Job 9

Job Chapter 9 ESV

1Job acknowledgeth God's justice, wisdom, and power, against which there is no contending: 14he disclaimeth all thought of justifying himself; 20but insisteth that a man's innocency is not to be judged by the good or evil that befalls him in this world: 25he bringeth evidence of his own misfortunes, but will not presume to dispute with the author of them, who is so much above him.
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be 1in the right before God?
3 If one wished to 1contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
4 He is 1wise in heart and mighty in strength —who has 2hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—
5 he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger,
6 who 1shakes the earth out of its place, and 2its pillars tremble;
7 who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;
8 who alone 1stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;
9 who 1made 2the Bear and 3Orion, the Pleiades 4and the chambers of the south;
10 who does 1great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number.
11 Behold, he passes by me, and I 1see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
12 Behold, he snatches away; 1who can turn him back? 2Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 “God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of 1Rahab.
14 1How then can I 2answer him, choosing my words with him?
15 1Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must 2appeal for mercy to my accuser.a
16 If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
17 For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds 1without cause;
18 he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a contest of 1strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can 2summon him?a
20 Though I am in the right, 1my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
21 I am 1blameless; I regard not myself; I 2loathe my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He 1destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 When 1disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamitya of the innocent.
24 1The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he 2covers the faces of its judges— 3if it is not he, who then is it?
25 “My 1days are swifter than 2a runner; they flee away; they see no good.
26 They go by like 1skiffs of reed, like 2an eagle swooping on the prey.
27 If I say, 1‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and 2be of good cheer,’
28 I become 1afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not 2hold me innocent.
29 I shall be 1condemned; why then do I labor in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow and 1cleanse my hands with lye,
31 yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will 1abhor me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should 1come to trial together.
33 1There is noa arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.
34 1Let him take his 2rod away from me, and let 3not dread of him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself.
Job 9

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