1 A nd Job answereth and saith: --

Then Job answered and said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

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

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

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

He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea;

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

He made 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.

He does great things past finding out, Yes, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause.

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

He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.

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

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

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

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

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

“I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I 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 thing; Therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’

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

If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight 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 into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be?

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

“Now 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 swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its 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 put off my sad face and wear a smile,’

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

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

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

If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain?

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

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

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

Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will 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 may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.

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

Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on 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 do not let dread of Him terrify me.

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

Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.