Job acknowledges God’s justice : although he often afflicts the innocent.

¹ And Job, responding, said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

⁹ He fashions Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the interior of the south.¹

1. 9:9Arcturus, etc: These are names of stars or constellations. In Hebrew, Ash, Cesil, and Cimah. See note chap. 38, ver. 31.(Challoner)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁷ For he will crush me in a whirlwind and multiply my wounds, even without cause.¹

1. 9:17Without cause: That is, without my knowing the cause: or without any crime of mine.(Challoner)

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

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

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

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

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

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

²⁴ Since 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?

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

²⁶ They have passed by like ships carrying fruits, just like an eagle flying to food.¹

1. 9:26Ships carrying fruits must travel quickly and without delay, because fruit is perishable.(Conte)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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