Job

Job 9 ©

1 Job acknowledgeth God's justice, wisdom, and power, against which there is no contending: 14 he disclaimeth all thought of justifying himself; 20 but insisteth that a man's innocency is not to be judged by the good or evil that befalls him in this world: 25 he bringeth evidence of his own misfortunes, but will not presume to dispute with the author of them, who is so much above him.

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THEN Job answered and said,

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I know it is so of a truth: but ahow should man be just 1with God?

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If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him bone of a thousand.

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He is cwise in heart, and mighty in strength: dwho hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

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Which eremoveth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

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Which fshaketh the earth out of her place, and the gpillars thereof tremble.

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Which hcommandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and isealeth up the stars.

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Which alone jspreadeth out the heavens, and ktreadeth upon the 2waves of the sea.

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lWhich maketh 3Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

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mWhich doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

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nLo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

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oBehold, he taketh away, who can 4hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

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pIf God will not withdraw his anger, the 5proud helpers do stoop under him.

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qHow much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

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Whom, rthough I were righteous, yet would I not answer, sbut I would make supplication to my judge.

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If tI had called, and he had answered me; yet would uI not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

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For he vbreaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds wwithout cause.

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xHe will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with ybitterness.

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If I speak of strength, lo, zhe is strong: and if of judgment, who ashall set me a time to plead ?

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If I bjustify myself, cmine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

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Though dI were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

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This is eone thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

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If fthe *scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the gtrial of the innocent.

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hThe earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he icovereth the faces of the judges thereof; jif not, where, and who is he?

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Now my days are kswifter than la *post: they flee away, they see no good.

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They are passed away as the 6swift ships: as mthe eagle that hasteth to the prey.

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nIf I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and 7comfort myself :

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I oam afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou pwilt not hold me innocent.

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If I be wicked, why then labour I qin vain?

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If I rwash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

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Yet shalt thou splunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall 8abhor me.

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For he is tnot a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

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Neither is there any 9*days-man betwixt us, that might ulay his hand upon us both.

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Let him take vhis rod away from me, and let not his fear wterrify me:

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Then would I speak, and not fear him; 10but it is not so with me.