Then Job answered and said,
Of a truth I know that it is so:
{Or, For}But how can man be just {Or, before}with God?
{Or, If one should desire…He could not &c.}If he be pleased to contend with him,
He cannot answer him one of a thousand.
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength:
Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?—
Him that removeth the mountains, and they know it not,
When he overturneth them in his anger;
That shaketh the earth out of its place,
And the pillars thereof tremble;
That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not,
And sealeth up the stars;
That alone stretcheth out the heavens,
And treadeth upon the {Hebrew: high places.}waves of the sea;
That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south;
That doeth great things past finding out,
Yea, marvellous things without number.
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not:
He passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can {Or, turn him back}hinder him?
Who will say unto him, What doest thou?
God will not withdraw his anger;
The helpers of {Or, arrogancy See Isaiah 30:7.}Rahab {Or, did}do stoop under him.
How much less shall I answer him,
And choose out my words to reason with him?
Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer;
I would make supplication to my judge.
If I had called, and he had answered me,
Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice.
{Hebrew: He who.}For he breaketh me with a tempest,
And multiplieth my wounds without cause.
He will not suffer me to take my breath,
But filleth me with bitterness.
If we speak of strength, {Or, Lo, here am I, saith he: And if of justice, Who &c.}lo, he is mighty!
And if of justice, Who, saith he, will summon me?
Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me:
Though I be perfect, {Or, he}it shall prove me perverse.
{Or, Though I be perfect, I will not regard &c.}I am perfect; I regard not myself;
I despise my life.
It is all one; therefore I say,
He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
If the scourge slay suddenly,
He will mock at the {Or, calamity}trial of the innocent.
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
He covereth the faces of the judges thereof:
If it be not he, who then is it?
Now my days are swifter than a {Or, runner}post:
They flee away, they see no good,
They are passed away as the {Hebrew: ships of reed.}swift ships;
As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.
If I say, I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad countenance, and {Hebrew: brighten up.}be of good cheer;
I am afraid of all my sorrows,
I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
I shall be condemned;
Why then do I labor in vain?
If I wash myself {Another reading is, with snow.}with snow water,
And {Hebrew: cleanse my hands with lye.}make my hands never so clean;
Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch,
And mine own clothes shall abhor me.
For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him,
That we should come together in judgment.
There is no umpire betwixt us,
That might lay his hand upon us both.
Let him take his rod away from me,
And let not his terror make me afraid:
Then would I speak, and not fear him;
For I am not so in myself.
Querverweise zu Hiob 9,32 Hiob 9,32
Behold, {Or, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, For &c.}I will answer thee, in this thou art not just;For God is greater than man.
Behold now, I have set my cause in order;I know that I {Or, shall be justified}am righteous.
Who is he that will contend with me?For then {Or, if I hold my peace, I shall give up &c.}would I hold my peace and give up the ghost.
Only do not two things unto me;Then will I not hide myself from thy face:
Withdraw thy hand far from me;And let not thy terror make me afraid.
Then call thou, and I will answer;Or let me speak, and answer thou me.
How many are mine iniquities and sins?Make me to know my transgression and my sin.
Look unto the heavens, and see;And behold the skies, which are higher than thou.
If thou hast sinned, what effectest thou against him?And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
If thou be righteous, what givest thou him?Or what receiveth he of thy hand?
Oh that I knew where I might find him!That I might come even to his seat!
I would set my cause in order before him,And fill my mouth with arguments.
I would know the words which he would answer me,And understand what he would say unto me.
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?Nay; {Or, he would only give heed}but he would give heed unto me.
There the upright might reason with him;So should I be delivered for ever from my judge.
God is not a man, that he should lie,Neither the son of man, that he should repent:Hath he said, and will he not do it?Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?
And enter not into judgment with thy servant;For in thy sight no man living is righteous.
But Jehovah said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart.
{Or, Whatsoever he be, his name was given him long ago, and it is known that he is man}Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago; and it is known what {Hebrew: Adam. See Genesis 2:7.}man is; neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the {Or, swelling}pride of the Jordan {Or, unto the permanent pastures}against the strong habitation: for I will suddenly make them run away from it; and whoso is chosen, him will I appoint over it: for who is like me? and who will appoint me a time? and who is the shepherd that will stand before me?
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?
because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.