Job 9

Job: How Can I Contend with God?

1 Then Job answered:

2 “Yes, I know that it is so, ‡ Job 4:17Job 25:4Psa 143:2Rom 3:201Ki 8:46Job 14:3-4Job 32:2Job 33:9 +2

but how can a mortal be righteous before God?

3 If one wished to contend with God, ¹ ‡ Job 10:2Job 40:21Jn 1:81Jn 3:20Isa 57:15-16Job 23:3-7Job 31:35-37Job 33:13 +6

he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. ‡ Job 36:5Eph 3:20Rom 11:33Eph 3:10Exo 14:17-18Job 9:19Jud 1:24-25Pro 29:1 +16

Who has resisted Him and prospered?

5 He moves mountains without their knowledge ‡ Luk 21:11Mat 27:51Hab 3:10Rev 11:13Rev 16:18-201Co 13:2Hab 3:6Isa 40:12 +9

and overturns them in His anger.

6 He shakes the earth from its place, ‡ Hag 2:6Heb 12:26Psa 75:3Isa 2:21Job 26:11Job 38:4-7Isa 2:19Hag 2:21 +8

so that its foundations tremble.

7 He commands the sun not to shine; ² ‡ Isa 13:10Amo 8:9Luk 21:25-26Amo 4:13Dan 4:35Exo 10:21-22Ezk 32:7-8Job 37:7 +4

He seals off the stars.

8 He alone stretches out the heavens ‡ Isa 44:24Isa 40:22Psa 104:2-3Job 37:18Zec 12:1Jer 10:11Mat 14:25-30Psa 33:6 +7

and treads on the waves of the sea.

9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, ‡ Amo 5:8Gen 1:16Job 38:31-41Psa 147:4Act 28:13Psa 104:13Job 37:9Psa 104:3

of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

10 He does great things beyond searching out, ‡ Job 5:9Psa 72:18Eph 3:20Rom 11:33Dan 4:2-3Psa 136:4Ecc 3:11Isa 40:26-28 +4

and wonders without number.

11 Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; ‡ Job 23:8-9Job 35:14Psa 77:191Ti 6:16

were He to move, I would not recognize Him.

12 If He takes away, ³ who can stop Him? ‡ Isa 45:9Job 11:10Job 23:13Dan 4:35Job 34:29Rom 11:34Jer 18:6Job 33:13 +4

Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’

13 God does not restrain His anger; ‡ Job 26:12Psa 89:10Isa 30:7Isa 51:9Jas 4:6-7Isa 31:2-3Job 40:9-11

the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.

14 How then can I answer Him ‡ 1Ki 8:27Job 11:4-5Job 23:4Job 23:7Job 25:6Job 33:5Job 4:19Job 9:3

or choose my arguments against Him?

15 For even if I were right, I could not answer. ‡ Job 10:15Job 8:51Pe 2:23Job 10:2Job 22:27Job 5:81Co 4:41Ki 8:38-39 +6

I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

16 If I summoned Him and He answered me, ‡ Act 12:14-16Exo 6:9Jdg 6:13Job 29:24Luk 24:41Psa 116:1-2Psa 126:1Psa 18:6 +1

I do not believe He would listen to my voice.

17 For He would crush me with a tempest ‡ Job 16:14Job 2:3Job 34:6Ezk 13:13Isa 28:17Jer 23:19Jhn 15:25Jhn 9:3 +12

and multiply my wounds without cause.

18 He does not let me catch my breath, ‡ Job 7:19Lam 3:15Heb 12:11Job 27:2Job 3:20Lam 3:18-19Lam 3:3Psa 39:13 +2

but overwhelms me with bitterness.

19 If it is a matter of strength, ‡ Job 9:32-33Job 9:41Co 1:25Job 40:9-10Mat 6:13Psa 62:11Job 31:35Job 33:5-7 +2

He is indeed mighty!

If it is a matter of justice,

who can summon Him ⁴?

20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; ‡ Job 15:5-6Job 32:1-2Job 34:35Job 4:17Job 9:2Php 3:12-15Psa 130:3Psa 143:2 +11

if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty. ⁵

21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; ‡ Job 1:1Psa 139:23-241Co 4:4Job 7:21Pro 28:261Jn 3:20Jer 17:9-10Job 7:15-16

I despise my own life.

22 It is all the same, and so I say, ‡ Ecc 9:1-3Ezk 21:3-4Job 10:8Luk 13:2-4

‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

23 When the scourge brings sudden death, ‡ Job 24:122Sa 14:152Sa 14:17Ezk 14:19-21Ezk 21:13Heb 11:36-37Job 1:13-19Job 2:7 +3

He mocks the despair of the innocent.

24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; ‡ Job 10:3Jer 12:1-2Psa 73:3-72Sa 15:30Job 21:7-152Sa 19:4Dan 4:17Dan 5:18-21 +11

He blindfolds its judges.

If it is not He, then who is it?

25 My days are swifter than a runner; ‡ Jas 4:14Job 7:6-7Psa 90:9-10Est 8:14Psa 39:11Psa 39:5Psa 89:47

they flee without seeing good.

26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, ‡ Hab 1:8Isa 18:22Sa 1:23Jer 4:13Job 39:27-30Lam 4:19Pro 23:5

like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

27 If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint ‡ Job 7:13Jer 8:18Job 7:11Psa 77:2-3

and change my expression and smile,’

28 I would still dread all my sufferings; ‡ Psa 119:120Job 10:14Job 14:16Job 21:6Job 3:25Job 7:21Job 9:2Job 9:20-21 +3

I know that You will not acquit me.

29 Since I am already found guilty, ‡ Job 10:7Jer 2:35Job 10:14-17Job 10:2Job 21:16-17Job 21:27Job 22:5-30Job 9:22 +2

why should I labor in vain?

30 If I should wash myself with snow ⁶ ‡ Jer 2:22Psa 26:61Jn 1:8Isa 1:16-18Jer 4:14Job 31:7Pro 28:13Rom 10:3

and cleanse my hands with lye,

31 then You would plunge me into the pit, ‡ Isa 59:6Isa 64:6Job 15:6Job 9:20Php 3:8-9

and even my own clothes would despise me.

32 For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, ‡ Rom 9:20Ecc 6:10Isa 45:9Num 23:19Psa 143:21Jn 3:201Sa 16:7Jer 49:19 +4

that we can take each other to court.

33 Nor is there a mediator between us, ‡ 1Sa 2:251Jn 2:1-2Job 9:19Psa 106:231Ki 3:16-28

to lay his hand upon us both.

34 Let Him remove His rod from me, ‡ Psa 39:10Job 13:11Job 33:7Job 13:20-22Job 23:15Job 29:2-25Job 31:23Job 37:1 +1

so that His terror will no longer frighten me.

35 Then I would speak without fear of Him.

But as it is, I am on my own.