Lyrics

Job Chapter 9

Then Job answered and said,
"Truly, I know all that, you have said nothing new. But how can a man be righteous before God? If one wished to argue with Him, such a man could not answer one question one time out of a thousand that God might ask. For God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has ever opposed Him and prospered?
He removes the mountains and overturns them in his anger. He shakes the foundations of the earth. He commands the sun and it does not rise. He seals off the stars and they no longer shine. He alone spreads out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He made the Bear, the Orion, and the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern Zodiac.
He does great things, yes, wonders without number. If He passes by me I do not see Him, if He moves I do not perceive his presence. If He chooses to take away, who can stop Him? Who can say, ‘What are you doing?’
Nothing can abate the anger of God. The proud and the arrogant shall be brought low before Him.
And who am I that I can answer Him, that I could choose my words to reason with Him? For though I was sinless, I could not answer Him. I would beg for mercy from my Judge. And now, even if I did call out to Him and He did answer my prayer, I would not believe He heard my cry. For He has crushed me with a tempest and He multiplies my wounds without a cause. He will not even allow me to catch my breath and He strikes again, filling me with bitter sorrow.
If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong. And if it is a matter of justice who will appoint my day in court. If I were righteous, my own mouth would still condemn me. If I were blameless God would prove me perverse. I am innocent but I do not know myself anymore. I despise my life. It is all the same to God. He destroys the blameless and the wicked, He laughs when the innocent are crushed.
The earth is given over into the hands of wicked. God blinds the eyes of judges causing them to rule unfairly. If is not God, who else could it be?
Now my days run swiftly by, they flee away and all I see is tragedy. They pass like swift ships, like an eagle swooping in on its prey.
If I say I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile, I am filled with dread that He might add to my suffering . For I know that you oh God, will not hold me innocent, for you have condemned me. So why should I labor in vain? If I were to wash myself with the purest of water and scrub my hands with soap, even so, you would plunge me into the pit of mud and even my clothing would be less filthy then you consider me to be.
For you are not a man as I am. If you were I could answer you, and we could reason together. But there is no mediator between us to bring us together. Oh... let Him take away his rod from me, do not let this dread of Him terrify me anymore. Then I would be able to speak without fear of Him, but it is not so with me.”

Job Chapter 10

“My soul loathes my life. I will speak freely now and voice my complaint. I will speak from the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God, ‘Don't just condemn me, show me why you are angry with me.
Does it seem right to you oh God that you should oppose and despise the work of your hands? That you would smile on the counsel of the wicked? Do you have eyes of flesh that see like men who are unjust? Are your days like a mortal man, so short that you must hunt me down for my iniquity, search unending for sin though you know full well I am innocent? Is it because you know no one can deliver me from your hand?
Your hands have made me and fashioned me into this intricate unity. Yet, now you would destroy me? I pray that you would remember I am but of clay. Would you grind me to dust so soon ?
You granted me this life and gave me favor. In your love you cared for me and preserved my spirit. And all the while hidden in your heart I know that this was with you, that if I sinned, then you would destroy me and no amount of pleading would cause you to forgive me.
If I am wicked woe to me, and if I am righteous I cannot even lift my head. For I am full of disgrace. See my misery.
If I start to arise you pounce upon me like a fierce lion, and again you show yourself awesome against me. You witness against me and increase your indignation towards me. Violence and war rage about me.
Are not my remaining days left here on earth few? Cease! Please leave me alone! That I might find some comfort before I die and go to the place from which I shall not return, to the land of darkness and the shadow of death. A land as dark as darkness itself. There in the shadow of death where there is no order, where the light is like darkness."