1 T hen Job answered and said:

Then Job answered and said,

2 “ Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God?

I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

3 I f one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

4 G od is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

5 H e removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger;

Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

6 H e shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

7 H e commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars;

Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

8 H e alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea;

Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

9 H e made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

10 H e does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.

Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

11 I f He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;

Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

12 I f He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

13 G od will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

14 “ How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him?

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

15 F or though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge.

Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

16 I f I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.

If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

17 F or He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause.

For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18 H e will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

19 I f it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?

If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

20 T hough I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

21 “ I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.

Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

22 I t is all one thing; Therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’

This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

23 I f the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent.

If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

24 T he earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be?

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

25 “ Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

26 T hey pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey.

They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

27 I f I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’

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

28 I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent.

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

29 I f I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain?

If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

30 I f I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap,

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

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

Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

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

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

33 N or is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.

Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

34 L et Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me.

Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

35 T hen I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.

Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.