1 Y respondió Job, y dijo:

¶ Then Job answered and said,

2 C iertamente yo conozco que es así; ¿y cómo se justificará el hombre con Dios?

I know it is so of a truth, but how shall a man be justified with God?

3 S i quisiere contender con él, no le podrá responder a una cosa de mil.

If he desires to contend with him, he will not be able to answer him one thing of a thousand.

4 E l es sabio de corazón, y fuerte en fuerza, ¿quién se endureció contra él, y quedó en paz?

He is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has hardened himself against him and remained in peace?

5 Q uien arranca los montes con su furor, y no conocen quién los trastornó;

Who uproots the mountains in his anger, and they know not who overturned them.

6 q uien remueve la tierra de su lugar, y hace temblar sus columnas;

Who removes the earth out of her place and causes her pillars to tremble.

7 q uien manda al sol, y no sale; y sella las estrellas.

Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and seals up the stars.

8 E l solo extiende los cielos, y anda sobre las alturas del mar.

He alone extends the heavens and walks upon the waves of the sea.

9 E l que hizo la Osa, y el Orión, y las Pléyades, y los lugares secretos del mediodía;

He who made Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the secret places of the south.

10 e l que hace cosas grandes e incomprensibles, y maravillosas, sin número.

He who does great things past finding out, and wonders without number.

11 H e aquí que él pasará delante de mí, y yo no lo veré; y pasará, y no lo entenderé.

Behold, he shall pass before me, and I shall not see him; and he shall pass on, and I shall not understand him.

12 H e aquí, arrebatará; ¿quién le hará restituir? ¿Quién le dirá: Qué haces?

Behold, he shall take away, who can cause him to restore? Who shall say unto him, What doest thou?

13 D ios no tornará atrás su ira, y debajo de él se encorvan los que ayudan a la soberbia.

God will not withdraw his anger, and under him those who help, unto pride are bent over.

14 ¿ Cuánto menos le responderé yo, y eligiré mis palabras con él?

¶ How much less shall I answer him and choose out my words to reason with him?

15 Q ue aunque yo sea justo, no responderé; antes habré de rogar a mi juez.

Who even though I am righteous, yet I would not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

16 Q ue si yo le invocare, y él me respondiera, aún no creeré que haya escuchado mi voz.

Who if I were to invoke him, and he answered me; yet I would not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

17 P orque me ha quebrado con tempestad, y ha aumentado mis heridas sin causa.

For he has broken me with a tempest and has multiplied my wounds without cause.

18 Q ue aún no me ha concedido que tome mi aliento; mas me ha llenado de amarguras.

He will not suffer me to take my breath but has filled me with bitterness.

19 S i habláramos de su potencia, fuerte por cierto es; si de su juicio, ¿quién me emplazará?

If we were to speak of his strength, he is certainly strong; and if of his judgment, who shall cause us to meet?

20 S i yo me justificare, me condenará mi boca; si me predicare perfecto, él me hará inicuo.

If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, he shall prove me perverse.

21 S i yo me predicare imperfecto, no conozco mi alma; condenaré mi vida.

If I say I am imperfect, I know not my soul; I would condemn my life.

22 U na cosa resta es a saber que yo diga: Al perfecto y al impío él los consume.

¶ One thing remains, that I say, He consumes the perfect and the wicked.

23 S i es azote, mate de repente, y no se ría de la prueba de los inocentes.

If it is the scourge, it slays suddenly, and it does not laugh at the trial of the innocent.

24 L a tierra es entregada en manos de los impíos, y él cubre el rostro de sus jueces. Si no es él el que lo hace, ¿quién es? ¿Dónde está?

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges; if it is not he who does this then, who is it and where is he?

25 M is días han sido más ligeros que un correo; huyeron, y nunca vieron bien.

¶ Now my days are swifter than a post; they fled away, they never saw good.

26 P asaron con los navíos de Ebeh; o como el águila que se arroja a la presa.

They are passed away as the ships of Ebeh as the eagle that throws himself on the prey.

27 S i digo: Quiero olvidar mi queja, dejaré mi aburrimiento, y me esforzaré.

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness and comfort myself;

28 T emo todos mis trabajos; sé que no me tendrás sin culpa.

I am afraid of all my troubles; I know that thou wilt not hold me guiltless.

29 S i yo soy impío, ¿para qué trabajaré en vano?

If I am wicked, why then shall I toil in vain?

30 A unque me lave con aguas de nieve, y aunque limpie mis manos con la misma limpieza,

If I wash myself with snow water and make my hands never so clean;

31 a ún me hundirás en el hoyo; y mis propios vestidos me abominarán.

yet thou shalt plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes shall abhor me.

32 P orque no es hombre como yo, para que yo le responda, y vengamos juntamente a juicio.

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together unto judgment.

33 N o hay entre nosotros árbitro que ponga su mano sobre ambos.

Neither is there any arbiter between us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

34 Q uite de sobre mí su verdugo, y su terror no me perturbe.

Let him take his tormentor away from me, and his terror will not perturb me.

35 Y hablaré, y no le temeré; porque en este estado no estoy en mí.

Then I would speak and not fear him, because in this state I am not myself.