< Job 13 >
1 Lo, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.
Lo, all — hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it.
2 What ye know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.
According to your knowledge I have known — also I. I am not fallen more than you.
3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.
4 But ye are forgers of lies. Ye are all physicians of no value.
And yet, ye [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought — all of you,
5 O that ye would altogether be silent! And it would be your wisdom.
O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.
6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,
7 Will ye speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?
8 Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God?
His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? Or as deceiving a man, will ye deceive him?
Is [it] good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?
10 He will surely reprove you if ye secretly show partiality.
He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.
11 Shall not his majesty make you afraid, and his dread fall upon you?
Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay.
Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.
13 Be quiet. Let me alone that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what?
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?
Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?
15 Behold, he will kill me; I have no hope. Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him.
Lo, He doth slay me — I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.
16 This also shall be my salvation, that a profane man shall not come before him.
Also — He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him.
17 Hear diligently my speech, and let my declaration be in your ears.
Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.
18 Behold now, I have set my case in order. I know that I am righteous.
Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.
19 Who is he who will contend with me? For then I would keep silent and give up the spirit.
Who [is] he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.
20 Only do not do two things to me, then I will not hide myself from thy face:
Only two things, O God, do with me: Then from Thy face I am not hidden.
21 Withdraw thy hand far from me, and do not let thy dread make me afraid.
Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer, or let me speak, and answer thou me.
And call Thou, and I — I answer, Or — I speak, and answer Thou me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.
How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.
24 Why do thou hide thy face, and reckon me for thine enemy?
Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?
25 Will thou harass a driven leaf? And will thou pursue the dry stubble?
A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?
26 For thou write bitter things against me, and make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.
For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth:
27 Thou also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. Thou set a bound to the soles of my feet.
And puttest in the stocks my feet, And observest all my paths, On the roots of my feet Thou settest a print,
28 Though I am like a rotten thing that decays, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.