Job 9
¹ And Job answereth and saith: —
² Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what — is man righteous with God?
³ If he delight to strive with Him — He doth not answer him one of a thousand.
⁴ Wise in heart and strong in power — Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?
⁵ Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.
⁶ Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.
⁷ Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.
⁸ Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,
⁹ Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.
¹⁰ Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.
¹¹ Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.
¹² Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, ‘What dost Thou?’
¹³ God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.
¹⁴ How much less do I — I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?
¹⁵ Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.
¹⁶ Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [to] my voice.
¹⁷ Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.
¹⁸ He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.
¹⁹ If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment — who doth convene me?
²⁰ If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! — it declareth me perverse.
²¹ Perfect I am! — I know not my soul, I despise my life.
²² It is the same thing, therefore I said, ‘The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.’
²³ If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.
²⁴ Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not — where, who [is] he?
²⁵ My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,
²⁶ They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.
²⁷ Though I say, ‘I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!’
²⁸ I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.
²⁹ I — I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.
³⁰ If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,
³¹ Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.
³² But if a man like myself — I answer him, We come together into judgment.
³³ If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.
³⁴ He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,
³⁵ I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.