1 T hen Job answered and said:

And Job answereth and saith: --

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

Truly I have known that so, And what -- is man righteous with God?

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

If he delight to strive with Him -- He doth not 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?

Wise in heart and strong in power -- Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?

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

Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.

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

Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.

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

Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.

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

Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

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

Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.

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

Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.

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

Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.

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

Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, `What dost Thou?'

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

God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.

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

How much less do I -- I answer Him? Choose out my words 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, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.

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

Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear my voice.

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

Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.

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

He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.

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 of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment -- who doth convene me?

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

If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! -- it declareth me perverse.

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

Perfect I am! -- I know not my soul, I despise my life.

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

It is the same thing, therefore I said, `The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.'

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

If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.

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?

Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not -- where, who he?

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

My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,

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

They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.

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

Though I say, `I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'

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

I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.

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

I -- I am become wicked; why this? vain I labour.

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

If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,

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

Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.

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

But if a man like myself -- I answer him, We come together into judgment.

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

If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.

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

He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,

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

I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.