² Yes, I know what you’ve said is true,
but how can a person be justified before God?^(A)
3 If one wanted to take^(B) him to court,
he could not answer God^[a] once in a thousand times.^(C)
4 God is wise^(D) and all-powerful.
Who has opposed him and come out unharmed?
⁵ He removes mountains without their knowledge,
overturning them in his anger.^(E)
6 He shakes the earth from its place
so that its pillars tremble.
⁷ He commands the sun not to shine
and seals off the stars.^(F)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens^(G)
and treads on the waves of the sea.^[b]
9 He makes the stars: the Bear,^[c] Orion,
the Pleiades,^(H) and the constellations^[d] of the southern sky.
¹⁰ He does great and unsearchable things,
wonders without number.^(I)
11 If he passed by me, I wouldn’t see him;^(J)
if he went by, I wouldn’t recognize him.
¹² If he snatches something, who can stop^[e] him?
Who can ask him, “What are you doing?” ^(K)
13 God does not hold back his anger;
Rahab’s^(L) assistants cringe in fear beneath him!
¹⁴ How then can I answer him
or choose my arguments against him?
¹⁵ Even if I were in the right, I could not answer.
I could only beg my Judge for mercy.^(M)
16 If I summoned him and he answered me,
I do not believe he would pay attention to what I said.
¹⁷ He batters me with a whirlwind^(N)
and multiplies my wounds without cause.
¹⁸ He doesn’t let me catch my breath
but fills me with bitter experiences.
¹⁹ If it is a matter of strength, look, he is the powerful one!^(O)
If it is a matter of justice, who can summon^(P) him?^[f]
20 Even if I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me;^(Q)
if I were blameless, my mouth would declare me guilty.
²¹ Though I am blameless,
I no longer care about myself;
I renounce my life.^(R)
22 It is all the same. Therefore I say,
“He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.”^(S)
23 When catastrophe^[g] brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.
²⁴ The earth^[h] is handed over to the wicked;
he blindfolds^[i] its judges.^(T)
If it isn’t he, then who is it?