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

1Then Iob answered, and said,

2I know it is so of a trueth: but howe should man be iust with God.

3If he will contend with him, he cannot answere him one of a thousand.

4He is wise in heart, and mightie in strength: who hath hardened himselfe against him, and hath prospered?

5Which remoueth the mountains, and they know not: which ouerturneth them in his anger:

6Which shaketh the earth out of her place, & the pillars thereof tremble:

7Which commandeth the Sunne, and it riseth not: and sealeth vp the starres.

8Which alone spreadeth out the heauens, and treadeth vpon the waues 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.

11Loe, hee goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceiue him not.

12Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say vnto him, What doest thou?

13If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers doe stoupe vnder him.

14How much lesse shall I answere him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

15Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answere, but I would make supplication to my Iudge.

16If I had called, and had answered me, yet would I not beleeue that he had hearkened vnto my voice:

17For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18Hee will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitternesse.

19If I speake of strength, loe, hee is strong: and if of iudgement, who shall set me a time to pleade?

20If I iustifie my selfe, mine owne mouth shall condemne me: If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prooue me peruerse.

21Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soule: 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, hee will laugh at the triall of the innocent.

24The earth is giuen into the hand of the wicked: he couereth the faces of the Iudges thereof; if not, where, and who is hee?

25Now my dayes are swifter then a Poste: they flee away, they see no good.

26They are passed away as the ships: as the Eagle that hasteth to the pray.

27If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leaue off my heauinesse, and comfort my selfe.

28I am afraid of all my sorrowes, I know that thou wilt not holde me innocent.

29If I be wicked, why then labour I in vaine?

30If I wash my selfe with snow water, and make my handes neuer so cleane:

31Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine owne clothes shall abhorre me.

32For he is not a man as I am, that I should answere him, and we should come together in iudgement.

33Neither is there any dayes-man betwixt vs, that might lay his hand vpon vs both.

34Let him take his rodde away from me, & let not his feare terrifie me:

35Then would I speake, and not feare him; but it is not so with me.

II ==Ps 143:2 ; Rom 3:20

 

 

IV == Job 36:5

 

 

 

 

VI == Job 26:11 ; Isa 2:19 , 21 ; Hag 2:6 , 21 ; Heb 12:26

VIII == Gen 1:6 : PS 71:15

 

 

 

 

XI == Job 23:8-9 ; 35:14

XII == Job 11:10 ; Isa 45:9 ; Jer 18:6 ; Rom 9:20

XIIII == Job 26:12 ; Isa 30:7

 

 

XV == Job 10:15

 

 

 

XVII == Job 2:3 ; 34:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXI == Eccl 9:2-3 ; Ezek 21:3

 

 

XXIV == 2nd Sam 15:30 ; 19:4 ; Jer 14:4

XXV == Job 7:6-7

 

XXVI == Hab 1:8

XXVII == Job 7:13

 

XXVIII == Ex 20:7 ; PS 119:120

XXX == Jer 2:22

 

 

 

 

 

XXXII == 1st Sam 2:25 ; Job 9:19

 

XXXIV == Job 13:20-22 ; 33:7 ; PS 39:10777

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 I know well that it is so; but how can a man be justified before God?

3 Should one wish to contend with him, he could not answer him once in a thousand times.

4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has withstood him and remained unscathed?

5 He removes the mountains before they know it; he overturns them in his anger.

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

7 He commands the sun, and it rises not; he seals up the stars.

8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the sea.

9 He made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;

10 He does great things past finding out, marvelous things beyond reckoning.

11 Should he come near me, I see him not; should he pass by, I am not aware of him;

12 Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay? Who can say to him, "What are you doing?"

13 He is God and he does not relent; the helpers of Rahab bow beneath him.

14 How much less shall I give him any answer, or choose out arguments against him!

15 Even though I were right, I could not answer him, but should rather beg for what was due me.

16 If I appealed to him and he answered my call, I could not believe that he would hearken to my words;

17 With a tempest he might overwhelm me, and multiply my wounds without cause;

18 He need not suffer me to draw breath, but might fill me with bitter griefs.

19 If it be a question of strength, he is mighty; and if of judgment, who will call him to account?

20 Though I were right, my own mouth might condemn me; were I innocent, he might put me in the wrong.

21 Though I am innocent, I myself cannot know it; I despise my life.

22 It is all one! therefore I say: Both the innocent and the wicked he destroys.

23 When the scourge slays suddenly, he laughs at the despair of the innocent.

24 The earth is given into the hands 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 happiness;

26 They shoot by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping upon its prey.

27 If I say: I will forget my complaining, I will lay aside my sadness and be of good cheer,

28 Then I am in dread of all my pains; I know that you will not hold me innocent.

29 If I must be accounted guilty, why then should I strive in vain?

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

31 Yet you would plunge me in the ditch, so that my garments would abhor me.

32 For he is not a man like myself, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.

33 Would that there were an arbiter between us, who could lay his hand upon us both

34 and withdraw his rod from me. Would that his terrors did not frighten me;

35 that I might speak without being afraid of him. Since this is not the case with me,

v 1-13. Job admits Bildad was right that the wicked perish, but why then was he suffering? How can a mortal man dispute with God? (He found he couldn’t, 40:3-5.) Job mentions the power of God to move mountains, v 5; cause earthquakes, v 6; blot out the sun and stars, v 7; stretch out the heavens and control the waves, v 8; create the constellations, v 9; perform miracles, v 10; and move invisibly, v 11. I have been taught that v 12, 13 indicate inability to contend with God, and how the “proud helpers” to be nations he uses as judges. But it was not until later that “proud helper”, or Rahab, became a nick name for Egypt, Ps. 87:4. Job 9:13 now seems better translated, God will not withdraw his anger; the helpers of Rahab do stoop under him. In this he stated  God was even superior to the mythological sea monster, Rahab and it’s helpers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 14-20. In light of God’s greatness, Job would not dare dispute with Him, and in fact could probably not even get a hearing from Him as judge. Job feared if he were to witness before God, he would condemn himself by his own words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 21-24. Job declares his innocence, but what does it matter, he will have to suffer anyway. For the first time, he accuses God of being unfair.

 

 

 

 

 

v 25-35. Job laments that his days are fleeting away as a fast runner, ship or bird. If he tried to forget his troubles, God would still call him guilty and discard him, so why even try to please Him. God is divine, not man, and Job, longed for an arbitrator who could understand him and bring them together. We have that in Christ.