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Job Replies: There Is No Arbiter
Then Job answered and said:
Then Job answered and said:
Job’s Third Speech: A Response to Bildad
Then Job spoke again:
Then Job spoke again:
“Truly I know that it is so:
But how can a man be in the right before God?
But how can a man be in the right before God?
“Yes, I know all this is true in principle.
But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?
But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?
If one wished to contend with him,
one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength
— who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded? —
— who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded? —
For God is so wise and so mighty.
Who has ever challenged him successfully?
Who has ever challenged him successfully?
he who removes mountains, and they know it not,
when he overturns them in his anger,
when he overturns them in his anger,
“Without warning, he moves the mountains,
overturning them in his anger.
overturning them in his anger.
who shakes the earth out of its place,
and its pillars tremble;
and its pillars tremble;
He shakes the earth from its place,
and its foundations tremble.
and its foundations tremble.
who commands the sun, and it does not rise;
who seals up the stars;
who seals up the stars;
If he commands it, the sun won’t rise
and the stars won’t shine.
and the stars won’t shine.
who alone stretched out the heavens
and trampled the waves of the sea;
and trampled the waves of the sea;
He alone has spread out the heavens
and marches on the waves of the sea.
and marches on the waves of the sea.
who made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;
the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;
He made all the stars — the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.
the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.
who does great things beyond searching out,
and marvelous things beyond number.
and marvelous things beyond number.
He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.
He performs countless miracles.
Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not;
he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
“Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him.
When he moves by, I do not see him go.
When he moves by, I do not see him go.
Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back?
Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him?
Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’
Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’
“God will not turn back his anger;
beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab.
beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab.
How then can I answer him,
choosing my words with him?
choosing my words with him?
“So who am I, that I should try to answer God
or even reason with him?
or even reason with him?
Even if I were right, I would have no defense.
I could only plead for mercy.
I could only plead for mercy.
If I summoned him and he answered me,
I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
And even if I summoned him and he responded,
I’m not sure he would listen to me.
I’m not sure he would listen to me.
For he crushes me with a tempest
and multiplies my wounds without cause;
and multiplies my wounds without cause;
For he attacks me with a storm
and repeatedly wounds me without cause.
and repeatedly wounds me without cause.
he will not let me get my breath,
but fills me with bitterness.
but fills me with bitterness.
He will not let me catch my breath,
but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me;
though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
I am blameless; I regard not myself;
I loathe my life.
I loathe my life.
“I am innocent,
but it makes no difference to me —
I despise my life.
but it makes no difference to me —
I despise my life.
It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God.
That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
he covers the faces of its judges —
if it is not he, who then is it?
he covers the faces of its judges —
if it is not he, who then is it?
The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked,
and God blinds the eyes of the judges.
If he’s not the one who does it, who is?
and God blinds the eyes of the judges.
If he’s not the one who does it, who is?
“My days are swifter than a runner;
they flee away; they see no good.
they flee away; they see no good.
“My life passes more swiftly than a runner.
It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.
It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.
They go by like skiffs of reed,
like an eagle swooping on the prey.
like an eagle swooping on the prey.
It disappears like a swift papyrus boat,
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,’
I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,’
If I decided to forget my complaints,
to put away my sad face and be cheerful,
to put away my sad face and be cheerful,
I become afraid of all my suffering,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.
for I know you will not hold me innocent.
I would still dread all the pain,
for I know you will not find me innocent, O God.
for I know you will not find me innocent, O God.
I shall be condemned;
why then do I labor in vain?
why then do I labor in vain?
Whatever happens, I will be found guilty.
So what’s the use of trying?
So what’s the use of trying?
If I wash myself with snow
and cleanse my hands with lye,
and cleanse my hands with lye,
Even if I were to wash myself with soap
and clean my hands with lye,
and clean my hands with lye,
yet you will plunge me into a pit,
and my own clothes will abhor me.
and my own clothes will abhor me.
you would plunge me into a muddy ditch,
and my own filthy clothing would hate me.
and my own filthy clothing would hate me.
For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
that we should come to trial together.
that we should come to trial together.
“God is not a mortal like me,
so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.
so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.
If only there were a mediator between us,
someone who could bring us together.
someone who could bring us together.
Let him take his rod away from me,
and let not dread of him terrify me.
and let not dread of him terrify me.
The mediator could make God stop beating me,
and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.