Job 9:11

If ¹  he passes by me, I cannot see ²  him, ³  if he goes by, I cannot perceive him. ⁴ 

When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.

"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

"Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves on, I do not see him go.

Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don't see him; quietly but surely he's active, and I miss it.

See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.

Look, he passes by me, and I do not see him; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.

If He goes by me, I do not see Him ; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;

If ¹  he passes by me, I cannot see ²  him, ³  if he goes by, I cannot perceive him. ⁴ 

¹ tn The NIV has “when” to form a temporal clause here. For the use of “if,” see GKC 497 §159.w.

² tn The imperfect verbs in this verse are consistent with the clauses. In the conditional clauses a progressive imperfect is used, but in the following clauses the verbs are potential imperfects.

³ tn The pronoun “him” is supplied here; it is not in MT, but the Syriac and Vulgate have it (probably for translation purposes as well).

⁴ sn Like the mountains, Job knows that God has passed by and caused him to shake and tremble, but he cannot understand or perceive the reasons.