Job 13
1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all [this], mine ear hath heard and understood it.
Lo, all — hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it.
2 What ye know, I know also: I am not inferior to you.
According to your knowledge I have known — also I. I am not fallen more than you.
3 But I will speak to the Almighty, and will find pleasure in reasoning with God;
Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.
4 For ye indeed 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 Oh that ye would be altogether 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 defence, 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 for him speak deceit?
For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?
8 Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?
9 Will it be well if he should search you out? or as one mocketh at a man, will ye mock at him?
Is [it] good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?
10 He will certainly reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.
11 Shall not his excellency terrify you? 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 bulwarks are bulwarks of mire.
Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.
13 Hold your peace from me, and I will speak, and let come on me what [will]!
Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what?
14 Wherefore 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, if he slay me, yet would I trust in him; but I will defend mine own 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 his face.
Also — He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him.
17 Hear attentively my speech and my declaration with your ears.
Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.
18 Behold now, I have ordered the cause; I know that I shall be justified.
Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.
19 Who is he that contendeth with me? For if I were silent now, I should expire.
Who [is] he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.
20 Only do not two things unto me; then will I not hide myself from thee.
Only two things, O God, do with me: Then from Thy face I am not hidden.
21 Withdraw thy hand far from me; and let not thy terror make me afraid:
Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.
22 Then call, and I will answer; or I will speak, and answer thou me.
And call Thou, and I — I answer, Or — I speak, and answer Thou me.
23 How many are mine 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 Wherefore dost thou hide thy face, and countest me for thine enemy?
Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?
25 Wilt thou terrify a driven leaf? and wilt thou pursue dry stubble?
A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth;
For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth:
27 And thou puttest my feet in the stocks, and markest all my paths; thou settest a bound about 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 One who, as a rotten thing consumeth, as a garment that the moth eateth.
And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.
