Job Answers Bildad
9 Then Job answered:
2 “·Yes [Truly], I know that this [C Zophar’s point that God punishes the wicked] is ·true [correct],
but how can anyone be ·right [righteous; vindicated] in the presence of God?
3 Someone might want to ·argue with God [take God to court],
but no one could answer God,
not one time out of a thousand.
4 ·God’s wisdom is deep [L He is wise of heart], and his power is great;
no one can ·fight [L press] him ·without getting hurt [and come out whole/unscathed].
5 He moves mountains [C an earthquake] without anyone knowing it
and turns them over when he is angry.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place
and makes its ·foundations [pillars] ·tremble [shudder].
7 He ·commands the sun not to [L speaks to the sun and it does not] shine
and ·shuts off the light of [L seals up] the stars.
8 He alone stretches out the ·skies [heavens]
and ·walks [treads] on the ·waves [L high places] of the sea.
9 It is God who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades [C well-known constellations]
and the ·groups of stars in the southern sky [L chambers of the south].
10 He does ·wonders [great things] that cannot be understood;
he does so many ·miracles [or marvelous things] they cannot be counted.
11 ·When [or If] he passes me, I cannot see him;
·when [or if] he goes by me, I do not ·recognize [perceive] him.
12 If he snatches ·something [or someone] away, no one can ·stop him [or bring them back]
or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 God will not ·hold back [relent from] his anger.
Even the ·helpers [allies] of the monster Rahab [C a sea monster; Ps. 89:10] ·lie at his feet in fear [L cower under him].
14 So how can I ·argue with [L answer] God,
or even ·find words to argue [L choose words] with him?
15 Even if I were ·right [righteous], I could not answer him;
I could only ·beg God [plead], my Judge, for mercy.
16 If I ·called to [summoned] him and he answered,
I still don’t believe he would ·listen to me [L hear my voice].
17 He would crush me with a ·storm [whirlwind; 38:1]
and multiply my ·wounds [bruises] ·for no reason [without cause].
18 He would not let me ·catch [regain] my breath
but would ·overwhelm [satiate] me with ·misery [bitterness].
19 ·When [or If] it comes to ·strength [power], God is stronger than I;
·when [or if] it comes to ·justice [or judgment], no one can ·accuse [testify against] him.
20 ·Even if I were [or Though I am] ·right [righteous], my own mouth would ·say I was wrong [condemn me];
·if I were [or I am] innocent, ·my mouth would say I was [or he declares me] guilty.
21 “I am innocent,
but I don’t ·care about myself [or know for sure].
I ·hate [loathe] my own life.
22 It is all the same. That is why I say,
‘God destroys both the innocent and the ·guilty [wicked].’
23 If ·the whip [or disaster] brings sudden death,
God will ·laugh [ridicule] ·at the suffering [or the despair] of the innocent.
24 When the ·land [earth] ·falls [L is given] into the ·hands [power] of evil people,
he covers the judges’ faces so they can’t see it.
If it is not God who does this, then who is it?
25 “My days go by faster than a runner;
they ·fly away without my seeing any joy [L are swift but not good].
26 They ·glide past [pass by] like ·paper [L reed] boats.
They ·attack [or go fast] like eagles swooping down to feed.
27 ·Even though [or If] I say, ‘I will forget my ·complaint [sighs];
I will ·change the look on my face [L abandon my countenance] and ·smile [be cheerful],’
28 I still dread all my ·suffering [distress].
I know you will ·hold me guilty [L not find me innocent].
29 I have already been ·found guilty [declared wicked],
so why should I ·struggle [L exhaust myself] for no reason?
30 [L Even if] I might wash myself with ·soap [or snow]
and ·scrub [cleanse] my hands with ·strong soap [lye],
31 but you would ·push [plunge] me into a dirty pit,
and even my clothes would ·hate [abhor] me.
32 [“L For] God is not human like me, ·so I cannot [L that I could] answer him.
·We cannot meet each other in court [L …that we could go together into judgment].
33 ·I wish there were someone to make peace [L There is no umpire] between us,
·someone to decide our case [L who would set his hand on both of us].
34 Maybe he could remove ·God’s punishment [L his rod from me]
so his terror would no longer frighten me.
35 Then I could speak without being afraid [L of him],
but I am not able to do that.