1 Maar Job het geantwoord en gesê:

2 Waarlik, ek weet dat dit so is; en hoe kan 'n mens regverdig wees by God?

3 As hy sou begeer om met Hom te twis, nie een uit duisend sal hy Hom kan antwoord nie.

4 Hy is wys van hart en sterk van krag; wie was hardnekkig teen Hom en het ongestraf gebly?

5 Hy wat berge versit sonder dat hulle dit merk; wat hulle omkeer in sy toorn;

6 wat die aarde laat sidder uit sy plek, sodat sy pilare dril;

7 wat bevel gee aan die son, en hy gaan nie op nie, en die sterre agter 'n seël wegsluit;

8 wat alleen die hemel uitspan en stap op die golwe van die see;

9 wat die Beer gemaak het, die Or¡on en die Sewe-ster en die Kamers van die Suide;

10 wat groot, ondeurgrondelike dinge doen en wonders sonder getal.

11 Gaan Hy by my langs, dan sien ek Hom nie, en Hy skuif verby sonder dat ek Hom bemerk.

12 Sleep Hy weg -- wie sal Hom teëhou? Wie vir Hom sê: Wat maak U?

13 God wend sy toorn nie af nie; onder Hom moet die helpers van Rahab kruip.

14 Hoeveel minder sal ,k Hom kan antwoord, sal ek my woorde kan kies teenoor Hom;

15 Hom wat ek nie kan antwoord nie, al was ek regverdig: ek kan my regter net om genade smeek!

16 As ek dagvaar en Hy my antwoord, glo ek nie dat Hy na my stem sal luister nie.

17 Hy wat my deur 'n stormwind sou vernietig en my wonde sonder oorsaak sou vermeerder;

18 my nie sou toelaat om asem te skep nie, maar my sou versadig met bitterhede.

19 Kom dit aan op die krag van die sterkste -- hier is Ek! En kom dit op reg aan -- wie kan My dagvaar?

20 Al was ek regverdig, my eie mond sou my veroordeel; al was ek onskuldig, Hy sou my as 'n verkeerde reken.

21 Vroom is ek! Ek gee niks om myself nie: ek verfoei my lewe!

22 Dit is net eenders -- daarom sê ek: Die vrome en die goddelose vernietig Hy.

23 As die g,sel skielik doodmaak, spot Hy met die vertwyfeling van die onskuldiges.

24 Die aarde is aan die mag van die goddelose oorgelewer, die gesig van die regters bind Hy toe. Is dit nie Hy nie, wie dan anders?

25 Ja my dae was gouer as 'n hardloper; hulle het weggevlug sonder om voorspoed te sien.

26 Hulle het verbygegly soos skepe van biesies, soos 'n arend wat neerskiet op sy prooi.

27 As ek sê: Ek wil my geklaag vergeet, my droewige gesig laat vaar en vrolik word,

28 dan is ek al bang vir al my smarte: ek weet dat U my nie sal vryspreek nie.

29 Ek sal tog skuldig wees -- waarom sal ek my dan tevergeefs afmat?

30 Al was ek my met sneeu en reinig ek my hande met loog,

31 dan sou U my in 'n poel indompel, sodat my klere van my 'n afsku kry.

32 Want Hy is nie 'n man soos ek, dat ek Hom sou kan antwoord, dat ons saam na die gereg sou kan gaan nie.

33 Daar is geen skeidsregter tussen ons wat sy hand op ons twee kan lê nie.

34 Laat Hy sy roede van my wegneem, en laat sy verskrikking my nie beangstig nie;

35 dan wil ek spreek sonder dat ek vir Hom bevrees is; want so is dit met my nie gesteld nie.

1 Then Job answered and said,

2 Of a truth I know that it is so:

But how can man be just with God?

3 If he be pleased to contend with him,

He cannot answer him one of a thousand.

4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength:

Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?—

5 Him that removeth the mountains, and they know it not,

When he overturneth them in his anger;

6 That shaketh the earth out of its place,

And the pillars thereof tremble;

7 That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not,

And sealeth up the stars;

8 That alone stretcheth out the heavens,

And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;

9 That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,

And the chambers of the south;

10 That doeth great things past finding out,

Yea, marvellous things without number.

11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not:

He passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

12 Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can hinder him?

Who will say unto him, What doest thou?

13 God will not withdraw his anger;

The helpers of Rahab do stoop under him.

14 How much less shall I answer him,

And choose out my words to reason with him?

15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer;

I would make supplication to my judge.

16 If I had called, and he had answered me,

Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice.

17 For he breaketh me with a tempest,

And multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18 He will not suffer me to take my breath,

But filleth me with bitterness.

19 If we speak of strength, lo, he is mighty!

And if of justice, Who, saith he, will summon me?

20 Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me:

Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.

21 I am perfect; I regard not myself;

I despise my life.

22 It is all one; therefore I say,

He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

23 If the scourge slay suddenly,

He will mock at the trial of the innocent.

24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;

He covereth the faces of the judges thereof:

If it be not he, who then is it?

25 Now my days are swifter than a post:

They flee away, they see no good.

26 They are passed away as the swift ships;

As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.

27 If I say, I will forget my complaint,

I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer;

28 I am afraid of all my sorrows,

I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

29 I shall be condemned;

Why then do I labor in vain?

30 If I wash myself with snow water,

And make my hands never so clean;

31 Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch,

And mine own clothes shall abhor me.

32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him,

That we should come together in judgment.

33 There is no umpire betwixt us,

That might lay his hand upon us both.

34 Let him take his rod away from me,

And let not his terror make me afraid:

35 Then would I speak, and not fear him;

For I am not so in myself.