Job 9 - American Standard Version 2015

¹ Then Job answered and said,

² Of a truth I know that it is so:\par\tab But how can man be just with God?

³ If he be pleased to contend with him,\par\tab He cannot answer him one of a thousand.

⁴ {\i He is} wise in heart, and mighty in strength:\par\tab Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?—

⁵ {\i Him} that removeth the mountains, and they know it not,\par\tab When he overturneth them in his anger;

⁶ That shaketh the earth out of its place,\par\tab And the pillars thereof tremble;

⁷ That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not,\par\tab And sealeth up the stars;

⁸ That alone stretcheth out the heavens,\par\tab And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;

⁹ That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,\par\tab And the chambers of the south;

¹⁰ That doeth great things past finding out,\par\tab Yea, marvellous things without number.

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

¹² Behold, he seizeth {\i the prey}, who can hinder him?\par\tab Who will say unto him, What doest thou?\par

¹³ God will not withdraw his anger;\par\tab The helpers of Rahab do stoop under him.

¹⁴ How much less shall I answer him,\par\tab And choose out my words {\i to reason} with him?

¹⁵ Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer;\par\tab I would make supplication to my judge.

¹⁶ If I had called, and he had answered me,\par\tab Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice.

¹⁷ For he breaketh me with a tempest,\par\tab And multiplieth my wounds without cause.

¹⁸ He will not suffer me to take my breath,\par\tab But filleth me with bitterness.

¹⁹ If {\i we speak} of strength, lo, {\i he is} mighty!\par\tab And if of justice, Who, {\i saith he}, will summon me?

²⁰ Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me:\par\tab Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.

²¹ I am perfect; I regard not myself;\par\tab I despise my life.

²² It is all one; therefore I say,\par\tab He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

²³ If the scourge slay suddenly,\par\tab He will mock at the trial of the innocent.

²⁴ The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;\par\tab He covereth the faces of the judges thereof:\par\tab If {\i it be} not {\i he}, who then is it?\par

²⁵ Now my days are swifter than a post:\par\tab They flee away, they see no good,

²⁶ They are passed away as the swift ships;\par\tab As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.

²⁷ If I say, I will forget my complaint,\par\tab I will put off my {\i sad} countenance, and be of good cheer;

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

²⁹ I shall be condemned;\par\tab Why then do I labor in vain?

³⁰ If I wash myself with snow water,\par\tab And make my hands never so clean;

³¹ Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch,\par\tab And mine own clothes shall abhor me.

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

³³ There is no umpire betwixt us,\par\tab That might lay his hand upon us both.

³⁴ Let him take his rod away from me,\par\tab And let not his terror make me afraid:

³⁵ Then would I speak, and not fear him;\par\tab For I am not so in myself.\par