1 Então, Jó respondeu e disse:

2 Na verdade, sei que assim é;

porque, como pode o homem ser justo para com Deus?

3 Se quiser contender com ele,

nem a uma de mil coisas lhe poderá responder.

4 Ele é sábio de coração e grande em poder;

quem porfiou com ele e teve paz?

5 Ele é quem remove os montes, sem que saibam

que ele na sua ira os transtorna;

6 quem move a terra para fora do seu lugar,

cujas colunas estremecem;

7 quem fala ao sol, e este não sai,

e sela as estrelas;

8 quem sozinho estende os céus

e anda sobre os altos do mar;

9 quem fez a Ursa, o Órion,

o Sete-estrelo e as recâmaras do Sul;

10 quem faz grandes coisas, que se não podem esquadrinhar,

e maravilhas tais, que se não podem contar.

11 Eis que ele passa por mim, e não o vejo;

segue perante mim, e não o percebo.

12 Eis que arrebata a presa! Quem o pode impedir?

Quem lhe dirá: Que fazes?

13 Deus não revogará a sua própria ira;

debaixo dele se encurvam os auxiliadores do Egito.

14 Como, então, lhe poderei eu responder

ou escolher as minhas palavras, para argumentar com ele?

15 A ele, ainda que eu fosse justo, não lhe responderia;

antes, ao meu Juiz pediria misericórdia.

16 Ainda que o chamasse, e ele me respondesse,

nem por isso creria eu que desse ouvidos à minha voz.

17 Porque me esmaga com uma tempestade

e multiplica as minhas chagas sem causa.

18 Não me permite respirar;

antes, me farta de amarguras.

19 Se se trata da força do poderoso, ele dirá: Eis-me aqui;

se, de justiça: Quem me citará?

20 Ainda que eu seja justo, a minha boca me condenará;

embora seja eu íntegro, ele me terá por culpado.

21 Eu sou íntegro, não levo em conta a minha alma,

não faço caso da minha vida.

22 Para mim tudo é o mesmo; por isso, digo:

tanto destrói ele o íntegro como o perverso.

23 Se qualquer flagelo mata subitamente,

então, se rirá do desespero do inocente.

24 A terra está entregue nas mãos dos perversos;

e Deus ainda cobre o rosto dos juízes dela;

se não é ele o causador disso, quem é, logo?

25 Os meus dias foram mais velozes do que um corredor;

fugiram e não viram a felicidade.

26 Passaram como barcos de junco;

como a águia que se lança sobre a presa.

27 Se eu disser: eu me esquecerei da minha queixa,

deixarei o meu ar triste e ficarei contente;

28 ainda assim todas as minhas dores me apavoram,

porque bem sei que me não terás por inocente.

29 Serei condenado;

por que, pois, trabalho eu em vão?

30 Ainda que me lave com água de neve

e purifique as mãos com cáustico,

31 mesmo assim me submergirás no lodo,

e as minhas próprias vestes me abominarão.

32 Porque ele não é homem, como eu,

a quem eu responda, vindo juntamente a juízo.

33 Não há entre nós árbitro

que ponha a mão sobre nós ambos.

34 Tire ele a sua vara de cima de mim,

e não me amedronte o seu terror;

35 então, falarei sem o temer;

do contrário, não estaria em mim.

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.

1 Then Job replied:

2 "Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?

3 Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.

4 His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?

5 He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger.

6 He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble.

7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars.

8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

9 He is the Maker of the Bear "and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

10 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

11 When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.

12 If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'

13 God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.

14 "How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him?

15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.

16 Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing.

17 He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason.

18 He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.

19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him "?

20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.

21 "Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.

22 It is all the same; that is why I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.'

23 When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.

24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it?

25 "My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.

26 They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey.

27 If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,'

28 I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent.

29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain?

30 Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder,

31 you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.

32 "He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court.

33 If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together,

34 someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.

35 Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.