Job Replies There Is No Adjudicator
Then Job answered and said,
2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a aman be in the right before God?
3 If one desired to acontend with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 aWise in heart and bmighty in power,
Who has cstiffened his neck against Him and been at peace?
5 aGod is the One who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 The One who ashakes the earth out of its place,
And its bpillars tremble;
7 The One who says for the asun not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;
8 Who alone astretches out the heavens,
And btramples down the waves of the sea;
9 Who makes the aBear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the bchambers of the south;
10 Who adoes great things, unsearchable,
And wondrous works, innumerable.
11 Were He to sweep by me, aI would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
12 Were He to snatch away, who could aturn Him back?
Who could say to Him, ‘bWhat are You doing?’
13 “God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of aRahab.
14 How then can aI answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?
15 For athough I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to bplead for the grace of my judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was giving ear to my voice.
17 For He abruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will anot allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with bbitterness.
19 If it is a matter of power, abehold, He is the mighty one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can make Him testify?
20 aThough I am righteous, my mouth will bcondemn me;
Though I am blameless, He will declare me perverse.
21 I am ablameless;
I do not know my soul;
I breject my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He aconsumes the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge puts to death suddenly,
He amocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth ais given into the hand of the wicked;
He bcovers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 “Now amy days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away; bthey do not see good.
26 They sweep by like areed boats,
Like an beagle that swoops on its food.
27 Though I say, ‘I will forget amy musing,
I will forsake my sad countenance and be cheerful,’
28 I am aafraid of all my pains;
I know that bYou will not acquit me.
29 I am accounted awicked;
Why then should I toil in vain?
30 If I should awash myself with snow
And cleanse bmy hands with lye,
31 Yet You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would abhor me.
32 For aHe is not a man as I am that bI may answer Him,
That we may go to court for judgment together.
33 There is no aadjudicator between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let Him aremove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I awould speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.