Job 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 9 ▼
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1 And Job answereth and saith: -- Then Job answered and said: Then Job replied:
2 Truly I have known that it is so, And what -- is man righteous with God? “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God? “Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?
3 If he delight to strive with Him -- He doth not answer him one of a thousand. If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times. Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.
4 Wise in heart and strong in power -- Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace? He is wise in heart and mighty in strength—who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?— His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
5 Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger. he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger, He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger.
6 Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves. who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble.
7 Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up. who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars.
8 Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea, who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
9 Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south. who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south; He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
10 Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering. who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
11 Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it. Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him. When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.
12 Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, 'What dost Thou?' Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers. “God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab. God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.
14 How much less do I -- I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him? How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him? “How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication. Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.
16 Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear to my voice. If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing.
17 Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought. For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause; He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason.
18 He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things. he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness. He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.
19 If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment -- who doth convene me? If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him? If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him?
20 If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! -- it declareth me perverse. Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse. Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.
21 Perfect I am! -- I know not my soul, I despise my life. I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe my life. “Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
22 It is the same thing, therefore I said, 'The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.' It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ It is all the same; that is why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth. When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent. When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not -- where, who is he? The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges— if it is not he, who then is it? When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it?
25 My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good, “My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good. “My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.
26 They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food. They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey. They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey.
27 Though I say, 'I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!' If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,’ If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me. I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent. I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent.
29 I -- I am become wicked; why is this? In vain I labour. I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain? Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain?
30 If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands, If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder,
31 Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me. yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor me. you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.
32 But if a man like myself -- I answer him, We come together into judgment. For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. “He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court.
33 If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both. There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together,
34 He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid, Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me. someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.
35 I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself. Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.
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