Job 9
9
Job Answers Bildad
1Then Job answered:
2“Yes, I know that this is true.
But how can man be right in the presence of God?
3A person might want to argue with God.
But he could not answer God one time out of a thousand.
4God’s wisdom is deep, and his power is great.
No one can fight God without being hurt.
5God moves mountains without anyone knowing it.
He turns mountains over when he is angry.
6God shakes the earth out of its place.
And he makes the earth’s foundations shake.
7God commands the sun not to shine.
He shuts off the light of the stars.
8God alone stretches out the skies.
And he walks on the waves of the sea.
9It is God who made the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades# Names of well-known groups of stars.
and the groups of stars in the southern sky.
10God does wonderful things that people cannot understand.
He does so many miracles they cannot be counted.
11When he passes me, I cannot see him.
When he goes by me, I cannot recognize him.
12If God snatches something away, no one can stop him.
No one can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13God will not hold back his anger.
Even the helpers of the monster Rahab lie at God’s feet in fear.
14So how can I argue with God?
I cannot find words to argue with him.
15Even if I was right, I could not answer him.
I could only beg God, my Judge, for mercy.
16I might call to him. But even if he answered,
I still would not believe he would listen to me.
17God would crush me with a storm.
He would multiply my hurts for no reason.
18He would not let me catch my breath.
He would overwhelm me with misery.
19When it comes to strength, God is stronger than I.
And 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 think about myself.
I hate my own life.
22It is all the same. That is why I say,
‘God destroys both the innocent and the evil people.’
23A whip may bring sudden death.
And God will laugh when good people suffer.
24When land falls into the hands of evil people,
God 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 even a little joy.
26They glide past like boats made of papyrus plants.
My days are like eagles that swoop down on animals they attack.
27I might say, ‘I will forget my complaint.
I will change the look on my face, and smile.’
28But I will 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 I might even wash 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 a man like me. So I cannot answer him.
We cannot meet each other in court.
33I wish there was someone to make peace between us.
I wish someone could decide our case.
34I wish someone could remove God’s punishment from me.
Then his terror would not frighten me anymore.
35Then I could speak up without being afraid of God.
But I am not able to do that.
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Job 9: ICB
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