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¹ And Job answered and said,

² Of a truth I know it is so; but how can man be just with God?

³ If he shall choose to strive with him, he cannot answer him one thing of a thousand.

⁴ He is wise in heart and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and had peace?

⁵ Who removeth mountains, and they know it not, when he overturneth them in his anger;

⁶ Who shaketh the earth out of its place, and the pillars thereof tremble;

⁷ Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and he sealeth up the stars;

⁸ Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the high waves of the sea;

⁹ Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;

¹⁰ Who doeth great things past finding out, and wonders without number.

¹¹ Lo, he goeth by me, and I see [him] not; and he passeth along, and I perceive him not.

¹² Behold, he taketh away: who will hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?

¹³ +God withdraweth not his anger; the proud helpers stoop under him:

¹⁴ How much less shall I answer him, choose out my words [to strive] with him?

¹⁵ Whom, though I were righteous, [yet] would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge.

¹⁶ If I had called, and he had answered me, I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice,—

¹⁷ He, who crusheth me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

¹⁸ He suffereth me not to take my breath, for he filleth me with bitternesses.

¹⁹ Be it a question of strength, lo, [he is] strong; and be it of judgment, who will set me a time?

²⁰ If I justified myself, mine own mouth would condemn me; were I perfect, he would prove me perverse.

²¹ Were I perfect, [yet] would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

²² It is all one; therefore I said, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

²³ If the scourge kill suddenly, he mocketh at the trial of the innocent.

²⁴ The earth is given over into the hand of the wicked [man]; he covereth the faces of its judges. If not, who then is it?

²⁵ And my days are swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no good.

²⁶ They pass by like skiffs of reed; as an eagle that swoops upon the prey.

²⁷ If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my [sad] countenance, and brighten up,

²⁸ I am afraid of all my sorrows; I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

²⁹ Be it that I am wicked, why then do I labour in vain?

³⁰ If I washed myself with snow-water, and cleansed my hands in purity,

³¹ Then wouldest thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes would abhor me.

³² For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him; that we should come together in judgment.

³³ There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.

³⁴ Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his terror make me afraid,

³⁵ [Then] I will speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.