Then Job answered and said:

Then Job answered and said,

Truly, I know this is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?

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

If someone desired to argue with Him, they could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

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

He is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted Him and remained unharmed?

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

He removes mountains without their knowing it, and overturns them in His anger.

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

He shakes the earth from its place, and its pillars tremble.

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

He commands the sun not to rise, and seals up the stars.

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

He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

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

He made the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

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

He performs great and unsearchable things, and wonders without number.

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

Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him; He moves on, and I do not perceive Him.

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

If He snatches away, who can stop Him? Who can 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; even the helpers of Rahab bowed beneath Him.

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

How then can I answer Him? I would choose my words carefully in His presence.

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

Even if I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I could only plead for mercy with 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 would 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 crushes me with a tempest 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 catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

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

If it is a matter of strength, He is mighty! 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?

Even if I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

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

Though I am blameless, I do not even understand myself; I despise my life.

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

It makes no difference; therefore, I declare: He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.

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

When a scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

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

The earth is given into the hands of 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?

My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away and do not see any good.

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

They pass by like reed boats, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

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

If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression and smile,'

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

I still dread all my suffering, for I know You will not hold me innocent.

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

Since I am already condemned, why should I labor in vain?

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

Even if I washed myself with snow and cleansed my hands with soap,

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

You would plunge me into a pit, and even my clothes would abhor me.

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

For He is not a man, like me, that I might answer Him, that we might 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 mediator between us, who might lay his hand on 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 His terror not frighten me.

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

Then I would speak without fear of Him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

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