Job: No Arbiter Between God and Man

1And Job answered, and said:

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

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

4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath resisted him, and hath had peace?

5Who hath removed mountains, and they whom he overthrew in his wrath, knew it not.

6Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

7Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not: and shutteth up the stars, as it were, under a seal:

8Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and walketh upon the waves of the sea.

9Who maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the inner parts of the south.

10Who doth things great and incomprehensible, and wonderful, of which there is no number.

11If he come to me, I shall not see him: if he depart, I shall not understand.

12If he examine on a sudden, who shall answer him? or who can say: Why dost thou so?

13God, whose wrath no man can resist, and under whom they stoop that bear up the world.

14What am I then, that I should answer him, and have words with him?

15I, who although I should have any just thing, would not answer, but would make supplication to my judge.

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

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

18He alloweth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness.

19If strength be demanded, he is most strong: if equity of judgment, no man dare bear witness for me.

20If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I would shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked.

21Although I should be simple, even this my soul shall be ignorant of, and I shall be weary of my life.

22One thing there is that I have spoken, both the innocent and the wicked he consumeth.

23If he scourge, let him kill at once, and not laugh at the pains of the innocent.

24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked, he covereth the face of the judges thereof: and if it be not he, who is it then?

25My days have been swifter than a post: they have fled away and have not seen good.

26They have passed by as ships carrying fruits, as an eagle flying to the prey.

27If I say: I will not speak so: I change my face, and am tormented with sorrow.

28I feared all my works, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender.

29But if so also I am wicked, why have I laboured in vain?

30If I be washed, as it were, with snow waters, and my hands shall shine ever so clean:

31Yet thou shalt plunge me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me.

32For I shall not answer a man that is like myself: nor one that may be heard with me equally in judgment.

33There is none that may be able to reprove both, and to put his hand between both.

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

35I will speak, and will not fear him: for I cannot answer while I am in fear.