Job 9:1-35

Job 9:1-35 The Message (MSG)

Job continued by saying: “So what’s new? I know all this. The question is, ‘How can mere mortals get right with God?’ If we wanted to bring our case before him, what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand! God’s wisdom is so deep, God’s power so immense, who could take him on and come out in one piece? He moves mountains before they know what’s happened, flips them on their heads on a whim. He gives the earth a good shaking up, rocks it down to its very foundations. He tells the sun, ‘Don’t shine,’ and it doesn’t; he pulls the blinds on the stars. All by himself he stretches out the heavens and strides on the waves of the sea. He designed the Big Dipper and Orion, the Pleiades and Alpha Centauri. We’ll never comprehend all the great things he does; his miracle-surprises can’t be counted. Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don’t see him; quietly but surely he’s active, and I miss it. If he steals you blind, who can stop him? Who’s going to say, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ God doesn’t hold back on his anger; even dragon-bred monsters cringe before him. “So how could I ever argue with him, construct a defense that would influence God? Even though I’m innocent I could never prove it; I can only throw myself on the Judge’s mercy. If I called on God and he himself answered me, then, and only then, would I believe that he’d heard me. As it is, he knocks me about from pillar to post, beating me up, black-and-blue, for no good reason. He won’t even let me catch my breath, piles bitterness upon bitterness. If it’s a question of who’s stronger, he wins, hands down! If it’s a question of justice, who’ll serve him the subpoena? Even though innocent, anything I say incriminates me; blameless as I am, my defense just makes me sound worse. “Believe me, I’m blameless. I don’t understand what’s going on. I hate my life! Since either way it ends up the same, I can only conclude that God destroys the good right along with the bad. When calamity hits and brings sudden death, he folds his arms, aloof from the despair of the innocent. He lets the wicked take over running the world, he installs judges who can’t tell right from wrong. If he’s not responsible, who is? “My time is short—what’s left of my life races off too fast for me to even glimpse the good. My life is going fast, like a ship under full sail, like an eagle plummeting to its prey. Even if I say, ‘I’ll put all this behind me, I’ll look on the bright side and force a smile,’ All these troubles would still be like grit in my gut since it’s clear you’re not going to let up. The verdict has already been handed down—‘Guilty!’— so what’s the use of protests or appeals? Even if I scrub myself all over and wash myself with the strongest soap I can find, It wouldn’t last—you’d push me into a pigpen, or worse, so nobody could stand me for the stink. “God and I are not equals; I can’t bring a case against him. We’ll never enter a courtroom as peers. How I wish we had an arbitrator to step in and let me get on with life— To break God’s death grip on me, to free me from this terror so I could breathe again. Then I’d speak up and state my case boldly. As things stand, there is no way I can do it.”

Job 9:1-35 King James Version (KJV)

Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: But how should man be just with God? If he will contend with him, He cannot answer him one of a thousand. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: Which overturneth them in his anger. Which shaketh the earth out of her place, And the pillars thereof tremble. Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; And sealeth up the stars. Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, And the chambers of the south. Which doeth great things past finding out; Yea, and wonders without number. Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: He passeth on also, but I perceive him not. Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou? If God will not withdraw his anger, The proud helpers do stoop under him. How much less shall I answer him, And choose out my words to reason with him? Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, But I would make supplication to my judge. If I had called, and he had answered me; Yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. For he breaketh me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause. He will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness. If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: And if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead? If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, He will laugh at the trial of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: He covereth the faces of the judges thereof; If not, where, and who is he? Now my days are swifter than a post: They flee away, they see no good. They are passed away as the swift ships: As the eagle that hasteth to the prey. If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself: I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. If I be wicked, Why then labour I in vain? If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean; Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me. For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, And we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take his rod away from me, And let not his fear terrify me: Then would I speak, and not fear him; But it is not so with me.

Job 9:1-35 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)

Then Job answered, “In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God? If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger; Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ “God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab. How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him? For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge. If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness. If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him? Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty. I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life. It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’ If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who is it? “Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey. Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,’ I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me. I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain? If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me. For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both. Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me. Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

Job 9:1-35 New Century Version (NCV)

Then Job answered: “Yes, I know that this is true, but how can anyone be right in the presence of God? Someone might want to argue with God, but no one could answer God, not one time out of a thousand. God’s wisdom is deep, and his power is great; no one can fight him without getting hurt. God moves mountains without anyone knowing it and turns them over when he is angry. He shakes the earth out of its place and makes its foundations tremble. He commands the sun not to shine and shuts off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the skies and walks on the waves of the sea. It is God who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades and the groups of stars in the southern sky. He does wonders that cannot be understood; he does so many miracles they cannot be counted. When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by me, I do not recognize him. If he snatches something away, no one can stop him or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ God will not hold back his anger. Even the helpers of the monster Rahab lie at his feet in fear. So how can I argue with God, or even find words to argue with him? Even if I were right, I could not answer him; I could only beg God, my Judge, for mercy. If I called to him and he answered, I still don’t believe he would listen to me. He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason. He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery. When it comes to strength, God is stronger than I; when it comes to justice, no one can accuse him. Even if I were right, my own mouth would say I was wrong; if I were innocent, my mouth would say I was guilty. “I am innocent, but I don’t care about myself. I hate my own life. It is all the same. That is why I say, ‘God destroys both the innocent and the guilty.’ If the whip brings sudden death, God will laugh at the suffering of the innocent. When the land falls into the hands of evil people, he covers the judges’ faces so they can’t see it. If it is not God who does this, then who is it? “My days go by faster than a runner; they fly away without my seeing any joy. They glide past like paper boats. They attack like eagles swooping down to feed. Even though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint; I will change the look on my face and smile,’ I still dread all my suffering. I know you will hold me guilty. I have already been found guilty, so why should I struggle for no reason? I might wash myself with soap and scrub my hands with strong soap, but you would push me into a dirty pit, and even my clothes would hate me. “God is not human like me, so I cannot answer him. We cannot meet each other in court. I wish there were someone to make peace between us, someone to decide our case. Maybe he could remove God’s punishment so his terror would no longer frighten me. Then I could speak without being afraid, but I am not able to do that.

