rd

Job 9

1 Job declareth the mightie power of God, and that man’s righteousnes is nothing.
1.Then Job answered, & said,
2.I knowe verily that it is so: for how shulde man compared unto God, be ajustified?
3.If he wolde dispute with him, he colde not answer him one thing of a bthousand.
4.He is wise in heart, and mightie in strength: who hathe bene fearce against him and hathe prospered?
5.He removeth the mountaines and they fele not when he overthroweth them in his wrath.
6.He cremoveth the earth out of her place, that the pillers thereof do shake.
7.He commandeth the sunne, and it riseth not: he closeth up the starres, as under a signet.
8.He him self alone spreadeth out the heavens, and walketh upon the height of the sea.
9.He maketh the starres dArctúrus, Orían, and Pleiades, and the climats of the South.
10.He doeth great things, and unsearchable: yea, mervelous things without nomber.
11.Lo, when he goeth eby me, I se him not: and when he passeth by, I perceive him not.
12.Beholde, when he taketh a pray, fwho can make him to restore it? who shal say unto him, What doest thou?
13.God gwil not withdrawe his angre and the moste mightie helps hdo stoupe under him.
14.How muche lesse shal I answer him? or how shulde I finde out imy wordes with him?
15.For thogh I were juste, yet colde I knot answer, but I wolde make supplication to my Judge.
16.If I lcrye, and he answer me, yet wolde I not beleve, that he heard my voyce.
17.For he destroyeth me with a tempest, and woundeth me mwithout cause.
18.He wil not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
19.If we speak of strength, beholde, he is nstrong: if we speak of judgement, who shal bring me in to plaide?
20.If I would justify my self, mine owne mouth shal condemne me: oif I wolde be perfite, he shal judge me wicked.
21.Though I were perfite, yet I knowe not my soule: therefore abhorre I my lyfe.
22.This is one point: therefore I said, He destroyeth the pperfite and the wicked.
23.If the scourge shulde sodenly qslaie, shulde God rlaugh at the punishment of the innocent?
24.The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he scovereth the faces of the judges thereof: if not, where tis he? or who is he?
25.My daies have bene more swift then a poste: they have fled, and have sene no good thing.
26.They are passed as with the moste swift shippes, and as the egle that flieth to the praye.
27.If uI say, I wil forget my complaint, I wil cease from my wrath, and comfort me,
28.Then I am afrayed of all my sorowes, knowing that thou wilt not judge me innocent.
29.If I be wicked, why xlabour I thus in vaine?
30.If I ywash my self with snowe water, & purge mine hands moste cleane,
31.Yet shalt thou plonge me in the pit, & mine own zclothes shal make me filthy.
32.For he is not a man as I am, that I shulde answer him, if we come together to judgement.
33.Nether is there any umpire athat might laie his hand upon us both.
34.Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his feare astonish me:
35.Then wil I speake, and feare him not: bbut because I am not so, I holde me stil.

Notes

2-a.
Job here answers to the point of Eliphaz and Bildad’s oration, touching the justice of God and his innocencie, confessing God to be infinite in justice, and man to be nothing in respect.
3-b.
Of a thousand things, which God could lay to his charge, man cannot answer him one.
6-c.
He declares what is the infirmity of man by the mighty and incomprehensible power that is in God, showing what he could do, if he would set forth his power.
9-d.
These are the names of certain stars, whereby he means that all stars both known and unknown are at his appointment.
11-e.
I am not able to comprehend his works, which are common and daily before my eyes, much less in those things, which are hid and secret.
12-f.
He shows that when God does execute his power, he does it justly, forasmuch as none can control him.
13-g.
God will not be appeased for ought that man can lay for himself for his justification.
13-h.
That is, all the reasons that men can lay to approve their cause.
14-i.
How should I be able to answer him by eloquence: whereby he notes his friends, that albeit they were eloquent in talk, yet they felt not in heart, that which they spoke.
15-k.
Meaning, in his own opinion, signifying that man will sometimes flatter himself to be righteous, which before God is abomination.
16-l.
Whiles I am in my pangs, I can not but brast forth into many inconveniences, although I know still that God is just.
17-m.
I am not able to feel my sins so great, as I feel the weight of his plagues: and this he speaks to condemn his dullness, and to justify God. 7 Geneva Bible 1560
19-n.
After he has accused his own weakness, he continues to justify God and his power.
20-o.
If I would stand in my own defence, yet God has just cause to condemn me, if he examine my heart, and conscience.
22-p.
If God punish according to his justice, he will destroy aswel them that are counted perfect, as them that are wicked.
23-q.
To wit, the wicked.
23-r.
That is spoken according to our apprehension, as though he would say, If God destroy but the wicked, as chap. 5.3, why should he suffer the innocents to be so long tormented by them?
24-s.
That they cannot see to do justice.
24-t.
That can show the contrary.
27-u.
I think not to fall into these affections, but my sorrows bring me to these manifold infirmities, and my conscience condemns me.
29-x.
Why does not God destroy me at once? thus he speaks according to the infirmity of the flesh.
30-y.
Though I seem never so pure in my own eyes, yet all is but corruption before God.
31-z.
Whatsoever I would use to cover my filthiness with, shal disclose me so much more.
33-a.
Which might make an accord between God and me, speaking of impaciencie, and yet confessing God to be just in punishing him.
35-b.
Signifying that God’s judgements keep him in awe.