1 Job said:
2 What you say is true.No human is innocentin the sight of God.
3 Not once in a thousand timescould we win our caseif we took him to court.
4 God is wise and powerful—who could possiblyoppose him and win?
5 When God becomes angry,he can move mountainsbefore they even know it.
6 God can shake the earth loosefrom its foundations
7 or command the sun and starsto hold back their light.
8 God alone stretched out the sky,stepped on the sea,
9 and set the stars in place—the Big Dipper and Orion,the Pleiades and the starsin the southern sky.
10 Of all the miracles God works,we cannot understand a one.
11 God walks right past me,without making a sound.
12 And if he grabs something,who can stop himor raise a question?
13 When God showed his anger,the servants of the sea monsterfell at his feet.
14 How, then, could I possiblyargue my case with God?
15 Even though I am innocent,I can only beg for mercy.
16 And if God came into courtwhen I called him,he would not hear my case.
17 He would strike me with a stormand increase my injuriesfor no reason at all.
18 Before I could get my breath,my miseries would multiply.
19 God is much stronger than I am,and who would call me into courtto give me justice?
20 Even if I were innocent,God would prove me wrong.
21 I am not guilty,but I no longer carewhat happens to me.
22 What difference does it make?God destroys the innocentalong with the guilty.
23 When a good person diesa sudden death,God sits back and laughs.
24 And who else but Godblindfolds the judges,then lets the wickedtake over the earth?
25 My life is speeding by,without a hope of happiness.
26 Each day passes swifterthan a sailing shipor an eagle swooping down.
27 Sometimes I try to be cheerfuland to stop complaining,
28 but my sufferings frighten me,because I know that Godstill considers me guilty.
29 So what's the use of tryingto prove my innocence?
30 Even if I washed myselfwith the strongest soap,
31 God would throw me into a pitof stinking slime, leaving medisgusting to my clothes.
32 God isn't a mere human like me.I can't put him on trial.
33 Who could possibly judgebetween the two of us?
34 Can someone snatch awaythe stick God carriesto frighten me?
35 Then I could speak upwithout fear of him,but for now, I cannot speak.