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"Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God?
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If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
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God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
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He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger;
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He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;
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He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars;
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He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea;
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He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;
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He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.
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If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;
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If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, 'What are You doing?'
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God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.
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"How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him?
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For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge.
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If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.
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For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause.
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He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.
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If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?
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Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.
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"I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.
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It is all one thing; Therefore I say, 'He destroys the blameless and the wicked.'
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If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent.
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The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be?
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"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.
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They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey.
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If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,'
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I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent.
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If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain?
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If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap,
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Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.
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"For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.