Job Replies: There Is No Arbiter
Then Job answered and said:
2 “Truly I know that it is so:
But how can a man be ain the right before God?
3 If one wished to acontend with him,
one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
4 He is awise in heart and mighty in strength—
who has bhardened himself against him, and succeeded?—
5 he who removes mountains, and they know it not,
when he overturns them in his anger,
6 who ashakes the earth out of its place,
and bits pillars tremble;
7 who commands the sun, and it does not rise;
who seals up the stars;
8 who alone astretched out the heavens
and trampled the waves of the sea;
9 who amade bthe Bear and cOrion,
the Pleiades dand the chambers of the south;
10 who does agreat things beyond searching out,
and marvelous things beyond number.
11 Behold, he passes by me, and I asee him not;
he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
12 Behold, he snatches away; awho can turn him back?
bWho will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 “God will not turn back his anger;
beneath him bowed the helpers of aRahab.
14 aHow then can I banswer him,
choosing my words with him?
15 aThough I am in the right, I cannot answer him;
I must bappeal for mercy to my accuser.
16 If I summoned him and he answered me,
I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
17 For he crushes me with a tempest
and multiplies my wounds awithout cause;
18 he will not let me get my breath,
but fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a contest of astrength, behold, he is mighty!
If it is a matter of justice, who can bsummon him?
20 Though I am in the right, amy own mouth would condemn me;
though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
21 I am ablameless; I regard not myself;
I bloathe my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He adestroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 When adisaster brings sudden death,
he mocks at the calamity of the innocent.
24 aThe earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
he bcovers the faces of its judges—
cif it is not he, who then is it?
25 “My adays are swifter than ba runner;
they flee away; they see no good.
26 They go by like askiffs of reed,
like ban eagle swooping on the prey.
27 If I say, a‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face, and bbe of good cheer,’
28 I become aafraid of all my suffering,
for I know you will not bhold me innocent.
29 I shall be acondemned;
why then do I labor in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow
and acleanse my hands with lye,
31 yet you will plunge me into a pit,
and my own clothes will aabhor me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
that we should acome to trial together.
33 aThere is no arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both.
34 aLet him take his brod away from me,
and let cnot dread of him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak without fear of him,
for I am not so in myself.