Job 9:1-35 American Standard Version (ASV)

Then Job answered and said, Of a truth I know that it is so: But how can man be just with God? If he be pleased to contend with him, He cannot answer him one of a thousand. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?— Him that removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When he overturneth them in his anger; That shaketh the earth out of its place, And the pillars thereof tremble; That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And sealeth up the stars; That alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea; That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; That doeth great things past finding out, Yea, marvellous things without number. Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: He passeth on also, but I perceive him not. Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou? God will not withdraw his anger; The helpers of Rahab do stoop under him. How much less shall I answer him, And choose out my words to reason with him? Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge. If I had called, and he had answered me, Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice. For he breaketh me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause. He will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness. If we speak of strength, lo, he is mighty! And if of justice, Who, saith he, will summon me? Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse. I am perfect; I regard not myself; I despise my life. It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the trial of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof: If it be not he, who then is it? Now my days are swifter than a post: They flee away, they see no good. They are passed away as the swift ships; As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey. If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer; I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. I shall be condemned; Why then do I labor in vain? If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean; Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me. For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, That we should come together in judgment. There is no umpire betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take his rod away from me, And let not his terror make me afraid: Then would I speak, and not fear him; For I am not so in myself.

Job 9:1-35 New International Version (NIV)

Then Job replied: “Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God? Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand. His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him. If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet. “How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy. Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason. He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery. If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him? Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty. “Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life. It is all the same; that is why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent. When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it? “My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey. If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,’ I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent. Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder, you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me. “He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Job 9:1-35 New King James Version (NKJV)

Then Job answered and said: “Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God? If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger; He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number. If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him; If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him. “How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him? For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness. If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court? Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. “I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life. It is all one thing; Therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’ If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent. The 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? “Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey. If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’ I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent. If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain? If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap, Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me. “For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both. Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me. Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.

Job 9:1-35 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Then Job answered and said, “Yes, I know it is true. But how can a mortal man be right before God? If one should want to contend or dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed? It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it, When He overturns them in His anger; Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; Who commands the sun, and it does not shine; Who seals up the stars [from view]; Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the [vast starry] spaces of the south; Who does great things, [beyond understanding,] unfathomable, Yes, marvelous and wondrous things without number. Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him; He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him. Behold, He snatches away; who can restrain or turn Him back? Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ “God will not turn back His anger; The [proud] helpers of Rahab [the arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him. How can I answer Him [and plead my case], Choosing my words [to reason] with Him? For though I were righteous, I could not answer. I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge. If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills and saturates me with bitterness. If it is a matter of strength and power, behold, He is mighty! And if of justice, who can summon and challenge Him? Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty; Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty. [Though] I am blameless, I do not care about myself; I despise my life. It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.’ When [His] scourge kills suddenly, He mocks at the despair of the innocent. The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice]. If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]? “Now my days are swifter than a runner; They vanish, they see no good. They pass by like the [swift] boats made of reeds, Like an eagle that swoops down on its prey. If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad appearance, and be cheerful and brighten up,’ I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come]; I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished. I am accounted wicked and held guilty; Why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]? If I were to wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, You would still plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would hate me [and refuse to cover my foul body]. For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him, That we may go to court and judgment together. There is no arbitrator between us, Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were]. Let Him take His rod away from me, And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me. Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

Job 9:1-35 New Living Translation (NLT)

Then Job spoke again: “Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight? If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times? For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully? “Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble. If he commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine. He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea. He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky. He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. “Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go. If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’ And God does not restrain his anger. Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet. “So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him? Even if I were right, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy. And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure he would listen to me. For he attacks me with a storm and repeatedly wounds me without cause. He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows. If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one. If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court? Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked. “I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me— I despise my life. Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death of the innocent. The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges. If he’s not the one who does it, who is? “My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness. It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. If I decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be cheerful, I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God. Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what’s the use of trying? Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye, you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate me. “God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.

Job 9:1-35 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)

Then Job answered and said: “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God? If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength —who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?— he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger, who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south; who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number. Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him. Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ “God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab. How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him? Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause; he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness. If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him? Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse. I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe my life. It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges— if it is not he, who then is it? “My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good. They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey. If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,’ I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent. I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain? If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor me. For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me. Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself.