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Job: There Is No Mediator
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 it is so,
But how can a man be righteous before God?
But how can a man be righteous 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?
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
For God is so wise and so mighty.
Who has ever challenged him successfully?
Who has ever challenged him successfully?
He removes the mountains, and they do not know
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.
He 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.
He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the stars;
He seals off the stars;
If he commands it, the sun won’t rise
and the stars won’t shine.
and the stars won’t shine.
He alone has spread out the heavens
and marches on the waves of the sea.
and marches on the waves of the sea.
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.
He does great things past finding out,
Yes, wonders without number.
Yes, wonders without number.
He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.
He performs countless miracles.
If He goes by me, I do not see Him;
If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;
If He moves past, 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.
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?’
“How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words to reason with Him?
And choose my words to reason with Him?
“So who am I, that I should try to answer God
or even reason with him?
or even reason with him?
For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;
I would beg mercy of my Judge.
I would beg mercy of my Judge.
Even if I were right, I would have no defense.
I could only plead for mercy.
I could only plead for mercy.
If I called 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 allow me to catch 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.
If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong;
And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?
And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?
Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;
Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.
Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.
“I am blameless, yet I do not know myself;
I despise my life.
I despise 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 thing;
Therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’
Therefore I say, ‘He destroys 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.’
If the scourge slays suddenly,
He laughs at the plight of the innocent.
He laughs at the plight of the innocent.
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, who else could it be?
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, who else could it be?
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?
“Now 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.
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 wear a smile,’
I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’
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 am afraid of all my sufferings;
I know that You will not hold me innocent.
I know that 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.
If I am 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?
Even if I were to wash myself with soap
and clean my hands with lye,
and clean my hands with lye,
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 may answer Him,
And that we should go to court together.
That I may answer Him,
And that we should go to court 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.
Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand on us both.
Who may lay his hand on us both.
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 do not let dread of Him terrify me.
And do not let 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.