Job: How Can I Contend with God?

1And Job, responding, said:

2Truly, I know that it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with God.

3If he chooses to contend with him, he is not able to respond to him once out of a thousand times.

4He is understanding in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and yet had peace?

5He has moved mountains, and those whom he overthrew in his fury did not know it.

6He shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble.

7He commands the sun and it does not rise, and he closes the stars as if under a seal.

8He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of the sea.

9He fashions Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the interior of the south.

10He accomplishes great and incomprehensible and miraculous things, which cannot be numbered.

11If he approaches me, I will not see him; if he departs, I will not understand.

12If he suddenly should question, who will answer him? Or who can say, “Why did you do so?”

13God, whose wrath no one is able to resist, and under whom they bend who carry the world,

14what am I then, that I should answer him and exchange words with him?

15And if I now have any justice, I will not respond, but will beseech my judge.

16And if he should listen to me when I call, I would not believe that he had heard my voice.

17For he will crush me in a whirlwind and multiply my wounds, even without cause.

18He does not permit my spirit to rest, and he fills me with bitterness.

19If strength is sought, he is most strong; if equity in judgment, no one would dare to give testimony for me.

20If I wanted to justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I would reveal my innocence, he would prove me depraved.

21And if I now became simple, my soul would be ignorant even of this, and my life would weary me.

22There is one thing that I have said: both the innocent and the impious he consumes.

23If he scourges, let him kill all at once, and not laugh at the punishment of the innocent.

24Since the earth has been given into the hand of the impious, he covers the face of its judges; for if it is not him, then who is it?

25My days have been swifter than a messenger; they have fled and have not seen goodness.

26They have passed by like ships carrying fruits, just like an eagle flying to food.

27If I say: “By no means will I speak this way.” I change my face and I am tortured with sorrow.

28I have dreaded all my works, knowing that you did not spare the offender.

29Yet, if I am also just as impious, why have I labored in vain?

30If I had been washed with snow-like waters, and my hands were shining like the cleanest thing,

31yet you would plunge me in filth, and my own garments would abhor me.

32For even I would not answer a man who were like myself, nor one who could be heard with me equally in judgment.

33There is no one who could both prevail in argument and in placing his hand between the two.

34Let him take his staff away from me, and let not the fear of him terrify me.

35I will speak and I will not fear him, for in fearfulness I am not able to respond.