1  Then Job answered and said

1  And Job, responding, said

2  Of a truth I know that it is so; and how can man be just with God?

2  I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?

2  Truly, I know that it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with God.

3  If one should desire to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one of a thousand.

3  For if he would enter into judgement with him, God would not hearken to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.

3  If he chooses to contend with him, he is not able to respond to him once out of a thousand times.

4  He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered?

4  For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?

4  He is understanding in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and yet had peace?

5  Who removeth the mountains, and they know it not, when He overturneth them in His anger.

5  He has moved mountains, and those whom he overthrew in his fury did not know it.

5  He who removes mountains and overthrows them with his anger, does he not know?

6  Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

6  Who shakes the earth under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.

6  He shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble.

7  Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

7  He commands the sun and it does not rise, and he closes the stars as if under a seal.

8  Who alone stretcheth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

8  Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.

8  He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of the sea.

9  Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

9  He fashions Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the interior of the south.

10  Who doeth great things past finding out; yea, marvellous things without number.

10  Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.

11  Lo, He goeth by me, and I see Him not. He passeth on also, but I perceive Him not.

11  If he approaches me, I will not see him; if he departs, I will not understand.

11  Lo, if he will pass by me, I will see him not; and if he will circle around me, I will not perceive him.

12  Behold, He snatcheth away, who can hinder Him? Who will say unto Him: 'What doest Thou?'

12  If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What hast thou done?

12  If he suddenly should question, who will answer him? Or who can say, “Why did you do so?”

13  God will not withdraw His anger; the helpers of Rahab did stoop under Him.

13  For if he has turned away his anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.

13  God, whose wrath no one is able to resist, and under whom they bend who carry the world,

14  How much less shall I answer Him, and choose out my arguments with Him?

14  Oh then that he would hearken to me, or judge my cause.

15  Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to Him that contendeth with me.

15  For though I be righteous, he will not hearken to me: I will intreat his judgement.

15  If I am not justified I would not resist, but I would make supplication to my judge.

16  If I had called, and He had answered me; yet would I not believe that He would hearken unto my voice--

16  And if I should call and he should not hearken, I cannot believe that he has listened to my voice.

17  He that would break me with a tempest, and multiply my wounds without cause;

17  Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.

17  For he will crush me in a whirlwind and multiply my wounds, even without cause.

18  That would not suffer me to take my breath, but fill me with bitterness.

18  For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.

18  He does not permit my spirit to rest, and he fills me with bitterness.

19  If it be a matter of strength, lo, He is mighty! and if of justice, who will appoint me a time?

19  For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgement?

19  If strength is sought, he is most strong; if equity in judgment, no one would dare to give testimony for me.

20  Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me; though I be innocent, He shall prove me perverse.

20  If I wanted to justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I would reveal my innocence, he would prove me depraved.

21  I am innocent--I regard not myself, I despise my life.

21  For even if I have sinned, I know it not in my soul: but my life is taken away.

21  Though I am pure, yet I would not know my soul; I would despise my life.

22  It is all one--therefore I say: He destroyeth the innocent and the wicked.

22  Wherefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.

22  There is one thing that I have said: both the innocent and the impious he consumes.

23  If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the calamity of the guiltless.

23  For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.

24  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?

24  Since the earth has been given into the hand of the impious, he covers the face of its judges; for if it is not him, then who is it?

25  Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.

25  But my life is swifter than a post: my days have fled away, and they knew it not.

25  My days have been swifter than a messenger; they have fled and have not seen goodness.

26  They are passed away as the swift ships; as the vulture that swoopeth on the prey.

26  Or again, is there a trace of their path left by ships? or is there one of the flying eagle as it seeks its prey?

26  They have passed by like ships carrying fruits, just like an eagle flying to food.

27  If I say: 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer',

27  I have forgotten my bitterness; if my mind or my thought would leave me alone, then I would find rest.

28  I am afraid of all my pains, I know that Thou wilt not hold me guiltless.

28  I have dreaded all my works, knowing that you did not spare the offender.

28  Though I am at rest, I am afraid of every torment, because I know that thou wilt not declare me innocent.

29  I shall be condemned; why then do I labour in vain?

29  Yet, if I am also just as impious, why have I labored in vain?

30  If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

30  For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,

30  If I had been washed with snow-like waters, and my hands were shining like the cleanest thing,

31  Yet wilt Thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

31  thou hadst thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.

31  yet you would plunge me in filth, and my own garments would abhor me.

32  For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in judgment.

32  For thou art not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgement.

32  For even I would not answer a man who were like myself, nor one who could be heard with me equally in judgment.

33  There is no arbiter betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

33  Would that he our mediator were present, and a reprover, and one who should hear the cause between both.

33  O that there were a judge between us, that he might silence us both!

34  Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His terror make me afraid;

35  Then would I speak, and not fear Him; for I am not so with myself.

35  so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious of guilt.

