Job 9
Common English Bible
Hymnic praise
9 Job responded:
2 I know for certain that this is so;
and how can anyone be innocent before God?
3 If one wants to contend with him,
he won’t answer one in a thousand.
4 He is wise[a] and powerful;
who can resist him and prosper?
5 Who removes mountains, and they are unaware;
who overthrows them in anger?
6 Who shakes the earth from its place,
and its pillars shudder?
7 Who commands the sun, and it does not rise,
even seals up the stars;
8 stretched out the heavens alone
and trod on the waves of the Sea;[b]
9 made the Bear and Orion, Pleiades
and the southern constellations;
10 does great and unsearchable things,
wonders beyond number?
A mismatch
11 If God goes by me, I can’t see him;
he glides past, and I can’t perceive him.
12 If he seizes, who can bring back?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
13 God won’t retract his anger;
the helpers of Rahab bow beneath him.
14 Yet I myself will answer him;
I’ll choose my words in a contest[c] with him.
15 Even if I’m innocent, I can’t answer;
I must plead for justice.
16 If I were to call and he answered me,
I couldn’t believe that he heard my voice.
17 Who bruises me with a tempest
and multiplies my wounds for no reason?
18 He doesn’t let me catch my breath,
for he fills me with bitterness.
19 If the issue is strength—behold power!
If justice—who calls God to meet me?
There is no justice
20 If I’m innocent, my mouth condemns me;
I have integrity; but God declares me perverse.
21 I’m blameless, yet don’t know myself;
I reject my life.
22 It’s all the same;
therefore, I say God destroys the blameless and the sinners.
23 If calamity suddenly kills,
he mocks at the slaying[d] of innocents.
24 The earth is handed over to the wicked;
he covers the faces of its judges.
If not God, then who does?
Job wants an arbitrator
25 My days are swifter than a runner;
they flee and don’t experience good.
26 They sweep by like ships made of reeds,
as an eagle swoops on prey.
27 If I say, “I’ll forget my lament,
put on a different face so I can smile,”
28 I’m still afraid of all my suffering;
I know that you won’t declare me innocent.
29 I myself am thought guilty;
why have I tried so hard in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow,
purify my hands with soap,
31 then you’ll hurl me into a slimy pit
so that my clothes detest me.
32 God is not a man like me—someone I could answer—
so that we could come together in court.
33 Oh, that[e] there were a mediator between us;
he would lay his hand on both of us,
34 remove his rod from me,
so his fury wouldn’t frighten me.
35 Then I would speak—unafraid—
for I’m not that way.
约伯记 9
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
约伯的回应
9 约伯回答说：
2 “不错，我知道你所言不虚，
但人怎能在上帝面前算为义人？
3 人若想与祂辩驳，
千次也不能胜一次。
4 祂充满智慧，能力无比，
谁能抗拒祂还可平安无恙？
5 祂可猝然挪动群山，
在怒气中把山翻倒。
6 祂震动大地，使其挪位，
以致地的支柱摇撼。
7 祂一声令下，
太阳便不再升起，
众星也不再发光。
8 祂独自铺展穹苍，
步行在海浪之上。
9 祂创造了北斗星、参星、昴星及南天的星座。
10 祂行的奇事不可测度，
奇迹不可胜数。
11 祂经过我身旁，我却看不见；
祂从旁边掠过，我也无法察觉。
12 祂若夺取，谁能阻挡？
谁敢问祂，‘你做什么？’
13 上帝不会忍怒不发，
海怪[a]的帮手必屈膝在祂脚前。
14 “因此，我怎敢与祂辩驳？
怎敢措辞与祂理论？
15 我纵然无辜，也无法申诉，
只能乞求我的审判者施恩。
16 即使我呼唤祂的时候，祂回应我，
我仍不相信祂会垂听我的声音。
17 祂用暴风摧毁我，
无故地使我饱受创伤。
18 祂不肯让我喘息，
祂使我尝尽苦头。
19 若论力量，祂甚强大；
若上公堂，谁敢传祂？
20 即使我清白无辜，我的口也会认罪；
即使我纯全无过，祂也会判我有罪。
21 我虽纯全无过，也已毫不在乎，
我厌恶我的生命。
22 因为，我认为都是一样，
纯全无过的人和恶人都会被祂毁灭。
23 灾祸突然夺走人命时，
祂嘲笑无辜者的遭遇。
24 大地落入恶人手中，
蒙敝审判官眼睛的不是祂是谁？
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