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Job’s Third Speech: A Response to Bildad
Then Job spoke again:
Then Job spoke again:
Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Man
Then Job answered,
Then Job answered,
“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?
“In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?
But how can a man be in the right before God?
“If one wished to dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
For God is so wise and so mighty.
Who has ever challenged him successfully?
Who has ever challenged him successfully?
“Wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has defied Him without harm?
Who has defied Him without harm?
“Without warning, he moves the mountains,
overturning them in his anger.
overturning them in his anger.
“It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;
When He overturns them in His anger;
He shakes the earth from its place,
and its foundations tremble.
and its foundations tremble.
Who shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;
And its pillars tremble;
If he commands it, the sun won’t rise
and the stars won’t shine.
and the stars won’t shine.
Who commands the sun not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;
And sets a seal upon the stars;
He alone has spread out the heavens
and marches on the waves of the sea.
and marches on the waves of the sea.
Who alone stretches out the heavens
And tramples down the waves of the sea;
And tramples down 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.
Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south;
And the chambers of the south;
He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.
He performs countless miracles.
Who does great things, unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.
And wondrous works without number.
“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.
“Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
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?’
“Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
“God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.
“So who am I, that I should try to answer God
or even reason with him?
or even reason with him?
“How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?
And choose my words before Him?
Even if I were right, I would have no defense.
I could only plead for mercy.
I could only plead for mercy.
“For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.
I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.
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.
“If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
For he attacks me with a storm
and repeatedly wounds me without cause.
and repeatedly wounds me without cause.
“For He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
He will not let me catch my breath,
but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
“He will not allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with bitterness.
But saturates me with bitterness.
“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?
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
“Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
“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.
“I am guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I despise my life.
I do not take notice of myself;
I despise my life.
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.’
“It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’
‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’
“If the scourge kills suddenly,
He mocks the despair of the innocent.
He mocks the despair of the innocent.
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?
“The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
“My life passes more swiftly than a runner.
It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.
It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.
“Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.
They flee away, they see no good.
It disappears like a swift papyrus boat,
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
“They slip by like reed boats,
Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.
Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.
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,
“Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,’
I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,’
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 am afraid of all my pains,
I know that You will not acquit me.
I know that You will not acquit me.
Whatever happens, I will be found guilty.
So what’s the use of trying?
So what’s the use of trying?
“I am accounted wicked,
Why then should I toil in vain?
Why then should I toil in vain?
Even if I were to wash myself with soap
and clean my hands with lye,
and clean my hands with lye,
“If I should wash myself with snow
And cleanse my hands with lye,
And cleanse 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.
Yet You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would abhor me.
And my own clothes would abhor me.
“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.
“For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court together.
That we may go to court together.
If only there were a mediator between us,
someone who could bring us together.
someone who could bring us together.
“There is no umpire between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
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.
“Let Him remove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.
And let not dread of Him terrify me.