Job

Then Job answered and said,

1Then Job answered:

2I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

2"I know that this is true. But how can a person ever be found right in a case against God?

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

3If someone wanted to argue with God, he could not answer one question out of a thousand.

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

4God's mind is wise and his strength is great. Who ever stood against him and came out well?

5Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

5He moves mountains before they know it. He turns them upside down when he is angry.

6Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

6He shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars that hold it up shudder.

7Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

7He tells the sun not to shine, and it does not. He shuts the stars away.

8Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

8He alone spreads out the sky, and he walks on the waves of the sea.

9Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

9He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the star groups of the southern sky.

Note"Arcturus" in the KJV is a star group usually called the Bear. Orion and the Pleiades are also groups of stars. Job is naming things anyone could see in the night sky.

10Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

10He does great things too big to figure out, and wonders too many to count.

11Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

11Look, he passes right by me and I do not see him. He moves on and I never notice.

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

12If he takes something away, who can stop him? Who would dare ask him, 'What are you doing?'

13If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

13God does not hold back his anger. Even the proud helpers bow low beneath him.

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

14So how could I ever answer him? How could I pick the right words to argue my case?

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

15Even if I were in the right, I could not answer. I could only beg my judge for mercy.

16If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

16If I called him to court and he answered me, I still would not believe he had really listened.

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

17For he crushes me with a storm and gives me wound after wound for no reason.

18He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

18He will not let me catch my breath. He fills me up with bitterness instead.

19If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

19If this is about strength, he is the strong one. If it is about justice, who can order him to appear?

20If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

20Even if I am right, my own mouth would condemn me. If I said I was blameless, my words would make me sound guilty.

21Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

21I am blameless, but I no longer care what happens to me. I hate my own life.

Note"Perfect" in the KJV does not mean flawless. It means blameless: no one can point to a wrong Job has done.

22This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

22It is all the same, so I will say it plainly: God destroys the blameless and the wicked alike.

23If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

23When a disaster kills people suddenly, he laughs at the despair of those who did nothing wrong.

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?

24The earth has been handed over to wicked people. God covers the eyes of its judges. If he is not the one doing it, then who is?

25Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

25My days run faster than a messenger on foot. They rush away and never see anything good.

NoteA "post" in 1611 English was a runner who carried messages. Job means his days go by as fast as a sprinter.

26They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

26They slip past like fast boats made of reeds, like an eagle diving down on its food.

27If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

27Suppose I said, 'I will forget my complaint. I will stop looking sad and put on a smile.'

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

28I would still be afraid of all my pain. I know you will not call me innocent.

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

29If I am going to be counted guilty anyway, why keep struggling for nothing?

30If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

30Even if I washed myself with snow and scrubbed my hands with strong soap,

31Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

31you would still dunk me in a filthy pit, and even my own clothes would find me disgusting.

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

32God is not a man like me. I cannot answer him, and we cannot face each other in court.

33Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

33There is no one to stand between us, no one who can lay a hand on us both.

NoteA "daysman" was a referee or go-between who settled an argument between two sides. Job says no one can play that role between him and God.

34Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

34Let him take his punishing rod away from me. Let the fear of him stop terrifying me.

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

35Then I would speak up without being afraid of him. But that is not how things are for me."