Job 9

Job: There Is No Mediator

1Then Job answered and said:

2“Truly I know it is so,

But how can a #(Job 4:17; 15:14–16; Ps. 143:2; Rom. 3:20)man be #(Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38)righteous before God?

3If one wished to contend with Him,

He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

4#Job 36:5God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.

Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

5He removes the mountains, and they do not know

When He overturns them in His anger;

6He #Is. 2:19, 21; Hag. 2:6; Heb. 12:26shakes the earth out of its place,

And its #Job 26:11pillars tremble;

7He commands the sun, and it does not rise;

He seals off the stars;

8#Gen. 1:6; Job 37:18; Ps. 104:2, 3; Is. 40:22He alone spreads out the heavens,

And treads on the waves of the sea;

9#Gen. 1:16; Job 38:31; Amos 5:8He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,

And the chambers of the south;

10#Job 5:9He does great things past finding out,

Yes, wonders without number.

11#(Job 23:8, 9; 35:14)If He goes by me, I do not see Him;

If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;

12#(Is. 45:9; Dan. 4:35; Rom. 9:20)If He takes away, who can hinder Him?

Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

13God will not withdraw His anger,

#Job 26:12The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

14“How then can I answer Him,

And choose my words to reason with Him?

15#Job 10:15; 23:1–7For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;

I would beg mercy of my Judge.

16If I called and He answered me,

I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.

17For He crushes me with a tempest,

And multiplies my wounds #Job 2:3without cause.

18He will not allow me to catch my breath,

But fills me with bitterness.

19If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong;

And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?

20Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;

Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

21“I am blameless, yet I do not know myself;

I despise my life.

22It is all one thing;

Therefore I say, #(Eccl. 9:2, 3); Ezek. 21:3‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’

23If the scourge slays suddenly,

He laughs at the plight of the innocent.

24The 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“Now #Job 7:6, 7my days are swifter than a runner;

They flee away, they see no good.

26They pass by like swift ships,

#Job 39:29; Hab. 1:8Like an eagle swooping on its prey.

27#Job 7:13If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,

I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’

28#Ps. 119:120I am afraid of all my sufferings;

I know that You #Ex. 20:7will not hold me innocent.

29If I am condemned,

Why then do I labor in vain?

30#(Jer. 2:22)If I wash myself with snow water,

And cleanse my hands with soap,

31Yet You will plunge me into the pit,

And my own clothes will abhor me.

32“For #Eccl. 6:10; (Is. 45:9; Jer. 49:19; Rom. 9:20)He is not a man, as I am,

That I may answer Him,

And that we should go to court together.

33#(1 Sam. 2:25); Job 9:19; Is. 1:18Nor is there any mediator between us,

Who may lay his hand on us both.

34#Job 13:20, 21; Ps. 39:10Let Him take His rod away from me,

And do not let dread of Him terrify me.

35Then I would speak and not fear Him,

But it is not so with me.

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Job 9

Job's Inability to Answer God

1Then Job answered and said,

2I know it is so of a truth:

but how should man be just with God?

3If he will contend with him,

he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength:

who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

5which removeth the mountains, and they know not;

which overturneth them in his anger;

6which shaketh the earth out of her place,

and the pillars thereof tremble;

7which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not;

and sealeth up the stars;

8which alone spreadeth out the heavens,

and treadeth upon the waves of the sea;

9 # Job 38.31; Amos 5.8. which maketh Arctu´rus, Ori´on, and Plei´ades,

and the chambers of the south;

10which doeth great things past finding out;

yea, and wonders without number.

11Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not:

he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

12Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him?

Who will say unto him, What doest thou?

13 If God will not withdraw his anger,

the proud helpers do stoop under him.

14How much less shall I answer him,

and choose out my words to reason with him?

15whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer,

but I would make supplication to my judge.

16If I had called, and he had answered me;

yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

17For he breaketh me with a tempest,

and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18He will not suffer me to take my breath,

but filleth me with bitterness.

19If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong:

and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

20If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me:

if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul:

I would despise my life.

22This is one thing, therefore I said it,

He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

23If the scourge slay suddenly,

he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked:

he covereth the faces of the judges thereof;

if not, where, and who is he?

25Now my days are swifter than a post:

they flee away, they see no good.

26They are passed away as the swift ships:

as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

27If I say, I will forget my complaint,

I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself;

28I am afraid of all my sorrows,

I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

29 If I be wicked,

why then labor I in vain?

30If I wash myself with snow water,

and make my hands never so clean;

31yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch,

and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

32For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him,

and we should come together in judgment.

33Neither is there any daysman betwixt us,

that might lay his hand upon us both.

34Let him take his rod away from me,

and let not his fear terrify me:

35 then would I speak, and not fear him;

but it is not so with me.

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