Job 9 · Clearspring

Job: How Can I Contend with God?

¹Then Job answered and said,+ ²I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?+ ³If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.+ ⁴He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?+ ⁵Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.+ ⁶Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.+ ⁷Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.+ ⁸Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.+ ⁹Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.+ ¹⁰Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.+ ¹¹Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.+ ¹²Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?+ ¹³If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.+ ¹⁴How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?+ ¹⁵Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.+ ¹⁶If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.+ ¹⁷For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.+ ¹⁸He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.+ ¹⁹If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?+ ²⁰If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.+ ²¹Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.+ ²²This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.+ ²³If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.+ ²⁴The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?+ ²⁵Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.+ ²⁶They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.+ ²⁷If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:+ ²⁸I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.+ ²⁹If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?+ ³⁰If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;+ ³¹Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.+ ³²For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.+ ³³Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.+ ³⁴Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:+ ³⁵Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

Job: How Can I Contend with God?

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