Job: How Can I Contend with God?

1Iob aunswered, and sayde,

2I knowe it is so of a trueth: For how may a man compared vnto God be iustified?

3If he wil argue with hym, he can not aunswere hym one thing of a thousande.

4He is wyse in heart and mightie in strength: who hath ben fearce against hym, and hath prospered?

5He translateth the mountaynes, or euer they be aware it is he that ouerthroweth them in his wrath.

6He remoueth the earth out of her place, that the pillers therof shake withall.

7He commaundeth the sunne, and it ryseth not: he closeth vp the starres as vnder a signet.

8He hym selfe alone spreadeth out the heauens, and goeth vpon the waues of the sea.

9He maketh the Waynes of heauen, the Orion, the seuen starres, and the secret places of the south.

10He doth great thinges & vnsearcheable, yea and wonders without number.

11Lo, when he goeth by me, I shal not see hym, and when he passeth, I shall not perceaue hym.

12If he be hastie to take away, who wil make him restore it? or who will say vnto hym, what doest thou?

13God will not withdraw his anger, and the most mightie helpes do stowpe vnder hym:

14Howe much lesse shall I aunswere him? or howe shoulde I finde out my wordes with him?

15For though I were righteous, yet might I not geue him one word againe, but mekely submit my selfe to hym as my iudge.

16If I had called vpon hym, and he had aunswered me, yet woulde I not beleue that he hearde my voyce:

17He troubleth me so with the tempest, and woundeth me out of measure without a cause,

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

19If men will speake of strength, lo he is strong: if men will speake of iudgement, who shall bring me in to pleade?

20If I will iustifie my selfe, myne owne mouth shall condempne me: if I will put foorth my selfe for a perfect man, he shall proue me a wicked doer.

21For though I be an innocent and my conscience cleare, yet am I weery of my lyfe.

22This is one poynt, and therefore I sayd, He destroyeth both the perfect and vngodly.

23And though he slay sodaynly with the scourge, yet will he laugh at the punishment of the innocent.

24As for the worlde it is geuen ouer into the hande of the wicked, and he shall couer the faces of the iudges therof: if not, where is he, or who is he that can shewe the contrarie?

25My dayes are more swyft then a runner, they are gone & haue seene no good thing.

26They are passed away as the shippes that be good vnder sayle, & as the eagle that fleeth to the pray.

27If I say, I will forget my complayning, I will ceasse from my wrath, and comfort my selfe:

28Then am I afrayde of all my sorowes, for I knowe that thou wilt not iudge me innocent.

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

30If I washe my selfe with snowe water, and make myne handes neuer so cleane at the well:

31Yet shalt thou dippe me in the myre, and mine owne clothes shal defile me.

32For he that I must geue aunswere vnto, and with whom I go to the lawe, is not a man as I am:

33Neither is there any dayesman to lay his hande betweene vs.

34Let hym take his rodde away from me, yea let hym make me no more afrayde of him,

35And then shall I aunswere hym without any feare: but because I am not so, I holde me still.