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Job chapter 9

English Standard Version

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

1Then Job replied:
2Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God? 3Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand. 4His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? 5He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. 6He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. 7He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. 8He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. 9He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. 10He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. 11When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him. 12If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'
13God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet. 14How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? 15Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy. 16Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. 17He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason. 18He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery. 19If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him?
20Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty. 21Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life. 22It is all the same; that is why I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.' 23When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it? 25My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. 26They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey. 27If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,' 28I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent. 29Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? 30Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder,
31you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me. 32He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. 33If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, 34someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. 35Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.
New American Standard Bible

1Then Job responded,
2'In truth I know that this is so; But how can a person be in the right with God? 3If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. 4Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? 5 It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know how, When He overturns them in His anger. 6 It is He who shakes the earth from its place, And its pillars tremble; 7Who commands the sun not to shine, And puts a seal on the stars; 8Who alone stretches out the heavens, And tramples down the waves of the sea; 9Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the constellations of the south. 10 It is He who does great things, the unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. 11If He were to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. 12If He were to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ 13'God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him the helpers of Rahab cower. 14How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him? 15For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my Judge. 16If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. 17For He bruises me with a storm And multiplies my wounds without cause. 18He will not allow me to get my breath, But He saturates me with bitterness. 19If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him? 20Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty. 21I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I reject my life. 22It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’ 23If the whip kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent. 24The earth is handed over to the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who is it? 25'Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. 26They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey. 27Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put my face in order and be cheerful,’ 28I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me. 29I am guilty, Why then should I struggle in vain? 30If I washed myself with snow, And cleansed my hands with lye, 31Then You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would loathe me. 32For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him— That we may go to court together! 33There is no arbitrator between us, Who can place his hand upon us both. 34Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not the dread of Him terrify me. 35 Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.
Christian Standard Bible

1Then Job answered:
2Yes, I know what you've said is true, but how can a person be justified before God? 3If one wanted to take him to court, he could not answer God once in a thousand times. 4God is wise and all-powerful. Who has opposed him and come out unharmed? 5He removes mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his anger. 6He shakes the earth from its place so that its pillars tremble. 7He commands the sun not to shine and seals off the stars. 8He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. 9He makes the stars: the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky. 10He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number. 11If he passed by me, I wouldn't see him; if he went by, I wouldn't recognize him. 12If he snatches something, who can stop him? Who can ask him, "What are you doing? " 13God does not hold back his anger; Rahab's assistants cringe in fear beneath him! 14How then can I answer him or choose my arguments against him? 15Even if I were in the right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy. 16If I summoned him and he answered me, I do not believe he would pay attention to what I said. 17He batters me with a whirlwind and multiplies my wounds without cause. 18He doesn't let me catch my breath but fills me with bitter experiences. 19If it is a matter of strength, look, he is the powerful one! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him? 20Even if I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, my mouth would declare me guilty. 21Though I am blameless, I no longer care about myself; I renounce my life. 22It is all the same. Therefore I say, "He destroys both the blameless and the wicked." 23When catastrophe brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24The earth is handed over to the wicked; he blindfolds its judges. If it isn't he, then who is it? 25My days fly by faster than a runner; they flee without seeing any good. 26They sweep by like boats made of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. 27If I said, "I will forget my complaint, change my expression, and smile," 28I would still live in terror of all my pains. I know you will not acquit me. 29Since I will be found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? 30If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,
31then you dip me in a pit of mud, and my own clothes despise me! 32For he is not a man like me, that I can answer him, that we can take each other to court. 33There is no mediator between us, to lay his hand on both of us. 34Let him take his rod away from me so his terror will no longer frighten me. 35Then I would speak and not fear him. But that is not the case; I am on my own.
New Living Translation

1Then Job spoke again:
2'Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight? 3If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times? 4For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully?
5'Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger. 6He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble. 7If he commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine. 8He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea. 9He made all the stars — the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky. 10He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.
11'Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go. 12If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’ 13And God does not restrain his anger. Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet.
14'So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him? 15Even if I were right, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy. 16And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure he would listen to me. 17For he attacks me with a storm and repeatedly wounds me without cause. 18He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows. 19If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one. If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court? 20Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked.
21'I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me — I despise my life. 22Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ 23When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death of the innocent. 24The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges. If he’s not the one who does it, who is?
25'My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness. 26It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. 27If I decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be cheerful, 28I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God. 29Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what’s the use of trying? 30Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye, 31you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate me.
32'God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. 33If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. 34The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. 35Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.
King James Version

1Then Job answered and said, 2I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? 3If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. 4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? 5Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger. 6Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. 7Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. 8Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. 9Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. 10Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. 11Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not. 12Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? 13If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.
14How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? 15Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge. 16If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. 17For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause. 18He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. 19If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead? 20If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. 21Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
22This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. 23If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. 24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
25Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good. 26They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey. 27If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself: 28I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. 29If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain? 30If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; 31Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. 32For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. 33Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. 34Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me: 35Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

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