Job's reply to Bildad

What you say is true

1Job said:

2What you say is true.9.2: Job 4.17.

No human is innocent

in the sight of God.

3Not once in a thousand times

could we win our case

if we took him to court.

4God is wise and powerful—

who could possibly

oppose him and win?

5When God becomes angry,

he can move mountains

before they even know it.

6God can shake the earth loose

from its foundations

7or command the sun and stars

to hold back their light.

8God alone stretched out the sky,

stepped on the sea,9.8 sea: Or “sea monster” (see verse 13 and the note there).

9and set the stars in place—9.9: Job 38.31; Am 5.8.

the Great Bear and Orion,

the Pleiades and the stars

in the southern sky.

10Of all the miracles God works,

we cannot understand a single one.

11God walks right past me,

without making a sound.

12And if he grabs something,

who can stop him

or raise a question?

13When God showed his anger,

the servants of the sea monster9.13 the sea monster: The Hebrew text has “Rahab”, which was some kind of sea monster with supernatural powers (see the notes at 3.8 and 26.12).

fell at his feet.

14How, then, could I possibly

argue my case with God?

Though I am innocent

15Even though I am innocent,

I can only beg for mercy.

16And if God came into court

when I called him,

he would not hear my case.

17He would strike me with a storm9.17 strike…storm: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

and increase my injuries

for no reason at all.

18Before I could get my breath,

my miseries would multiply.

19God is much stronger than I am,

and who would call me into court

to give me justice?

20Even if I were innocent,

God would prove me wrong.9.20 God…wrong: Or “my own words would prove me wrong.”

21I am not guilty,

but I no longer care

what happens to me.

22What difference does it make?

God destroys the innocent

along with the guilty.

23When a good person dies

a sudden death,

God sits back and laughs.

24And who else but God

blindfolds the judges,

then lets the wicked

take over the earth?

My life is speeding by

25My life is speeding by,

without a hope of happiness.

26Each day passes swifter

than a sailing ship

or an eagle swooping down.

27Sometimes I try to be cheerful

and to stop complaining,

28but my sufferings frighten me,

because I know that God

still considers me guilty.

29So what's the use of trying

to prove my innocence?

30Even if I washed myself

with the strongest soap,

31God would throw me into a pit

of stinking slime, leaving me

disgusting to my clothes.

32God isn't a mere human like me.

I can't put him on trial.

33Who could possibly judge

between the two of us?

34Can someone snatch away

the stick God carries

to frighten me?

35Then I could speak up

without fear of him,

but for now, I cannot speak.9.35 but…speak: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.