35  I will speak and I will not fear him, for in fearfulness I am not able to respond.

10:1  My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

1  Weary in my soul, I will pour my words with groans upon him: I will speak being straitened in the bitterness of my soul.

10:2  I will say unto God: Do not condemn me; make me know wherefore Thou contendest with me.

2  And I will say to the Lord, Do not teach me to be impious; and wherefore hast thou thus judged me?

2  I will say to God: Do not be willing to condemn me. Reveal to me why you judge me this way.

10:3  Is it good unto Thee that Thou shouldest oppress, that Thou shouldest despise the work of Thy hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

3  Is it good before thee if I be unrighteous? for thou hast disowned the work of thy hands, and attended to the counsel of the ungodly.

3  Does it seem good to you, if you find fault with me and oppress me, the work of your own hands, and assist the counsel of the impious?

10:4  Hast Thou eyes of flesh? or seest Thou as man seeth?

4  Or dost thou see as a mortal sees? or wilt thou look as a man sees?

4  Do you have bodily eyes? Or, just as man sees, will you see?

10:5  Are Thy days as the days of man, or Thy years as a man's days,

5  Or is thy life human, or thy years the years of a man,

5  Are your days just like the days of man, and are your years as the times of humans,

10:6  That Thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin,

6  so that you would inquire about my iniquity and examine my sin?

10:7  Although Thou knowest that I shall not be condemned; and there is none that can deliver out of Thy hand?

7  And you know that I have done nothing impious, yet there is no one who can deliver from your hand.

10:8  Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me together round about; yet Thou dost destroy me!

8  Your hands have made me and formed me all around, and, in this way, do you suddenly throw me away?

8  Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: and afterward thou wishest to condemn me, and to destroy me.

10:9  Remember, I beseech Thee, that Thou hast fashioned me as clay; and wilt Thou bring me into dust again?

9  Remember that thou hast made me as clay, and thou dost turn me again to earth.

9  Remember, I ask you, that you have fashioned me like clay, and you will reduce me to dust.

10:10  Hast Thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

10  Have you not extracted me like milk and curdled me like cheese?

10  Thou hast churned me as milk, and curdled me as cheese.

10:11  Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.

11  And thou didst clothe me with skin and flesh, and frame me with bones and sinews.

11  You have clothed me with skin and flesh. You have put me together with bones and nerves.

10:12  Thou hast granted me life and favour, and Thy providence hath preserved my spirit.

12  And thou didst bestow upon me life and mercy, and thy oversight has preserved my spirit.

12  You have assigned to me life and mercy, and your visitation has preserved my spirit.

10:13  Yet these things Thou didst hide in Thy heart; I know that this is with Thee;

13  Having these things in thyself, I know that thou canst do all things; for nothing is impossible with thee.

13  Though you may conceal this in your heart, yet I know that you remember everything.

10:14  If I sin, then Thou markest me, and Thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

14  And if I should sin, thou watchest me; and thou hast not cleared me from iniquity.

14  If I have sinned, and you have spared me for an hour, why do you not endure me to be clean from my iniquity?

10:15  If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head--being filled with ignominy and looking upon mine affliction.

15  Or if I should be ungodly, woe is me: and if I should be righteous, I cannot lift myself up, for I am full of dishonour.

15  And if I should be impious, woe to me, and if I should be just, I will not lift up my head, being drenched with affliction and misery.

10:16  And if it exalt itself, Thou huntest me as a lion; and again Thou showest Thyself marvellous upon me.

16  For I am hunted like a lion for slaughter; for again thou hast changed and art terribly destroying me;

16  And because of pride, you will seize me like a lioness, and having returned, you torment me to an extraordinary degree.

10:17  Thou renewest Thy witnesses against me, and increasest Thine indignation upon me; host succeeding host against me.

17  renewing against me my torture: and thou hast dealt with me in great anger, and thou hast brought trials upon me.

10:18  Wherefore then hast Thou brought me forth out of the womb? Would that I had perished, and no eye had seen me!

18  Why then didst thou bring me out of the womb? and why did I not die, and no eye see me,

18  Why did you lead me out of the womb? If only I had been consumed, so that no eye would ever see me!

10:19  I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

19  and I become as if I had not been? for why was I not carried from the womb to the grave?

10:20  Are not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

20  Is not the time of my life short? suffer me to rest a little,

20  The days of my life are few; let me alone, that I may be quiet and rest a little

10:21  Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

21  before I depart and return no more to a land that is dark and covered with the fog of death,

10:22  A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; a land of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

22  to a land of perpetual darkness, where there is no light, neither can any one see the life of mortals.

22  a land of misery and darkness, where the shadow of death, and nothing else but everlasting horror, dwells.