9 ¹Then Job answered and said, ²I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? ³If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. ⁴He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? ⁵Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger. ⁶Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. ⁷Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. ⁸Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. ⁹Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. ¹⁰Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. ¹¹Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not. ¹²Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? ¹³If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him. ¹⁴How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? ¹⁵Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge. ¹⁶If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. ¹⁷For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause. ¹⁸He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. ¹⁹If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead? ²⁰If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. ²¹Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. ²²This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. ²³If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. ²⁴The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he? ²⁵Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good. ²⁶They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey. ²⁷If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself: ²⁸I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. ²⁹If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain? ³⁰If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; ³¹Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. ³²For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. ³³Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. ³⁴Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me: ³⁵Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

10 ¹My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. ²I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me. ³Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked? ⁴Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? ⁵Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days, ⁶That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin? ⁷Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand. ⁸Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. ⁹Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? ¹⁰Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese? ¹¹Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. ¹²Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. ¹³And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee. ¹⁴If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. ¹⁵If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction; ¹⁶For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me. ¹⁷Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me. ¹⁸Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! ¹⁹I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. ²⁰Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, ²¹Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; ²²A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

11 ¹Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, ²Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified? ³Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? ⁴For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. ⁵But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee; ⁶And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth. ⁷Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? ⁸It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? ⁹The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. ¹⁰If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him? ¹¹For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it? ¹²For vain men would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt. ¹³If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; ¹⁴If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. ¹⁵For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: ¹⁶Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away: ¹⁷And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday: thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. ¹⁸And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. ¹⁹Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee. ²⁰But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.