Job 9 - New International Version (NIV)

Job

9 Then Job replied:

2 “Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(A)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,(B)
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(C)
4 His wisdom(D) is profound, his power is vast.(E)
Who has resisted(F) him and come out unscathed?(G)
5 He moves mountains(H) without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.(I)
6 He shakes the earth(J) from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.(K)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(L)
he seals off the light of the stars.(M)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(N)
and treads on the waves of the sea.(O)
9 He is the Maker(P) of the Bear[a] and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(Q)
10 He performs wonders(R) that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.(S)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(T)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(U)
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’(V)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(W)
even the cohorts of Rahab(X) cowered at his feet.

14 “How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?(Y)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(Z)
I could only plead(AA) with my Judge(AB) for mercy.(AC)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(AD)
17 He would crush me(AE) with a storm(AF)
and multiply(AG) my wounds for no reason.(AH)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.(AI)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(AJ)
And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[b]?(AK)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(AL)

21 “Although I am blameless,(AM)
I have no concern for myself;(AN)
I despise my own life.(AO)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(AP)
23 When a scourge(AQ) brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.(AR)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(AS)
he blindfolds its judges.(AT)
If it is not he, then who is it?(AU)

25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(AV)
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(AW)
26 They skim past(AX) like boats of papyrus,(AY)
like eagles swooping down on their prey.(AZ)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(BA)
I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(BB) all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.(BC)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?(BD)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(BE)
and my hands(BF) with cleansing powder,(BG)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(BH)
so that even my clothes would detest me.(BI)

32 “He is not a mere mortal(BJ) like me that I might answer him,(BK)
that we might confront each other in court.(BL)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(BM)
someone to bring us together,(BN)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(BO)
so that his terror would frighten me no more.(BP)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(BQ)
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(BR)

