Job 9
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
9 And Job answered, and said:
2 Indeed I know it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with God.
3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one for a thousand.
4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath resisted him, and hath had peace?
5 Who hath removed mountains, and they whom he overthrew in his wrath, knew it not.
6 Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 Who commandeth tile sun and it riseth not: and shutteth up the stars as it were under a seal:
8 Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and walketh upon the waves of the sea.
9 Who maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the inner parts of the south.
10 Who doth things great and incomprehensible, and wonderful, of which there is no number.
11 If he come to me, I shall not see him: if he depart I shall not understand.
12 If he examine on a sudden, who shall answer him? or who can say: Why dost thou so?
13 God, whose wrath no man can resist, and under whom they stoop that bear up the world.
14 What am I then, that I should answer him, and have words with him?
15 I, who although I should have any just thing, would not answer, but would make supplication to my judge.
16 And if he should hear me when I call, I should not believe that he had heard my voice.
17 For he shall crush me in a whirlwind, and multiply my wounds even without cause.
18 He alloweth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness.
19 If strength be demanded, he is most strong: if equity of judgment, no man dare bear witness for me.
20 If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I would shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked.
21 Although I should be simple, even this my soul shall be ignorant of, and I shall be weary of my life.
22 One thing there is that I have spoken, both the innocent and the wicked he consumeth.
23 If he scourge, let him kill at once, and not laugh at the pains of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked, he covereth the face of the judges thereof: and if it be not he, who is it then?
25 My days have been swifter than a post: they have fled away and have not seen good.
26 They have passed by as ships carrying fruits, as an eagle flying to the prey.
27 If I say: I will not speak so: I change my face, and am tormented with sorrow.
28 I feared all my works, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender.
29 But if so also I am wicked, why have I laboured in vain?
30 If I be washed as it were with snow waters, and my hands shall shine ever so clean:
31 Yet thou shalt plunge me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me,
32 For I shall not answer a man that is like myself: nor one that may be heard with me equally in judgment.
33 There is none that may be able to reprove both, and to put his hand between both.
34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me.
35 I will speak, and will not fear him: for I cannot answer while I am in fear.
Job 9
Tree of Life Version
Job: Who is Righteous Before God?
9 Job responded and said:
2 “Truly I know it is so,
but how can one be righteous before God?[a]
3 If anyone wished to contend with Him,
he could not answer Him once in a thousand.
4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has resisted Him and come out whole?
5 “He who moves mountains,
yet they do not know it,
who overthrows them in His anger;
6 who shakes the earth from its place
until its pillars tremble;
7 who speaks to the sun so it does not rise,
and seals up the stars;
8 He alone spreads out the heavens,
and treads on the waves of the sea;
9 He makes the Bear, Orion and Pleiades,
and the constellations of the south;
10 He does great and unfathomable things,
wonders beyond number.
11 If He were to pass by me,
I would not see Him!
Were He to move past me,
I would not perceive Him.
12 If He were to snatch away,
who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him,
‘What are You doing?’
13 “God does not restrain His anger;
under Him the helpers of Rahab cower.
14 How then can I answer Him
or choose my words with Him?
15 Even if I were right, I would not answer;
I would implore the mercy of my Judge.
16 Even if I called and He answered me,
I would not believe that He would listen to my voice.
17 He who crushes me with a storm
and multiplies my wounds for no reason.
18 He does not allow me to catch my breath,
but fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a question of strength—
certainly, He is the mighty One!
If it is a matter of justice—
who will summon me?
20 Even if I were innocent,
my mouth would condemn me.
If I were guiltless,
it will declare me perverse.
21 “I am guiltless.
I have no concern for myself.
I despise my life.
22 It is all the same, therefore I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If a scourge smites suddenly,
He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 If the land falls into the hand of the wicked
He blindfolds the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 “My days are swifter than a runner;
they flee away without seeing goodness.
26 They slip by like reed boats,
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face and be cheerful,’
28 I still dread all my pains,
for I know You will not find me innocent.
29 If I am condemned—
why should I struggle in vain?
30 If I wash myself with melted snow
and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 then You would plunge me into a pit
and my own clothes would detest me.
32 For He is not a human being, like I am,
that I could answer Him,
that we could go to court together.
33 There is no arbitrator between us,
who could lay his hand on us both;
34 who could remove His rod from me,
so that His terror would not frighten me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him
—except it is not so with me.”
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Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.