9. He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion,the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.
10. He does great things too marvelous to understand.He performs countless miracles.
11. “Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him.When he moves by, I do not see him go.
12. If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him?Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’
13. And God does not restrain his anger.Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet.
14. “So who am I, that I should try to answer Godor even reason with him?
15. Even if I were right, I would have no defense.I could only plead for mercy.
16. And even if I summoned him and he responded,I’m not sure he would listen to me.
17. For he attacks me with a stormand repeatedly wounds me without cause.
18. He will not let me catch my breath,but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
19. If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one.If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court?
20. Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty.Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked.
21. “I am innocent,but it makes no difference to me—I despise my life.
22. Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God.That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23. When a plague sweeps through,he laughs at the death of the innocent.