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¹ And Job answered, and said:² Indeed I know it is so, and that man cannot be justified, compared with God.³ If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one for a thousand.⁴ He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath resisted him, and hath had peace?⁵ Who hath removed mountains, and they whom he overthrew in his wrath, knew it not.⁶ Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.⁷ Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not: and shutteth up the stars, as it were, under a seal:⁸ Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and walketh upon the waves of the sea⁹ Who maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the inner parts of the south.¹⁰ Who doth things great and incomprehensible, and wonderful, of which there is no number.¹¹ If he come to me, I shall not see him: if he depart, I shall not understand.¹² If he examine on a sudden, who shall answer him? or who can say: Why dost thou so?¹³ God, whose wrath no man can resist, and under whom they stoop that bear up the world.

¹⁴ What am I then, that I should answer him, and have words with him?¹⁵ I, who although I should have any just thing, would not answer, but would make supplication to my judge.¹⁶ And if he should hear me when I call, I should not believe that he had heard my voice.¹⁷ For he shall crush me in a whirlwind, and multiply my wounds even without cause.¹⁸ He alloweth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness.¹⁹ If strength be demanded, he is most strong: if equity of judgment, no man dare bear witness for me.²⁰ If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I would shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked.²¹ Although I should be simple, even this my soul shall be ignorant of, and I shall be weary of my life.

²² One thing there is that I have spoken, both the innocent and the wicked he consumeth.²³ If he scourge, let him kill at once, and not laugh at the pains of the innocent.²⁴ The earth is given into the hand of the wicked, he covereth the face of the judges thereof: and if it be not he, who is it then?

²⁵ My days have been swifter than a post: they have fled away and have not seen good.²⁶ They have passed by as ships carrying fruits, as an eagle flying to the prey.²⁷ If I say: I will not speak so: I change my face, and am tormented with sorrow.²⁸ I feared all my works, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender.²⁹ But if so also I am wicked, why have I laboured in vain?³⁰ If I be washed, as it were, with snow waters, and my hands shall shine ever clean:³¹ Yet thou shalt plunge me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me.³² For I shall not answer a man that is like myself: nor one that may be heard with me equally in judgment.³³ There is none that may be able to reprove both, and to put his hand between both.³⁴ Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me.³⁵ I will speak, and will not fear him: for I cannot answer while I am in fear.