Study Desk

Then Job responded,

Then Job answered and said,

"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a person be in the right with God?

I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

"If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

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

"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

"It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know how, When He overturns them in His anger.

Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

"It is He who shakes the earth from its place, And its pillars tremble;

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

Who commands the sun not to shine, And puts a seal on the stars;

Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

Who alone stretches out the heavens, And tramples down the waves of the sea;

Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the constellations of the south.

Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

"It is He who does great things, the unfathomable, And wondrous works without number.

Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

"If He were to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

"If He were to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?'

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

"God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him the helpers of Rahab cower.

If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

"How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?

How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

"For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my Judge.

Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

"If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

"For He bruises me with a storm And multiplies my wounds without cause.

For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

"He will not allow me to get my breath, But He saturates me with bitterness.

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

"If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I reject my life.

Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.'

This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

"If the whip kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

"The earth is handed over to the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

"They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.

They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

"Though I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will put my face in order and be cheerful,'

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me.

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

"I am guilty, Why then should I struggle in vain?

If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

"If I washed myself with snow, And cleansed my hands with lye,

If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

Then You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would loathe me.

Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

"For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him— That we may go to court together!

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

"There is no arbitrator between us, Who can place his hand upon us both.

Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

"Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not the dread of Him terrify me.

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

"Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.