1 Then Job answered and said, 2 I know [it is] so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? 3 If he will 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 hath prospered? 5 Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger. 6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. 7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. 8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. 9 Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. 10 Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders 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 taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? 13 [If] God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers 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, [but] I would make supplication to my judge. 16 If I had called, and he had answered me; [yet] would I not believe that he had 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 [I speak] of strength, lo, [he is] strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time [to plead]? 20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: [if I say], I [am] perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. 21 [Though] I [were] perfect, [yet] would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. 22 This [is] one [thing], therefore I said [it], He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. 23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh 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 not, where, [and] who [is] he? 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] hasteth to the prey. 27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort [myself:] 28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. 29 [If] I be wicked, why then labour I in vain? 30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; 31 Yet shalt 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, [and] we should come together in judgment. 33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, [that] might lay his hand upon us both. 34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me: 35 [Then] would I speak, and not fear him; but [it is] not so with me.
Job · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Job 9 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (33)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 2 Job 4:17; Romans 3:20; Psalm 143:2; Job 25:4; 1 Kings 8:46
- 3 Job 10:2; Job 40:2; 1 John 3:20; 1 John 1:8; Psalm 19:12
- 4 Job 36:5; Ephesians 3:20; Romans 11:33; Exodus 14:17–18; Job 9:19
- 5 Luke 21:11; Matthew 27:51; Habakkuk 3:10; Revelation 11:13; Revelation 16:18–20
- 6 Haggai 2:6; Psalm 75:3; Hebrews 12:26; Job 26:11; Isaiah 2:21
- 7 Isaiah 13:10; Amos 8:9; Luke 21:25–26; Job 37:7; Matthew 24:29
- 8 Isaiah 44:24; Isaiah 40:22; Psalm 104:2–3; Job 37:18; Zechariah 12:1
- 9 Amos 5:8; Genesis 1:16; Job 38:31–41; Psalm 147:4; Acts 28:13
- 10 Job 5:9; Psalm 72:18; Ephesians 3:20; Romans 11:33; Daniel 4:2–3
- 11 Job 23:8–9; Job 35:14; Psalm 77:19; 1 Timothy 6:16
- 12 Job 11:10; Isaiah 45:9; Job 23:13; Romans 11:34; Daniel 4:35
- 13 Psalm 89:10; Job 26:12; Isaiah 51:9; Isaiah 30:7; James 4:6–7
- 14 Job 11:4–5; Job 4:19; Job 9:3; Job 23:7; Job 23:4
- 15 Job 10:15; Job 8:5; Job 22:27; Job 10:2; 1 Peter 2:23
- 16 Exodus 6:9; Psalm 66:18–20; Luke 24:41; Job 29:24; Psalm 18:6
- 17 Job 16:14; Job 2:3; Job 34:6; Job 2:13; Ezekiel 13:13
- 18 Job 7:19; Lamentations 3:15; Hebrews 12:11; Job 3:20; Job 27:2
- 19 Job 9:32–33; Job 9:4; 1 Corinthians 1:25; Job 40:9–10; Matthew 6:13
- 20 Psalm 143:2; Job 34:35; Job 9:2; Psalm 130:3; Philippians 3:12–15
- 21 Job 1:1; Psalm 139:23–24; 1 Corinthians 4:4; Job 7:21; Proverbs 28:26
- 22 Ecclesiastes 9:1–3; Job 10:8; Ezekiel 21:3–4; Luke 13:2–4
- 23 Job 24:12; Hebrews 11:36–37; Ezekiel 14:19–21; Job 8:20; Job 2:7
- 24 Job 10:3; Psalm 73:3–7; Jeremiah 12:1–2; Job 21:7–15; 2 Samuel 15:30
- 25 Job 7:6–7; James 4:14; Psalm 90:9–10; Psalm 39:5; Esther 8:14
- 26 Habakkuk 1:8; Isaiah 18:2; Lamentations 4:19; Jeremiah 4:13; 2 Samuel 1:23
- 27 Job 7:13; Psalm 77:2–3; Job 7:11; Jeremiah 8:18
- 28 Psalm 119:120; Psalm 88:15–16; Job 9:20–21; Job 14:16; Job 10:14
- 29 Job 10:7; Job 10:2; Job 10:14–17; Job 21:16–17; Jeremiah 2:35
- 30 Jeremiah 2:22; Psalm 26:6; 1 John 1:8; Isaiah 1:16–18; Jeremiah 4:14
- 31 Job 15:6; Philippians 3:8–9; Job 9:20; Isaiah 59:6; Isaiah 64:6
- 32 Romans 9:20; Ecclesiastes 6:10; Psalm 143:2; Isaiah 45:9; Numbers 23:19
- 33 1 Samuel 2:25; 1 John 2:1–2; Job 9:19; Psalm 106:23; 1 Kings 3:16–28
- 34 Psalm 39:10; Job 33:7; Job 13:11; Psalm 90:11; Job 13:20–22
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
That which a certain scripture says: "The earth was delivered into the hands of the ungodly." The flesh was given into the power of the Jews; and this that thereby the bag, as it were, might be rent asunder, whence our purchase-price might run out.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
And this Job said mystically, Which alone spread out the heaven, and walketh upon the sea as on firm ground; signifying to those who understand that He who when present here walked upon the sea is also He who aforetime made the heavens.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
"The earth is given into the hands of the wicked." What is meant by "earth" being "given into the hands of the ungodly"?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
"I slept," because "I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again." "I laid Me down and slept, and rose up again." Rage then the Jews; be "the earth given into the hands of the wicked," be the flesh left to the hands of persecutors, let them on wood suspend it, with nails …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)