Job 9:14-1953 kjv — How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? Whom, though I were righteous, yet would…

“How much less shall I answer him, And choose out my words to reason with him? Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge. If I had called, and he had answered me, Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice. For he breaketh me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause. He will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness. Ifwe speakof strength, lo, he ismighty! And if of justice, Who, saith he, will summon me? Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse. I am perfect; I regard not myself; I despise my life. It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the trial of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof: Ifit benothe, who then is it? Now my days are swifter than a post: They flee away, they see no good. They are passed away as the swift ships; As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey. If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer; I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. I shall be condemned; Why then do I labor in vain? If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean; Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me. For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, That we should come together in judgment. There is no umpire betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take his rod away from me, And let not his terror make me afraid: Then would I speak, and not fear him; For I am not so in myself. ”

“How much less shall I answer him, And choose my words to argue with him? Though I were righteous, yet I wouldn't answer him. I would make supplication to my judge. If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I wouldn't believe that he listened to my voice. For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness. If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, 'Who,' says he, 'will summon me?' Though I am righteous, my own mouth shall condemn me. Though I am blameless, it shall prove me perverse. I am blameless. I don't respect myself. I despise my life. "It is all the same. Therefore I say he destroys the blameless and the wicked. If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If not he, then who is it? "Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away, they see no good, They have passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey. If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and cheer up;' I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that you will not hold me innocent. I shall be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain? If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye, yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes shall abhor me. For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment. There is no umpire between us, that might lay his hand on us both. Let him take his rod away from me. Let his terror not make me afraid; then I would speak, and not fear him, for I am not so in myself.”

“The Impossibility of Facing God in Court“How much less, then, can I answer him and choose my words to argue with him! Although I am innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my judge for mercy. If I summoned him, and he answered me, I would not believe that he would be listening to my voice– he who crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds for no reason. He does not allow me to recover my breath, for he fills me with bitterness. If it is a matter of strength, most certainly he is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, he will say,‘Who will summon me?’ Although I am innocent, my mouth would condemn me; although I am blameless, it would declare me perverse. I am blameless. I do not know myself. I despise my life. Accusation of God’s Justice“It is all one! That is why I say,‘He destroys the blameless and the guilty.’ If a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks at the despair of the innocent. If a land has been given into the hand of a wicked man, he covers the faces of its judges; if it is not he, then who is it? Renewed Complaint“My days are swifter than a runner, they speed by without seeing happiness. They glide by like reed boats, like an eagle that swoops down on its prey. If I say,‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression and be cheerful,’ I dread all my sufferings, for I know that you do not hold me blameless. If I am guilty, why then weary myself in vain? If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands clean with lye, then you plunge me into a slimy pit and my own clothes abhor me. For he is not a human being like I am, that I might answer him, that we might come together in judgment. Nor is there an arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both, who would take his rod away from me so that his terror would not make me afraid. Then would I speak and not fear him, but it is not so with me.”

“What am I then, that I should answer him, and have words with him? I, who although I should have any just thing, would not answer, but would make supplication to my judge. And if he should hear me when I call, I should not believe that he had heard my voice. For he shall crush me in a whirlwind, and multiply my wounds even without cause. He alloweth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness. If strength be demanded, he is most strong: if equity of judgment, no man dare bear witness for me. If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I would shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked. Although I should be simple, even this my soul shall be ignorant of, and I shall be weary of my life. One thing there is that I have spoken, both the innocent and the wicked he consumeth. If he scourge, let him kill at once, and not laugh at the pains of the innocent. 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? My days have been swifter than a post: they have fled away and have not seen good. They have passed by as ships carrying fruits, as an eagle flying to the prey. If I say: I will not speak so: I change my face, and am tormented with sorrow. I feared all my works, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender. But if so also I am wicked, why have I laboured in vain? If I be washed, as it were, with snow waters, and my hands shall shine ever so clean: Yet thou shalt plunge me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me. For I shall not answer a man that is like myself: nor one that may be heard with me equally in judgment. There is none that may be able to reprove both, and to put his hand between both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me. I will speak, and will not fear him: for I cannot answer while I am in fear. ”

“How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him? Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me. If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice. For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause. He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief. If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day? Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner. I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life. It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together. If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong. The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it? My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good. They go rushing on like reed-boats, like an eagle dropping suddenly on its food. If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright; I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes. You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing? If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap; Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing. For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge. There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us. Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me: Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.”

“How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge. If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause. He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead? If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he? Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good. They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey. If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself: I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain? If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me: Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me. ”