Job 9:14-16

New Catholic Bible

Even If I Am Innocent, How Can I Answer God?^[a]

¹⁴“How then can I possibly reply to him
    or devise arguments to counter him?
¹⁵Even if I am innocent, how can I answer him?
    I can only plead that he have mercy on me.
¹⁶“Even if I summoned him and he responded,
    I do not believe that he would listen to what I said.

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Footnotes

Job 9:14 Hounded by the desire to obtain justice, Job would like to come before God. But the heavy burden of the trial leads him to have doubts both about his own virtue and about the justice of God.

Job 9:14-16

New International Version

¹⁴“How then can I dispute with him?
    How can I find words to argue with him?^(A)
¹⁵Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;^(B)
    I could only plead^(C) with my Judge^(D) for mercy.^(E)
¹⁶Even if I summoned him and he responded,
    I do not believe he would give me a hearing.^(F)