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Job 9

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¹ Then Job answered and said:

² “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man beⓐ in the right before God?

³ If one wished toⓑ contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.

⁴ He isⓒ wise in heart and mighty in strength — who hasⓓ hardened himself against him, and succeeded? —

⁵ he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger,

⁶ whoⓔ shakes the earth out of its place, andⓕ its pillars tremble;

⁷ who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;

⁸ who aloneⓖ stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;

⁹ whoⓗ madeⓘ the Bear andⓙ Orion, the Pleiadesⓚ and the chambers of the south;

¹⁰ who doesⓛ great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number.

¹¹ Behold, he passes by me, and Iⓜ see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.

¹² Behold, he snatches away;ⓝ who can turn him back? ⓞWho will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

¹³ “God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers ofⓟ Rahab.

¹⁴ ⓠ How then can Iⓡ answer him, choosing my words with him?

¹⁵ ⓢ Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I mustⓣ appeal for mercy to my accuser.[1]

¹⁶ If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.

¹⁷ For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my woundsⓤ without cause;

¹⁸ he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

¹⁹ If it is a contest ofⓥ strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who canⓦ summon him?[2]

²⁰ Though I am in the right,ⓧ my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

²¹ I amⓨ blameless; I regard not myself; Iⓩ loathe my life.

²² It is all one; therefore I say, ‘Heⓐ destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

²³ Whenⓑ disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity[3] of the innocent.

²⁴ ⓒ The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; heⓓ covers the faces of its judges — ⓔif it is not he, who then is it?

²⁵ “Myⓕ days are swifter thanⓖ a runner; they flee away; they see no good.

²⁶ They go by likeⓗ skiffs of reed, likeⓘ an eagle swooping on the prey.

²⁷ If I say,ⓙ ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, andⓚ be of good cheer,’

²⁸ I becomeⓛ afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will notⓜ hold me innocent.

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

³⁰ If I wash myself with snow andⓞ cleanse my hands with lye,

³¹ yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes willⓟ abhor me.

³² For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we shouldⓠ come to trial together.

³³ ⓡ There is no[4] arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.

³⁴ ⓢ Let him take hisⓣ rod away from me, and letⓤ not dread of him terrify me.

³⁵ Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself.

#	ESV
1	Then Job answered and said:
2	“Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man beⓐ in the right before God?
3	If one wished toⓑ contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
4	He isⓒ wise in heart and mighty in strength — who hasⓓ hardened himself against him, and succeeded? —
5	he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger,
6	whoⓔ shakes the earth out of its place, andⓕ its pillars tremble;
7	who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;
8	who aloneⓖ stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;
9	whoⓗ madeⓘ the Bear andⓙ Orion, the Pleiadesⓚ and the chambers of the south;
10	who doesⓛ great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number.
11	Behold, he passes by me, and Iⓜ see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
12	Behold, he snatches away;ⓝ who can turn him back? ⓞWho will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13	“God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers ofⓟ Rahab.
14	ⓠ How then can Iⓡ answer him, choosing my words with him?
15	ⓢ Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I mustⓣ appeal for mercy to my accuser.[1]
16	If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
17	For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my woundsⓤ without cause;
18	he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
19	If it is a contest ofⓥ strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who canⓦ summon him?[2]
20	Though I am in the right,ⓧ my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
21	I amⓨ blameless; I regard not myself; Iⓩ loathe my life.
22	It is all one; therefore I say, ‘Heⓐ destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23	Whenⓑ disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity[3] of the innocent.
24	ⓒ The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; heⓓ covers the faces of its judges — ⓔif it is not he, who then is it?
25	“Myⓕ days are swifter thanⓖ a runner; they flee away; they see no good.
26	They go by likeⓗ skiffs of reed, likeⓘ an eagle swooping on the prey.
27	If I say,ⓙ ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, andⓚ be of good cheer,’
28	I becomeⓛ afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will notⓜ hold me innocent.
29	I shall beⓝ condemned; why then do I labor in vain?
30	If I wash myself with snow andⓞ cleanse my hands with lye,
31	yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes willⓟ abhor me.
32	For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we shouldⓠ come to trial together.
33	ⓡ There is no[4] arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.
34	ⓢ Let him take hisⓣ rod away from me, and letⓤ not dread of him terrify me.
35	Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself.

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Job 9

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