 既是这样，我怎敢回答他，
怎敢在他之前选择辩词呢？
15 我虽有义，也不能回答，
我要向那审判我的恳求。
16 我若呼求，纵然他应允我，
我仍不信他会侧耳听我的声音。
17 他用暴风[c]摧折我，
无故加增我的损伤。
18 他不容我喘一口气，
倒使我饱受苦恼。
19 若论力量，看哪，他真有能力！
若论审判，‘谁能传我呢？’
20 我虽有义，我的口要定我有罪；
我虽完全，他必证明我为弯曲。
21 我虽完全，不顾自己；
我厌弃我的性命。
22 所以我说，都是一样；
完全人和恶人，他都灭绝。
23 若灾祸忽然带来死亡，
他必戏笑无辜人的苦难。
24 世界交在恶人手中；
他蒙蔽世界审判官的脸，
若不是他，那么是谁呢？
25 “我的日子比奔跑者更快，
急速过去，不见福乐。
26 我的日子如蒲草船掠过，
如鹰俯冲抓食。
27 我若说：‘我要忘记我的苦情，
强颜欢笑’，
28 我就因一切的愁苦而惧怕；
我知道你必不以我为无辜。
29 我必被定罪，
我何必徒然劳苦呢？
30 我若用雪水洗身，
用碱洁净我的手掌，
31 你还要把我扔在坑里，
我的衣服都憎恶我。
32 他不像我是个人，使我可以回答他，
使我们可以一同受审判。
33 我们中间没有仲裁者，
可以按手在我们两造之间。
34 愿他使他的杖离开我，
不使他的威严恐吓我，
35 我就说话，不惧怕他；
但对我来说，我却不是这样。”
Job 9
New International Version
Job 9
New International Version
Job
9 Then Job replied:
2 “Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(A)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,(B)
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(C)
4 His wisdom(D) is profound, his power is vast.(E)
Who has resisted(F) him and come out unscathed?(G)
5 He moves mountains(H) without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.(I)
6 He shakes the earth(J) from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.(K)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(L)
he seals off the light of the stars.(M)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(N)
and treads on the waves of the sea.(O)
9 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)
The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Revised Chinese Union Version (Simplified Script) Shen Edition (RCU17SS)
和合本修訂版經文 © 2006, 2010, 2017 香港聖經公會。蒙允許使用。 Scripture Text of Revised Chinese Union Version © 2006, 2010, 2017 Hong Kong Bible Society. www.hkbs.org.hk/en/ Used by permission.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.