Job 9
Amplified Bible
Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Man
9 Then Job answered and said,
2
“Yes, I know it is true.
But how can a mortal man be right before God?
3
“If one should want to contend or dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4
“God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?
5
“It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it,
When He overturns them in His anger;
6
Who shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;
7
Who commands the sun, and it does not shine;
Who seals up the stars [from view];
8
Who alone stretches out the heavens
And tramples down the [a]waves of the sea;
9
Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the [vast starry] spaces of the south;
10
Who does great things, [beyond understanding,] unfathomable,
Yes, marvelous and wondrous things without number.
11
“Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him;
He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him.
12
“Behold, He snatches away; who can restrain or turn Him back?
Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13
“God will not turn back His anger;
The [proud] helpers of Rahab [the arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him.
14
“How can I answer Him [and plead my case],
Choosing my words [to reason] with Him?
15
For though I were righteous, I could not answer.
I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge.
16
“If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17
“For He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18
“He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills and saturates me with bitterness.
19
“If it is a matter of strength and power, behold, He is mighty!
And if of justice, who can summon and challenge Him?
20
“Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty;
Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty.
21
“[Though] I am blameless,
I do not care about myself;
I despise my life.
22
“It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.’
23
“When [His] scourge kills suddenly,
He mocks at the despair of the innocent.
24
“The earth is given into the hands of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice].
If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?
25
“Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They vanish, they see no good.
26
“They pass by like the [swift] boats made of reeds,
Like an eagle that swoops down on its prey.
27
“If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will leave off my sad appearance, and be cheerful and brighten up,’
28
I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come];
I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.
29
“I am accounted wicked and held guilty;
Why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]?
30
“If I were to wash myself with snow
And cleanse my hands with lye,
31
You would still plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would hate me [and refuse to cover my foul body].
32
“For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court and judgment together.
33
“There is no arbitrator between us,
Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were].(A)
34
“Let Him take His rod away from me,
And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.
35
“Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
Footnotes
- Job 9:8 Lit high places.
Job 9
Legacy Standard Bible
Job Replies There Is No Adjudicator
9 Then Job answered and said,
2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a (A)man be in the right [a]before God?
3 If one desired to (B)contend with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 (C)Wise in heart and (D)mighty in power,
Who has (E)stiffened his neck against Him and been at peace?
5 (F)God is the One who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 The One who (G)shakes the earth out of its place,
And its (H)pillars tremble;
7 The One who says for the (I)sun [b]not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;
8 Who alone (J)stretches out the heavens,
And [c](K)tramples down the waves of the sea;
9 Who makes the (L)Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the (M)chambers of the south;
10 Who (N)does great things, unsearchable,
And wondrous works, innumerable.
11 Were He to sweep by me, (O)I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
12 Were He to snatch away, who could (P)turn Him back?
Who could say to Him, ‘(Q)What are You doing?’
13 “God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of (R)Rahab.
14 How then can (S)I [d]answer Him,
And choose my words [e]before Him?
15 For (T)though I were right, I could not [f]answer;
I would have to (U)plead for the grace of my judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was giving ear to my voice.
17 For He (V)bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will (W)not allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with (X)bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of power, (Y)behold, He is the mighty one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can make [g]Him testify?
20 (Z)Though I am righteous, my mouth will (AA)condemn me;
Though I am blameless, He will declare me perverse.
21 I am (AB)blameless;
I do not know my soul;
I (AC)reject my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He (AD)consumes the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge puts to death suddenly,
He (AE)mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth (AF)is given into the hand of 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 do not see good.
26 They sweep by like (AJ)reed boats,
Like an (AK)eagle that swoops on its food.
27 Though I say, ‘I will forget (AL)my musing,
I will forsake my sad countenance and be cheerful,’
28 I am (AM)afraid of all my pains;
I know that (AN)You will not acquit me.
29 I am accounted (AO)wicked;
Why then should I toil in vain?
30 If I should (AP)wash myself with snow
And cleanse (AQ)my hands with lye,
31 Yet You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would abhor me.
32 For (AR)He is not a man as I am that (AS)I may answer Him,
That we may go to court for judgment together.
33 There is no (AT)adjudicator between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let Him (AU)remove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I (AV)would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
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