Job 9 · Clearspring

Job: How Can I Contend with God?

¹And Job made answer and said,+ ²Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?+ ³If a man was desiring to go to law with him, he would not be able to give him an answer to one out of a thousand questions.+ ⁴He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?+ ⁵It is he who takes away the mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his wrath:+ ⁶Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking:+ ⁷Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.+ ⁸By whose hand the heavens were stretched out, and who is walking on the waves of the sea:+ ⁹Who made the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades, and the store-houses of the south:+ ¹⁰Who does great things not to be searched out; yes, wonders without number.+ ¹¹See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.+ ¹²If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?+ ¹³God's wrath may not be turned back; the helpers of Rahab were bent down under him.+ ¹⁴How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him?+ ¹⁵Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.+ ¹⁶If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.+ ¹⁷For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.+ ¹⁸He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.+ ¹⁹If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day?+ ²⁰Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.+ ²¹I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.+ ²²It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together.+ ²³If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.+ ²⁴The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?+ ²⁵My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good.+ ²⁶They go rushing on like reed-boats, like an eagle dropping suddenly on its food.+ ²⁷If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright;+ ²⁸I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.+ ²⁹You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing?+ ³⁰If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap;+ ³¹Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.+ ³²For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.+ ³³There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.+ ³⁴Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me:+ ³⁵Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.

Job: How Can I Contend with God?

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