Job 9

₁Job said:

₂What you say is true.

No human is innocent

in the sight of God.

₃Not once in a thousand times

could we win our case

if we took him to court.

₄God is wise and powerful—

who could possibly

oppose him and win?

₅When God becomes angry,

he can move mountains

before they even know it.

₆God can shake the earth loose

from its foundations

₇or command the sun and stars

to hold back their light.

₈God alone stretched out the sky,

stepped on the sea,

₉and set the stars in place—

the Great Bear and Orion,

the Pleiades and the stars

in the southern sky.

₁₀Of all the miracles God works,

we cannot understand a single one.

₁₁God walks right past me,

without making a sound.

₁₂And if he grabs something,

who can stop him

or raise a question?

₁₃When God showed his anger,

the servants of the sea monster

fell at his feet.

₁₄How, then, could I possibly

argue my case with God?

₁₅Even though I am innocent,

I can only beg for mercy.

₁₆And if God came into court

when I called him,

he would not hear my case.

₁₇He would strike me with a storm

and increase my injuries

for no reason at all.

₁₈Before I could get my breath,

my miseries would multiply.

₁₉God is much stronger than I am,

and who would call me into court

to give me justice?

₂₀Even if I were innocent,

God would prove me wrong.

₂₁I am not guilty,

but I no longer care

what happens to me.

₂₂What difference does it make?

God destroys the innocent

along with the guilty.

₂₃When a good person dies

a sudden death,

God sits back and laughs.

₂₄And who else but God

blindfolds the judges,

then lets the wicked

take over the earth?

₂₅My life is speeding by,

without a hope of happiness.

₂₆Each day passes swifter

than a sailing ship

or an eagle swooping down.

₂₇Sometimes I try to be cheerful

and to stop complaining,

₂₈but my sufferings frighten me,

because I know that God

still considers me guilty.

₂₉So what's the use of trying

to prove my innocence?

₃₀Even if I washed myself

with the strongest soap,

₃₁God would throw me into a pit

of stinking slime, leaving me

disgusting to my clothes.

₃₂God isn't a mere human like me.

I can't put him on trial.

₃₃Who could possibly judge

between the two of us?

₃₄Can someone snatch away

the stick God carries

to frighten me?

₃₅Then I could speak up

without fear of him,

but for now, I cannot speak.