Job 9

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Then Job answered and said:	1 And Job answered, and said:
2 I know well that it is so; but how can a man be justified before God?	2 Indeed I know it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with
3 Should one wish to contend with him, he could not answer him once in a thousand times.	3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one for a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has withstood him and remained unscathed?	4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath resisted him, and hath had peace ?
5 He removes the mountains before they know it; he overturns them in his anger.	5 Who hath removed mountains, and they whom he overthrew in his wrath, knew it not.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars beneath it tremble.	6 Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 He commands the sun, and it rises not; he seals up the stars.	7 Who commandeth tile sun and it riseth not: and shutteth up the stars as it were under a seal:
8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the sea.	8 Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and walketh upon the waves of the sea.
9 He made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;	9 Who maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the inner parts of the south.
10 He does great things past finding out, marvelous things beyond reckoning.	10 Who doth things great and incomprehensible, and wonderful, of which there is no number.
11 Should he come near me, I see him not; should he pass by, I am not aware of him;	11 If he come to me, I shall not see him: if he depart I shall not understand.
12 Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay? Who can say to him, "What are you doing?"	12 If he examine on a sudden, who shall answer him? or who can say: Why dost thou so?
13 He is God and he does not relent; the helpers of Rahab bow beneath him.	13 God, whose wrath no mall can resist, and under whom they stoop that bear up the world.
14 How much less shall I give him any answer, or choose out arguments against him!	14 What am I then, that I should answer him, and have words with him?
15 Even though I were right, I could not answer him, but should rather beg for what was due me.	15 I, who although I should have any just thing, would not answer, but would make supplication to my judge.
16 If I appealed to him and he answered my call, I could not believe that he would hearken to my words;	16 And if he should hear me when I call, I should not believe that he had heard my voice.
17 With a tempest he might overwhelm me, and multiply my wounds without cause;	17 For he shall crush me in a whirlwind, and multiply my wounds even without cause.
18 He need not suffer me to draw breath, but might fill me with bitter griefs.	18 He alloweth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness.
19 If it be a question of strength, he is mighty; and if of judgment, who will call him to account?	19 If strength be demanded, he is most strong: if equity of judgment, no man dare bear witness for me.
20 Though I were right, my own mouth might condemn me; were I innocent, he might put me in the wrong.	20 If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I would shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked.
21 Though I am innocent, I myself cannot know it; I despise my life.	21 Although I should be simple, even this my soul shall be ignorant of, and I shall be weary of my life.
22 It is all one! therefore I say: Both the innocent and the wicked he destroys.	22 One thing there is that I have spoken, both the innocent and the wicked he consumeth.
23 When the scourge slays suddenly, he laughs at the despair of the innocent.	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 hands of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges. If it is not he, who then is it?	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 are swifter than a runner, they flee away; they see no happiness;	25 My days have been swifter than a post: they have fled away and have not seen good.
26 They shoot by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping upon its prey.	26 They have passed by as ships carrying fruits, as an eagle flying to the prey.
27 If I say: I will forget my complaining, I will lay aside my sadness and be of good cheer,	27 If I say: I will not speak so: I change my face, and am tormented with sorrow.
28 Then I am in dread of all my pains; I know that you will not hold me innocent.	28 I feared all my works, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender.
29 If I must be accounted guilty, why then should I strive in vain?	29 But if so also I am wicked, why have I laboured in vain?
30 If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,	30 If I be washed as it were with snow waters, and my hands shall shine ever so clean :
31 Yet you would plunge me in the ditch, so that my garments would abhor me.	31 Yet thou shalt plunge me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me,
32 For he is not a man like myself, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.	32 For I shall not answer a man that is like myself: nor one that may be heard with me equally in judgment.
33 Would that there were an arbiter between us, who could lay his hand upon us both	33 There is none that may be able to reprove both, and to put his hand between both.
34 and withdraw his rod from me. Would that his terrors did not frighten me;	34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me.
35 that I might speak without being afraid of him. Since this is not the case with me,	35 I will speak, and will not fear him: for I cannot answer while I am in fear.