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The Book of Job

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 9 -

Job: There is no mediator

1
Then Job answered:
2
“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
3
If one wished to contend with God,(a) he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
5
He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
6
He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
7
He commands the sun not to shine;(b) He seals off the stars.
8
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
9
He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
10
He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
11
Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
12
If He takes away,(c) who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13
God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
14
How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
15
For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
16
If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
17
For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
18
He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
19
If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him (d)?
20
Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.(e)
21
Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
22
It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23
When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
25
My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
26
They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27
If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
28
I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
29
Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
30
If I should wash myself with snow (f) and cleanse my hands with lye,
31
then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
32
For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
33
Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
34
Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
35
Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.

Footnotes

(a)9:3 Or If God wished to contend with someone
(b)9:7 Or rise
(c)9:12 Or snatches someone in death
(d)9:19 See LXX; Hebrew me
(e)9:20 Or He would declare me guilty
(f)9:30 Or soap

Job: There is no mediator

1
Then Job answered,
2
“Truly I know that it is so, but how can man be just with God?
3
If he is pleased to contend with him, he can’t answer him one time in a thousand.
4
God is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and prospered?
5
He removes the mountains, and they don’t know it, when he overturns them in his anger.
6
He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.
7
He commands the sun and it doesn’t rise, and seals up the stars.
8
He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.
9
He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the rooms of the south.
10
He does great things past finding out; yes, marvelous things without number.
11
Behold, he goes by me, and I don’t see him. He passes on also, but I don’t perceive him.
12
Behold, he snatches away. Who can hinder him? Who will ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
13
“God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.
14
How much less will I answer him, and choose my words to argue with him?
15
Though I were righteous, yet I wouldn’t answer him. I would make supplication to my judge.
16
If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I wouldn’t believe that he listened to my voice.
17
For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18
He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
19
If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, ‘Who,’ says he, ‘will summon me?’
20
Though I am righteous, my own mouth will condemn me. Though I am blameless, it will prove me perverse.
21
I am blameless. I don’t respect myself. I despise my life.
22
“It is all the same. Therefore I say he destroys the blameless and the wicked.
23
If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.
24
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If not he, then who is it?
25
“Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away. They see no good.
26
They have passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.
27
If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and cheer up,’
28
I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that you will not hold me innocent.
29
I will be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?
30
If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,
31
yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes will abhor me.
32
For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.
33
There is no umpire between us, that might lay his hand on us both.
34
Let him take his rod away from me. Let his terror not make me afraid;
35
then I would speak, and not fear him, for I am not so in myself.
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