Footnotes

  1. Job 9:9 Or of Leo
  2. Job 9:19 See Septuagint; Hebrew me.

Cross references

  1. Job 9:2 : S Job 4:17; Ro 3:20
  2. Job 9:3 : ver 32; Job 40:5
  3. Job 9:3 : ver 12, 14, 29, 32; Job 10:2; 12:14; 13:9, 14; 22:4; 23:7, 13; 37:19; 40:2; Ps 44:21; Isa 14:24
  4. Job 9:4 : Job 11:6; 28:12, 20, 23; 38:36; Ps 51:6; Pr 2:6; Ecc 2:26
  5. Job 9:4 : ver 19; S Job 5:9; 12:13, 16; 23:6; 24:22; 26:12; 30:18; Ps 93:4; 95:3; Pr 8:14; Isa 40:26; 63:1; Da 2:20; 4:35
  6. Job 9:4 : Jer 50:24
  7. Job 9:4 : S 2Ch 13:12; S Job 5:13
  8. Job 9:5 : Mt 17:20
  9. Job 9:5 : Ps 18:7; 46:2-3; Isa 13:13; Mic 1:4
  10. Job 9:6 : S Ex 19:18; Isa 2:21; 13:13; 24:18-20; Am 8:8; Heb 12:26
  11. Job 9:6 : S 2Sa 22:8; Job 26:14; 36:29; 37:4-5; Ps 75:3; Hab 3:4
  12. Job 9:7 : Isa 34:4; Jer 4:28; Joel 2:2, 10, 31; 3:15; Zep 1:15; Zec 14:6
  13. Job 9:7 : Isa 13:10; Jer 4:23; Eze 32:8
  14. Job 9:8 : S Ge 1:1, 8; S Isa 48:13
  15. Job 9:8 : Job 38:16; Ps 77:19; Pr 8:28; Hab 3:15; Mt 14:25; Mk 6:48; Jn 6:19
  16. Job 9:9 : Job 32:22; 40:15, 19
  17. Job 9:9 : S Ge 1:16
  18. Job 9:10 : Dt 6:22; Ps 72:18; 136:4; Jer 32:20
  19. Job 9:10 : S Job 5:9
  20. Job 9:11 : Job 23:8-9; 35:14
  21. Job 9:12 : Nu 23:20; Job 11:10; Isa 14:27; 43:13
  22. Job 9:12 : S ver 3; S Dt 32:39; Isa 29:16; 45:9; Da 2:21; 4:32; Ro 9:20
  23. Job 9:13 : Nu 14:18; Job 10:15; Ps 78:38; Isa 3:11; 6:5; 48:9
  24. Job 9:13 : Job 26:12; Ps 87:4; 89:10; Isa 30:7; 51:9
  25. Job 9:14 : S ver 3
  26. Job 9:15 : Job 10:15; 13:19; 34:5-6; 40:5; 42:7
  27. Job 9:15 : Job 8:5
  28. Job 9:15 : S Ge 18:25; 1Sa 24:12; Ps 50:6; 96:13
  29. Job 9:15 : ver 20, 29; Job 15:6; 23:4; 40:2
  30. Job 9:16 : Job 13:22; Ro 9:20-21
  31. Job 9:17 : Job 16:12; 30:16; Ps 10:10; Isa 38:13
  32. Job 9:17 : Job 30:22; Ps 83:15; Jnh 1:4
  33. Job 9:17 : Job 16:14
  34. Job 9:17 : S Job 2:3
  35. Job 9:18 : S Job 7:19; S 10:1
  36. Job 9:19 : S ver 4; S Ne 9:32
  37. Job 9:19 : ver 33; Jer 49:19
  38. Job 9:20 : S ver 15
  39. Job 9:21 : S Ge 6:9; Job 34:6, 7
  40. Job 9:21 : ver 14; S Job 6:29; 10:1; 13:13
  41. Job 9:21 : S Nu 11:15; S Job 7:16
  42. Job 9:22 : S Job 3:19; 10:8; Ecc 9:2, 3; Eze 21:3
  43. Job 9:23 : Heb 11:36
  44. Job 9:23 : Job 24:1, 12; Ps 64:4; Hab 1:3; 1Pe 1:7
  45. Job 9:24 : Job 1:15, 17; 10:3; 16:11; 21:16; 22:18; 27:2; 40:8; Ps 73:3
  46. Job 9:24 : S Job 3:14; 12:6; 19:7; 21:7; 24:23; 31:35; 35:15; Ps 73:12; Ecc 8:11; Jer 12:1; La 3:9
  47. Job 9:24 : Job 12:9; 13:1; 24:12; Isa 41:20
  48. Job 9:25 : S Job 7:6
  49. Job 9:25 : Job 7:7; 10:20
  50. Job 9:26 : Job 24:18; Ps 46:3
  51. Job 9:26 : Isa 18:2
  52. Job 9:26 : Job 39:29; Hab 1:8
  53. Job 9:27 : S Job 7:11
  54. Job 9:28 : S Job 3:25
  55. Job 9:28 : S Ex 34:7; S Job 7:21
  56. Job 9:29 : S ver 3,S 15; Ps 37:33
  57. Job 9:30 : Mal 3:2
  58. Job 9:30 : Job 17:9; 31:7; Isa 1:15
  59. Job 9:30 : Job 14:4, 17; 33:9; Isa 1:18; Jer 2:22; Hos 13:12
  60. Job 9:31 : Ps 35:7; 40:2; 51:9; Jer 2:22; Na 3:6; Mal 2:3
  61. Job 9:31 : S Job 7:20; 34:9; 35:3; Ps 73:13
  62. Job 9:32 : S Nu 23:19
  63. Job 9:32 : S ver 3; Ro 9:20
  64. Job 9:32 : Ps 143:2; Ecc 6:10
  65. Job 9:33 : S 1Sa 2:25
  66. Job 9:33 : S ver 19
  67. Job 9:34 : Job 21:9; Ps 39:10; 73:5
  68. Job 9:34 : S Job 6:4; 7:14; 33:7; Ps 32:4
  69. Job 9:35 : S Job 7:11
  70. Job 9:35 : Job 7:15; 13:21

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