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 And Job made answer and said,
2 Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?
3 If a man was desiring to go to law with him, he would not be able to give him an answer to one out of a thousand questions.
4 He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?
5 It is he who takes away the mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his wrath:
6 Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking:
7 Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.
8 By whose hand the heavens were stretched out, and who is walking on the waves of the sea:
9 Who made the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades, and the store-houses of the south:
10 Who does great things not to be searched out; yes, wonders without number.
11 See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.
12 If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?
13 God's wrath may not be turned back; the helpers of Rahab were bent down under him.
14 How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him?
15 Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.
16 If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.
17 For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.
18 He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.
19 If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day?
20 Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.
21 I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.
22 It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together.
23 If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.
24 The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?
25 My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good.
26 They go rushing on like reed-boats, like an eagle dropping suddenly on its food.
27 If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright;
28 I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.
29 You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing?
30 If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap;
31 Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.
32 For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.
33 There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.
34 Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me:
35 Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.