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“Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?
“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?
Though they wished to dispute with him,
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.
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.
His wisdom is profound, his power is vast.
Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
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? —
He moves mountains without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.
and overturns them in his anger.
he who removes mountains, and they know it not,
when he overturns them in his anger,
when he overturns them in his anger,
He shakes the earth from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.
and makes its pillars tremble.
who shakes the earth out of its place,
and its pillars tremble;
and its pillars tremble;
He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;
he seals off the light of the stars.
he seals off the light of the stars.
who commands the sun, and it does not rise;
who seals up the stars;
who seals up the stars;
He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads on the waves of the sea.
and treads on the waves of the sea.
who alone stretched out the heavens
and trampled the waves of the sea;
and trampled 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 performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.
miracles that cannot be counted.
who does great things beyond searching out,
and marvelous things beyond number.
and marvelous things beyond number.
When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.
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.
If he snatches away, who can stop him?
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
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?’
God does not restrain his anger;
even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.
even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.
“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 dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?
How then can I answer him,
choosing my words with him?
choosing my words with him?
Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;
I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.
I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.
Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.
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.
He would crush me with a storm
and multiply my wounds for no reason.
and multiply my wounds for no reason.
For he crushes me with a tempest
and multiplies my wounds without cause;
and multiplies my wounds without cause;
He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.
but would overwhelm me with misery.
he will not let me get my breath,
but fills me with bitterness.
but fills me with bitterness.
Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.
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.
“Although I am blameless,
I have no concern for myself;
I despise my own life.
I have no concern for myself;
I despise my own life.
I am blameless; I regard not myself;
I loathe my life.
I loathe my life.
It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
When a scourge brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.
he mocks the despair of the innocent.
When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,
he blindfolds its judges.
If it is not he, then who is it?
he blindfolds its judges.
If it is not he, then who is it?
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?
“My days are swifter than a runner;
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.
“My days are swifter than a runner;
they flee away; they see no good.
they flee away; they see no good.
They skim past like boats of papyrus,
like eagles swooping down on their prey.
like eagles swooping down on their prey.
They go by like skiffs of reed,
like an eagle swooping on the prey.
like an eagle swooping on the prey.
If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will change my expression, and smile,’
I will change my expression, and smile,’
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,’
I still dread all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.
for I know you will not hold me innocent.
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.
Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?
why should I struggle in vain?
I shall be condemned;
why then do I labor in vain?
why then do I labor in vain?
Even if I washed myself with soap
and my hands with cleansing powder,
and my hands with cleansing powder,
If I wash myself with snow
and cleanse my hands with lye,
and cleanse my hands with lye,
you would plunge me into a slime pit
so that even my clothes would detest me.
so that even my clothes would detest me.
yet you will plunge me into a pit,
and my own clothes will abhor me.
and my own clothes will abhor me.
“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him,
that we might confront each other in court.
that we might confront each other in court.
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.
If only there were someone to mediate between us,
someone to bring us together,
someone to bring us together,
someone to remove God’s rod from me,
so that his terror would frighten me no more.
so that his terror would frighten me no more.
Let him take his rod away from me,
and let not dread of him terrify me.
and let not dread of him terrify me.