Job 9

Then Job answered and said,

1Then Job answered Bildad.

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

2"I know all this is true. But how can a person be right in front of God?"

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

3Someone might want 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 is wise and God is strong. No one has fought against him and won.

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

5He moves mountains before they even know it. He turns them over 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. The ground under it trembles.

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

7He tells the sun not to shine. He shuts the stars away.

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

8He alone spread out the heavens. He walks on the waves of the sea.

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

9He made the star groups: the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the south.

NoteArcturus, Orion, and the Pleiades are old names for groups of stars. The "chambers of the south" are star groups seen low in the southern sky.

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

10He does great things too big for anyone to figure out. His wonders cannot be counted.

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

11If he walked right past me, I would not see him. I would not even 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, "What are you doing?"

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

13God does not hold his anger back. Even the proudest helpers bow low under 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 words to argue with him?

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.

16Say I called him and he answered me. I still would not believe he had listened.

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

17He would crush me with a storm. He would wound me again and again for no reason.

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

18He does not let me catch my breath. He fills me up with bitter pain.

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 fairness, who can call him to court?

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

20If I said I had done nothing wrong, my own words would still prove me guilty.

NoteIn 1611 English, "perfect" meant blameless, someone who had done nothing wrong. It did not mean flawless.

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

21I have done nothing wrong, but I do not care about myself now. I hate my own life.

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

22It is all the same. So here is what I say: God destroys good people and bad people alike.

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

23When sudden trouble kills people, he laughs at the pain 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 is handed to wicked people. He covers the eyes of its judges. If he is not 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. They rush away without seeing anything good.

NoteA "post" in 1611 English was a runner who carried messages from place to place.

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

26They slip past like fast reed boats. They drop like an eagle diving for food.

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

27I might say, "I will forget my complaint. I will stop looking sad and cheer up."

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

28But I 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 already counted guilty, why should I work so hard for nothing?

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

30Say I washed myself with melted snow. Say I scrubbed my hands until they were spotless.

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

31You would still push me down into a muddy pit. Even my own clothes would find me filthy.

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. We cannot meet in a courtroom.

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

33There is no one to settle things between us. No one can lay a hand on us both.

NoteA "daysman" was a person who stepped between two people in an argument and settled it fairly.

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

34I wish he would take his stick away from me. I wish his terror would stop scaring me.

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

35Then I would speak and not be afraid of him. But that is not how things are.