Job 9
9
Job Answers Bildad
1Then Job answered:
2“Yes, I know that this is true,
but how can anyone be right in the presence of God?
3Someone might want to argue with God,
but no one could answer God,
not one time out of a thousand.
4God’s wisdom is deep, and his power is great;
no one can fight him without getting hurt.
5God moves mountains without anyone knowing it
and turns them over when he is angry.
6He shakes the earth out of its place
and makes its foundations tremble.
7He commands the sun not to shine
and shuts off the light of the stars.
8He alone stretches out the skies
and walks on the waves of the sea.
9It is God who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades
and the groups of stars in the southern sky.
10He does wonders that cannot be understood;
he does so many miracles they cannot be counted.
11When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by me, I do not recognize him.
12If he snatches something away, no one can stop him
or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13God will not hold back his anger.
Even the helpers of the monster Rahab lie at his feet in fear.
14So how can I argue with God,
or even find words to argue with him?
15Even if I were right, I could not answer him;
I could only beg God, my Judge, for mercy.
16If I called to him and he answered,
I still don’t believe he would listen to me.
17He would crush me with a storm
and multiply my wounds for no reason.
18He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.
19When it comes to strength, God is stronger than I;
when it comes to justice, no one can accuse him.
20Even if I were right, my own mouth would say I was wrong;
if I were innocent, my mouth would say I was guilty.
21“I am innocent,
but I don’t care about myself.
I hate my own life.
22It is all the same. That is why I say,
‘God destroys both the innocent and the guilty.’
23If the whip brings sudden death,
God will laugh at the suffering of the innocent.
24When the land falls into the hands of evil people,
he covers the judges’ faces so they can’t see it.
If it is not God who does this, then who is it?
25“My days go by faster than a runner;
they fly away without my seeing any joy.
26They glide past like paper boats.
They attack like eagles swooping down to feed.
27Even though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint;
I will change the look on my face and smile,’
28I still dread all my suffering.
I know you will hold me guilty.
29I have already been found guilty,
so why should I struggle for no reason?
30I might wash myself with soap
and scrub my hands with strong soap,
31but you would push me into a dirty pit,
and even my clothes would hate me.
32“God is not human like me, so I cannot answer him.
We cannot meet each other in court.
33I wish there were someone to make peace between us,
someone to decide our case.
34Maybe he could remove God’s punishment
so his terror would no longer frighten me.
35Then I could speak without being afraid,
but I am not able to do that.
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Job 9: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Job 9
9
1Job replied, 2“Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God? 3If you wanted to argue with God, God could ask a thousand questions that no one could answer. 4God is so wise and so powerful that no one could challenge him and win.
5God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.#9:5. Referring to earthquakes. 6He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake. 7He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine. 8He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea. 9He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky. 10He is the one who does incredible things that are beyond our understanding, marvelous things that are uncountable.
11But when he passes by me, I don't see him; when he moves on, he is invisible to me. 12If he takes away,#9:12. “Takes away.” This may refer to “taking away” through death. The verb here means “snatches” and occurs nowhere else in the Bible. who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’ 13God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers#9:13. Rahab is thought to refer to a mythical sea monster, and its helpers those who assist in destruction and causing chaos. underfoot.
14So how much less could I answer God, or choose my words to argue with him! 15Even though I'm right,#9:15. Or “innocent.” I can't answer him. I must plead for mercy from my judge. 16Even if I called him to come and he responded, I don't believe he would listen to me.
17He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason. 18He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering. 19If it's a question of strength, then God is the strongest. If it's a question of justice, then who will set a time for my case?#9:19. Or “who will take him to court?” 20Even though I am right, my own mouth would condemn me; even though I am innocent, he would prove me wrong. 21I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life! 22That's why I say, ‘It makes no difference to God. He destroys both the innocent and the wicked.’ 23When disaster#9:23. Literally, “scourge.” strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent. 24The earth has been handed over to the wicked; he blinds the eyes of the judges#9:24. Meaning that there is no justice.—if it's not him who does this, then who is it? 25The days of my life race by like a runner, rushing past without me seeing any happiness. 26They pass by like fast sailing ships, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27If I said to myself, ‘I will forget my complaints; I will stop crying and be happy,’ 28I would still be terrified at all my suffering because you, God, will not say I'm innocent. 29Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing? 30Even if I wash myself with pure mountain water and clean my hands with soap, 31you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me! 32For God is not a mortal being like me, I can't defend myself or take him to court. 33If only there was an arbitrator#9:33. Literally, “judge.” who could bring us both together! 34I wish God would stop beating me with his rod and terrifying me! 35Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”#9:35. Literally, “for I am not so in myself.”
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com