| 1 | And Job, responding, said: |
| 2 | Truly, I know that it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with God. |
| 3 | If he chooses to contend with him, he is not able to respond to him once out of a thousand times. |
| 4 | He is understanding in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and yet had peace? |
| 5 | He has moved mountains, and those whom he overthrew in his fury did not know it. |
| 6 | He shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble. |
| 7 | He commands the sun and it does not rise, and he closes the stars as if under a seal. |
| 8 | He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of the sea. |
| 9 | He fashions Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the interior of the south. |
| 10 | He accomplishes great and incomprehensible and miraculous things, which cannot be numbered. |
| 11 | If he approaches me, I will not see him; if he departs, I will not understand. |
| 12 | If he suddenly should question, who will answer him? Or who can say, "Why did you do so?" |
| 13 | God, whose wrath no one is able to resist, and under whom they bend who carry the world, |
| 14 | what am I then, that I should answer him and exchange words with him? |
| 15 | And if I now have any justice, I will not respond, but will beseech my judge. |
| 16 | And if he should listen to me when I call, I would not believe that he had heard my voice. |
| 17 | For he will crush me in a whirlwind and multiply my wounds, even without cause. |
| 18 | He does not permit my spirit to rest, and he fills me with bitterness. |
| 19 | If strength is sought, he is most strong; if equity in judgment, no one would dare to give testimony for me. |
| 20 | If I wanted to justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I would reveal my innocence, he would prove me depraved. |
| 21 | And if I now became simple, my soul would be ignorant even of this, and my life would weary me. |
| 22 | There is one thing that I have said: both the innocent and the impious he consumes. |
| 23 | If he scourges, let him kill all at once, and not laugh at the punishment of the innocent. |
| 24 | Since the earth has been given into the hand of the impious, he covers the face of its judges; for if it is not him, then who is it? |
| 25 | My days have been swifter than a messenger; they have fled and have not seen goodness. |
| 26 | They have passed by like ships carrying fruits, just like an eagle flying to food. |
| 27 | If I say: "By no means will I speak this way." I change my face and I am tortured with sorrow. |
| 28 | I have dreaded all my works, knowing that you did not spare the offender. |
| 29 | Yet, if I am also just as impious, why have I labored in vain? |
| 30 | If I had been washed with snow-like waters, and my hands were shining like the cleanest thing, |
| 31 | yet you would plunge me in filth, and my own garments would abhor me. |
| 32 | For even I would not answer a man who were like myself, nor one who could be heard with me equally in judgment. |
| 33 | There is no one who could both prevail in argument and in placing his hand between the two. |
| 34 | Let him take his staff away from me, and let not the fear of him terrify me. |
| 35 | I will speak and I will not fear him, for in fearfulness I am not able to respond. |
