Job 9 — ULB

9Verse 1Then Job answered and said,^{Verse 2}“I truly know that this is so.
But how can a person be in the right with God?
^{Verse 3}If he wants to argue with God,
he cannot answer him once in a thousand times.
^{Verse 4}God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has ever hardened himself against him and succeeded?—
^{Verse 5}he who removes the mountains without warning anyone
when he overturns them in his anger—
^{Verse 6}he who shakes the earth out of its place
and sets its supports trembling.
^{Verse 7}It is the same God who tells the sun not to rise, and it does not,
and who covers up the stars,
^{Verse 8}who by himself stretches out the heavens
and tramples down the waves of the sea,
^{Verse 9}who makes the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades,
and the constellations of the south.
^{Verse 10}He does great and unsearchable things,
and wonderful things that cannot be counted.
^{Verse 11}See, he goes by me, and I do not see him;
he passes on also, but I do not perceive him.
^{Verse 12}If he takes something away, who can stop him?
Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'
^{Verse 13}God will not withdraw his anger;
the helpers of Rahab bow beneath him.
^{Verse 14}How much less could I answer him,
could I choose words to reason with him?
^{Verse 15}Even if I were righteous, I could not answer him;
I could only plead for mercy with my judge.
^{Verse 16}Even if I called and he answered me,
I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
^{Verse 17}For he breaks me with a tempest
and multiplies my wounds without cause.
^{Verse 18}He does not allow me to regain my breath;
but he fills me with bitterness.
^{Verse 19}If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty!
If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?
^{Verse 20}Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me;
and though I am blameless, my words would prove me to be guilty.
^{Verse 21}I am blameless, but I do not care any more about myself;
I despise my own life.
^{Verse 22}It makes no difference, which is why I say
that he destroys blameless people and wicked people together.
^{Verse 23}When a whip suddenly kills,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.
^{Verse 24}The earth is given into the hand of wicked people;
God covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not he who does it, then who is it?
^{Verse 25}My days are swifter than a running messenger;
my days flee away; they see no good anywhere.
^{Verse 26}They are as fast as papyrus reed boats,
and as fast as the eagle that swoops down on its victim.
^{Verse 27}If I said that I would forget about my complaints,
that I would take off my sad face and be happy,
^{Verse 28}I would be afraid of all my sorrows
because I know that you will not consider me innocent.
^{Verse 29}I will be condemned;
why, then, should I try in vain?
^{Verse 30}If I washed myself with snow water
and made my hands ever so clean,
^{Verse 31}God would plunge me in a ditch,
and my own clothes would be disgusted with me.
^{Verse 32}For God is not a man, as I am, that I could answer him,
that we could come together in court.
^{Verse 33}There is no judge between us
who might lay his hand upon us both.
^{Verse 34}There is no other judge who could take God's rod off me,
who could keep his terror from frightening me.
^{Verse 35}Then would I speak up and not fear him.
But as things are now, I cannot do that.