Job Replies: There Is No Arbiter

Job 9

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 "Truly I know it is so,
But how can a a man be b righteous before God? 3 If one wished to 1 contend with Him,
He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. 4 c God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? 5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know
When He overturns them in His anger; 6 He d shakes the earth out of its place,
And its e pillars tremble; 7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the stars; 8 f He alone spreads out the heavens,
And 2 treads on the 3 waves of the sea; 9 g He made 4 the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south; 10 h He does great things past finding out,
Yes, wonders without number. 11 i If He goes by me, I do not see Him;
If He moves past, I do not perceive Him; 12 j If He takes away, 5 who can hinder Him?
Who can say to Him, 'What are You doing?'

13 God will not withdraw His anger,
k The allies of 6 the proud lie prostrate beneath Him. 14 "How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words to reason with Him? 15 l For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;
I would beg mercy of my Judge. 16 If I called and He answered me,
I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. 17 For He crushes me with a tempest,
And multiplies my wounds m without cause. 18 He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills me with bitterness. 19 If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong;
And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court? 20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;
Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. 21 "I am blameless, yet I do not know myself;
I despise my life. 22 It is all one thing;
Therefore I say, n 'He destroys the blameless and the wicked.' 23 If the scourge slays suddenly,
He laughs at the plight of the innocent. 24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, who else could it be?

25 "Now o my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good. 26 They pass by like 7 swift ships,
p Like an eagle swooping on its prey. 27 q If I say, 'I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,' 28 r I am afraid of all my sufferings;
I know that You s will not hold me innocent. 29 If I am condemned,
Why then do I labor in vain? 30 t If I wash myself with snow water,
And cleanse my hands with 8 soap, 31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes will 9 abhor me. 32 "For u He is not a man, as I am,
That I may answer Him,
And that we should go to court together. 33 v Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand on us both. 34 w Let Him take His rod away from me,
And do not let dread of Him terrify me. 35 Then I would speak and not fear Him,
But it is not so with me.

  1. Cross References
    Job 4:17
    Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
    Job 15:14 - 16
    What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?
    Psalms 143:2
    Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous.
    Romans 3:20
    Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
  2. Cross References
    Habakkuk 2:4
    Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.
    Romans 1:17
    For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith.
    Galatians 3:11
    But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith.
    Hebrews 10:38
    Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.
  3. Cross References
    Job 36:5
    Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding.
  4. Cross References
    Isaiah 2:19
    They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.
    Isaiah 2:21
    To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.
    Haggai 2:6
    For thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land.
    Hebrews 12:26
    Whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.
  5. Cross References
    Job 26:11
    The pillars of heaven tremble, And are astonished at His rebuke.
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 1:6
    Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
    Job 37:18
    With Him, have you spread out the skies, Strong as a cast metal mirror?
    Psalms 104:2
    Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
    Psalms 104:3
    He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind.
    Isaiah 40:22
    It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 1:16
    Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
    Job 38:31
    Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion?
    Amos 5:8
    He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The LORD is His name.
  8. Cross References
    Job 5:9
    Who does great things, and unsearchable, Marvelous things without number.
  9. Cross References
    Job 23:8
    Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him.
    Job 23:9
    When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.
    Job 35:14
    Although you say you do not see Him, Yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him.
  10. Cross References
    Isaiah 45:9
    Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' Or shall your handiwork say, 'He has no hands'?
    Daniel 4:35
    All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?
    Romans 9:20
    But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?
  11. Cross References
    Job 26:12
    He stirs up the sea with His power, And by His understanding He breaks up the storm.
  12. Cross References
    Job 10:15
    If I am wicked, woe to me; Even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head. I am full of disgrace; See my misery!
    Job 23:1 - 7
    Then Job answered and said:
  13. Cross References
    Job 2:3
    Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.
  14. Cross References
    Ecclesiastes 9:2
    All things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.
    Ecclesiastes 9:3
    This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
    Ezekiel 21:3
    And say to the land of Israel, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from you.
  15. Cross References
    Job 7:6
    My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And are spent without hope.
    Job 7:7
    Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good.
  16. Cross References
    Job 39:29
    From there it spies out the prey; Its eyes observe from afar.
    Habakkuk 1:8
    Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.
  17. Cross References
    Job 7:13
    When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint.
  18. Cross References
    Psalms 119:120
    My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.
  19. Cross References
    Exodus 20:7
    You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
  20. Cross References
    Jeremiah 2:22
    For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before Me," says the Lord GOD.
  21. Cross References
    Ecclesiastes 6:10
    Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he is man; And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.
    Isaiah 45:9
    Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' Or shall your handiwork say, 'He has no hands'?
    Jeremiah 49:19
    "Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the floodplain of the Jordan Against the dwelling place of the strong; But I will suddenly make him run away from her. And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? Who will arraign Me? And who is that shepherd Who will withstand Me?"
    Romans 9:20
    But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?
  22. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:25
    If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.
    Job 9:19
    If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?
    Isaiah 1:18
    Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
  23. Cross References
    Job 13:20
    Only two things do not do to me, Then I will not hide myself from You:
    Job 13:21
    Withdraw Your hand far from me, And let not the dread of You make me afraid.
    Psalms 39:10
    Remove Your plague from me; I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Next Book Next Book