• Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Mankind

  • 1 Then Job responded,
  • 2 “In truth I know that this is so; But how can a person be in the right with God?
  • 3 “If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
  • 4 “Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?
  • 5 “It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know how, When He overturns them in His anger.
  • 6 “It is He who shakes the earth from its place, And its pillars tremble;
  • 7 Who commands the sun not to shine, And puts a seal on the stars;
  • 8 Who alone stretches out the heavens, And tramples down the waves of the sea;
  • 9 Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the constellations of the south.
  • 10 “It is He who does great things, the unfathomable, And wondrous works without number.
  • 11 “If He were to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
  • 12 “If He were to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
  • 13 “God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him the helpers of Rahab cower.
  • 14 “How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him?
  • 15 “For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my Judge.
  • 16 “If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
  • 17 “For He bruises me with a storm And multiplies my wounds without cause.
  • 18 “He will not allow me to get my breath, But He saturates me with bitterness.
  • 19 “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?
  • 20 “Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
  • 21 “I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I reject my life.
  • 22 “It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’
  • 23 “If the whip kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
  • 24 “The earth is handed over to the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
  • 25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.
  • 26 “They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.
  • 27 “Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put my face in order and be cheerful,’
  • 28 I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me.
  • 29 “I am guilty, Why then should I struggle in vain?
  • 30 “If I washed myself with snow, And cleansed my hands with lye,
  • 31 Then You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would loathe me.
  • 32 “For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him— That we may go to court together!
  • 33 “There is no arbitrator between us, Who can place his hand upon us both.
  • 34 “Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not the dread of Him terrify me.
  • 35 “Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.