1 A nd Job answereth and saith: --

And Job answered and said,

2 T ruly I have known that so, And what -- is man righteous with God?

Of a truth I know it is so; but how can man be just with God?

3 I f he delight to strive with Him -- He doth not answer him one of a thousand.

If he shall choose to strive with him, he cannot answer him one thing of a thousand.

4 W ise in heart and strong in power -- Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?

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

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

Who removeth mountains, and they know it not, when he overturneth them in his anger;

6 W ho is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.

Who shaketh the earth out of its place, and the pillars thereof tremble;

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

Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and he sealeth up the stars;

8 S tretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the high waves of the sea;

9 M aking Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.

Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;

10 D oing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.

Who doeth great things past finding out, and wonders without number.

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

Lo, he goeth by me, and I see not; and he passeth along, and I perceive him not.

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

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

13 G od doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.

+God withdraweth not his anger; the proud helpers stoop under him:

14 H ow much less do I -- I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?

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

15 W hom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.

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

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

If I had called, and he had answered me, I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice,—

17 B ecause with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.

He, who crusheth me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18 H e permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.

He suffereth me not to take my breath, for he filleth me with bitternesses.

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

Be it a question of strength, lo, strong; and be it of judgment, who will set me a time?

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

If I justified myself, mine own mouth would condemn me; were I perfect, he would prove me perverse.

21 P erfect I am! -- I know not my soul, I despise my life.

Were I perfect, would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

22 I t is the same thing, therefore I said, `The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.'

It is all one; therefore I said, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

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

If the scourge kill suddenly, he mocketh at the trial of the innocent.

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

The earth is given over into the hand of the wicked; he covereth the faces of its judges. If not, who then is it?

25 M y days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,

And my days are swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no good.

26 T hey have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.

They pass by like skiffs of reed; as an eagle that swoops upon the prey.

27 T hough I say, `I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my countenance, and brighten up,

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

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

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

Be it that I am wicked, why then do I labour in vain?

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

If I washed myself with snow-water, and cleansed my hands in purity,

31 T hen in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.

Then wouldest thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes would abhor me.

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

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

33 I f there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.

There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.

34 H e doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,

Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his terror make me afraid,

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

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