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