1 T hen Job answered,

2 “ In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God?

3 “ If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

4 “ Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?

5 “ It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger;

6 W ho shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

7 W ho commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars;

8 W ho alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

9 W ho makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

10 W ho does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number.

11 “ Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

12 “ Were He 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 crouch the helpers of Rahab.

14 “ How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?

15 “ For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

16 “ If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

17 “ For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause.

18 “ He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness.

19 “ If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

20 “ Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

21 “ I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life.

22 “ It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’

23 “ If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

24 “ The earth is given into the hand of 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.

26 “ They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.

27 “ Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,’

28 I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me.

29 “ I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain?

30 “ If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye,

31 Y et You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me.

32 “ For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together.

33 “ There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.

34 “ Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me.

35 “ Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.